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In the Light of Morning
It is May 1944 and in Eastern Europe the Second World War is reaching a dramatic and bloody crescendo. High above the mountains of occupied Slovenia an aeroplane drops three British parachutists - brash MP Major Jack Farwell, radio operator Sid Dixon, and young academic Lieutenant Tom Freedman - sent to assist the resistance in their battle against the Axis forces.
Greeted upon arrival by a rag-tag group of Partisans, the men are led off into the countryside. It is early summer, and the mountains and forests teem with life and colour. Despite the distant crackle of gunfire, the war feels a long way off for Tom. The Partisans, too, are not what he was expecting - courageous, kind, and alluring, especially Jovan, their commander, and the hauntingly beautiful Marija. Yet after a series of daring encounters, the enemy's net begins to tighten. They find evidence of massacres, of a dark and terrible band of men pursuing them through the wilderness. As the Partisans stumble their way towards a final, tragic battle, so the relationships within the group begin to fray, with Tom finding himself forced to face up to his deepest, most secret desires.
Both a war novel of the first order, and a love story of devastating power, In the Light of Morning is a magnificent new work by one of Britain's finest writers.
Greeted upon arrival by a rag-tag group of Partisans, the men are led off into the countryside. It is early summer, and the mountains and forests teem with life and colour. Despite the distant crackle of gunfire, the war feels a long way off for Tom. The Partisans, too, are not what he was expecting - courageous, kind, and alluring, especially Jovan, their commander, and the hauntingly beautiful Marija. Yet after a series of daring encounters, the enemy's net begins to tighten. They find evidence of massacres, of a dark and terrible band of men pursuing them through the wilderness. As the Partisans stumble their way towards a final, tragic battle, so the relationships within the group begin to fray, with Tom finding himself forced to face up to his deepest, most secret desires.
Both a war novel of the first order, and a love story of devastating power, In the Light of Morning is a magnificent new work by one of Britain's finest writers.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 2014
3 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
Tim Pears
21 books104 followersBorn in 1956, Tim Pears grew up in Devon and left school at sixteen. He worked in a wide variety of unskilled jobs: trainee welder, assistant librarian, trainee reporter, archaeological worker, fruit picker, nursing assistant in a psychiatric ward, groundsman in a hotel & caravan park, fencer, driver, sorter of mail, builder, painter & decorator, night porter, community video maker and art gallery manager in Devon, Wales, France, Norfolk and Oxford.
Always he was writing, and in time making short films. He took the Directing course at the National Film and Television School, graduating in the same month that his first novel, In the Place of Fallen Leaves, was published, in 1993.
Always he was writing, and in time making short films. He took the Directing course at the National Film and Television School, graduating in the same month that his first novel, In the Place of Fallen Leaves, was published, in 1993.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 10, 2018
The dramatic events at the heart of this story are told in such a way that most have lost their drama.
The English men dropped into Nazi-occupied Slovenia join partisans and together they spend more than two thirds of the book trudging up and down mountains, receiving air dropped supplies for said partisans and helping to blow up the occasional bridge or railway line. I couldn't help making up repetitive songs about trudging and boredom as I read, some to the time of 'She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes' and some to 'The Bear climbed over the mountain[etc]'.
In all fairness, I don't think I should write them down here.
I stuck with it, because I want to know more about the Balkans and I wanted to see how the plot resolved. The pace picked up in the last chapters. I got some insight into the origin of the civil war that followed the Nazi withdrawal, and the plot resolution was a bit of a damp squib.
I think I must have Tim Pears mixed up with someone else - Iain Pears? Tim Parks? - both of whom I enjoy reading.
The English men dropped into Nazi-occupied Slovenia join partisans and together they spend more than two thirds of the book trudging up and down mountains, receiving air dropped supplies for said partisans and helping to blow up the occasional bridge or railway line. I couldn't help making up repetitive songs about trudging and boredom as I read, some to the time of 'She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes' and some to 'The Bear climbed over the mountain[etc]'.
