A gripping and moving portrait of a society emerging from the shadow of war, and of an unforgettable woman out of kilter with her time
Blow on a Dead Man's Embers
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
'Extremely compelling...I loved this novel.' - Catherine O'Flynn on The Earth Hums in B Flat
About the Author
Mari Strachan is the author of The Earth Hums in B Flat.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Hardcover
I found this novel by Mari Strachan a pleasant book to read. The story is set in Wales, 1921, just after World War I. Rhiannon Davies is struggling with the changes that the war has had on her easy going husband Davey. Several mornings in a row she wakes to find him in a trance under the kitchen table where he is re-enacting his experiences in the trenches.
Rhiannon, 'Non' for short, decides she must do something to help her husband, she wants to understand why he is suddenly behaving this way. She reads a letter addressed to Davey from a woman Non doesn't know and eventually decides to go to London to see if she can learn anything more about what's upsetting him.
The story is set up with a bit of a mystery, the reader and Non are curious to know more about Davey's relationship with the woman who sent the letter. But when Non goes to London she ends up learning more about herself than she does about Davey. Which, I thought was an excellent way to set up another thread of the story where Non would process what she learned about herself and her childhood but the author doesn't really flesh that story out much at all.
I thought this was a quick and easy read, the mystery kept me turning the pages and I liked learning the many secrets Non discovered. I enjoyed reading about the period and the setting, which I wasn't familiar with. The author does a nice job of illustrating the differences between the modernity of the city and the traditional ways of the country during this period of transition. There was also a thread of spiritualism woven in which I enjoyed and the author gives her story nice details about the physical setting, including the chores of daily life, the weather and the objects that are important to her characters.
While the author sets up a compelling story and interesting relationships between the characters she didn't delve very deeply into them, emotions and the workings behind relationships were somewhat cursory and left me wanting to know more. I liked the main character and the relationships she has with her family, especially her nephew. The relationship between Non and her sister could have be developed so much more as could the relationship between Non and her husband, Davey.
While I really enjoyed reading this book I was left feeling less than satisfied by the denouement of the story. Unfortunately, I thought, the resolution of Davey's internal struggle unfolds a little too rapidly and without a logical catalyst. There were also a few too many threads that felt unresolved and the author let a bomb go off with a final secret at the very end of the story and said nothing about it.
Overall an interesting story with a few quirky issues that probably most readers won't be bothered by. I would try this author again in the future.
Rhiannon, 'Non' for short, decides she must do something to help her husband, she wants to understand why he is suddenly behaving this way. She reads a letter addressed to Davey from a woman Non doesn't know and eventually decides to go to London to see if she can learn anything more about what's upsetting him.
The story is set up with a bit of a mystery, the reader and Non are curious to know more about Davey's relationship with the woman who sent the letter. But when Non goes to London she ends up learning more about herself than she does about Davey. Which, I thought was an excellent way to set up another thread of the story where Non would process what she learned about herself and her childhood but the author doesn't really flesh that story out much at all.
I thought this was a quick and easy read, the mystery kept me turning the pages and I liked learning the many secrets Non discovered. I enjoyed reading about the period and the setting, which I wasn't familiar with. The author does a nice job of illustrating the differences between the modernity of the city and the traditional ways of the country during this period of transition. There was also a thread of spiritualism woven in which I enjoyed and the author gives her story nice details about the physical setting, including the chores of daily life, the weather and the objects that are important to her characters.
While the author sets up a compelling story and interesting relationships between the characters she didn't delve very deeply into them, emotions and the workings behind relationships were somewhat cursory and left me wanting to know more. I liked the main character and the relationships she has with her family, especially her nephew. The relationship between Non and her sister could have be developed so much more as could the relationship between Non and her husband, Davey.
While I really enjoyed reading this book I was left feeling less than satisfied by the denouement of the story. Unfortunately, I thought, the resolution of Davey's internal struggle unfolds a little too rapidly and without a logical catalyst. There were also a few too many threads that felt unresolved and the author let a bomb go off with a final secret at the very end of the story and said nothing about it.
Overall an interesting story with a few quirky issues that probably most readers won't be bothered by. I would try this author again in the future.
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