The Juniper Tree

Great allegorical exploration of social contradictions in the late 20th century

This novel isn’t as immediately captivating as Comyns’ Our Spoons Came from Woolworth, but it has the same compulsive readability. You keep turning the pages, even as the story seems to have no clear direction. Then the central action becomes clear: Bella’s increasing involvement with the Forbes couple, their grand home, its enchanted garden. Like a fairy tale, you start to feel that all the little details and repetitions are building up to a major event. There’s not only one but two such events, then the last quarter of the story moves at breakneck speed, quickly ending with a most unexpected happily-ever-after.

i read all the time and i do not write good reviews. i am surprised this has not been reviewed yet. a friend rated this book highly and because i know that he rarely raves about a book, i ordered it, too. the book engages the reader from the beginning and offers up an atmosphere of quiet anticipation, but all the while the reader is perfectly soothed into the here and now of the book. the book is sensual, appeals to all one's senses. i love a book written in plain language with just the right amount of detail so as not to draw attention to itself. the book gives us wonderful characters and compelling friction between them. if you are a reader of fine literature, i really think you'd love the experience of reading this book. it'll stay ranked as one of my most memorable books for some time.

A beautiful book, exquisitely written with undertone of sadness and melancholy. When someone writes halfway through the story “these were happy days”, you know that unhappiness is around the corner. The parallels with the original folktale are close but not exact, yet enough to carry the force of the tradition with this new telling.

I loved this book. I am partial to fairy tales and I loved this modern re-telling of the classic Grimm-brothers fairy tale of the same name. It does not adhere too closely to the original story, but concerns a young single mother of a biracial little girl who becomes involved with a wealthy, aristocratic family. It deals with issues of race, class, family dynamics and mental illness in modern-day England. The characters are well-drawn, and the main character, although she fills the role of the "wicked stepmother" in the original tale, is very sympathetic. It has some elements of magical realism. It is probably my favorite book among all the books I have read in the past year.

This novel deserves a wider audience. The writing is pared down, plain and understated, so that the creepiness comes through loud and clear. Comyns is loaded with literary gifts, and they're on full display here. If you can find it buy it!

I seem to be in the minority of reviewers, not having enjoyed this book at all. I found the story rather boring, the writing to be overly descriptive and tedious, and none of the characters were likable at all. The main character seemed to have some promise, but ended up being a doormat after all. I get that this is based on a fairy tale, but I just found it awful throughout.

I downloaded it and didn't stand up until I had finished reading it. An old tale may lace through it but it never burdens. The journey of the step-mother is the focus of this version and it's unforgettable.