book review: A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore
The backstory: A Spell of Winter won the first Orange Prize in 1996. I also enjoyed two of Helen Dunmore's novels earlier this year: The Siege , which was shortlisted for the Orange Prize in 2002, and its sequel, The Betrayal , which was longlisted for this year's Booker Prize. The basics: This dark, gothic novel takes place in pre-war England and focuses on Catherine and her brother Rob. Their mother left them and their father went insane. They're rich enough to have help but poor enough to live in a crumbling estate. My thoughts: While I wouldn't say either of Dunmore's novels I read this year were terribly cheery, this one is truly dark, dreary, and disturbing; thankfully, it's beautifully written. Catherine narrates the story, but the reader can see through her naivete and decipher some of the secrets and lies she does not understand. There are also times she is remarkably astute and wise: "Grandfather and Mr Bullivant smiled at one anothe...