The Western Wind
Published on 28. February 2019
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-78470-803-0 (ISBN)
Description
FROM THE AUTHOR OF 2024 BOOKER PRIZE WINNING ORBITAL
15th century Oakham, in Somerset; when a man is swept away by the village's river, an explanation has to be found: accident, suicide or murder?
The village priest, John Reve, is privy to many secrets in his role as confessor. But will he be able to unravel what happened to the victim, Thomas Newman, the wealthiest, most capable and industrious man in the village? And what will happen if he can't?
Moving back in time towards the moment of Thomas Newman's death, the story is related by Reve - an extraordinary creation, a patient shepherd to his wayward flock, and a man with secrets of his own to keep. Through his eyes, and his indelible voice, Harvey creates a medieval world entirely tangible in its immediacy.
'A rich and sumptuous delight' DAILY TELEGRAPH
'Astonishing... A rollicking mystery and a profound meditation on faith and existence' OBSERVER
15th century Oakham, in Somerset; when a man is swept away by the village's river, an explanation has to be found: accident, suicide or murder?
The village priest, John Reve, is privy to many secrets in his role as confessor. But will he be able to unravel what happened to the victim, Thomas Newman, the wealthiest, most capable and industrious man in the village? And what will happen if he can't?
Moving back in time towards the moment of Thomas Newman's death, the story is related by Reve - an extraordinary creation, a patient shepherd to his wayward flock, and a man with secrets of his own to keep. Through his eyes, and his indelible voice, Harvey creates a medieval world entirely tangible in its immediacy.
'A rich and sumptuous delight' DAILY TELEGRAPH
'Astonishing... A rollicking mystery and a profound meditation on faith and existence' OBSERVER
Reviews / Votes
My Ancient Mariner novel, the book I'm destined to traipse around fervently pressing into people's hands . . . [The Western Wind is a] breathtaking exploration of guilt, communal and individual, secrecy and power . . . It made me gasp, and when I'd finished it, I started it again. -- Alex Clark * Times Literary Supplement **Books of the Year 2018** * Beautifully rendered, deeply affecting, thoroughly thoughtful * New York Times * A rich and sumptuous delight . . . Even the most glowing reviews of [Samantha Harvey's] work have tended to be accompanied by a rueful acknowledgement of how underrated she is. The Western Wind will surely mean that she's not underrated anymore. -- James Walton * Daily Telegraph * A wonderful creation . . . less like reading a novel and more akin to time travel - something I've only previously encountered in the work of Hilary Mantel. -- Melissa Harrison * Financial Times * So ingenious in its plotting and characterisation that it begs to be read twice - the second reading a confirmation of what is slowly, tantalisingly revealed in the first. ***** -- Eithne Farry * Express *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Vintage Publishing
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
213 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78470-803-0 (9781784708030)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
03/2018
Vintage Digital
€8.99
Available for download
Person
Samantha Harvey is the author of the novels Orbital, The Wilderness, All is Song, Dear Thief and The Western Wind and a work of non-fiction, The Shapeless Unease: A Year of Not Sleeping. Orbital was the winner of the Booker Prize 2024, and her other work has been shortlisted for the James Tait Black Award, the Women's Prize, the Guardian First Book Award and the Walter Scott Prize. The Wilderness was awarded the Betty Trask Prize. She is a tutor on the MA course in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.