All Among the Barley by Melissa Harrison

The Borrowers Book Group at Kesgrave Library share their thoughts on All Among the Barley, written by English nature novelist Melissa Harrison.

About All Among the Barley

The autumn of 1933 is the most beautiful Edie Mather can remember. In the fields and villages around her beloved Wych Farm, however, the Great War still casts a shadow over a community impoverished by economic depression and threatened by change. Change, too, is coming to Edie, who at fourteen must soon face the unsettling pressures of adulthood.

Glamorous outsider Constance FitzAllen arrives from London to document fading rural traditions and beliefs, urging all who will listen to resist progress and return to the old ways - but some wonder whether there might be more to the older woman than meets the eye. As harvest approaches and the future of Wych Farm itself grows uncertain, Edie must somehow find a way to trust her instincts and save herself from disaster.

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Book group review

Thoroughly recommended for a book group, this is a very well written book. Set in 1933 and 1934, the story is rooted in the landscape of a farm and a rural village in Suffolk.

The quality of writing is remarkably mature, with vivid and beautifully observed descriptions of nature and the environment through the changes of the farming year. So detailed and gently written, one feels as if this book was written at the time of its setting, not in 2018. The lovely maps enhance the story.

It is the landscape which draws in the reader, as much as the characters. The story follows the coming of age of naive, vulnerable Edie and through the writer’s subtle research, reflects the superstition and rituals of the rural environment. The impact of the aftermath of war with its loss of men in the workforce, the Depression, and rising fascism and racism provide an interesting historical aspect.

There are strong female characters, more prominent in the second half of the book, but downtrodden because of society’s limited expectations. The believable twist at the end of the story is a sad and moving reflection of the times.

Recommendation: Beautifully observed and written, a book which stimulated discussion across many areas and was enjoyed by all.

WildReads Book Choice

All Among the Barley is is part of our WildReads project with Suffolk Wildlife Trust, where we spotlight on various different nature titles and share our thoughts online. For more information, see the Suffolk Wildlife Trust website.

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