The Lie Tree
by Frances Hardinge
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On an island off the south coast of Victorian England, fourteen-year-old Faith investigates the mysterious death of her father, who was involved in a scandal, and discovers a tree that feeds upon lies and gives those who eat its fruit visions of truth.Tags
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bibliovermis When magic meets evolutionary science, nobody is happy about it
Member Reviews
With the feel of a fairy tale, this is one of those books that seems to straddle middle grade and YA territory, but be stronger for it. The protagonist, Faith, is someone who a reader can't help but fall in love with (particularly if they love natural science and snakes, like I do), and the writer's attention to historical detail, historical customs, and details of natural science and archaeology bring what is a sort of fantastical mystery to another level of intrigue and magic.
For animal lovers, I feel like I do have to mention that there's a quick scene related to the game of a dog catching rats, and as much as I'm not a fan of rats particularly, it was graphic enough that it was hard for me to read it. In fact, I'd planned on show more finishing a chapter and going to bed, but ended up deciding there was no way I could stop or go to sleep on that scene. I know that, if I'd read that as a child, it would have bothered me a lot more, which is why I mention it--if you're a parent considering this book for your child, and they're an animal lover, it's worth considering.
That said, this was a quick bad moment in a book that's otherwise smart, magical, and absolutely worth falling into. I'm sure I'll read more of Hardinge's work in the future. show less
For animal lovers, I feel like I do have to mention that there's a quick scene related to the game of a dog catching rats, and as much as I'm not a fan of rats particularly, it was graphic enough that it was hard for me to read it. In fact, I'd planned on show more finishing a chapter and going to bed, but ended up deciding there was no way I could stop or go to sleep on that scene. I know that, if I'd read that as a child, it would have bothered me a lot more, which is why I mention it--if you're a parent considering this book for your child, and they're an animal lover, it's worth considering.
That said, this was a quick bad moment in a book that's otherwise smart, magical, and absolutely worth falling into. I'm sure I'll read more of Hardinge's work in the future. show less
I’d heard good things about Hardinge’s fiction for several years, but I’d never bothered checking them out because, well… fantasy… YA… Not my usual, or preferred, choice of reading. But The Lie Tree popped up for 99p on Kindle, and I thought it worth seeing what all the fuss was about.
And I’m glad I did.
Faith’s father, a reverend, is a celebrated palaeontologist in the 1860s, but he’s been accused of faking the fossils he’s discovered, so he and his family flee to the invented Channel Island of Vane to join a dig there. But all is not as it seems. The invitation was a ruse because the reverend is in possession of something that others want.
On the one hand, the title of the novel is a hint to the central element of show more its plot, which is not revealed until at least halfway in; on the other, it’s hard to describe the plot without spoilers. The spoiler-free version would go: Faith defends her father, uncovers a conspiracy against him, then tries to solve his murder and so learns his secret, the reason why he was invited to Vane, and uses it to take revenge on his killers.
However, a major part of the novel - although it doesn’t really kick in until around a third of the way in - is that Faith is clever, but because she is a girl it means nothing. She wants to be a scientist but her gender bars her from it. This is a novel about women as property, about chattel slavery of half of the human race, and about the means and methods open to women of the time to arrange a future for themselves and then safeguard it. Faith is a teen, and knows her much younger, and not very bright, brother, whom she loves nonetheless, is accounted more valuable than her. Even though she has the intelligence, the aptitude and the interest to follow in her father’s interests.
And it’s this element of the novel which lifts it above others of its ilk. Faith thought her father valued her because of her intelligence, but he was just using her - much as he used others to further his aims. Faith meets a woman - two, in fact, but one more so than that other- who have found a way to be intellectual without overturning Victorian society - I am for some reason reminded of JG Farrell’s The Siege of Krishnapur, an excellent novel - but it doesn’t end well. And now I’m reminded of Jeanette Ng’s Under the Pendulum Sun, which presents as a fantasy set in Victorian times but is actually a brilliant commentary on Victorian fiction by women, missionary colonialism and women’s rights.
The Lie Tree is really good, and I should definitely read more by Hardinge. show less
And I’m glad I did.