In all fairness, I don't think I should write them down here.
I stuck with it, because I want to know more about the Balkans and I wanted to see how the plot resolved. The pace picked up in the last chapters. I got some insight into the origin of the civil war that followed the Nazi withdrawal, and the plot resolution was a bit of a damp squib.
I think I must have Tim Pears mixed up with someone else - Iain Pears? Tim Parks? - both of whom I enjoy reading.
January 22, 2014
It is May 1944 and three British parachutists are dropped into occupied Slovenia. There is Major Jack Farwell, a confident and rather brash former MP- the eldest of the trio at fifty eight – young Devon farm worker, Sid Dixon, who is the radio operator, and Lieutenant Tom Freedman; who previously worked in intelligence and who is an academic gifted with languages. They are welcomed by the Partisans, who they are supposed to assist in their resistance against the Germans. Yet, things turn out to be less clear cut than Tom previously imagined.
Before long, Tom finds that he is unexpectedly the senior British officer in a small group, which contains Sid, but not Jack, as well as the charismatic Commander Jovan and beautiful Marija; a Jewish intellectual whose husband has abandoned her to go into hiding. Marija’s feelings for Tom, as well as Jovan’s obvious admiration for the brave and resourceful Marija, cause tensions in a group beset by its own half humorous bantering over ethnic differences within the Partisans - Jovan being a Serb, while the majority of the group are Slovenes. Indeed, the country, and the situation, is so much more complicated than Tom first imagined, with many realising that the war is coming to a close and the inevitable post-war squabbling over borders rearing its ugly head. What initially seemed a straight forward mission of helping the Partisans to blow up the railway network suddenly seems to have different connotations and Tom wonders whether he has merely been a distraction for Jack’s real mission.
As well as being both a novel about the Balkan war and people, plus a love story, this is also a snapshot of a country under occupation. A small number may rebel, a small number may collaborate, but most people are simply trying to survive, a fact that Tom mulls over as he tries to cope with his first mission in the field. As the occupier weakens, then the people may rise to chase him out, but the problems will not be solved by the German exit. Indeed, there is a wonderful scene when Tom witnesses a group of German prisoners being chased from a town; not the Aryan heroes he has expected, but a huddle of men as bedraggled and exhausted as his own. The author writes with great skill and deftness, allowing you to almost witness events as though you were there- the scenes in the forest are beautifully written, atmospheric, but also realistic.
Although people sense that the German occupation will not go on forever, there are still reprisals for helping the Partisans. Retribution and danger surround them -always on the run from German patrols and ‘The Black Hand.’ The group also resent their role as protector of their British Allies and their all important wireless; by which they arrange drops of weapons and supplies and which often causes them to turn and run when they want to fight. The Partisans are also aware that they are not only trying to liberate the country from the Germans, but also the feudal past – times have changed as women have been left to farm the land and fight alongside the men and have shown themselves as capable and strong. As events culminate in one, final attack, Tom must come to terms with his feelings about the people and the place that he has been fighting for.
This is an intelligent, interesting, thought provoking novel which would be ideal for reading groups – with lots to discuss. Lastly, I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, for review.
Before long, Tom finds that he is unexpectedly the senior British officer in a small group, which contains Sid, but not Jack, as well as the charismatic Commander Jovan and beautiful Marija; a Jewish intellectual whose husband has abandoned her to go into hiding. Marija’s feelings for Tom, as well as Jovan’s obvious admiration for the brave and resourceful Marija, cause tensions in a group beset by its own half humorous bantering over ethnic differences within the Partisans - Jovan being a Serb, while the majority of the group are Slovenes. Indeed, the country, and the situation, is so much more complicated than Tom first imagined, with many realising that the war is coming to a close and the inevitable post-war squabbling over borders rearing its ugly head. What initially seemed a straight forward mission of helping the Partisans to blow up the railway network suddenly seems to have different connotations and Tom wonders whether he has merely been a distraction for Jack’s real mission.
