Zennor in Darkness

He is lost to her. He is a thousand miles away, hearing the guns, seeing the ring of faces round him and knowing their chances.’ While not flawless, I fell in love with this book from the opening paragraph. The writing is lyrical, poetic and evocative. I particularly enjoyed Dunmore’s lush description of the Cornish countryside and her vivid characterisation of the wild and beautiful coast. I felt she is telling us that Nature in Cornwall is wholesome and pristine. This is in sharp contrast to the references that the author makes to the mud and gore that the soldiers are experiencing at the Front. The melancholic mood of this book is often lifted by the stoicism of the close-knit community that is so suspicious of strangers but will go to great lengths to protect one of its own. ‘We are like children whose game has gone terribly wrong; all gathered round the one who got hurt, begging him to say ‘it’s all right, the blood can be wiped off.’’ Zennor in Darkness does not have a convoluted plot or larger than life characters but it worked for me, as it will work for anyone looking for a quiet and reflective read.