Search - Thornyhold

There was only one part of Gilly Ramsey's lonely childhood that was magical--the visits from her godmother, Geillis Saxon, an extraordinary woman with special powers. When Geillis died suddenly , the grown-up Gilly inherited Thornyhold, Geillis's charming cottage in Wiltshire, and went there to live in the lovely English countryside. But nothing had prepared Gilly for the strange enchantment she was about to discover--sinister neighbors, messages from beyond the grave, and even the whisper of love. Just as Gilly began to return the love of an attractive stranger, the inexplicable aura of suspense and witchcraft surrounding Thornyhold turned all too real and far too dangerous...

{from AMAZON] This old-fashioned gothic romance is as good as they get. When Gilly's witch aunt leaves Thornyhold to her, a house in the middle of the woods, Gilly finds that she has inherited far more than she realized. Along with the house comes a cat, a still room filled with herbs (and a missing recipe book), an attic chamber with carrier pigeons (who have secret messages), and an attractive neighbor whose young son offers the sacred and unique blessing of friendship. But Thornyhold possesses far more than even these simple offerings. The place itself seems to convoke otherworldly gifts as well: Gilly cultivates the abilities to heal and to foresee the future once she makes Thornyhold her home.

Classic Mary Stewart romance, Gilly Ramsey inheriting the mysterious Thornyhold. A nice little read.

Those readers who love the vivid, lyrical prose of Stewart's novels shouldn't be disappointed in this offering, although be warned, it DOES differ from her earlier works.

Thornyhold is a more subtle and contemplative story then you might be used to when it comes to reading Stewart. After all, she was in her 70's when she wrote this, and I imagine she was harkening back to her youth while penning Thornyhold. Generally absent is the suspense and romance so magically woven throughout in The Moonspinners, Madam, Will You Talk or This Rough Magic. Instead, there is a magic of another kind here: a gentle, hearth-and-home-loving tale of a house well loved and much desired, and an ode to the beauty of a time and place now gone but fondly remembered by the author.

I can't really put into words how much this story affected me. It was as if Stewart had looked into my heart much like cousin Geillis looked into Gilly's heart and provided the nourishment for her soul that she craved.

...and Stewart did the same for me with Thornyhold.

Excellent read, Mystery, menace, and Witchcraft & a little love make this a super read for the summer. When Gilly's Aunt who is a witch leaves her, her house Thornyhold, in the middle of the woods, Gilly gets a little more than she expects. Great witchcraft and suspense combo.