The Mulberry Tree [Mass Market Paperback]

Jude Deveraux (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 2003

She had a perfect life. Then she got a real life....

For nearly twenty years, quiet, unassuming Lillian Manville has devoted herself to her self-made billionaire husband -- and enjoyed a luxurious life of splendid homes, trips, jewels, and clothes. But when James Manville dies in a plane crash, Lillian's grief is compounded by a shocking mystery: all that Jimmie has left to her is an old farmhouse in tiny Calburn, Virginia. Now, Lillian's unexpected circumstances are leading her to a made-over life in Calburn, an exciting businessŠand a sweet new love with a handsome local man. But will she have the courage to unveil the truth surrounding a past scandal and the loss of her husband? The answers may be as close as the mulberry tree in her yard -- and Lillian must dig deep within herself to Wght the secrets and lies that threaten to uproot the past she cherished and the future she treasures....This lush bestseller shines with the passion, intrigue, and warmth that is Jude Deveraux at her best.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

erennially bestselling romance writer Deveraux's newest (put out by Atria, S&S's new hardcover imprint) tells the story of a 33-year-old woman's successful remaking of her life and self-image after the sudden death of her beloved husband, Jimmie, who was a combination of business tycoon and Mafia honcho. Pampered Lillian Manville is bustled away in the middle of the night and informed that she was cut almost entirely from Jimmie's will. Rather than a portion of his billions, he bequeathed her an old farmhouse in Virginia and a cryptic note referring to "the truth about what happened." Retreating to lick her wounds, Lillian begins to carve out a new life for herself and investigate the mystery of Jimmy's past. As she uncovers the town's buried secrets, she also discovers that Jimmy deliberately created a role for her as his mousy wife and kept her trapped there. As she breaks out of her shell, she loses weight, restyles herself and starts a cooking business with the townswomen, who grudgingly begin to accept her presence. Bailey (as Lillian renames herself) is infectiously enthusiastic yet just insecure enough to make her pathbreaking corporate organization of her neighbors and her concerns about her involvement with Matt, the inevitable eligible bachelor, ring true. There is nothing particularly surprising in this novel, but Deveraux's touch is gold, and her protagonist combines innocent appeal with wry experience in a way that readers will surely find irresistible.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Lillian, plump younger wife of billionaire James "Jimmie" Manville, has always felt isolated in her husband's world, but when he suddenly dies in a plane crash, she is devastated. Then she learns that he left his fortune to his conniving brother and sister. Bereft of any useful skills and with nothing but a broken-down farmhouse in rural Calburn, Virginia, and the animosity of the press, Lillian moves to the farm, changes her name to Bailey James, and loses weight and has a nose job so no one will recognize her as the infamous widow. Jimmie's last request was that she seek the truth about the "Golden Six," a group of six young men who were considered heroes until tragedy struck all of them and their families in 1968. Through her investigations she uncovers the facts, but more importantly she finds friends and herself. There are gaps in this promising tale, but the droves of avid Deveraux fans won't mind one bit. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books (April 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743437640
• ISBN-13: 978-0743437646
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (91 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #710,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( D ) > Deveraux, Jude

More About the Author

Jude Deveraux was once a fifth-grade teacher who loved to read. When her imagination began to be filled with her own stories to tell, her career as a writer began. Jude's novels have been set in both contemporary and historical periods. Her strong, lyrical writing style and ability to write stories with memorable characters, rich detail, and believable dialogue has garnered her many devoted readers.

Jude has had over thirty books on the New York Times bestsellers list, has over 60 million copies in print, and has been translated into 18 languages. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading murder mysteries, working in her garden, and in boxing class she likes to show much younger males that she can throw a mean right cross.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Happened With the Golden 6?, April 2, 2008

By 

J. E. Stephens "Jeanne" (Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mulberry Tree (Mass Market Paperback)

This was a fantastic story. The mystery keeps you turning pages. Starting over is never easy. Bailey changes her looks and identity after her multi billionaire husband dies. She inherits an old farmhouse in Virginia. Bailey thinks she can start over but the past won't let her.

Twists and turns in the plot always lead back to the Golden 6. What really happened? That's what kept me reading.

I love Jude Devereaux's writing. It was nice reading one of her old books. She is a talented author. You will enjoy this book.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great writing & characters, but I prefer traditional Jude D., June 30, 2002

By 

N. Timmons (Kingston, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mulberry Tree (Hardcover)

The writing is a 5, but I give it a 3 because I like the traditional Jude love story and The Mulberry Tree is an example of another good romance writer jumping on the romantic/suspense bandwagon. I'm disppointed because the book begins in a such a way that I thought I was reading a classic Jude Devereau story .... a story about a woman who overcomes obstacles, discovers her personal strengths, and finds love along the way. Instead it takes a turn into a mystery-suspense about "The Golden Six." If you like romantic suspense, you'll enjoy Jude's latest.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Almost a Great Read, July 2, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mulberry Tree (Hardcover)

The book started out with all the earmarks of a great read. And it almost was. Loved the premise of the story, the murder mystery was well done and kept me guessing until the very end and some of the characters were exceptionally well developed. Loved Patsy and Janice.

But the story was rather carelessly patched together in spots and in some places credibility was stretched so thin that it jolted me out of the story. Things always worked out just a little to well for Bailey and some of the characters motives were a little far fetched. Had to stop reading and roll my eyes several times. Ms. Devereaux could have spent a little more time thinking things through and might have come up with a real winner here.

However if your not a nit picker like I am, and you like a good romantic suspense story, you will probably enjoy this book.