R E K. (bigstone) - , reviewed on + 1452 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Sometimes a very good read sneaks up on you. So it was for me with The Ginger Tree. Mary MacKenzie, heroine and narrator, tells the story so well that I found myself wondering if this wasn't a true story but, no, when I checked, it was fictional. No doubt the author knew people who were like Mary or lived parts of a life like hers.
Mary tells her story flawlessly through diary comments and letters to those she knows and loves. The story seems to begin slowly drawing the reader in entry by entry until you begins to wonder what will happen to Mary.
The tale begins with Mary leaving Scotland to marry a man who lives in China. She barely knows Richard, and discovers that it is a poor match. Her husband, like many military men, seemed to have married her because he thought she had wealth. He is controlling and communicates little to a wife who needed affection. In addition, he is gone much of the time, and, because of her youth and background, she makes few friends.
Lonely, she finds herself drawn to a Japanese man who is mysterious and gentle. Her affair with him ends her life with Richard who takes their daughter and sends her to live with his parents. He intends to send her home to Scotland in disgrace but Mary travels to Japan instead. Her Japanese lover already has a family so she becomes his mistress. When she has a son, the boy is taken from her to be raised by a Japanese family. With this incident, Mary discovers that she is a survivor and makes a life of her own.
The story seems to begin slowly drawing the reader in entry by entry until you find yourself wondering what will happen to Mary. I loved her independence, her initiative, her understanding of her situation over and over, and her realistic reactions to the crises in her life.
When I read about the author I understood why the book is so outstanding. Wynd grew up and attended schools in Japan. And, he is Scottish, like his heroine. I couldn't help wondering why he turned to writing thrillers after this novel (as Gavin Black). If you haven't read this one, I urge you to do so. It will remain in my memory for a long time.
Mary tells her story flawlessly through diary comments and letters to those she knows and loves. The story seems to begin slowly drawing the reader in entry by entry until you begins to wonder what will happen to Mary.
The tale begins with Mary leaving Scotland to marry a man who lives in China. She barely knows Richard, and discovers that it is a poor match. Her husband, like many military men, seemed to have married her because he thought she had wealth. He is controlling and communicates little to a wife who needed affection. In addition, he is gone much of the time, and, because of her youth and background, she makes few friends.
Lonely, she finds herself drawn to a Japanese man who is mysterious and gentle. Her affair with him ends her life with Richard who takes their daughter and sends her to live with his parents. He intends to send her home to Scotland in disgrace but Mary travels to Japan instead. Her Japanese lover already has a family so she becomes his mistress. When she has a son, the boy is taken from her to be raised by a Japanese family. With this incident, Mary discovers that she is a survivor and makes a life of her own.
The story seems to begin slowly drawing the reader in entry by entry until you find yourself wondering what will happen to Mary. I loved her independence, her initiative, her understanding of her situation over and over, and her realistic reactions to the crises in her life.
When I read about the author I understood why the book is so outstanding. Wynd grew up and attended schools in Japan. And, he is Scottish, like his heroine. I couldn't help wondering why he turned to writing thrillers after this novel (as Gavin Black). If you haven't read this one, I urge you to do so. It will remain in my memory for a long time.
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