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The Ivy Tree (Rediscovered Classics) [Paperback]

Mary Stewart
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)

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Book Description

July 2007 Rediscovered Classics
Mary Grey had come from Canada to the land of her forebears: Northumberland. As she savored the ordered, spare beauty of England’s northern fells, the silence was shattered by the shout of a single name: “Annabel!” And there stood one of the angriest, most threatening young men Mary had ever seen. His name was Connor Winslow, and Mary quickly discovered that he thought she was his cousin—a girl supposedly dead these past eight years. Alive, she would be heiress to an inheritance Connor was determined to have for himself. This remarkably atmospheric novel is one of bestselling-author Mary Stewart’s richest, most tantalizing, and most surprising efforts, proving her a rare master of the genre.

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The Ivy Tree (Rediscovered Classics) + Nine Coaches Waiting (Rediscovered Classics) + The Moon-Spinners (Rediscovered Classics)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Throughout the intricacies of plot within plot, Mary Stewart keeps her readers guessing and sustains the suspense . . . This tale spinner is still supreme."  —Kirkus Reviews


"This involved novel of impersonation and inheritance reads like Daphne Du Maurier . . . The author's easy narrative style, her vivid descriptions of the Northumberland countryside, the sharp delineation of her characters, and her impeccable good taste guarantee satisfaction to fans of the genre."  —Library Journal


“It’s hard to think of anyone more insistently readable than Mary Stewart; The Ivy Tree is as un-put-downable as any of her previous novels . . . No one writes the damsel-in-distress tale with greater charm or urgency."  —The New York Times Book Review


“Perils await every turning page.”  —Washington Post


"The story moves with a fine pace of suspense and holds all the elements of a mystery tale. Equally rewarding is Miss Stewart's love for the English countryside and for horses which shines through her polished writing."  —New York Herald Tribune

From the Inside Flap

A trick of coloring...Her walk...The way she smiled. If Mary Grey looked so much like the missing heiress, why should she not be an heiress? To the lonely young woman living in a dreary furnished room, faced with an uncertain future, the impersonation offered intriguing possibilities.

And so plain Mary Grey became the glamorous Annabel Winslow. But she did not live happily ever after. In fact, she almost did not live at all. Because someone wanted Annabel missing...permanently. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Chicago Review Press (July 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1556527268
  • ISBN-13: 978-1556527265
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mart Stewart, one of the most popular novelists writing today, was born in Sunderland, County Durham, England. After boarding-school, she recieved a B.A. with first class honors in English Language and Literature from Durham University and went on for her M.A. Later she returned to her own University as a Lecturer in English. She married in 1945. Her husband is Sir Frederick Stewart, who is Chairman of the Geology Department at Edinburgh University, and a Fellow of the Royal Society.Mary Stewart's career as a novelist began in 1954 with the publication of Madam, Will You Talk? Since then she has published fifteen successful novels, including The Last Enchantment, the third book of the magical trilogy about the legendary enchanter Merlin and young Arthur. Her books for young readers, The Little Broomstick (1971) and Ludo and the Star Horse (1974), quickly met with the same success as her other novels. In 1968, she was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. In 1971, the Scottish Chapter of the International PEN Association awarded her the Frederick Niven prize for the The Crystal Cave. In 1974, the Scottish Arts Council Award went to Ludo and the Star Horse.

