I first read this book years ago as a teenager. I read it again about ten years ago. I recently gave away all of my old paperback books as my pulmonologist told me digital books were my future.
When I went looking to find some of my old favorites on my Kindle, I came across Mary Stewart. I purchased a number of her books and the first one I re-read was “The Ivy Tree”.
At the time she wrote the book, it was based real time in the present. It is now decades old and, in some ways, it is a little bit dated. Most notably, in the way that women were thought of and also how they presented themselves, not to mention a lot of smoking.
Chalking that up to the time it was written, I was able to set my feelings aside and enjoy the book for what it was. That is an interesting mystery with a modern gothic twist.
A young woman is accosted during her day trip to Northern England. She is mistaken for someone who had long been thought dead. The young woman in question is a would-be heiress and, because of her likeness, a twisted plot is developed which involves her.
There are twists and turns and, even having read it before and know what those were, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Ms. Stewart’s book are beautifully written and read as poetic prose. They paint pictures in your mind of a different time not too long ago.
Do as I have done with older books. Set aside modern sensibilities and have fun reading.