Faith’s father, a reverend, is a celebrated palaeontologist in the 1860s, but he’s been accused of faking the fossils he’s discovered, so he and his family flee to the invented Channel Island of Vane to join a dig there. But all is not as it seems. The invitation was a ruse because the reverend is in possession of something that others want.
On the one hand, the title of the novel is a hint to the central element of show more its plot, which is not revealed until at least halfway in; on the other, it’s hard to describe the plot without spoilers. The spoiler-free version would go: Faith defends her father, uncovers a conspiracy against him, then tries to solve his murder and so learns his secret, the reason why he was invited to Vane, and uses it to take revenge on his killers.
However, a major part of the novel - although it doesn’t really kick in until around a third of the way in - is that Faith is clever, but because she is a girl it means nothing. She wants to be a scientist but her gender bars her from it. This is a novel about women as property, about chattel slavery of half of the human race, and about the means and methods open to women of the time to arrange a future for themselves and then safeguard it. Faith is a teen, and knows her much younger, and not very bright, brother, whom she loves nonetheless, is accounted more valuable than her. Even though she has the intelligence, the aptitude and the interest to follow in her father’s interests.
And it’s this element of the novel which lifts it above others of its ilk. Faith thought her father valued her because of her intelligence, but he was just using her - much as he used others to further his aims. Faith meets a woman - two, in fact, but one more so than that other- who have found a way to be intellectual without overturning Victorian society - I am for some reason reminded of JG Farrell’s The Siege of Krishnapur, an excellent novel - but it doesn’t end well. And now I’m reminded of Jeanette Ng’s Under the Pendulum Sun, which presents as a fantasy set in Victorian times but is actually a brilliant commentary on Victorian fiction by women, missionary colonialism and women’s rights.
The Lie Tree is really good, and I should definitely read more by Hardinge. show less
when i acquired this book a long time ago, i thought it was a YA fantasy with a tantalizing premise and book cover. I was wrong about the YA fantasy bit, and usually this sets up a wrong expectation that spoils the reading experience for me. this was thankfully not the case here.
the author's prose is beautiful. i kept drawing comparisons with the movie 'pan's labyrinth' and the book 'the binding', but i feel this was better. i loved the characters, but specially Faith, a precocious 14-year old girl living in times when women were looked down on, and young women have it even harsher. it really made me want to see Faith prove her courage and cleverness. On top of this, the narration of the audiobook by Emilia Fox was absolutely sublime! show more Her performance really pulled me into the book and characters. it was better than watching a movie (although i would not mind a movie adaptation of this book).
i loved this quote too:
“Faith had always told herself that she was not like other ladies. But neither, it seemed, were other ladies.” show less
the author's prose is beautiful. i kept drawing comparisons with the movie 'pan's labyrinth' and the book 'the binding', but i feel this was better. i loved the characters, but specially Faith, a precocious 14-year old girl living in times when women were looked down on, and young women have it even harsher. it really made me want to see Faith prove her courage and cleverness. On top of this, the narration of the audiobook by Emilia Fox was absolutely sublime! show more Her performance really pulled me into the book and characters. it was better than watching a movie (although i would not mind a movie adaptation of this book).
i loved this quote too:
“Faith had always told herself that she was not like other ladies. But neither, it seemed, were other ladies.” show less
A gothic Victorian murder mystery set on a remote island where an excavation offers refuge to a natural scientist besmirched with scandals his daughter can only guess at. But Faith's faith in her father is absolute until his sudden death and her discovery of his most precious and impossible specimen, the Lie Tree. It will show her the truth, but first she has to feed it lies and those lies must be believed. Faith slips into a cunning maze of deception that borders on madness, but will the Lie Tree save her and her family or will it destroy her utterly?
