- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Phyllis Bruce Books; First Printing edition (Aug 25 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0002007266
- ISBN-13: 978-0002007269
- Product Dimensions: 18.8 x 12.4 x 1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 159 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #130,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
Book Description
On the evening of November 14, 1940, Harriet stands on the roof of the cathedral in the British town of Coventry and marvels at the magnificence of frost glittering beneath a full moon. But it is a bomber's moon. The Germans are coming to unleash destruction. For Harriet, Jeremy, the young man who shares her duties as a firewatcher, and his free-spirited mother, Maeve, this single night will resonate for the rest of their lives.
In a story of breathtaking beauty, with the wondrous poetic style that has earned her international acclaim, Helen Humphreys recreates the terror of the infamous Second World War bombing raid on Coventry. As Harriet and Jeremy make their way through the burning city in search of Maeve, their trek becomes a journey of fear and awe as they witness butter from the dairy flowing down the streets in a burning stream and landmines on parachutes swimming like jellyfish out of the darkness. Cold dread brings to life both a grief and a love that Harriet thought she had put behind her forever.
Drawing on actual events of that horrific night in 1940, Coventry is an astounding work, at once tense and lyrical, shocking and exquisite. Touching on themes of love, loss, loneliness and remembrance, Humphreys has crafted a story that will seize readers' hearts and imaginations.
From the Back Cover
PRAISE FOR HELEN HUMPHREYS "A triumph: written in perfect pitch by a writer whose heart is as open as her eyes." TORON TO STAR on The Lost Garden "A sensual, romantic and brutally wise novel. Every sentence is a blow to the heart." EMMA DONOGHUE , author of The Sealed Letter on Wild Dogs "Utterly beautiful." nOW Magazine on The Lost Garden
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love and war,
This review is from: Coventry (Hardcover)
This is my first novel by Helen Humphreys, I have read her previous book, The Frozen Thames, which deserves its place as a #1 national bestseller in non-fiction. This woman certainly knows her history.
In deceptively simple language Humphreys here portrays the night of November 14, 1940 and the bombing of Coventry , England during World War Two. Harriet has been a widow since the First World War. Through her eyes we experience unending hours of destruction and terror, but there is kindness and love too. She starts out on fire watch on the roof of Coventry Cathedral, which does not survive, and ends up with Maeve who searches for her son throughout the city that is burning and reduced to rubble. This is a novel with heart, a story of shared tragedy. So much is lost to the people of Coventry, life will never be the same for any of them. Humphreys writing is beautiful, as when Maeve, rushing home from the bomb shelter hoping to find her son there, sees tin soldiers in formation on his bedroom windowsill and realizes that they are young Jeremy's " last station of childhood ". He had tried to enlist but was turned down because he is colour blind. He was on fire watch with Harriet and they spent some hours helping with the injured where they could and dodging falling incendiaries and collapsing buildings in an attempt to get home. The details of the history are accurate and the novel ends with an epilogue about the dedication of the newly rebuilt cathedral some twenty years after the war. I wanted to begin reading this book again as soon as I'd finished it, not something that usually happens with me. I will be rereading it to enjoy the way language is used in the story, and I look forward to reading her other novels. A very satisfying read that I can recommend to everyone.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Coventry,
By
This review is from: Coventry (Hardcover)
This book captivated me during the first few pages; the writing is beautiful and it drew me right in. Unfortunately the book started to lag during the middle part and I found myself missing the beginning of the book.
"Coventry" by Helen Humphreys occurs during the bombing of Coventry on November 14, 1940. Harriet watches the bombers arrive to destroy the city while standing on the roof or the Coventry Cathedral. Jeremy a young fire-watcher watches the destruction unfold while standing beside her. Jeremy's mother is in a cellar wondering about her son. These are the three main characters of the book and the events of this night direct the rest of their lives. The story is short and the description of the terrors of the bombing raids is vivid and breathtaking. The story is about lost love, remembrance, family, friends and I would say lust or desperation.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
COventry in WWII,
By
This review is from: Coventry (Hardcover)
Coventry by Helen Humphreys is a look at a single night in the history of World War II. This book is more of a novella in terms of length and easily read in one sitting. I learned a great deal about the history of Coventry in this book and the devastation it suffered during the war. The story of the characters was interesting and their experience made the devastation very personal. I struggled a bit with the main character as I didn't find her very likable. I did like the way the book managed to span over 40 years within 170 pages. Overall, I enjoyed this book.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
