The Lie Tree is a wonderfully evocative and atmospheric novel by Frances Hardinge, award-winning author of Cuckoo Song and Fly by Night.
Faith's father has been found dead under mysterious circumstances, and as she is searching through his belongings for clues she discovers a strange tree. The tree only grows healthy and bears fruit if you whisper a lie to it. The fruit of the tree, when eaten, will deliver a hidden truth to the person who consumes it. The bigger the lie, the more people who believe it, the bigger the truth that is uncovered.
The girl realizes that she is good at lying and that the tree might hold the key to her father's murder, so she begins to spread untruths far and wide across her small island community. But as her tales spiral out of control, she discovers that where lies seduce, truths shatter . .
***
The boat moved with a nauseous, relentless rhythm, like someone chewing on a rotten tooth. CHAPTER 1, EXILES
***
(@panmacmillan, 7 May 2015, ebook, 417 pages, bought from @AmazonKindle)
***
***
This is the first book I bought by the author because I'd heard so much about it and I find it strange that I've read some of her other books first. I thought The Lie Tree was a fantastic read, part historical fiction, part horror, part gothic mystery. I wish I'd read it sooner. The author's style and subject matter is similar to her other books. I got pulled right into the book within the first few lines and it consumed me until I finished. The Lie Tree was in my head all the time in between reading sessions and I couldn't wait to return to it and find out what happened next. This is a terrific book.
