Return to Hendre Ddu

by Siân James

Return to Hendre Ddu is a tumultuous sequel to Sîan James' classic novel A Small Country. Once again Sîan James' talent for character and dialogue weaves an intriguing tale of early twentieth century family life in rural Wales. Though Hendre Ddu, the home farm of the Evans family of Carmarthenshire, looks peaceful, it is the middle of the First World War and lives have been shattered here too. A Small Country ended with Catrin Evans' sweetheart, Edward, killed in action and now the son of the farm, Tom Evans, returns from the front disabled. The shock is too much for their stalwart housekeeper Nano Rees. But life goes on and Tom and his father Josi, with his new wife Lowri, have their own battle to fight just keeping the farmhouse afloat. At first all seems to be going well, but increasingly tangled romances and financial realities bring heartache and new challenges for the troubled Evans family.

Genres: Historical Fiction

225 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Siân James was a Welsh novelist who wrote in English.

James attended the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. She was a Fellow of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Glamorgan. She was a Fellow of the Welsh Academy. She twice won the Yorkshire Post Prize, and her third novel, A Small Country, has come to be regarded as a classic of Anglo-Welsh literature. In 2006, A Small Country was made into a Welsh-language TV series (Calon Gaeth), which won the 2007 Bafta Cymru award for Best Drama/Drama Serial for Television.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Ginny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very different from A Small Country, although it does continue describing the lives the same characters. Reading this was much like listening to a neighbour tell the stories, rather than the weaving of carefully planned threads and imagery of the first book. They language is more rhythmic--a reader can hear the lilt in the storyteller's voice. I did enjoy returning to Hendre Ddu, but this book was more about events and the characters were not as real or compelling.