Blow on a Dead Man's Embers
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Review
'Extremely compelling...I loved this novel.' --Catherine O'Flynn on The Earth Hums in B Flat
'A gorgeous debut' --Marie Claire on The Earth Hums in B Flat
'Strachan's deft handling of a dark subject is both sober and sparkling.' --Guardian on The Earth Hums in B Flat
'A delight' --Financial Times on The Earth Hums in B Flat
'Strachan eschews whimsy for reality in a beautifully written story about growing up.' --Independent on The Earth Hums in B Flat
'A gorgeous debut' --Marie Claire on The Earth Hums in B Flat
'Strachan's deft handling of a dark subject is both sober and sparkling.' --Guardian on The Earth Hums in B Flat
'A delight' --Financial Times on The Earth Hums in B Flat
'Strachan eschews whimsy for reality in a beautifully written story about growing up.' --Independent on The Earth Hums in B Flat
Product Description
In the aftermath of the Great War, Non Davies wakes one morning to find her husband crouching under the kitchen table in a cold sweat and with fear in his eyes, shouldering an imaginary rifle. During the intense heat of that summer she forces herself to sit and watch him, knowing she has to discover what has changed her Davey so completely. A mysterious letter addressed to Davey gives her the clue she needs and takes her to London in search of an answer. When she returns home Non realizes that the dark secrets of Davey's behaviour are working their way ever closer to the surface - secrets that will shatter the fragile happiness of their community if they ever become known. Blow on a Dead Man's Embers is a wonderful piece of storytelling, rich in atmosphere and full of characters that leap from the page. It is a gripping and moving portrait of a society emerging from the shadow of war, and of Non Davies, an unforgettable woman out of kilter with her time
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
When Non Davies's husband, Davey,returns from the Great War, she is relieved to have him home in one piece, and yet Davey bears the unseen scars of war, and still lives with the horror of the trenches. Non must use all her skills, and do what must be done in order to keep her family together.
This quietly understated book is a delight to read, the story gripped me from its opening chapter, and kept me enthralled until its emotional conclusion. There is an underlying strength which comes from fine writing, great attention to detail, and the author's natural ability to tell a good story.
This quietly understated book is a delight to read, the story gripped me from its opening chapter, and kept me enthralled until its emotional conclusion. There is an underlying strength which comes from fine writing, great attention to detail, and the author's natural ability to tell a good story.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
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I thoroughly enjoyed Mari Strachan's first novel, The Earth Hums in B Flat, set in rural Wales in the 1950s with its unforgettable 12 and a bit narrator, Gwenni. Blow on a Dead Man's Embers is set in an earlier era, it is 1921 and Non (Rhiannon) knows she should be relieved to have her husband Davey safely returned from the Great War where so many perished. Davey might be physically present but Non worries about his emotional and mental state and she is determined to "fix" him and make him whole again even if it means subterfuge on her part.
This is such a beautifully written story peopled with vibrant, interesting characters. I felt like I really got to know Non and her step-children including the quiet, reticent Osian and the wilful, teenage Meg. I felt immersed in the intensity of the interminable heatwave assailing the small Welsh village and its inhabitants and the fact I was also brought up in a tiny, remote village made the characters resonate with me even more. Life is hard, the laundry is never-ending but there is little for it but to just get by the best one can. However it's not all doom and gloom and comic interludes are provided by Maggie Ellis, the village gossip (my village still has one like her!) and Non's dour mother-in-law, Catherine Davies.
As well as the stifling ambiance of village life we have the global issues of love and loss, post-traumatic stress disorder, dementia, autism, the struggle for Irish independence, medical advances, women's rights, the growth of the Labour party. Change is coming whether the villagers like it or not.
Mari Strachan has a knack of engaging the reader almost immediately, drawing you into this other world, immersing you in another era - highly recommended particularly if you enjoy excellent storytelling in a rural setting. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Mari comes up with next
This is such a beautifully written story peopled with vibrant, interesting characters. I felt like I really got to know Non and her step-children including the quiet, reticent Osian and the wilful, teenage Meg. I felt immersed in the intensity of the interminable heatwave assailing the small Welsh village and its inhabitants and the fact I was also brought up in a tiny, remote village made the characters resonate with me even more. Life is hard, the laundry is never-ending but there is little for it but to just get by the best one can. However it's not all doom and gloom and comic interludes are provided by Maggie Ellis, the village gossip (my village still has one like her!) and Non's dour mother-in-law, Catherine Davies.
