The Earth Hums in B Flat

It's the 1960's (some time after the 1958 Munich air disaster) in a small Welsh village and 12-year-old Gwenni Morgan dreams of being a detective and tries to remember how to fly, which she can now only do at night. The ability to fly may be a family talent but nobody wants to acknowledge it, and soon Gwenni's attention is diverted when a neighbor is found murdered and she is finally allowed to practice her detection skills. Strachan's story has such a fantastic sense of place and time, coupled with secretive characters, beautiful symbolism, and fantastical events, that I'm completely infatuated with the story. That the dénouement then is Gwenni's epiphany and personal growth rather than simple justice makes the tale so much more show more poignant and powerful than any regular ending would and it is to Strachan's credit that Gwenni's catharsis is actually palpable. I would recommend this enigmatic story to absolutely anybody. show less

Great for adults and teens alike.

This was one of those rare things, a great cross-over book, a wonderful read for both adults and teens.
I loved the voice of Gwennie, a young girl, growing up in 1950's Wales. They don't have much, meals are frugal, cooking is still done on the fire and a new pair of socks is a significant expense - but Mam is saving for a house with an electric stove and a bed each for the girls.
The village is full of secrets, never spoken of, yet lurking in the general conciousness all the same. Gwennie gradually learns of some of these secrets and how they affect her and some of these discoveries come as quite a shock.
There is also the issue of mental health and its effects on individuals and the village as a whole, show more and what appears at first to be gentle tale of life in the Welsh valleys starts to take on a deeper meaning as the story progresses.
There were some lovely parts - the toby jugs on the mantlepiece, listening in to all the embarassing details, and the "faces in the distemper" in the peeling paint of the scullery, also watching the lives unravelling. But what I loved most was the ability of Gwennie to fly in her sleep - I was once able to do that and I loved reliving the thrill!

A book with many hidden gems, highly recommended. show less

The Earth Hums in B Flat is one of those books that eases you in gently and then floors you. It is written in the first person confessional, almost diary style musings of twelve year old Gwenni Morgan. The reader is put in the uncomfortable role of Gwenni's confidante. Twelve is such a rich age to work with that I wonder why more writers don’t have twelve year old protagonists. It’s that age where a person is still very much a child, and yet also able to think and perceive as an adult. Gwenni has a foot in both camps. She knows, understands and perceives the adult world as an equal, but is also still able to see with the wonder and perceptions of a little girl. But she's no ordinary 12 year old. She has the difficulty and insight show more that comes with an unhappy household and a sense of her own magic. This makes her a notable protagonist, and her journey in The Earth Hums in B Flat is a powerful one.Gwenni is particularly perceptive, with an observant poetic eye for the world around her. Strachan helps us to understand this, not only through Gwenni’s own musings, but through the way others around her react to her. The setting of the book is a conservative small town in 1950s Wales. Strachan manages the setting perfectly, allowing us to feel comfortable in this technology-free world where kettles are heated on a wood fire and then used to fill a shared bathtub, jam is made on the stovetop, and social life centres around church. People say too much that doesn’t matter, and not enough that does, and it takes the deep contemplation of a thoughtful child to uncover the truths that lie behind family cover ups and secret whisperings.Gwenni’s mother doesn’t find much charm in Gwenni’s ability to fly, or her introspective, poetic curiosity about the world around her. Gwenni doesn’t ever criticise her mother, but between Magda Morgan’s nervous condition, her own family secrets, and her overt disdain for her own family and domestic situation, she is the most disagreeable character in this novel – the key antagonist. Ifan Evans, whose children Gwenni babysits for, is also disagreeable, and made more so by Gwenni’s mother's adoration, but Ifan's wife Elin Evans is kind and thoughtful. Mrs Evans has a sense of Gwenni’s intelligence that her own mother misses. When Ifan goes missing, Gwenni takes it upon herself to find out what happened and help Mrs Evans, and the story rapidly changes from charming pastoral to murder mystery. With Gwenni in the role of amateur sleuth, she takes to the streets with notebook, photo and pen, ignoring her mother’s condemnation in her quest for the truth. Throughout Gwenni's subtle coming-of-age, her voice never falters, and her discovery of the truth comes alongside other grown up discoveries, such as the loss of her best friend Alwenna, who has developed an interest in boys and makeup, a growing sense of other people’s deep and intractable pain, and her own family secrets which she slowly uncovers.Though other characters such as Bethan, Gwenni’s sister, the mentally disabled Guto, Gwenni’s kind father “Tada”, Mrs Llywelyn Pugh with her staring fox stole, and the kindly Sargeant Jones, all play important roles in this novel, and shine with a kind of Dickensian charm, it is Gwenni that the reader focuses on. The story pivots around her, and her world is so rich and delicate that the reader hopes it won’t fade with adulthood, even, perhaps as we are reminded of our own youthful selves and visions.There’s a linguistic richness throughout the book that is both intensely detailed, and full of the daily life of this Welsh village with all of its idiosyncrasies. Gwenni’s mind is fast thinking and she doesn’t miss much, but she also sees beyond the surface of things. The reader is always shown, rather than told, what Gwenni feels, as she submerges her emotions into the faces in the peeling distemper on the walls, or the Toby Jugs on the shelves. 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 along with the reader. This is a lovely, original and imaginative debut novel. show less

Well, what a way to start 2010, with a read like this. Mari Strachan had me from her first two sentences:
"I fly in my sleep every night. When I was little I could fly without being asleep; now I can't, even though I practise and practise." Yes, my spirit cried in response, me too! From that point I was swirled into a book so rich, so fresh, and yet with such complexity to it, that I didn't come up - couldn't come up - until I finished it.

