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Wendy Unsworth

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The Palaver Tree (Berriwood Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Wendy Unsworth (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

30 ratings

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Berriwood Village, Cornwall, England; quiet, uneventful like the pace of schoolteacher Ellie’s selfless, modest existence until John Hathaway stops to ask directions. Their chance meeting catapults her into a new role as wife of a wealthy businessman and resident of the most prestigious home in the area, the majestic Calico House.
But Gabriel Cole is coming to the village, and his presence will set into motion a chain of events that bring dramatic change to Ellie’s life again.
In the poor, chaotic but captivating surroundings of Central Africa, Ellie teaches at Cole’s school, The Hope Foundation. She finds friendship and purpose and, perhaps for the first time, real satisfaction and love in her life.
But this new peace and happiness is short-lived. As Ducana descends into political chaos Ellie is torn by doubt. Is the Hope Foundation really the benevolent, caring institution she first believed it to be? And is headmaster Gabriel Cole really their guardian angel?
Ellie’s unquestioning belief in fate and fair play are slowly shattered as she learns that others, close to her, have been drawn into the same web of manipulation and deceit.
Ellie is plagued by the injustice of what has happened, until the moment comes when she is presented with the choice to stubbornly hold on to her principles or take matters into her own hands……….

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00719ODS8
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kindle Direct Publishing
Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 23, 2012
Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1.8 MB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #4,185,109 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #49,821 in Contemporary Women's Fiction
- #58,815 in Women's Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction
- #68,696 in Contemporary Women Fiction

Customer Reviews:
30 ratings

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Wendy Unsworth

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Wendy Unsworth was born and raised in Lincolnshire, England; her passions are her family, travel, beautiful gardens and reading and writing stories. Wendy lived in Ndola, Zambia and Nairobi, Kenya throughout the 1980's and early '90's before returning to the U.K. to acclimatise back to the English weather in a Cornish cottage close to Bodmin Moor! The African continent has left a lasting impression; The Palaver Tree, her first novel in the Berriwood series is set in a fictional Central African country and Cornwall. At present Wendy is working on the second Berriwood novel, Beneathwood, re-introducing cameo characters from The Palaver Tree and telling their own individual story.

Wendy also enjoys writing for children. 'Kellie at Come-alive Cottage' is a fun, read-aloud story introducing Kellie Culpepper and her very unusual family who include explorers, a very silly aunt and a witch that can't stop turning into a cat!

The next in the series, 'Danger at Come-alive Cottage', is now available in paperback and for Kindle.

'Catastrophe at Come-alive Cottage' is due for publication in June 2014.

Customer reviews

30 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise the book's well-described characters, beautiful writing, and readability, with one customer noting its great eye for detail. The storytelling receives positive feedback, with one review highlighting its refreshing metaphors. The plot receives mixed reactions, with one customer appreciating its realistic life-like unfolding while another finds it fairly predictable.

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Character development Readability Writing quality Storytelling Eye for detail Plot quality

11 customers mention "Character development"8 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with well-described personalities, and one customer notes there are fewer than six dozen named characters.

"...It paints characters and scenes that invite the reader into the story with great imagery...." Read more

"...Review This story offers fascinating characters and sets up an intricate web of corruption and deceit but fails to engage at the..." Read more

"...Refreshing metaphors and similes. I liked the characters - all so frustratingly real." Read more

"...story goes from Cornwall and London to Africa, the characters must come together to communicate or all is lost...." Read more

8 customers mention "Readability"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be an excellent read, with one mentioning that they love every page, while another notes that the reader cares about the characters.

"...A lovely read." Read more

"...found myself reading faster and faster, soaking up the story and loving every page. Wow!..." Read more

"...way through this read I was congratulating myself for making an excellent choice. Then I was sorry the story had to end...." Read more

"This was an excellent read for so many different reasons as the author has a great eye for detail and gets this across to the reader most..." Read more

7 customers mention "Writing quality"6 positive1 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as beautifully and well woven, with one customer highlighting its vivid descriptions.