As well as the stifling ambiance of village life we have the global issues of love and loss, post-traumatic stress disorder, dementia, autism, the struggle for Irish independence, medical advances, women's rights, the growth of the Labour party. Change is coming whether the villagers like it or not.
Mari Strachan has a knack of engaging the reader almost immediately, drawing you into this other world, immersing you in another era - highly recommended particularly if you enjoy excellent storytelling in a rural setting. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Mari comes up with next
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Blow on a Dead Man's Embers is ostensibly about a man who comes back home from the First World War, shellshocked and unable to find his place in life. But it's actually about more than that, much more. The story starts simply enough, but soon the lives of the protagonists - Davey the soldier, Non his wife and many more - begin to weave a powerful and compelling tale around straightforward and everyday life (often with plenty of humour) in the 1920s.
As soon as you think you've got the book sussed, the action leaps out of the claustrophobic confines of the village and into a world of mystic seers and a trip to London, where Non encounters more evidence of the grim realities of the great conflict, along with extraordinary news that affects her personally.
There are too many strands to the tales to cover them all - I'll leave that to the other reviews - but this is an terrific follow-up to mari Strachan's first novel, The Earth Hums in B Flat. That was an excellent read but Blow on a Dead Man's Embers offers a far richer, deeper experience.
As soon as you think you've got the book sussed, the action leaps out of the claustrophobic confines of the village and into a world of mystic seers and a trip to London, where Non encounters more evidence of the grim realities of the great conflict, along with extraordinary news that affects her personally.
There are too many strands to the tales to cover them all - I'll leave that to the other reviews - but this is an terrific follow-up to mari Strachan's first novel, The Earth Hums in B Flat. That was an excellent read but Blow on a Dead Man's Embers offers a far richer, deeper experience.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
So evocative of the time and place
Blow on a Dead Man's Embers is set in Wales in 1921. Non Davies is the main character and her husband, Davey, has started to have flashbacks to his time in the war, which involve... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Nicola
Good idea but not enough of a story
This is the second book I've read by this author and the same issues I had with the first arose again. Read more
Published 4 months ago by littlepig littlepig
Aftermath of the Great War
My wife's review:
I absolutely loved this book. From the first page I was drawn into life in a Welsh village in the aftermath of the Great War. Read more
I absolutely loved this book. From the first page I was drawn into life in a Welsh village in the aftermath of the Great War. Read more
Published 5 months ago by John Ferngrove
A moving and compelling story
Blow on a Dead Man's Embers is set in a small community in Wales in the 1920s, just a few years after the end of World War I. Read more
Published 6 months ago by H. Skinner
In the shadow of war
I really liked Mari Strachan's debut, The Earth Hums in B Flat so was keen to read her new novel, and I wasn't disappointed. Read more
Published 6 months ago by elkiedee
Well woven tale
The beautifully drawn ensemble cast made me think the writer must be an Austen fan - especially in the rendering of the truly awful mother-in-law and the nosey next-door neighbour. Read more
Published 6 months ago by daisyrock
Liked the idea but it didn't quite work
The idea behind this book is good - exploring the after effects of World War I on the lives of those returning from the front and those left at home. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Janie U
Atmospheric, quirky historical fiction
A really lovely, delicate and funny second novel. I guess it counts as historical fiction - the plot centres around a man who comes back home from the First World War shellshocked... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Gabrielle O
Superb novel
This is a beautifully written novel that evokes what life was like in West Wales at the end of the First World War. Read more
Published 7 months ago by D. P. Mankin
Full of feeling
I loved The Earth Hums in B Flat and could see the resemblance in this book, with the emotional descriptions of Davey's fearful episodes after his return from WWI. Read more
Published 7 months ago by DubaiReader
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