Customer Reviews

I read this book first as a teenager, and I have re-read it over the years at least 5 times. pth5310  |  11 reviewers made a similar statement
Like all good mysteries she does include an important clue in the very first chapter. earlbarb@rconnect.com  |  7 reviewers made a similar statement
If you want to discover how perfectly plotted this book is, you must read it at least twice. Sarah Granger  |  5 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
110 of 112 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars An Intricately Plotted Literary Thriller October 22, 2002
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
For those of you who enjoy straight-out romance, or the Nora Roberts brand of a little suspense thrown in with a lot of romance, Mary Stewart is not the author for you. Stewart requires indepth reading, her plots are intricate, her characterizations strong. She is incomparable; her words are literature. Although descriptions abound, there is not any graphically detailed sex, so if this is not your cup of tea, read no further and look for another selection.
This particular book does not fit into any of the usual Stewart categories----the great chase as in 'Madam Will You Talk?', the closed room police procedural as in 'Wildfire at Midnight' or the Evil Relative with Nefarious Intentions as in 'Nine Coaches Waiting'----rather, it is a story of impersonation. . . and one of Stewart's best offerings in terms of just about everything: plot, tone, description, dialogue, characterization etc.
Mary Grey accepts a 'job',posing as Annabel Winslow, the long-lost cousin and heiress to Whitescar, a lucrative North England working farm---her employer, her 'cousin' Con has much to gain once Annabel's cantankerous old grandfather passes on. At first, after careful schooling by Con and his half-sister, Lisa, Mary takes to her new position smoothly, easily edging her way into life on the farm with a barrage of lies that seem to be second nature to her. No one doubts her identity until she discovers the presence of an unknown lover that may blow her cover. The real reason Annabel Winslow left Whitescar eight years earlier hits the reader with tour de force revelation which Stewart masterfully manipulates.
I won't spoil the story any further. It must be read slowly and savored like a good $100+ bottle of wine. The language is glorious,meant to be read aloud. The words paint wonderfully lush and powerful images of life in the north country. The characters likewise are finely drawn, flesh and blood human beings whose emotions thunder off the pages with the same potent electric charge of lightning that finally splits the old ivy tree in two towards the end of the story. Even the secondary characters are not to be missed. Mrs. Bates with her nosy northerner's distrust of anything 'London', Julie, the pettish young adult who is Annabel's mirror image, and Donald Seton, the stuffy, but warm-hearted Scot archaeologist with a soft spot for the greedy cat Tommy and his litter of kittens. Even the colt, Rowan, has a personality all his own; Stewart knows and loves her animals and this like all her other novels is a tribute to the creatures and places she loves best.
I have read and listened to this book over and over again. Each time, even though I know the ending, I find new techniques to ponder and wonder over. Stewart is simply fantastic; shame on anyone who prefers lesser works to her masterpieces.
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47 of 47 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Question of Identity September 15, 2004
Format:Mass Market Paperback
If you want to discover how perfectly plotted this book is, you must read it at least twice. You will be stunned by the clues that are there from the beginning (starting with the opening paragraphs) and sprinkled throughout the text. Over and over again, the answers are there - hiding in plain sight.

Of all the Mary Stewart mysteries (and I have loved them all), this has long been my favorite. I have always been drawn to questions of identity (from fictional characters like Josephine Tey's Bratt Farrar to Anna Anderson's claim to be Anastasia).

This is a quiet book, haunting in it's depiction of loss - a grandfather's loss of a favorite granddaughter; a woman's loss of place and name; a lover's loss - of promises, of time; a man's loss of wife and health. And a lost note, the delivery of which might have changed much of what ensued.

The echoes of the past build and build until they crash resoundingly into the present and affect all of the lives of all of those around Whitescar.

Read it through, and then re-read the first couple pages. It was all right there to begin with.
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite Mary Stewart novels! June 23, 1999
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I have read and reread this book so many times! I already know the plot but the descriptions and dialogue are really enjoyable. The atmosphere the author creates is so indefinably romantic and enjoyable, I don't know how the author does it but I am grateful, I only wish there were even more of her books out there, if anyone is looking for more Mary Stewart check out Madame, Will You Talk, Nine Coaches Waiting, Wildfire at Midnight, Airs Above The Ground, Touch Not the Cat, and My Brother Michael, they are also incredible!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Setting is the Star
Mary Grey is visiting Northumberland, land of her ancestors. While hiking, Cam, a threatening young man, accosts her while calling her the name Anabel. Who is Anabel? Read more
Published 9 days ago by Megan
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
I love Mary Stewart. Her books are always well written, descriptive and have a good plot line. They are also clean.
Published 14 days ago by Lazeegurl
4.0 out of 5 stars Restfull
I love the descriptions of the scenery and how good conquers evil. Gives some respite and ease from modern life
Published 27 days ago by Jenifer McMeekin
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable back when, still enjoyable now
I have loved Mary Stewart's books since I first read them when I was in school. I have read this one, Moonspinners, and My Brother, Michael over ten times each - enjoying them as... Read more
Published 8 months ago by suzatm
5.0 out of 5 stars A very good tale
To my mind, this is one of Mary Stewart's best works, although inevitably it reflects the views and attitudes of the time in which it was written, as well as some very deep-seated... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Dolphin
5.0 out of 5 stars The Ivy Tree
One of the best of thrillers told in the deceptively simple style of Mary Stewart, who holds a Master's Degree in English. Read more
Published 18 months ago by fhebbert
4.0 out of 5 stars Suspenseful and evocative
Mary Stewart's books are a well-written blend of romance and suspense in a style that leans toward the literary. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Michele
3.0 out of 5 stars Little character depth
This review will contain spoilers! Please don't read if you have not yet read the book.

I loved Mary Stewart's "Nine Coaches Waiting" and think it was one of the best of... Read more
Published 23 months ago by LWH in KS
5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful, literate fiction
I read this book first as a teenager, and I have re-read it over the years at least 5 times. It is a beautifully written mystery/romance/character study, rich in details and... Read more
Published on December 21, 2010 by pth5310
5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful
i learned about mary stewart from another author's website. i got ivy tree from the library and simply could not put it down. fasciating. colorful. intruging. loved it!
Published on December 6, 2010 by joan marie
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