Appleton is a small town nestled on the coast of Scotland. Though it was once famous for the apples it produced, these days it's a shadow of its former self.
But in a hidden orchard a golden apple dangles from a silver bough, an apple believed lost forever. The apple is part of a legend, promising either eternal happiness to the young couple who eat from it secure in their love – or a curse, for those who take its gift for granted.
Now, as the town teeters on the edge of decline, the old rituals have been forgotten and the mists are rolling in. And in the mist, something is stirring...
About the Author
Lisa Tuttle was born and raised in Texas, but moved to Britain in the 1980s. She now lives with her writer husband and their daughter on the side of a Scottish loch. She has written more than a dozen fantasy, science fiction and horror novels.
Industry Reviews
a cleverly written piece of fantasy fiction that manages to be creepy, gripping, charmingly upbeat and romantic, all at the same time * The Times *
the work of a writer at the height of her powers * Guardian *
a loveliness of both enthusiasm and complexity * Scotland on Sunday *
[Lisa Tuttle] has a prize-winning knack of doing what a lot of fantasy writers can only dream of; making the impossible seem everyday, and writing legend in such a way that it seem like a very present and nerve-tingling possibility * Scots magazine *
If you are looking for something different, with a little bit of history and a little bit of magic then this is the book for you * Book Chick City *
This skilful weaving of old folk traditions with modern urban myth makes The Silver Bough a fascinating, wistful and intriguing tale that cannot fail to satisfy any lover of fantasy * Piper at the Gates of Fantasy *
Tuttle has a keen eye for details of place and a sympathetic ear for the nuances of her characters' moods * SFX *
a beautifully crafted novel that leads you seamlessly from the real world into the otherworld * undiscoveredscotland *