adult fiction (coming of age in small Welsh town amidst "murder" investigation and uncovering of family secrets). Wonderfully-drawn characters, beautifully told sadness and light, plot drags a bit (takes Gwenni an awful long while to figure stuff out, though she IS only twelve at the time). ( )

I rather liked Gwenni as the narrator and her innocence and her naivety. I don't usually like characters like her but I think her curiosity about everything made me really like her. ( )

A lovely debut novel. I imagine this book being kept on the shelf of a summer cottage for adults and youths to pick up and read. It would be just the right tone for vacation. The perspective of a young girl who is inquisitive, intuitive, exquisitely sensitive, and who flies over her town in her sleep is a delightful one. Gwennie is full of questions. Some of the answers are tough to handle, but then again, so is life. Charming and insightful. ( )

This book was a lovely light read, yet dealt sensitively with the serious issues undercutting the stability of the protagonist's family life. As Strachan describes the crumbling of a community, she intersperses her writing with soft touches, such as the description of Gwenni's 'flying' and the 'Earth's hum'. A lovely book set in a Welsh village. ( )

The Earth Hums in B Flat is set in a small Welsh town in the 1950’s and tells the story of twelve year old Gwenni Morgan, a bookish misfit. On the verge of adulthood, Gwenni is a very unique girl. She is convinced that she can fly and she has a very different way of looking at most things. When a neighbouring man goes missing, Gwenni fears that his wife and two little girls may lose their cottage so she tries to find out what happened to him. But little does she know that her questioning ways may expose harmful secrets that many, including her own family want to keep buried.

Gwenni’s mother is obsessed with keeping up appearances and Gwenni seems unable to live up to her expectations. She increasingly takes out her anger on Gwenni lashing out with violence causing her to turn to her father and grandmother for understanding and kindness. As her mother grows stranger and stranger, Gwenni comes to realizes that peeling back the layers has caused more damage than good. Ultimately this is a story about family history, family secrets and coming to terms with who people are and accepting them.

I enjoyed this book, and Gwenni’s narration was spot on. She is interesting, different and quirky without being overly cute or forcing the issue. Although there is a magical feel to the story, the author stays within the realms of believability, understanding that her adult audience will have a greater grasp of what’s happening even though it is being shown through a twelve year old’s eyes. This is the author’s debut book and she has presented a strong and memorable story. ( )