by Patricia Wright
Published by Corgi Books (1988)
Review
The focus of this novel is a ridge in Sussex and the people who inhabit it
from AD 70 to 1589. In between the five chapters there is a narrator (“the
Witness”) who fills in some of the gaps up to the present day. This
is a very effective device, which adds a personal dimension to the tale and
the sense of connection of people to landscape, and people to ancestors which
runs through the novel, is further brought together. It also shows through
the eyes of “the Witness” how many of us in modern times have
lost these connections. The sense of place and belonging to the ridge is keenly
felt. Poignantly written, the characters leap from the page and become real
people you care about and sympathise with. Through the villagers, you come
to love the ridge as much as they do. There is also the hill god Tiw, who
despite Christianity arriving on the ridge, continues to affect generations
of villagers. There is a Pagan “feel” to this novel throughout,
it seems the author is sympathetic to the Old Ways, as Tiw continues to make
his/her presence felt. A novel which inspires you go to out into the hills,
woods and forests and wonder about the lives of those who trod there before
you.
Fawn - 19th September 2005
Paperback (December 31, 1988)
Publisher: Corgi
ISBN: 0552134236
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