"...the most about this story and the authors writing is the beauty of the use of the word to bring forth the images that stay with you long after you..." Read more

"...as the author has a great eye for detail and gets this across to the reader most effectively...." Read more

"...Excellent writing, wonderful imagry, almost as if I was in both Africa and Cornwall England...." Read more

"...constructed a well woven novel with believable characters and vivid description. Once half way through, I could not put the book down...." Read more

5 customers mention "Storytelling"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the storytelling in the book, with one mentioning its refreshing metaphors and comical uses.

"...In her novel, The Palaver Tree, it becomes a figurative place, as well, for the characters in this suspenseful novel set in a fictional country in..." Read more

"...Refreshing metaphors and similes. I liked the characters - all so frustratingly real." Read more

"...I was originally pulled in by the cover, but it was the gorgeous storytelling from Wendy that kept me reading. &#..." Read more

"...and Unsworth has a knack for well illustrated--and sometimes comical uses--of metaphor...." Read more

4 customers mention "Eye for detail"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the author's attention to detail, with one noting the beautiful imagery and another describing the writing as subtle.

"...characters and scenes that invite the reader into the story with great imagery...." Read more

"...read for so many different reasons as the author has a great eye for detail and gets this across to the reader most effectively...." Read more

"Wendy Unsworth's Palaver Tree (Amazon Digital Services 2012) is a beautiful, sad but happy story about Ellie...." Read more

"...Subtle, direct, gentle, and jarring, The Palaver Tree takes the reader on an incredible journey from the safety of small town England to the dangers..." Read more

9 customers mention "Plot quality"6 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the plot of the book, with some appreciating its realistic life-like unfolding, while others find it fairly predictable.

"...as the other characters in this story are developed in a realistic life like unfolding which creates an interest for the reader to want to get to..." Read more

"...This plot was crafted with such expertise, it was as if I were suddenly reading a different book, especially in light of the sloppy set-up early on..." Read more

"...Through the exceptional storytelling talent of Wendy Unsworth, it is easy to believe in the words of Anne Frank, who wrote in her diary, “Despite..." Read more

"...of the story was the way in which the many different characters,sub plots and locations were weaved together...." Read more

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Luv2read
A lovely read
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2013
Format: KindleVerified Purchase

The Palavar Tree by Wendy Unsworth is a beautifully written work. It paints characters and scenes that invite the reader into the story with great imagery. Ellie the main character as well as the other characters in this story are developed in a realistic life like unfolding which creates an interest for the reader to want to get to know more, to discover new things, about them. It is often said that the mark of a really good writer is one that gets the reader to care about the characters, along this line Unsworth shines. The story unfolds in the aftermath of tragedy in a small village that takes Ellie to Africa where things do not turn out as expected. The thing that impressed me the most about this story and the authors writing is the beauty of the use of the word to bring forth the images that stay with you long after you put down the book. A lovely read.

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Stanford Fleming
Excellent prose but poorly structured novel
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2014
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Title: The Palaver Tree
Author: Wendy Unsworth
Genre: Mainstream Fiction
Length: 120,000 words (estimated)
Reviewer: Pearson Moore
Rating: 2.5 stars

Goodreads listing: [...]

Summary

British aid workers get caught up in a web of conspiracy, corruption, and power struggles in a Central African republic. Unsavory swindlers take advantage of political corruption to plunder charitable organizations and ruin lives. The Palaver Tree tells a story of personal tragedy and loss in the lives of Ellie Hathaway of Cornwall and several Central African families.

Review

This story offers fascinating characters and sets up an intricate web of corruption and deceit but fails to engage at the beginning and provides a formulaic ending rather than bringing about true resolution. Expert plotting and outstanding character portraits in the middle 75 percent of the novel are hampered by poor story set-up and haphazard associations to a too-large cast of supporting characters. The two major plot threads, focusing on a British con artist and a Central African political leader's quest for power, are not well integrated, leading to an unsatisfying ending. The text contains mild- to medium-severity grammatical and usage errors. The novel would have benefitted from copy editing and content editing prior to publication.

