It is May 1917: war overshadows the haunting beauty of spring in Zennor. As U-boats nose the Cornish coastline, the village is alive with talk of spies. It is a world of call-up and telegrams, secrets and suspicion, and no one is immune. Not D. H. Lawrence and his German wife Frieda, who have retreated from London to a cottage in Zennor. Not Clare Coyne, a young girl who comes under the influence of the Lawrences, nor her beloved cousin John William, who is home on leave from the trenches, shell-shocked. "A beautiful and inspired novel" - John Le Carre.
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About the Author
Helen Dunmore is an award winning poet and novelist, children's novelist and short-story writer. BURNING BRIGHT (1994); A SPELL OF WINTER (winner of the Orange Prize 1995); TALKING TO THE DEAD (1996); LOVE OF FAT MEN (1997) are all published by Viking. She lives in Bristol with her husband and children.
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First Sentence
One faint shriek. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
One faint shriek. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Helen Dunmore's first novel may be overlooked by the more commercial success of "The Siege" and "Talking to the Dead" but it is an outstanding work in its own right.
Set during the outbreak of WW1 it mixes fact (D H Lawrence comes to Cornwall where he is accused of being a spy) with fiction (a young girl's brief love affair with her cousin and its aftermath) in a tangible and totally believable blend. From the outset these are not dim, dusty, historical stereotypes: these are real people, of flesh and bone, and you come to care for them. Dunmore is one of the few writers who can evoke characters from the past and make them as real as your next door neighbour or the girl down the street. It is this talent which has created a wonderful heart-piercing story. Her talent for constructing situations and places is also spot-on; you can almost smell the sea-salt and feel the spray on your face during beach scenes.
I am loathe to say anything more and ruin the book for you. So read it yourself and revel in it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Jane
Format:Paperback
This is probably my favourite Helen Dunmmore novel. The characters are so real and the descriptions of the setting (especially if you know St Ives and the surrounding area) are beautiful and yet never overdone. It is a sad story but not without hope. The inclusion of the DH Lawrence element also adds interest to a fantastic novel.
Format:Paperback
I'm not keen on present tense narrative. And I get annoyed at writers who skip from one character point of view to another's in mid-scene or at the drop of the hat, even if they use the excuse of omniscient POV.
Dunmore's debut novel exhibits these traits so really I should have stopped reading, but I didn't. I continued turning the pages because the prose - the descriptions of place, time and character - were powerful and a pleasure to read.
Stylistically, it may be Dunmore but it's also Lawrentian in the way the images and emotions are conveyed.
Quite an astonishing first novel, though I felt the ending was disappointing.
Dunmore's debut novel exhibits these traits so really I should have stopped reading, but I didn't. I continued turning the pages because the prose - the descriptions of place, time and character - were powerful and a pleasure to read.
Stylistically, it may be Dunmore but it's also Lawrentian in the way the images and emotions are conveyed.
Quite an astonishing first novel, though I felt the ending was disappointing.
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3.7 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Zennor in Darkness by Helen Dunmore
This book was recommended to me by a good friend. I was quite disappointed by it. Though the story is well written and the scene beautifully set, I felt that I was treading water... Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2009 by Inglish Teecher
5.0 out of 5 stars
Capturing the times
I highly rate Helen Dunmore's first novel. She captures the spirit of the times and cleverly uses the true story of DHL and wife Frieda's experience of living in Cornwall during... Read more
Published on 27 Jun 2008 by bebegee
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