Winner of the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize

Disillusioned with his successful life in London, Richard Godwin moves to a remote Cumberland village in search of a more fulfilling existence. His arrival coincides with a birth of an illegitimate child to a local woman, binding her to a future she had hoped to escape. As these two outsiders struggle to come to terms with themselves - and each other - their passion, desperation and delight draw all those around them into conflict.

'As near to being a work of art as makes no difference. I became more and more deeply and enjoyably immersed' The Times

Winner of the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize 1968

About the Author

Melvyn Bragg is a writer and broadcaster whose first novel, For Want of a Nail, was published in 1965. His novels since include The Maid of Buttermere, The Soldier's Return, A Son of War, Credo and Now is the Time, which won the Parliamentary Book Award for fiction in 2016. His books have also been awarded the Time/Life Silver Pen Award, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and the WHSmith Literary Award, and have been longlisted three times for the Booker Prize (including the Lost Man Booker Prize).
He has also written several works of non-fiction, including The Adventure of English and The Book of Books about the King James Bible.
He lives in London and Cumbria.

Reviews
Mr Bragg sets the Cumberland scene as vividly as in his previous novels, the landscape dominating, mining towns and farmlands so 'transitory' when viewed from the hillsides. What bliss, but even in such a remote spot human traps are laid...he succeeds in this portrait of a modern couple trying to find reasonable partnership. There are some excellent descriptive passages. * Sunday Telegraph *
As near to being a work of art as makes no difference. I became more and more deeply and enjoyably immersed in this simple and profoundly moving modern morality tale * The Times *
A very good novel, simply about a man and a woman: traditional in form - it has a beautiful arch-like structure - and Lawrencian in tone * Daily Telegraph *
With this third novel Melvyn Bragg has become a writer of stature...Bragg has always been good at describing the bantering of youthful lovers. He excels himself here * Financial Times *



Book Information
ISBN 9780340431023
Author Melvyn Bragg
Format Paperback
Page Count 384
Imprint Sceptre
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Weight(grams) 260g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 130mm * 28mm