A review by paracyclops
Threading the Labyrinth by Tiffani Angus

emotional hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This is a very entertaining historical/supernatural fantasy, that explores the history of a fictional country-house garden in Hertfordshire. The story is told through the eyes of various gardeners through the centuries, as well as a contemporary American gallerist who inherits the house and garden out of the blue. It walks like a ghost story a lot of the time, but it's really a changeling tale—although the presence of faerie is very subtly and ambiguously elucidated. With a title like <i>Threading the Labyrinth</i> and topics like these, you might expect a contusion of heavyweight, intellectual themes, but Tiffani Angus keeps the tone light and entertaining. She's much more interested in the experiential magic of an old garden than she is in the detailed cultural history of garden design or horticultural practice, and the story is largely about what it's like to live and work in a place like that. The supernatural scaffolding serves as a pretext to visit a variety of historical eras, which are realised in distinctive ways, each with their own tone, colour, and language. Personally I felt that I would have liked a little more to chew on, but this is a very readable, enchanting story, that rewards without making excessive demands. I gobbled it up in a couple of days, and stayed fully engaged with its varied and believable characters right to the last page.