. Really boring and a very weak storyline. The plot is as much an exploration of mental illness as a a detective story - I won't say any more so as not to spoil it. Buy The Earth Hums in B Flat by Strachan, Mari online on Amazon.ae at best prices. The Earth Hums in B Flat By Mari Strachan Canongate £10.99, 329 pages FT Bookshop price: £8.79. Gwenni is a somewhat lonely young girl who is a voracious reader of novels including detective tales. eneath the petty slights and homespun homilies of a small Welsh town in the late 1950s lies an unsettling account of matrilineal madness, illegitimacy and domestic abuse. Reluctantly facing a modern world, she prefer. April 1st 2009 When the husband. Read a sample Read a sample Description; Details; Gwenni Morgan is not like any other girl in this small Welsh town. ALSO, THIS BOOK CONTAINS SOME GRAPHIC CONTENT ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUICIDE THAT COULD BE TRIGGERS FOR SOME READERS. share. Oh, and Gwenni can fly . I wanted to hug Gwenni and shield her from the painful truths she’d unwittingly stumbled into. 'The Earth Hums In B Flat' center's around oddball twelve-year-old Gwennie as she tries to solve the mystery of her neighbors disappearance and discover her family history. She's also fond of strawberry whip, detective stories and asking difficult questions. Strachan creates a brilliant picture of a small Welsh community where everyone knows everyone's secrets but nobody ever speaks of them. Posted on November 1, 2011 by cynthia. But I can't quite stop there because I need to tell you that THE EARTH HUMS IN B FLAT… Start by marking “The Earth Hums in B Flat” as Want to Read: Error rating book. I picked it up in a charity shop because I liked the title and cover and thought it sounded interesting. Strachan creates a brilliant picture of a small Welsh community where everyone knows everyone's secrets but nobody ever speaks of them. The Earth Hums in B Flat is a richly evocative, warm but unsentimental tale of a child detective struggling to piece together clues about the lives around her ... extremely compelling. 10. Hello, Sign in. The Earth hums in B flat Item Preview > remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. Only 6 left in stock (more on the way). It reminds me in some ways of. I felt considering the era and the small-town mentality, it was really realistic and never once sensationalised. Welcome back. RRP: £8.99. She sees things differently from most, believing that she flies at night and can hear the rhythms of the earth turning. Everyone in this insular community knows everyone else, so when Ifan Evans and his mysterious "black dog" go missing, Gwenni, rejected by best friend Alwenna who has discovered boys and net skirts, bonds with Mrs Evans and her two small daughters. Gwenni is a brilliant character. The blurb sounded unusual so I was excited to give it a go. Her character's are wonderfully described, I especially enjoyed the police Sargent who seemed to make everything groan under his weight. Buy New. The Earth Hums in B Flat is a story of dark family secrets unraveled by the shrewd insight of twelve-year-old Gwenni Morgan, a child with an irrepressible spirit living in a … Life is humdrum, presided over by an easygoing father and barely controlled, yet controlling, mother. I also found it a bit confusing at first. Most of the book was spent describing old fashioned ways of living. He said: You'll be hearing the music of the spheres next, Gwenni. For instance, things are never white, they're "as white as the winter snow on Llapgoch" - just in case at any point you forget that IT'S SET IN WALES. You Save: £2.00 (22%) & FREE Delivery on your first eligible order to UK or Ireland. I loved this debut, which manages to give a young girl's narrative an authentically quirky aspect, without ever resorting to cutesiness or cosiness. On the surface The earth hums is about the humdrum life in a small 1950's Welsh town as seen through our protagonist Gwenni Morgan. This book starts out slow with not a whole lot happening. Gwennie's mother is suffering from some sort of bi-polar disorder (although never named as such) which gets progressively worse throughout the novel. I felt like I was really there, with Gwenni trying to investigate a murder because she wants. EMBED. Gwenni, a 12-year-old Welsh girl in the 1950s, believes she can fly in her sleep. 