The Witch Elm Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Toby refuses and returns to his cousins, but just as Toby begins to accuse Leon of sending the two burglars after him, a long-eared owl flies down at them, terrifying Toby and Leon so much that the conversation ends abruptly. This study guide contains the following sections: This detailed literature summary also contains Quotes and a Free Quiz on But it’s also a scathing and insightful deconstruction of social privilege, coming from a master of the form at the height of her powers.” He calls his cousins, Susanna and Leon, to talk to them about Ivy House. You also agree to our Terms of Service. They cut down the wych elm and lift up the entire garden. or ask your favorite author a question with help you understand the book. Error rating book. Toby begins to hunt for answers, despite Melissa’s warnings to leave it alone. Welcome back. The narrator, Toby Hennessy, is also the main character. After they leave the pub, Toby calls his girlfriend Melissa, but does not go over to her apartment because he worries that he might drunkenly admit what happened at work. Toby attempts suicide the next morning, but is discovered by his family before he dies. She explains how good it feels to crush someone who has been trying to cruch you, that you finally don't feel helpless anymore. The protagonist of The Witch Elm, Toby Hennessy, has been lucky his whole life.A young good-looking white man, he’s got money, a loving family, a girlfriend he … Hugo then calls Detective Rafferty to confess and is promptly arrested. Ann said: Chapters 10-13 (to the end) discussion of The Witch Elm -spoilers welcome on this topic. Author: Tana French Pages: 528 (Hardcover) ISBN: 0735224625 Publisher: Viking Release Date: October 9, 2018 Book Spy Rating: 7.0/10. Crime scene investigators enter the garden. Despite his own apathetic approach to his life, the novel concludes with Toby defining himself once again by his good luck. The night in question takes place the same day that he manages to regain his boss’s favor, after a suspension which lasted four days. After Hugo’s death, Toby returns to Ivy House. Hugo, a genealogist, is working on a project to uncover the family history of a woman named Amelia Wozniak, and enlists Toby’s help upon his arrival. When he returns to his own apartment, he is attacked by two burglars who severely beat him. Toby’s narration reveals that Ivy House is Uncle Hugo’s home, and that Toby and his cousins spent a lot of time there in their youth. 'The Witch Elm' Starts Slow, Then Sucks You In Tana French's new standalone novel packs a lot of character and background information into the first … The narrative reveals that Toby worked in public relations at an art gallery, where he committed fraud by helping his coworker Tiernan pass his work off as that of an underprivileged 18-year-old named Gouger. After Rafferty’s implicit accusation, Toby asks Susanna and Leon to come over for dinner; he convinces Melissa to help pry details out of them, but as things get more tense, Melissa one again asks him to leave it alone. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Witch Elm. The whole family, with Rafferty lurking in the background, ends up in the hospital for the last few days of Hugo’s life. First I couldn't believe why he doesn't stop the fight at some point. He is tried for Rafferty’s death and is sentenced to two years in a mental hospital followed by ten years in prison; this sentence is light thanks to his brain damage, which is played up for the court. Question about The Witch Elm: “*****SPOILER ALERT***** The ending of this book is confusing and strange. Toby thinks about that a lot, and tragically, he get's into the same mania and can't stop himself. Book Details. The tenth chapter ends with Hugo’s death. The Witch Elm. Susanna and Leon admit to Toby that they killed Dominic together because he harassed and assaulted Susanna, completely without Toby’s involvement. By clicking “I agree” below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. The lead detective, Detective Rafferty, who intimidates Toby, tells Toby that they discovered an entire human skeleton in the process, and that the skeleton in question was Dominic Ganly, a former classmate of Toby’s. We rely on readers like you to uphold a free press. But this can be explained by the talk he had with Susanna at the end of chapter 11. Refresh and try again. Toby convinces himself that he must have been the killer and that he simply forgot. We are learning more and more about this as a precursor for erratic and violent behavior, probably via lack of impulse control etc. It ends when Zach, one of Susanna’s children, discovers a human skull in the wych elm in the back garden. After he is released from the hospital, Toby spends a few months living in fear in his own apartment. The Witch Elm is a rich, immersive, and spine-chilling book, because Tana French is great at what she does and she knows how to tell a story. This Study Guide consists of approximately 70 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - Toby’s narration reveals that during Toby’s trial, the family sold Ivy House to pay for the lawyers and medical care. The two detectives who are assigned to his case, Detectives Martin and Bannon (Bannon is exclusively referred to as “Flashy Suit” in Toby’s narration), have no leads (59). Viking, 2018. In “The Witch Elm,” French reverses her usual allegiances: The police investigators here are the interlopers; in fact, they’re regarded by our unreliable narrator as more foe than friend. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. Toby’s time at Ivy House with Melissa and Hugo is idyllic, but this peace only lasts for a month. [I think Toby became so angry because Rafferty revealed to him, that he pretended to suspect Toby (instead of Leon or Susanna) because of the damage left from his brain injury (slurred speach, drooping eyelid etc.) So Rafferty chose him as a bait instead of Leon or Susanna. We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. ORDER NOW Susanna and Leon go home and Toby goes upstairs to find that Melissa has left. Toby realizes that these emails must have been him, and that they inadvertently encouraged Dominic’s harassment of Susanna. The Witch Elm. Toby has been mulling over who he is and how the injury changed him, and the unfairness of it all just let't him loose it when Rafferty admits to using exactly that. Reader Q&A, Then the narration jumps to Toby’s conditional release from the mental hospital. The Witch Elm by Tana French. Other than the introduction, which takes place after the events of the novel, the novel follows a linear timeline. During this conversation, Toby punches Rafferty, sparking a fight which results in Rafferty’s death. The answer provided below is all helpful context, and here's an additional reminder: Toby has suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury. The novel is divided into 13 chapters. The following edition was used to create this study guide: French, Tana. See our, Read a limited number of articles each month, You consent to the use of cookies and tracking by us and third parties to provide you with personalized ads, Unlimited access to washingtonpost.com on any device, Unlimited access to all Washington Post apps, No on-site advertising or third-party ad tracking. This content is currently not available in your region. At this point in the narrative, readers do not know what Ivy House is, but they know that he considers himself lucky to have had it, even though his cousins advise him to forget about it. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. Other than a slow start, which Tana French makes up for and then some, The Witch Elm twists and turns its way to a shocking ending that most readers will never see coming. Ask the Author. After this brief introduction, Toby begins to recount one night at a pub, which he spent with his friends from high school, Sean and Declan. The Witch Elm takes place in Ireland, and is narrated in the first person. The novel is divided into 13 chapters. Toby’s uncle Oliver finds him an easy job in a public relations firm, and his parents rent out his old apartment.