The Heaven Tree Trilogy

This has got to be one of the best and most inspiring series of all time. They are all fabulous - but I find myself reading and re-reading "The Heaven Tree" time and again - and STILL can't get to the final chapter without a box of tissues handy! Edith Pargeter/Ellis Peters is FABULOUS with character development. Don't EVER hesitate to read ANY of her books - but do make a special effort to read this. I was only sorry to hear she's died and there won't be any further additions to her library!

This has to one of the best books I have ever read. The story of this noble turned stonecutter in the often brutal medieval period was nothing short of magnificent. Although this book is out of print and quite lengthy (899 pages)it is well worth the historical romance lovers time to read this magnificent story! Love, honor, hate, feuds and heart wrenching forgiveness. This novel covered it all. Absolutely fabulous! I cried so much in the last chapters that someone walking in on me thought a family member died. - Try your best to find a copy and do take the time to read - This has to be a classic!

I have never written a book review before, but this book inspires me to share my pleasure with everyone. This is, without a doubt, my favorite book. A friend told me about it several years ago and, bless her soul, lent me her copy of the trilogy. After reading it and living through the journey of Harry, Adam, Benedetta, Gilleis, and of course, my favorite, Isambard, I was transported back to this historical time. The pictures it paints are so vivid, so engulfing, that I couldn't tear myself away, and even at 899 pages, the journey was too short. After experiencing this brilliant story, I had to own a copy for myself. Though it was out of print at the time, I contacted the publishher (FREQUENTLY) until they released another printing. This is the only book I own that I have never lent to anyone - I can't bear to part with it! I have re-read this book at least 4 times, and I'm planning on diving into it again this summer.

If five stars is what a reviewer should give the top ten percent of all the books he or she has ever read, then this book has to get at least twelve! Actually, no number could do it justice; it is beyond praise.Do you enjoy fiction that pummels you, puts you through the wringer, makes every muscle in your body ache from the mere Body English of trying to avoid the inevitable? Then this is for you. Saying that it 'puts you through the wringer' or makes you feel as though you've been 'boiled in oil,' is an atrocious understatement. I have read literally thousands of books in my life [averaging two or three a week], and nothing else comes close to the emotional impact of this one.In the first installment of the trilogy [and the most powerful of the three] we meet someone who is a 'born artist,' and we follow the story through his life and that of his son. More to the point, both of them are truly Good People. And the combination of artistry with high moral purpose turns out to be just as deadly as we always knew it would be. To say more would be to give too much away. Suffice it to say that you will never forget these characters-- any of them.As you begin to sense where the plot is headed, your blood turns to ice and your stomach constricts with dread. And yet, although it goes exactly where you knew it would, there's nothing predictable about it. The surprise is in how you get there.An American writer named Ken Follett has written a book called The Pillars of the Earth, which has been very popular and has gotten rave reviews. Skip that one; read this one.It is amazing to me that this trilogy hasn't been made into a TV miniseries or a sequence of movies a la Star Wars. I'm glad it hasn't though-- no visual treatment could come close to doing it justice. The pictures in paints in your mind's eye will be all the visual aid you'll ever need.I recognize that I'm gushing here, but it can't be helped. This is, in my opinion, the best book ever written in the English language. Period.

My mother encouraged me to read the trilogy. In college she had the 2nd book and the girl across the hall had the other 2. They traded the books back and forth so they could read all 3. Before she left, my mom gave her friend the Green Branch saying that she'd buy her own copies of all 3. It took her nearly 20 years to find the books, since they are still out of print. When my mother found the books (hardbacks containing the trilogy) at Half-Price Books, she bought both copies they had. Right away she read them. The other copy she gave to me. It seemed a daunting task, but when I took the time to read the books, I found they were the best I'd ever read. Reading The Heaven Tree Trilogy is truely an experience. The books are such that once you get into the book they never let you back out. (Nor do you want back out) It is the most wonderful literary experience to read the books. What must writing them have been?