6 Comments. Get this from a library! Really you should just head over to Petrona Remembered and read Laura Root's review of the book which prompted me to immediately seek out my library's copy. She also has a vivid imagination believing that she can fly at night and that toby jugs and the distemper in her house are watching her family. I loved the precociousness of all of the children in the story - the scenes in which they bombard the young religion teacher with questions about life, human behavior, religion, and hypocrisy were beautifully wri. Beneath the petty slights and homespun homilies of a small Welsh town in the late 1950s lies an unsettling account of matrilineal madness, illegitimacy and domestic abuse. Joanna Page reads Mari Strachan's magical story of a child detective, set in 1950s Wales. Sergeant Jones's famous vanilla biscuits and the strawberry taste of Instant Whip and the cool slipperiness of glowing red jelly. by Mari Strachan. author of What Was Lost Catherine O'Flynn. I thought the narrative voice of the protagonist was pitch perfect, and I thought her sweet innocence and perceptiveness were very believable for her age. Gwenni Morgan can fly in her sleep - that's how she sees what's going on in the village, and how she tries to make some sense of her family and her world. The Earth Hums in B Flat is a story of dark family secrets unraveled by the shrewd insight of twelve-year-old Gwenni Morgan, a child with an irrepressible spirit living in a Welsh village that is reluctantly entering the modern age. Blessed with the uncommon insight of a young girl, Gwenni's view of the world is unparalleled. Strachan's deft handling of a dark subject is both sober and sparkling. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. I felt like I was really there, with Gwenni trying to investigate a murder because she wants to be a detective and unwittingly discovering some secrets in her family closet. but Strachan paints a charming picture of rural nostalgia, of a Wales long gone. I never fly far beyond the shore. Reluctantly facing a modern world, she prefers her nightly flights to school and her chores. Annie Dillard wrote, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” On the first of each month, Catching Days hosts a guest writer in the series, “How We Spend Our Days.” I laughed and cried as I read this incredible book. This is a gorgeously written book set in a post-WWII (late 1950s) Welsh village. A gentle yet thought-provoking story. It's set in Wales. Gwennie's voice is perfect, she's charmingly naive and we learn about life along with her as she maneuvers through the complex and quirky characters of the story. She 'has' to know about things. Strachan creates a brilliant picture of a small Welsh community where everyone knows everyone's secrets but … If my town were a map the bay would have Here Be Monsters written on it in golden ink” . May 27, 2010 activemindwander. Gwenni is thirteen, and, along with her village, is on the cusp of dramatic changes. If you're a fan of the mystery and thriller genre and young adult books, recent months have brought a bevy of great reads to your shelves! In chapters one and two Gwenni falls into a frightening new world. I liked Gwenni! I wanted more resolution and would be happy to follow this charming narrator through another book. The Earth Hums in B Flat is a lovely book, magic, unforgettable, happy yet incredibly sad at times. The author does a brilliant job of bringing a small Welsh town in the 1950’s to life. This doesn't mean that there haven't been novels like this that I have enjoyed. Tag Archives: The Earth Hums in B Flat Post navigation How We Spend Our Days: Mari Strachan. Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! Her sense of smell is acute, she sees faces in the wall plaster and pain in the glass eyes of a dead fox stole. There were so many things I loved about this book, but I also thought there were some flaws which detracted from the overall effect. In spite of her imagination everything is black and white for Gwenni and she takes things very literally. Thoroughly enjoyed it. This is one author I’m keeping on my radar. *The Earth Hums in B Flat*, takes place in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s and is partly about the secrets families have in a small Welsh village – or *think* they have. Gwenni is 12 and bookish, with a lurid imagination. Loved the idea behind this book, but it didn't quite end up being what I expected. She’s got her head in the clouds a lot and has a good heart. The Earth Hums in B Flat, By Mari Strachan. I think this is the first book I’ve read set in Wales. Account & Lists Account Returns & Orders. The Earth Hums in B Flat Mari Strachan “ Whales, porpoises, mermaids and mermen, dead sailors, fishes, crabs, tiny shrimps; the sea is forever full of eyes that watch me. Gwenni, who has turned sleuth, unearths more "circumstantial evidence" about her family's past than she has experience to deal with. Book at Bedtime. It's innocence a mask in place to reveal the hypocrisy of adults. The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan, 9781847673053, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide. The Earth Hums in B Flat The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan, Sita Brahmachari, Sally Nicholls, Kevin Brooks, Phil Earle, Siobhan Dowd, Kate Saunders, Keith Gray, Vanessa Gebbie, Mark Watson, Louisa Reid, Ali Shaw, M.J. Hyland, Dave Cousins, Louise Welsh, Keren David, Anthony McGowan, Travis Holland, Phil Rickman Perhaps it’s something to do with growing older, but each year I find myself more and more enamored with precocious child characters. