The Phantom Tree

I had read a couple of her other books that I enjoyed, but -this- is quite wonderful. It was extraordinarily well crafted, and I look forward to reading more!

I read a lot of historical novels and find many that I can't finish. This one was a page turner and very well done. Would give 5 stars but reserve those for great lit, Pulitzer winners etc. For a well-written novel that does not disappoint, this one has it all. It is well researched and the mystery and characters are very intriguing. I recommend this book to those who love a good mystery, well-developed characters, and a plot that is intriguing, as a good mystery should be.

I was not prepared for the spectacular story waiting for me. It's a beautiful mix of history, romance, mystery and time travel.Alison Banister was born in 1545. When she was a child, both of her parents died in a Plague epidemic. Penniless, she was shuttled from place to place because no one wanted the responsibility of her. Finally she settled at Wolf Castle.Then another young orphan girl came to live at Wolf Castle. Although she was the daughter of Katherine Parr and Thomas Seymour, she also was penniless. When she was about 14, Alison became pregnant by her and Mary's cousin, Sir Edward Seymour. Without acknowledging his responsibility, Edward sent her away. When her son was born in 1560, Edward took him away and she never saw him again.When her guardian tried to marry her off to an old farmer, Alison ran away and traveled to the present day. She wanted to return to the past and find her son, but she could not.Alison entered an art gallery and there saw a painting of Mary Seymour. She was told it was a newly discovered portrait of Anne Boleyn. Alison said it was not, it was Mary Seymour, but she could not reveal how she knew.These are only a few highlights. The story is so rich and detailed that it would be impossible to summarize it. The story alternates between the present and the past so that the reader is following both Alison and Mary.4

Good story, great ideas, very interesting. But in comparison to other like books, it was amateurish. And the main girl Allison was kinda ridiculous in her obsessions. Time travel books are tough because of that make believe element! I think this is a good light read and had enough in it to keep my attention. First time reading this author and I do plan to read her other book.

Truly enjoyed this book. I love to escape into time travel novels that incorporate a well written and interesting story with obvious research done by the author regarding the time and environment.

This is a good time travel novel, something that I like, and it contains a strong romantic element. It begins as a rivalry between two women, Alison and Mary. This section goes on a long time, and it becomes a bit tedious, but then the story shifts in tone becoming a mystery of what happened to Alison's illegitimate child and Mary's disappearance from history. The solution to these mysteries comes as a surprise, although all the clues are in place. The difficult relationship between Adam and Alison also becomes a tale of young lovers reunited, which is a pleasant to change to the abusive relationships that Mary and Alison endured. The book sucked me in early on, became heavy and difficult in the middle section, but then I couldn't put it down for the last third. I had to know what happened to all of the characters. I ordered the author's next book, hoping for another good story.

I loved this book. I read it in one day. One of my favorite genres are time travel/what if novels. And this was one of them!One thing historians and history crazy,particularly Tudor era history crazy fans,wonder is what happened to Mary Seymour?? Daughter of Thomas Seymour (who didn't murder the dog,you'll get it if ya know) and Henry VIIIs finale Queen Catherine Parr.Two years after being born,she was sent to luve with Catherine Willoughby, and just disappeared. Did she die as an infant,or did she just disappear because she didn't have a history worth recording,even being the daughter of a late Queen?I loved the What if,of this Novel. The plot,the other characters. This was well written.

If you like history or a love story, this book is for you. A young girl is dependent on extended family members for a home during a time in history when blood line mattered. Believing herself in love with her benefactor she believes her life is a fairy tale come true. Events take a turn that leads to her son being taken, herself banished. In her attempt to escape she unexpectedly goes through a door in time. Unable to return she spends her now modern life trying to find in history where her son is in hopes of returning to his time. Hundreds of years separate her from the life she knew . In her determination to return, she finds real love and traces events through history to find her son's story

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the characters intrigued me. I was hoping for a sequel to this. (Maybe there is??)

4 stars. This is the first of Cornick's books I've read and I hope it won't be the last. I enjoyed this book. She writes time slip novels similar to Susanna Kearsley or Barbara Erskine and I enjoy this kind of book. Alison is shown a painting of a woman who is supposed to be Anne Boleyn but as soon as she sees it, she knows it isn't Anne...it is her friend Mary Seymour, who she knew when they were both in the same household back in the 1500's. But this is modern day Wiltshire, so how would she know? The painting is more than a painting. There are objects painted in the four corners and she knows that they are very important clues, clues that Mary had promised to leave her with information on what had happened to Alison's son Arthur, turn from her arms just after his birth and given away to another family. Alison has spent her life trying to find Arthur and it is a mission she is willing to go back in time for, except now she has reconnected with her old love, Adam. Soon she may be forced to make a choice between clinging to the past or looking forward into a future. An interesting read.

Like the story & historical facts