Customer Reviews

The Forestwife

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Unlike what I had expected, The Forestwife is not a retelling of Robin Hood story told from Maid Marian's perspective. It does not showcase the heroic acts of Robin and his merry band, or even focus primarily on his romance with Maid Marian. Instead, Tomlinson chose to develop a thoughtful, imaginative, and carefully researched branch off from the original legend (thought to have taken place near her actual English home), in which a cast of capable females, who have traditionally filled supporting roles, set off on a progression of adventures of their own.

Embodying a balance of compassion, courage, grace and true grit, these women work together, sharing their wisdom and strength, to win victories over oppression, illness, starvation, and the elements themselves, to heal others, and to heal themselves. Robin Hood and his Merry Men play a part in the plot, but generally in a more contributing fashion, working alongside or in cooperation with the able heroines, sharing equal opportunities with the women to swoop in and save the day.

In the tradition of Robin Hood, battle action and budding romances appear throughout its pages, but The Forestwife takes things one step further. If you are looking for a book with strong, capable, problem-solving female leads, or a window of insight into the realities of day-to-day medieval life (as in The Moorchild, A Door in the Wall, or The Midwife's Apprentice), this book would be well worth a try.

I really loved this book. I just finished it. It's about the 15 year old Mary de Holt. She's sentenced to a married life to an old, ugly, man, whom she knows she could never be happy with. When she runs away, she runs into her nurse from birth, Agnes. They set of for the house of the Forestwife, but finde her to be lying dead. So Agnes becomes the new Forestwife, and Mary her helper, Marian or the Green Lady. There are many suprises in store and a few parts that you wish-why, why, this, this isn't what I wanted to happen. But it's also an enchanting, yet realistic book, not all that "and they lived happily ever after" stuff. Although a few of those parts I wish would have been more the "happily ever after" stuff, I'm that sorta person, who kinda wants everything to come out the way I want it. But is still was a wonderful book. I really liked the legend twist, concentrating on the enchanting Maid Marian. I love fairytale twist books, I read ones in the similar twist form on Cinderella and Beauty, from Beauty and the Beast. I also saw there is a sequel to this. Although I'm sure to read it eventually, I rather hesitate, knowing it won't include much of Maid Marian and Robert's(Robin Hood) romance and friendship, or the fact that they wouldn't be the main characters. I guess I sorta wish it'd stay just where it has ended now, leaving you to your imagination. You can give it any sort of end, even change the turn out of Marian and Robert's romance and a few other suprises you might want to change to your way. But all in all I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Robin Hood tales, medevil times, or twisted legend/fairytales. Enjoy!

I just finished this book and it was an excellent depiction of srong women who live wild in the forest and help sick people. The characterizations were awesome, most especially Marian, who was an incredibly cool character in this book, unlike most other Robin Hood stories, so characters get five stars. The plot was good also, though I wish more of the action had actually taken place in the story. Instead, all the outlaws would go out and fight a battle "offscreen", and then come back and tell the other characters about it, so plot gets three and 1/2 stars. Writing style and dialogue were possitively breathtaking, with true old style flair, so it also gets five stars. So, altogether this book wins a unanimous four stars, which is excellent. This book would be best for kids ten to fifteen, as younger kids probably wouldn't get most of it.

I happen to love fantasy books , though I only truely enjoy the ones that allow the characters to seep into you and you become them. For me this was one of those books that take you away and into the story Marian was a wonderful character that you never hear anything personal about but this told it from her . With this book, I have learned to see Marian more as Robin Hood's mate, not annoying female pest. Love the romance, intensity, and action.

The lyrical and medieval tongue takes you back into the past where females were trade objects and tights and gowns were an everyday matter...not to mention the black magic. This has to be the ONLY Robin Hood book out in print with Maid Marian telling the tale...such an original and never before tried idea! I can't wait to read the sequel CHILD OF MAY.

If you enjoyed this book, another one quite similar and just as enchanting would have to me MIST OF THE AVALONS (if you haven't heard of it before) and also COURT DUEL...you just gotta read them!

Twists and turns, hate into romance, hardness into humor, a novella with all the key characterisitics to draw a hungry reader in. Especially with Maid Marian as a lead character, you wish there'd be a sequel. But no, this book stands on it's own pretty well, pretty darn well.

This is a believable reimaging of the tales of Robin Hood told from the POV of Marian and the women in Medieval England. It is rich in detail and historical fact. I highly recommend this book to anyone...

As to the previous reviewer's comments about anti-Catholic sentiments. Have you never studied history? The Catholic Church in the Dark Ages were full of bishops and clergy similar to those portrayed in the book. The Church was bigoted, violent and prepared to go to any lengths to ensure that women were kept underfoot. Before slamming this book for revealing history, perhaps you should take a look at the real history, you will find it is much...much worse and it was all done in God's name

I like this book because Maid Marian is the main character. In this realistic medieval retelling of the Robin Hood story, Marian isn't locked up in a tower waiting to be rescued. She's in the center of the action! Mary de Holt would rather die than marry the rude, old, and ugly nobleman her uncle has chosen. So she runs away in a state of confusion and terror, without stopping to think. Luckily, her smart and fretting nurse, Agnes, shows up. Together they journey to the Forestwife, a so-called good witch. Big suprise...she's lying dead. Agnes becomes the Forestwife, and begins helping the poor and hungry people of Langden. Along comes Robert, Agnes's outlaw son. He and Marian have a bit of a dislike toward each other. Marian's friend Emma has a bit of a romance with Little John. Marian meets the Seeres, a lady who has locked herself up in a cell, Alice and Tom, two talented peasants, the poor,mad old lady Sarah, fiesty outlaw woman Philippa, the heretic nuns, the drunk preist and his dog, and the wicked nobleman William of Langden. When Robert is seriously wounded, Marian is sent to nurse him back to health. Who knows what changes can happen...can two haters become lovers? This book is full of both heartbreaking and joyous surprises, and suspense. Find out why Robin had "hood" added to his name! The characters are very well devoloped. The language is how they really spoke, and it could be confusing for younger readers. The plot is wonderful, romantic, and sad all at the same time. This is a fantastic book for people who love the Robin Hood stories, the middle ages, and most female main characters. However, I took away one star because I went through the whole book until I saw the "Afterward" thinking that this was some unknown Robin Hood story, and a good one at that. I find it annoying that THE FORESTWIFE is a story put together by many other stories, most having nothing to do with Robin Hood. But it's not an error, just a little fact that needs to be acknowledged. That's the only thing wrong with this super book. For ages 10-13.

Not the kind of book I'd normally read, i reluctantly borrowed this from my cousin as she insisted that it was brilliant and i'd like it. She was right! I think it is an amazing book and very very well written. It is well researched and projects the lives of the outlaw women extremely well. A kind of Robbin Hood-esque story, The author has cleverly and with knowledge looked at the women who live with the bandits and outlaws, deep in the forest. At a time of chaos and turmoil these people are forced to kill the evil. The Story is written through the eyes of Marian, the green lady of the forest, and later through the eyes of Magda. It is an emotional story and it even made me cry at the end. It is The kind of book that I am sure i will still be reading in years to come (with my very own copy! yay!) I hope you enjoy reading this as much as i did.

Mary is a young girl in a rich manor. She lives a life of luxury, but when she is told to marry an ugly, old man, she runs away. She goes to the forestwife, an old woman who helps unfortunate people of the woods. Later, she meets many friends and falls in love with Robin Hood. This is a form of the famous Robin Hood story, only with a teenage girl as the main character.