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published So when a neighbour mysteriously vanishes, and no one seems to be asking the right questions, Gwenni decides to conduct her own investigat… £6.99. There is a real sense of community about the novel, everyone knows everyone and there's plenty of gossip and curtain-twitching going on among the adults. Really quite good, but somewhat painful reading. The plot ambles along, then picks up steam and rushes to a not-altogether satisfying conclusion. The author does a brilliant job of bringing a small Welsh town in the 1950’s to life. The Earth Hums in B Flat reads authentically, and the fictive truth in the story remains consistent and powerful as Gwenni moves towards the end . [I would have liked the whole story of Bethan's father to have been concrete and 100%, but I suppose if the main characters aren't going to know, we don't get to know either! The reader understands much more than Gwenni does, and I often wanted to intervene in her behalf. Every night, 12-year-old Gwenni Morgan flies in her sleep. I absolutely loved it. We’d love your help. ebook. The Earth Hums In B Flat In a place where ”even though everyone knows everyone’s secret stories no-one talks about them’’ Gwennie Morgan doesn’t exactly fit in. Gwenni Morgan is not like any other girl in this small Welsh town. She was so real she almost stepped off the page. It is darkly compelling and a quick read. This was the one aspect I found most difficult to read, probably because it felt so real, its hard to confront any child having to go through emotional abuse. Her naivety and ability to always see the best in people, her childlike view of the world and her boundless imagination really endeared her to me, even if the other villagers considered her 'odd'. Ho hum! But he doesn't know how the Earth's deep, never-ending note clothes me in rainbow colors, fills my head with all the books ever written, and feeds me with the smell of Mrs. Details. This book was a fascinating approach to childhood, eccentricity and the dangerous knock on effect of ill kept secrets. It's always a quirky little prophet machine. She was so real she almost stepped off the page. The main character, Gwenni, is a young girl living in Wales in the 1950's. Life is humdrum, presided over by an easygoing father and barely controlled, yet controlling, mother. The Earth Hums in B Flat – Mari Strachan This entry was posted on March 1, 2012, in Review, Uncategorized, Welsh Week and tagged 2012, Welsh Literature, YA. There are a few loose ends at the end of the novel, things I expected to be explained but never were -again I won't say what- and again I'm not sure whether it was deliberate. Gwenni is 12 and bookish, with a lurid imagination. There were so many things I loved about this book, but I also thought there were some flaws which detracted from the overall effect. The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan. The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan is a very unusual novel and a delight to listen to and I can’t recommend it highly enough. It picked up near the middle where it became more of a murder mystery, and I found it more enjoyable from that point on. Gwenni, who has turned sleuth, unearths more "circumstantial evidence" about her family's past than she has experience to deal with. Inquisitive, bookish and full of spirit, she can fly in her sleep and loves playing detective. The narrator, a young girl called Gwenni, is attempting to pick her way through the ups and downs of that strange unknown hinterland of childhood moving into adolescence. [of] this is a lovely, original, and imaginative debut.”—Gather.com The Earth Hums in B Flat: Amazon.co.uk: Strachan, Mari: 9781847673053: Books. All I really need to say in addition is: ditto. [Mari Strachan] -- Young Gwenni Morgan has a gift. The Earth Hums in B Flat is a story of dark family secrets unraveled by the shrewd insight of twelve-year-old Gwenni Morgan, a child with an irrepressible spirit living in a Welsh village that is reluctantly entering the modern age. WARNING: SPOILERS. At school, when I sang the note to Mr Hughes Music he said it was B flat but he laughed when I said it was the note the Earth hummed. It's filled with wonderful characters and written with insight and sparkling tenderness. A thought provoking novel about life, secrets, and growing up. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and The Sweetnees at the Bottom of the Pie come to mind. This book was not at all like I was expecting, but then maybe that was the author's intention. Didn't enjoy this at all, I feel tricked somehow by the synopsis! The Earth Hums in B Flat is a lovely book, magic, unforgettable, happy yet incredibly sad at times. 'The Earth Hums In B Flat' center's around oddball twelve-year-old Gwennie as she tries to solve the mystery of her neighbors disappearance and discover her family history. The Earth Hums in B Flat. Gwennie's mother is suffering from some sort of bi-pol. 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