The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge: The Novel Cure for spreading rumours

The consequences of rumour-mongering are explored in this fine novel

Frances Hardinge at the Costa Book Of The Year Awards last month (Getty Images)

Ailment: Spreading rumours

Cure: The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

Uncovering a big, juicy, slanderous nugget of information about a friend or acquaintance can awaken an unlovely desire to pass it on. We all relish being the one to have heard it first. But whether or not the information turns out to be true or a fabrication, is it really worth trading a short-lived moment of personal glory for someone else's reputation? This question – and other consequences of rumour-mongering – are explored in this fine novel.

Fascinated by science, and dreaming of following in the footsteps of her father – a reverend and natural scientist – Faith is thwarted by the mores of the age. It is the mid-19th century, and women are believed to be less intelligent than men, because of their smaller skulls. When the family move from Kent to a remote Scottish island, Faith becomes exasperated by the way she is treated by her father's scientific peers. So when he is mysteriously found dead, she decides to take matters into her own, very capable hands.

One of his botanic specimens is a curious tree which, she discovers, thrives on being told lies. As the lies take root in the community, the Mendax tree grows, eventually bearing fruit – and when eaten by the liar, this fruit reveals a truth… Faith decides to use the tree to unmask her father's killer – but to do so, she must herself start feeding it lies.

As it turns out, she's rather good at this – and soon her chilling tales of restless ghosts and cat skulls found in servant's beds have spread all over the island. Some inhabitants are so paralysed by fear that they start sleeping in the church. But when the family maid is found lying freezing at the altar, her face blue, close to death – all because of one of Faith's lies – Faith realises that the Mendax is not the best way to get answers.

Spreading rumours not only risks hurting people, but it makes others question your own veracity.

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