The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge is an especially suspenseful book with elements of fantasy and an extremely resilient heroine.  Aptly named Faith is the young daughter of a scientist who is moving his family to an island called Vane in order to work on an archeological dig.  The time period is Victorian England and Faith, therefore, is often ignored due to her gender.  She is certainly not encouraged to pursue her own interests in science, but she ultimately does so – listening at keyholes, wandering about the island, and trying to solve a death she is sure was murder.  The author says that the “weeks on Vane were so painfully vivid that it seemed like the only real place;” I think that readers will become immersed in the story and feel that way, also.

Faith’s father has a mysterious Mendacity Tree, or Lie Tree, which feeds off lies told to it.  Faith starts sharing lies: “as sleep cradled her, she imagined her lie spreading silently like dark green smoke, filling the air around the house like a haze, spilling from the mouths of those who whispered and wondered and feared.” Of course, there are unintended consequences and Faith must decide who she can trust, whether it be family members, villagers or servants.  

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge received starred reviews from ALL of the major publications, including seven in the U.S. at my last count. It has already won awards and been nominated for several others; more details on the author’s website.  Enjoy The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge – it’s an exciting tale where Faith learns that "... you only had to provide part of a lie.  You could rely on other people's imaginations to fill the gaps." There is likely to be clamoring for a sequel.