The main characters are nicely drawn. Once I completed the long, difficult, and poorly structured first section of the novel, I found myself taken in by Ellie, long-suffering Promise, self-absorbed Tiffany, 'Smart Alec' (a Central African local who is more than he appears to be), and the very smooth Gabriel Cole, who is one of the most magnificently built baddies I've had the pleasure of reading.

Getting to the point of being able to follow the characters was not easy. After several dozen reviews, and several hundred rejections (I hate writing one-star reviews, so I reject the truly awful novels), I'm used to novels with too many characters. This nearly epic-scale novel has fewer than six dozen named characters, which is not necessarily difficult to manage. However, even with very careful tracking of names--writing them down and categorizing them on the fly--I was often stymied in understanding character relationships. In many cases, a first name mentioned on page 12 or 25 did not receive a surname until page 220 or 315. I often had to guess at a character's identity by behavior clues. For instance, on page 189, 'Inger' was eating off someone's lap. My best guess, based on context, was that Inger was a pet, probably a dog or cat. It wasn't until much later that 'Inger' entered into conversation, and at first I guessed she was a child. Much later, though, it seemed as though 'Inger' was probably an adult woman. To be honest, even after having completed the novel, I don't know if Inger was child or woman. This was a particularly egregious example of inadequate character description, but there were many such instances throughout the novel. Tiffany's mother, a character frequently mentioned throughout the novel, was given substantial bits of dialog but no name. She was simply 'Tiffany's mum' until finally, on page 250 (!!), she identified herself as Sharon, 'but everyone calls me Shas.' Yikes! I had to struggle too hard to gather the smallest tidbit to figure out character relationships, many of which were critical to the plot.

I would have rejected this novel for review if not for the strong plot that coalesced about 15 percent of the way into the novel. This plot was crafted with such expertise, it was as if I were suddenly reading a different book, especially in light of the sloppy set-up early on and the complete lack of discernible hook. I found myself reading faster and faster, soaking up the story and loving every page. Wow! It was finally a real novel, and I quickly ramped up from a 1- or 2-star review to possibly considering a four star. But the ending fizzled. There were two major plotlines, one of which determined the protagonist's fate and caused by far the greatest suffering for most of the characters. But the other plotline, that really figured through the greater part of the story, was not well integrated. There was a telling scene during the mayhem of Ellie's almost-escape, when Promise saw the antagonist talking on the phone. I interpreted his actions (or actually his lack of action) during that phone call as strong indication that the bad guy was part of the power grab going on all around him in Ducana (the fictitious Central African republic). In my copious notes, I wrote 'Why else would he have returned to Ducana? He must be part of President Dede's conspiracy!' Well, no, unfortunately, he was not. This would have been fine, too, but neither plot thread was satisfactorily resolved by the end.

For readers looking for nothing more than an interesting 'slice of life' with quite fascinating characters, this novel may serve very nicely. Those readers seeking something more may wish to pass and find better constructed stories.

Grammatical errors were rampant, as is frequently the case in self-published novels. Editing is expensive, and few aspiring writers possess the basic wordsmithing skills to recognize these types of errors. Vocative case errors were particularly noticeable but were erratic, as if an editor came through but caught only half the errors. These are often nothing more than a mild distraction, but in this novel were at times truly problematic. For instance, at one point (p. 181), a character speaks with Ellie, saying, "I can manage Ellie. Have a joyous weekend." A fast reader might not catch that the character was speaking with Ellie, and therefore come away with the mistaken impression that the character was claiming to be able to manage or deal with Ellie. The irregularity of this mistake was stunning. So, for example, on p. 71, a character says, "You can't Sweetheart," but on p. 72 says, "It's not going to be September, Sweetheart." I found dozens of such examples. Confusion of plural with singular possessive, common among non-writers, occurred here but with relatively low frequency. So, for example, "The Patel's would have assumed her already gone." (p. 299)

