Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (2018)
Description
The autumn of 1933 is the most beautiful Edie Mather can remember, although the Great War still casts its shadow over the fields and villages around her beloved home, Wych Farm. Constance FitzAllen arrives from London to document fading rural traditions and beliefs. For Edie, who must soon face the unsettling pressures of adulthood, the glamorous and worldly outsider appears to be a godsend. But there is more to the older woman than meets the eye. As harvest time approaches and pressures mount on the entire community, Edie must find a way to trust her instincts and save herself from disaster.
Media reviews
Steeped in the rhythms and rituals of country life, fascinated by its fables and folk stories, Edie is seized upon enthusiastically by Constance FitzAllen, an energetic young woman from London who has come to document the old rural traditions before they disappear. The bookish, awkward Edie,
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accustomed to being ignored, is immediately captivated by Connie’s kindness and her curiosity. Elmbourne’s other residents take a little longer to succumb, but Connie is cheerfully undaunted. Soon she is a fixture of village life, helping in the fields, cutting sandwiches for the local fete. It is only as harvest approaches and economic pressures begin to bite that the villagers understand she wants more from them than just their stories. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member CarltonC
Containing sufficient story to keep me interested, but not think more of it, this novel really excels in the description of rural life in the 1930’s and the natural world.
I was disappointed by the simplicity of the “plot”, too black and white, and by the Epilogue, too much unnecessary detail,
I was disappointed by the simplicity of the “plot”, too black and white, and by the Epilogue, too much unnecessary detail,
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some of which didn’t ring true. Show Less
LibraryThing member oldblack
If you're interested in early 20th century English wheat & barley farming then this is the book for you! There's a lot of detail (and language - so many words I've never met before) about farming methods and farming life, much of which is slightly peripheral to the story, but was somehow presented
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in a way that made me interested enough to keep reading. I guess my main engagement with this book came from the relationship between the naive country teenage girl, Edith, and the mysterious, sophisticated and clever visitor from London, Connie. Connie's real purpose in visiting is, however, not revealed until the final few pages of the novel and most of our attention is taken up with the story of the quotidian life of English farmers, between the wars. Patriarchy, superstition, hard physical labour, tradition, family values, parental obedience. Yep, all that stuff we've now gladly said goodbye to. Sorry, Melissa Harrison, but I think I've now said goodbye to you, too. Show Less
LibraryThing member PDCRead
In rural Suffolk in the 1930's the effects of the Great War still loomed over those working the land. There was some change in the air though, modernisation was slowly happening despite the global Great Depression. For everything that was moving on, there was as much standing still too. At Wych
In these uncertain times the appearance of Constance FitzAllen from the heady heights of the capital looking for stories in the rural economy and hoping to capture the old ways before they disappear for good. For all her glamour, FitzAllen brings with her ideas that seem quite innocent at first, yet have deeply sinister and radical roots. As Edie finishes school and has to decide what she does next, the appeal of heading to London grows on her and she hopes that it will take her away from the unwanted attention she is getting from a lad from a nearby farm. Things are coming to a head as FitzAllen starts to push her agenda to the villagers in the pub one night.
As with her previous books, the natural world is the very bedrock of this story, but this time she has woven in the hardship of farming the 1930's as well as the alarming rise of nationalism in the UK that had certain parallels to Germany. Draped over all of this is the story of Edie as she reaches a crossroads in her life, unsure of what to do, wanting to not be the baby of the family anymore, but fearful of the future. There is something about Harrison's novels that resonate with me and in All Among the Barley, her writing is lyrical and eloquent without feeling rose-tinted and sentimental; there is proper drama within these pages. It feels authentic too, the research that Harrison must have undertaken to get the details right for the season, the region and the language spoken at the time. It evokes standing in that field feeling the late summer breeze brushing the barley. There are beautiful maps by Neil Gower too! I can highly recommend this book from Melissa Harrison, her stature with words increases with every book she writes. It is timely too as it feels that history is repeating itself at the moment.
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Farm, they farm the land in the old way and everyone, including the fourteen-year-old Edie Mather, is still expected to help with the harvest.In these uncertain times the appearance of Constance FitzAllen from the heady heights of the capital looking for stories in the rural economy and hoping to capture the old ways before they disappear for good. For all her glamour, FitzAllen brings with her ideas that seem quite innocent at first, yet have deeply sinister and radical roots. As Edie finishes school and has to decide what she does next, the appeal of heading to London grows on her and she hopes that it will take her away from the unwanted attention she is getting from a lad from a nearby farm. Things are coming to a head as FitzAllen starts to push her agenda to the villagers in the pub one night.
As with her previous books, the natural world is the very bedrock of this story, but this time she has woven in the hardship of farming the 1930's as well as the alarming rise of nationalism in the UK that had certain parallels to Germany. Draped over all of this is the story of Edie as she reaches a crossroads in her life, unsure of what to do, wanting to not be the baby of the family anymore, but fearful of the future. There is something about Harrison's novels that resonate with me and in All Among the Barley, her writing is lyrical and eloquent without feeling rose-tinted and sentimental; there is proper drama within these pages. It feels authentic too, the research that Harrison must have undertaken to get the details right for the season, the region and the language spoken at the time. It evokes standing in that field feeling the late summer breeze brushing the barley. There are beautiful maps by Neil Gower too! I can highly recommend this book from Melissa Harrison, her stature with words increases with every book she writes. It is timely too as it feels that history is repeating itself at the moment.
