The Quickenberry Tree

by Annette Motley
The Quickenberry Tree cover
Good Books rating 2.25
Historical Fiction
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  • ID: 6881
  • Added: 2025-12-05
  • Updated: 2025-12-05
  • ISBN: 9780312660697
  • Publisher: St Martins Press
  • Published: 1983-01-01
  • Reviews: 3

Set against the backdrop of the English Civil War, 'The Quickenberry Tree' follows the journey of Lucy Heron, a young woman from a wealthy Gloucestershire family. As the country is torn apart by conflict, Lucy navigates the complexities of love, loss, and personal growth. The novel captures the essence of a bygone era, blending historical detail with a compelling narrative of one woman's search for happiness. /n/n The story is rich with period-specific details, offering readers a vivid glimpse into the social and political upheavals of 17th-century England. Lucy's journey is not just a personal one but also a reflection of the broader societal changes happening around her, making 'The Quickenberry Tree' a captivating read for history enthusiasts and fiction lovers alike.

Reviews
Goodreads · 2025-12-05
disappointing 1.75

The story starts well but becomes too detailed and slow, with an interesting protagonist that doesn't fully develop. The characters and dialogue feel anachronistic and bland.

The reviewer found the beginning of the story engaging, with a protagonist that showed promise. However, they felt the narrative became bogged down by excessive detail and a slow pace. The characters and their dialogue were criticized for feeling out of place and lacking depth. The reviewer's overall impression was one of disappointment, as the potential of the story and its characters was not fully realized.

Quick quotes

    The story itself started well enough, if slow and too detailed about minutiae for my liking.

    The protagonist was shaping up interesting.

    But as soon as she ...

All About Romance · Caz · 2017-06-23
favorite 4.00

This book is a favorite, despite being out of print, and used copies are reasonably available.

Caz included this book in their top ten favorites, highlighting it as a standout despite its rarity. They mentioned that used copies are reasonably available, indicating that the book has a dedicated following. Caz's positive inclusion suggests that they found the book to be a memorable and enjoyable read.

Quick quotes

    I'm afraid this title has been out of print for some time.

    But used copies seem to be reasonably available.

    This is a favorite.

Kirkus Reviews · 1984-05-17
critical 1.00

The characters are limp and their dialogue feels anachronistic, detracting from the historical setting.

The reviewer was critical of the characters in the book, describing them as limp and their dialogue as anachronistic. This detracted from the historical setting and made the characters feel out of place. The reviewer found the overall execution of the characters and their interactions to be a significant flaw in the story.

Quick quotes

    Motley gives these rather limp characters bland 20th-century diction.

    She gives them similarly anachronistic outlooks.

    The war can't last forever.

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