2.5 stars

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Finding our own Palaver tree
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2014
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
The Palaver tree serves as the heart of a community. It’s the place for discussion, decision-making, festive occasions, and the place for storytelling. In the hands of Wendy Unsworth, the Palaver tree becomes more than a literal tree. In her novel, The Palaver Tree, it becomes a figurative place, as well, for the characters in this suspenseful novel set in a fictional country in Africa. Literally, the tree is the gathering place for storytelling and decision-making. It also provides shade from the harsh sun and scalding temperatures in the poor landscape of a violent and unstable government. However, as this story goes from Cornwall and London to Africa, the characters must come together to communicate or all is lost.

The good-hearted and generous people in a tightly knit community in Cornwall seek to help the hopeless children in Africa. Two women of some means, Elly and Diane, are eager to help, when they hear about the Hope Foundation run by Gabriel Cole. In London, the poor and gullible Tiffany runs the foundation and only wants to be loved by her employer and lover, Gabriel. The poor girls, Promise and Beauty, in Gabriel's service in Africa bring him more than tea. Gabriel becomes the all-encompassing evil force in this novel rich in its beautiful description of the African landscape and its wildlife.

The novel is heartbreaking in its characterization of vulnerable and defeated folks, yet it soars with hope as dedicated individuals come together to form their own version of the "Palaver tree" to tell their stories and make decisions.

It is in these individual stories and connections that the human spirit fights for survival against some pretty awful odds. Unsworth tells this story using a wide variety of relationships to express the defeats and triumphs we all experience through marriage, friendship, and professional associations. She effortlessly weaves her story, and despite the wide-ranging lives of all the characters, somehow they all manage to find the universal denominators to form unwavering bonds.

In the beginning, a politeness exists between the characters, which prevent them from going to the "Palaver tree" to compare notes about the evil Gabriel. There exists in the good characters an unwillingness to believe in the corruption of their bank accounts and hearts.

To me, that is the lesson from The Palaver Tree. We become stronger when we gather to communicate, decide, and encourage in order to survive the worst of ordeals.

Through the exceptional storytelling talent of Wendy Unsworth, it is easy to believe in the words of Anne Frank, who wrote in her diary, “Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.”

The “Palaver tree” bears fruit when those who visit walk away believing that goodness still exists in a world darkened by the few with dead hearts.

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Amazon Customer
Sorry when the story ended
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2017
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
By the second page I was engaged. Half way through this read I was congratulating myself for making an excellent choice. Then I was sorry the story had to end. I was dying for the protagonist to be dealt to ... he sounded familiar. Refreshing metaphors and similes. I liked the characters - all so frustratingly real.

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Top reviews from other countries

Annie
Good buy as Christmas Gift
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 22, 2012
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I thoroughly enjoyed reading every word. I loved the way the author focuses on each of the characters. It starts off in Africa and immediately takes you back to good works being done in an English village, then whizzes you back into an African country. It is full of intrigues. The story line is great with lots of twists in the tale. I couldn't put the book down, reading into the early hours of the morning. Very nostalgic for anyone who has lived out in Africa. I have bought several as Christmas presents and look forward to the author second and subsequent novels.

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Mrs Joan Stocks
Fantastic read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2013
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The author brought all the characters alive and the movement between England and Africa worked beautifully. Ellie is a woman who started out as very sheltered but dealt with the harshness of Africa admirably. The way of life in Africa was portrayed perfectly and brought back poignant memories for me, having lived there for sometime.

I can't wait for next book in the Berriwood series.

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Adam Unsworth
Excellent!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 16, 2014
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Excellent!!

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The Palaver Tree (Berriwood Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

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Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely read

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent prose but poorly structured novel

5.0 out of 5 stars Finding our own Palaver tree

4.0 out of 5 stars Sorry when the story ended

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Good buy as Christmas Gift

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!!

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A lovely read

Excellent prose but poorly structured novel

Finding our own Palaver tree

Sorry when the story ended

Good buy as Christmas Gift

Fantastic read

Excellent!!