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LibraryThing member bookomaniac
If you like vividly painted descriptions of nature, lyrical evocations of rural life, and more specifically of farming, then this is the thing for you. And also, if you like a classic coming-of-age story, including the inevitable sexual initiation, this is it, too. Harrison brings to life a
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fictional village in 1930s Suffolk, England. All through the eyes of the young, fairly naive farmer's daughter Edi Mather. Many ingredients seem familiar, especially if you've already read a few Thomas Hardy novels. But Harrison adds some accents of her own. The most original of these is presented through the character Constance FitzAllen, a feisty town lady who speaks highly of the traditional values of the countryside, but appears to have a political agenda of her own. Harrison incorporates the rise of fascism in England here, but in such a way that it actually has more to do with Brexit and topics of today. Captivating and lyrical, for sure. But personally, I thought the story was slow to start. It picks up speed past halfway, only to come to at a rather abrupt and not entirely coherent ending. Show Less
LibraryThing member linda.a.
Fourteen-year-old Edie Mather lives, with her parents and older brother, Frank, on Wych Farm in Suffolk. Her sister Mary is now married with a baby and, struggling with adolescent anxieties, Edie is desperately missing their previous closeness. She is a bright young woman who snatches every
Londoner Constance FitzAllen arrives in the village, wanting to observe and interview local people, to study country-ways, local folklore, dialect, songs, recipes etc and to record them. She believes that, following all the social upheaval of the war, these old traditions are in danger of being lost forever. Edie is fascinated by this glamorous woman who, flatteringly, seems to be interested in her and her opinions and who holds out the promise of an alternative future. But who is Constance really, and what impact will she have on Edie and on this close-knit community? As autumn progresses and pressures increase, Edie must learn to trust her instincts and find a way to save herself from disaster.
This story is told through the voice of Edie and, from the opening sentence of the prologue, I felt captivated by the recollections of this memorable character, a sensitive, vulnerable young woman on the cusp of adulthood, struggling to discover what possibilities the future could hold for her. I felt as though I lived through every conflict and struggle she faced and found myself wanting to protect her from harm. Through her eyes the reader is exposed to all the realities of a rural way of life in the 1930s, a time when the introduction of mechanisation was changing the face of farming, making it more efficient but with the consequent loss of jobs and the attendant disruption of the social order.
This was a period of massive social change, economic depression and political uncertainty; conditions which so readily lead to unthinking nationalism and to people seeing “outsiders” as being a threat to their way of life. These themes were intricately woven into the story, without ever dominating the exploration of the human stories behind all these changes. I loved the way in which the author demonstrated throughout the narrative that nature needs husbandry, that without it it is in danger of going to ruin. This highlighted for me the fact that one person’s nostalgia for a past way of life, usually highly romanticised, all too often ignores the harsh conditions which were faced by those who were living it!
Although Edie’s is the voice of this novel, all the other characters are well portrayed, with each contributing to the richness of the developing story. The author’s powerful characterisations made me feel that I was inhabiting their world, experiencing their conflicts and struggles as they negotiated a changing world. Some I felt admiration for, some aroused my sympathy and others made me angry – but all felt so convincingly authentic that I know they will remain memorable for me. Much of the evocative power of these characterisations has its roots in the fact that although the author was writing about the 1930s, many of the conflicts people were struggling with have echoes in today’s uncertain world when, in times of such uncertainty, there is a tendency to perceive change as a threat; overt nationalism becomes a refuge and “outsiders” become convenient scapegoats.
The captivating background to Melissa Harrison’s story-telling is the rich tapestry she weaves to depict the wonders of the natural world. Her extensive knowledge and love of this world shine through all her descriptions and there were moments when I felt transported back to a time when, for instance, there was no shortage of corncrakes in the fields, when their calls were a common sound at harvest time, a sound which, sadly, is now all but absent in the countryside. A clear demonstration that whilst change is necessary, it frequently has unforeseen consequences, altering the delicate balance of the natural world.
The author incorporates a wide-ranging variety of themes into this thought-provoking story – the changing face of farming, its effects on the natural world, the unrelenting demands and hard work of farming and the impact this has on relationships within farming families, traditional folklore and superstition, class divisions, patriarchy and patronage, injustice, treatment of mental illness, prejudice, bigotry and fascism, to name just a few – but there was never a moment when any of these felt either superfluous to the story or dominated the narrative. The very richness of this range of themes would make this novel a wonderful choice for reading groups.