Gwenni Morgan is the twelve and a half year old narrator who yearns to fly in daylight the way she could as a child but now must settle for flying as she falls off to sleep, a difficult task as she must share the bed with her snoring older sister. It is through her eyes that we see the events in her show more Welsh village which encompass everything from the ladies’ church meetings to the events surrounding a murder. Kind and fey, Gwenni is liked by the other adults in the story but does not seem to enjoy this kind of appreciation from her own mother.

When the body of Ifan Evans is found in the reservoir, and it is clear that he has been murdered, things begin to unravel in the town but also in Gwenni’s home. Secrets lose their protective coatings, truths come out, madness rises and innocence gets lost. But there is great love here too in wonderful characters like Nain and Gwenni’s Tada, in Gwenni and in the townspeople themselves.

Strachan counterbalances opposites with great delicacy and skill: Magda Morgan’s maniacal love for only one daughter is matched by Mrs. Evans’ fierce protective love for both of hers; Emlyn Morgan’s kindness and generosity are the antithesis of Ifar Evans’ destructive rages.

I am awestruck at the narrative voice Strachan has sustained with Gwenni. It is so true, so clear and compelling throughout the whole story. Dark, sad, adult material becomes almost luminous when seen through the eyes of a highly imaginative girl of great creativity and intelligence. Like the Toby jugs on the shelf, we lean forward, watch and are completely engrossed by the tale we are being told. Beautiful writing. show less

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 show more 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. show less

“Bethan cried herself to sleep tonight. I leave her hiccuping and snoring as I rise up, up, up into the sky where the air is as soft to rest upon as Mrs. William Penrhiw’s powdery bosom. Up here, far away from everybody, the night is peaceful; there’s no sound except the hum of the Earth. 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.” (page284)

Mari Strachan’s astonishing debut novel brings us the voice of one of the most endearing adolescent narrators in recent memory. Gwennie Morgan is 12 years old, lives with her mother, father and sister Bethan in a Welsh village in the 1950’s, goes to school with her best friend Alwenna, is a show more budding detective and … oh yes, she flies-unaided by an airplane or any other contrivance. The story begins as she is flying at night through her village and fretting as to why she can’t seem to fly during the day. Immediately I fell in love with her, mostly because I can remember myself dreaming of flying at her age too.

Gwennie is very much in tune with everything around her and her creative spirit kicks in when she attempts to solve the mystery surrounding the disappearance of her neighbor, Ifan Evans. Add to this, Gwennie’s growing pains that accompany her pubescent maturation, a mother suffering from mental illness who emotionally abuses her, growing alienation from her good friend Alwenna, a father that loves and understands her, a tender love for all things in nature and it is easy to see how Gwennie needs to fly to keep herself abreast of all that’s happening in her small town and to sort out her baffling feelings. When her detective work leads her to a resolution that strikes very close to home, Gwennie must decide how much information she will share and with whom, knowing that the knowledge will hurt those close to her. It’s the flying above this humming earth that soothes Gwennie’s spinning head:

“But he doesn’t know how the Earth’s deep, never-ending note clothes me in rainbow colours, fills my head with all the books ever written, and feeds me with the smell of Mrs. Sergeant Jones’s famous vanilla biscuits and the strawberry taste of Instant Whip and the cool slipperiness of glowing red jelly. I could stay up here forever without the need for anything else in the whole world.” (page 284)

Strachan does a terrific job developing Gwennie’s character, as well as all the other characters in the story. I really felt I knew them and could easily empathize with them. I wanted to be in that close-knit little town in Wales and I was sorry to see the story end. I’m hoping this is just the beginning for an author who shows great promise. Highly recommended. show less

Gwenni Morgan is 13 and lives in a small Welsh town with her parents and older sister. She is intelligent, with an active imagination, believing she can fly as she sleeps. One morning, Gwenni is supposed to babysit Catrin and Angharad Evans while their mother Elin visits the dentist. When she arrives, she finds the family in a kind of contained chaos. Later she learns that Elin's husband Ifan has disappeared. Gwenni struggles to make sense of the situation; adult attempts to restrain her only inspire her to step up her investigation.

Meanwhile, Gwenni faces the typical problems of a 13-year-old girl. Her best friend Arwenna is maturing faster than she is; Arwenna's mercurial approach to their friendship catches Gwenni off guard. Arwenna show more is also a gossip, sharing tidbits gleaned from her mother that fuel Gwenni's already active imagination, but often represent only parts of a puzzle. And Gwenni has conflicted feelings about her mother Magda. Magda is unstable, behaves erratically, and disapproves of almost everyone else -- including Elin Evans, whom Gwenni worships.

The story is told entirely from Gwenni's point of view. As a result important context is missing, details go unnoticed, and the truth is elusive. This brings an element of suspense, because as an adult reader you know there's more to the story. Gradually, Gwenni learns about the complex set of connections that shaped her life, and the reasons for Ifan's disappearance. The story builds to an intense climax, requiring Gwenni and her family to deal with searingly painful, life-changing truths. This is a memorable story with memorable characters, that will linger in my mind for some time. show less