Fire and Hemlock
Diana Wynne Jones
1985
4/5 stars
At age nineteen, Polly suddenly discovers that she has two sets of memories, one false imposed on the true, and begins to puzzle it out, realizing that it has to do with her adult friend, Tom Lynn. Polly first met him when she accidentally gate-crashed a funeral at the age of ten. They stayed in touch through the years by letters and the books that Mr. Lynn sent. As Polly remembers, the reader is given the story of the ten years between the initial meeting and the present.
This complex fantasy, taking place in 1980s England, brings in elements of the traditional "Thomas the Rhymer" and "Tam Lin" tales to tell the story of Polly and Tom Lynn. Unfortunately, if the reader is unfamiliar with those old stories, much of the nuances, and even some of the salient points, are missed. Despite that, it's an engrossing novel, twisty and layered, and well-written with Jones' typical intelligence and imagination. My only reason for not giving it a full five stars is that I felt Polly's younger self displayed an unbelievable perspicacity. None the less, I recommend it unhesitating, but advise the reader to become familiar with the aforementioned British legends before starting.