This is a heart-breaking, haunting story, infused with a combination of beautiful descriptions and dark, disturbing themes. As I neared the end I found myself increasingly reluctant to finish it, finally doing so with tears rolling down my face. With her beautiful, lyrical writing Melissa Harrison has created some memorable characters and a thought-provoking story and I can only hope that my enthusiasm for this exquisite gem of a novel will persuade you to read it for yourself. I know I will want to re-read it and feel confident that it will feel just as fresh a second time around. If this novel doesn’t garner awards there is no justice in the literary world!
With my very appreciative thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and Nudge-Books for giving me the opportunity to read this exceptional book in exchange for an honest review.
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opportunity she can to escape into the fields to read, resisting her parents’ calls for her to help on the farm, even when this means she will return home to a hiding. Every member of the family is expected to work and reading is regarded as a waste of time. Edie’s teacher thinks she should stay on at school and then train to be a teacher. However, her father insists that she should leave school at fourteen and work full-time on the farm. The autumn of 1933 is the most beautiful she can recall but it also brings extra pressures on both the family and the wider community as harvest time approaches, with all its attendant concerns about whether it will be a good one, providing sufficient income for the winter months. Londoner Constance FitzAllen arrives in the village, wanting to observe and interview local people, to study country-ways, local folklore, dialect, songs, recipes etc and to record them. She believes that, following all the social upheaval of the war, these old traditions are in danger of being lost forever. Edie is fascinated by this glamorous woman who, flatteringly, seems to be interested in her and her opinions and who holds out the promise of an alternative future. But who is Constance really, and what impact will she have on Edie and on this close-knit community? As autumn progresses and pressures increase, Edie must learn to trust her instincts and find a way to save herself from disaster.
This story is told through the voice of Edie and, from the opening sentence of the prologue, I felt captivated by the recollections of this memorable character, a sensitive, vulnerable young woman on the cusp of adulthood, struggling to discover what possibilities the future could hold for her. I felt as though I lived through every conflict and struggle she faced and found myself wanting to protect her from harm. Through her eyes the reader is exposed to all the realities of a rural way of life in the 1930s, a time when the introduction of mechanisation was changing the face of farming, making it more efficient but with the consequent loss of jobs and the attendant disruption of the social order.
This was a period of massive social change, economic depression and political uncertainty; conditions which so readily lead to unthinking nationalism and to people seeing “outsiders” as being a threat to their way of life. These themes were intricately woven into the story, without ever dominating the exploration of the human stories behind all these changes. I loved the way in which the author demonstrated throughout the narrative that nature needs husbandry, that without it it is in danger of going to ruin. This highlighted for me the fact that one person’s nostalgia for a past way of life, usually highly romanticised, all too often ignores the harsh conditions which were faced by those who were living it!
Although Edie’s is the voice of this novel, all the other characters are well portrayed, with each contributing to the richness of the developing story. The author’s powerful characterisations made me feel that I was inhabiting their world, experiencing their conflicts and struggles as they negotiated a changing world. Some I felt admiration for, some aroused my sympathy and others made me angry – but all felt so convincingly authentic that I know they will remain memorable for me. Much of the evocative power of these characterisations has its roots in the fact that although the author was writing about the 1930s, many of the conflicts people were struggling with have echoes in today’s uncertain world when, in times of such uncertainty, there is a tendency to perceive change as a threat; overt nationalism becomes a refuge and “outsiders” become convenient scapegoats.
The captivating background to Melissa Harrison’s story-telling is the rich tapestry she weaves to depict the wonders of the natural world. Her extensive knowledge and love of this world shine through all her descriptions and there were moments when I felt transported back to a time when, for instance, there was no shortage of corncrakes in the fields, when their calls were a common sound at harvest time, a sound which, sadly, is now all but absent in the countryside. A clear demonstration that whilst change is necessary, it frequently has unforeseen consequences, altering the delicate balance of the natural world.
The author incorporates a wide-ranging variety of themes into this thought-provoking story – the changing face of farming, its effects on the natural world, the unrelenting demands and hard work of farming and the impact this has on relationships within farming families, traditional folklore and superstition, class divisions, patriarchy and patronage, injustice, treatment of mental illness, prejudice, bigotry and fascism, to name just a few – but there was never a moment when any of these felt either superfluous to the story or dominated the narrative. The very richness of this range of themes would make this novel a wonderful choice for reading groups.
This is a heart-breaking, haunting story, infused with a combination of beautiful descriptions and dark, disturbing themes. As I neared the end I found myself increasingly reluctant to finish it, finally doing so with tears rolling down my face. With her beautiful, lyrical writing Melissa Harrison has created some memorable characters and a thought-provoking story and I can only hope that my enthusiasm for this exquisite gem of a novel will persuade you to read it for yourself. I know I will want to re-read it and feel confident that it will feel just as fresh a second time around. If this novel doesn’t garner awards there is no justice in the literary world!
With my very appreciative thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and Nudge-Books for giving me the opportunity to read this exceptional book in exchange for an honest review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member lisahistory
Really beautiful writing in this story of a girl growing up in England's farming heartland, but I didn't like the ending at all.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2018
Physical description
352 p.; 5.55 inches
ISBN
1408897997 / 9781408897997
Similar in this library
DDC/MDS
| 823.92 |