The Magic Apple Tree

After marrying the eminent Shakespeare scholar, Stanley Wells, and with the arrival of their daughter Jessica, Susan and her family left town life to take up residence in the fen country, at 'Moon Cottage'. THE MAGIC APPLE TREE is a record of one year in the life of the family and the rural scene they became absorbed by. Susan Hill has the ability to express atmosphere and natural beauty and has an unflinching acceptance of life's cruelties and terrors. She enjoys keeping hens but can't help admiring the machismo of the hunting fox. She reveres living creatures but 'sits on the fence' concerning the fox-hunting debate. She agonises over eating delicate spring lamb but frankly admits that she'll relish lamb chops later on. Sensitive and spiritual, but never sentimental, she gives the reader her subtle response to the country scene and its inhabitants, and also allows us to inspect her vegetable patch and her larder. She gets tremendous satisfaction out of raising her own veg - she's positively lyrical about celeriac - but is half-hearted about growing flowers unless they 'earn their living'. She's fond of making chutney, pickled plums, damson cheese and eldflower ice-cream, but draws the line at wine-making. These details, gardening tips and old-fashioned country recipes are fascinating.