A dark, brooding, delicious book of exceeding cleverness that challenges our various notions of fathers and daughters, of heroism and devotion, of doing the right thing and of doing bad show more things to achieve a good end. Hardinge racks up the tricks and twists and tensions. Faith starts out as a typical protagonist, innocent and curious and good, but quickly descends into corruption and anger and bitterness in her quest not so much for the truth but for a way out of the trap of lies closing around her, fighting lies with lies because it's the only tool she has, the only power, though it comes at a terrible cost. Excellent. show less
A dark, brooding, delicious book of exceeding cleverness that challenges our various notions of fathers and daughters, of heroism and devotion, of doing the right thing and of doing bad show more things to achieve a good end. Hardinge racks up the tricks and twists and tensions. Faith starts out as a typical protagonist, innocent and curious and good, but quickly descends into corruption and anger and bitterness in her quest not so much for the truth but for a way out of the trap of lies closing around her, fighting lies with lies because it's the only tool she has, the only power, though it comes at a terrible cost. Excellent. show less
I was very pleasantly surprised by how many provocative themes this book explored. Far from being merely a teenage read, it examines the illicit component of man's craving for knowledge and what happens to a person when they embark down a soul-darkening path, even for a justified reason. Showcasing redemption kept it far from the depressing path I might have expected. There were many other themes as well: feminism, parent/child relationships, and humanity's place in the world to name a few. The feminism was a bit too loud for my liking, and I thought the ending was a bit rushed with relationships too easily resolved. Nevertheless, this novel was engaging, smart, and really thoughtful. I am quite interested in Frances Hardinge's other show more books now.
*I received a digital ARC from Netgalley* show less
*I received a digital ARC from Netgalley* show less
I absolute LOVED this book. Love, love, love, LOVED it. I read Fly by night a few years ago and it is one of my favorite books (as well as the sequel, the sequel is one of the better sequels I've read), but for some reason I haven't checked out anything else by Frances Hardinge, probably for fear of not liking that. Was that fear ever unfounded! Now I want to read everything she's ever written.
The setting of this book is WONDERFUL. The back mentions the Lie Tree and yes, that sounded like a cool fantasy plot, but when I started to read it and realized what it was actually about I almost died. It is set in the late 1800s at excavation digs! It's about fossils and evolution and above all natural sciences! I didn't see it coming but oh it show more was the best.
And it's about being a woman in that setting, of not being allowed to pursue your interests but doing it anyway, about thinking you're not like others girl and then realizing that neither are other girls, about men thinking you're inferior and then ignoring you when you prove them wrong, about history lying about women's contributions and about being a bad example. OH, it's so good.
Ooh, and Faith, my child, my wonderful, curious, clever child, my good girl who knows better than anyone that good girls don't make history, how amazing you are. I thought Mosca Mye from Fly by night was an amazing character, but so is Faith but in different ways and I just wanna protect her, even though she clearly doesn't need me to. I love her.
I could go on, but everything about it was great. I like how the plot is set up, how the characters are introduced, how the mystery is unravelled, how the Lie Tree works, everything. I honstely cannot think of a single thing to complain about (for once I can't even complain about the lack of lesbians because!!!).
So good. show less
The setting of this book is WONDERFUL. The back mentions the Lie Tree and yes, that sounded like a cool fantasy plot, but when I started to read it and realized what it was actually about I almost died. It is set in the late 1800s at excavation digs! It's about fossils and evolution and above all natural sciences! I didn't see it coming but oh it show more was the best.
And it's about being a woman in that setting, of not being allowed to pursue your interests but doing it anyway, about thinking you're not like others girl and then realizing that neither are other girls, about men thinking you're inferior and then ignoring you when you prove them wrong, about history lying about women's contributions and about being a bad example. OH, it's so good.
Ooh, and Faith, my child, my wonderful, curious, clever child, my good girl who knows better than anyone that good girls don't make history, how amazing you are. I thought Mosca Mye from Fly by night was an amazing character, but so is Faith but in different ways and I just wanna protect her, even though she clearly doesn't need me to. I love her.
I could go on, but everything about it was great. I like how the plot is set up, how the characters are introduced, how the mystery is unravelled, how the Lie Tree works, everything. I honstely cannot think of a single thing to complain about (for once I can't even complain about the lack of lesbians because!!!).
So good. show less
“Listen, Faith. A girl cannot be brave, or clever, or skilled as a boy can. If she is not good, she is nothing. Do you understand?” This is what her father tells our main character in [The Lie Tree], and that attitude, along with the apparent foolishness of her mother, made this a hard read at the beginning. Bright, perceptive Faith is either ignored or squashed in much of the early book. She dotes on her natural scientist father, and wants to be the same, but appears to have zero chance to do so. We're in Victorian times, post-[Origin of the Species], and her ambitions outstrip a woman's possibilities. A craniometrist points out women's brains are smaller than men's, and should not be overloaded.
