The Memory Tree

By: Linda Gillard

Narrated by: Karen Cass

Can the power of love overcome life’s darkest memories and deepest losses?

When her favourite beech tree is felled in a storm, Ann feels as if someone has died. But when long-hidden seed packets are found inside the trunk, Ann realizes there are more memories than her own lurking within the ancient tree...

A century earlier, head gardener William Hatherwick and Hester Mordaunt, mistress of Beechgrave, share a love for the mighty estate - and an undeclared love for each other. But when war breaks out, William is sent to the battlefields of France, and as the conflict rages on, Hester grieves beneath the tree. Can she and William ever find happiness once he’s witnessed the horror of the trenches?

In the present day, historian Connor Grenville wants to understand why his late grandmother tried to destroy Hester’s archive before she died. Who was she trying to protect - and why? His findings bring long-suppressed memories back to Ann’s mind...

Beneath the shadow of the tree, love is won and lost, and secrets are hidden and revealed. Will the truth heal the wounds that lie buried in the past?

Revised edition: Previously published as The Trysting Tree, this edition of The Memory Tree includes editorial revisions.

©2016, 2019 Linda Gillard (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Interesting historical fiction

I have always liked novels that move back-and-forth between decades or centuries. This fits the bill. Good characters that carry the relationships through the century and a plot that has mystery mixed with romance and familial relationships.

Loved it!!

I loved the book! I loved the narrator, she used a different voice for each person, which I always appreciate. It was a mystery of what had happened to families in the past & it was exciting to learn the ending with them. Great story!!

WWI, Art, Gardening, and Secrets

The story of all that happened under the Beech Wood Tree moves between two time periods, early 1900s before the start of WWI and current day. On a grand estate called Beechgrave, a young man named William, the son of the gardener, became friends with Hester, the daughter of the master of Beechgrave. Sharing a love of horticulture and books, a secret friendship grew, under the Beech Wood tree . . . Over a hundred years later, a brilliant artist, Phoebe and her husband, Sylvester came to Beechgrave, with their daughter, Ann. And they were happy there for a time. Ann remembers swinging under the Beech Wood tree, laughing and playing with her father. . . but also in her mind is a tangle of fear and sadness . . . now Ann has returned to Beechgrave with her mother, a cancer survivor to try to mend their fragile relationship. This is a deeply moving tale of wounded hearts, lost innocence, and what lengths people go to in order to discover the truth about themselves and their past . . . and the peace that can come when families learn to forgive.

Wonderful journey

Well told, well written, engaging story. I loved the Beech trees playing such an integral part, sharing their “thoughts” was a warming touch. Character development was thorough, I felt connected to each one’s struggles and joy. Only one small observation, Phoebe,for being completely self absorbed, bitchy and mindless of Ann, ppl and life in general, changed almost over night when Connor appeared. She dropped 70yrs of personality on a dime. Kind of a stretch. Solving the “mystery” was pulled out of thin air, with no clues it was also kind of a stretch, but all in all I quite enjoyed the whole story. The love story of Hester and William was beautifully written, they are my favorite characters in the book. I think I would have even liked a few more chapters on William’s recovery,such a “buildable” story line.
Anyway, this is one of the top 4-5 I’ve found on Kindle Unlimited narrated books in yrs. Get the narrated version if you can it’s a winner.

I enjoyed this!

This is a gentle, entertaining story of love, healing and redemption. I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the performance.

Wonderful

Another great book from Linda Gillard. The Memory Tree has all of the elements I love - history, family drama, an intriguing mystery and just a dash of romance. The plot is engaging, the characters are well developed and the narration is excellent.

Memory Tree

loved it! I learned a lot while reading this book. I recommend it to anyone

Extraordinary!

Good pace to story, all kinds of details, flowed effortlessly between characters. Each had special personalities. I highly recommend.

good, not great

Listening was very enjoyable, and in the end all the pieces fit together, but I have a lingering dissatisfaction with the inconsistency and unbelievability of some of the characters’ actions. Plus, it doesn’t ring authentic that all the mystery solving hunches looking back 100 years would all be accurate.

Time Slip, Genealogical Mystery

I've read this once in 2018 and listened to it in 2021 and again 2023. It's a good read with all the twists and turns of unraveling family secrets. I always enjoy well crafted dual story lines in different time periods.