As you can tell, author [[Frances show more Hardinge]] explores a woman's place in that society, and we come to see that Faith's mother is not so foolish, and that clever women find ways to subvert the system. The story begins with Faith's support being taken from under her, as her worshipped father is first vilified for fraud and then apparently kills himself on the island they've retreated to. Faith stashes his scientific papers, and hopes to clear his name and solve the mystery of his death.
This Costa Award winner was a worthwhile and entertaining read. [[Hardinge]] is a clever writer, and provides provocative and persuasive detail about the time period - Faith's brother is being trained not be left-handed, for example, and reverends try to reconcile Darwin's theories and the fossil record with the Bible.
The one aspect I found a bit odd was the title character, the Lie Tree. Found by Faith's father on one of his sojourns, it feeds on lies it's told, SPOILER:
that are spread in the community. It then provides vision-inducing fruits, that seem to provide answers to difficult questions. Faith whispers lies to it, and spreads them, using its fruits to help unravel the mystery. END SPOILER
It is a bizarre premise, but it does allow the author to examine the nature and effects of lying. This is an entertaining book that also is thought-provoking. show less
As you can tell, author [[Frances show more Hardinge]] explores a woman's place in that society, and we come to see that Faith's mother is not so foolish, and that clever women find ways to subvert the system. The story begins with Faith's support being taken from under her, as her worshipped father is first vilified for fraud and then apparently kills himself on the island they've retreated to. Faith stashes his scientific papers, and hopes to clear his name and solve the mystery of his death.
This Costa Award winner was a worthwhile and entertaining read. [[Hardinge]] is a clever writer, and provides provocative and persuasive detail about the time period - Faith's brother is being trained not be left-handed, for example, and reverends try to reconcile Darwin's theories and the fossil record with the Bible.
The one aspect I found a bit odd was the title character, the Lie Tree. Found by Faith's father on one of his sojourns, it feeds on lies it's told, SPOILER:
that are spread in the community. It then provides vision-inducing fruits, that seem to provide answers to difficult questions. Faith whispers lies to it, and spreads them, using its fruits to help unravel the mystery. END SPOILER
It is a bizarre premise, but it does allow the author to examine the nature and effects of lying. This is an entertaining book that also is thought-provoking. show less
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Author Information
24+ Works 8,389 Members
Frances Hardinge was born in 1973 in the United Kingdom. Her first novel, Fly By Night, won the Bradford Boase Award in 2006. Her other books include Verdigris Deep / Well Witched, Twilight Robbery, and A Face Like Glass. Cuckoo Song won the Robert Holdstock Award for Best Novel at the British Fantasy Awards in 2015 and The Lie Tree won the 2015 show more Costa Book of the Year award. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Awards and Honors
Awards
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Notable Lists
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Lie Tree
- Original title
- The Lie Tree
- Original publication date
- 2015-05-07
- People/Characters
- Faith Sunderly; Myrtle Sunderly; Erasmus Sunderly; Howard Sunderly; Miles Cattistock; Jane Vellet (show all 11); Anthony Lambert; Ben Crock; Paul Clay; Jeanne Bissette; Agatha Lambent
- Important places
- Vane Island (fictional Channel island)
- Dedication
- To my father
For quiet wisdom and integrity,
and for respecting me as an adult long before I was one - First words
- The boat moved with a nauseous, relentless rhythm, like someone chewing on a rotten tooth.
- Quotations
- A lie was like a fire, Faith was discovering. At first it needed to be nursed and fed, but carefully and gently. A slight breath would fan the new-born flames, but too vigorous a huff would blow it out. Some lies took hold an... (show all)d spread, crackling with excitement, and no longer needed to be fed. But then these were no longer your lies. They had a life and shape of their own and there was no controlling them.
'Listen, Faith. A girl cannot be brave, or clever, or skilled as a boy can. If she is not good, she is nothing. Do you understand?' (p. 96) - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Well, my dear, I think you have made an excellent start."
- Blurbers
- Ness, Patrick
- Original language
- English UK
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