As well as being both a novel about the Balkan war and people, plus a love story, this is also a snapshot of a country under occupation. A small number may rebel, a small number may collaborate, but most people are simply trying to survive, a fact that Tom mulls over as he tries to cope with his first mission in the field. As the occupier weakens, then the people may rise to chase him out, but the problems will not be solved by the German exit. Indeed, there is a wonderful scene when Tom witnesses a group of German prisoners being chased from a town; not the Aryan heroes he has expected, but a huddle of men as bedraggled and exhausted as his own. The author writes with great skill and deftness, allowing you to almost witness events as though you were there- the scenes in the forest are beautifully written, atmospheric, but also realistic.
Although people sense that the German occupation will not go on forever, there are still reprisals for helping the Partisans. Retribution and danger surround them -always on the run from German patrols and ‘The Black Hand.’ The group also resent their role as protector of their British Allies and their all important wireless; by which they arrange drops of weapons and supplies and which often causes them to turn and run when they want to fight. The Partisans are also aware that they are not only trying to liberate the country from the Germans, but also the feudal past – times have changed as women have been left to farm the land and fight alongside the men and have shown themselves as capable and strong. As events culminate in one, final attack, Tom must come to terms with his feelings about the people and the place that he has been fighting for.
This is an intelligent, interesting, thought provoking novel which would be ideal for reading groups – with lots to discuss. Lastly, I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, for review.
June 7, 2020
Three British soldiers are parachuted into Slovenia in May 1944 to link up with a group of Partisans, whom they are to aid in retrieving airdropped supplies and harassing German forces from behind enemy lines through acts of sabotage. Trudging through the wilderness with their ragtag group of comrades-in-arms, two of their number begin to forge tender yet strong bonds with some of their new companions amidst the devastation of war as the enemy keeps closing in.
This was beautiful and moving, yet a little too slow to truly hook me. At the heart of the book, there's a subtle love triangle that was perhaps a little too subtle - more insinuated than on the page in parts, which robbed it of some of the impact it was meant to have.
This was beautiful and moving, yet a little too slow to truly hook me. At the heart of the book, there's a subtle love triangle that was perhaps a little too subtle - more insinuated than on the page in parts, which robbed it of some of the impact it was meant to have.
December 23, 2017
For all the action in this book, not a lot happens. Much of it felt like the first half of Deathly Hallows: camping, travelling, setting up camp again, and all the while avoiding the terrifying enemy just behind.
The descriptions of war are well done, believable, horrific, but not in so much detail that it is unbearable. The main character, Tom, I found likeable and sympathetic. Certainly his emotional life is what kept me reading and provided the momentum of the book. There were other strong characters (Sid, Francika, Pero, Jack, Stipe). The two with whom Tom is emotionally tied up, though, Jovan and Marija, in spite of the fact that we view them through Tom, never managed to be as sparkling and interesting as he claimed to find them. Sid's story is the pure, heart-pulling one.
Some of Pears' language is beautiful, but he also uses passive language in odd places, describes emotional conclusions instead of showing them, and uses oddly formal language and obscure long words at times.
I learned a lot about historical events I didn't know anything about beforehand, and it was interesting to view them in the light of the formation of, and then break-up of Yugoslavia.
The descriptions of war are well done, believable, horrific, but not in so much detail that it is unbearable. The main character, Tom, I found likeable and sympathetic. Certainly his emotional life is what kept me reading and provided the momentum of the book. There were other strong characters (Sid, Francika, Pero, Jack, Stipe). The two with whom Tom is emotionally tied up, though, Jovan and Marija, in spite of the fact that we view them through Tom, never managed to be as sparkling and interesting as he claimed to find them. Sid's story is the pure, heart-pulling one.
Some of Pears' language is beautiful, but he also uses passive language in odd places, describes emotional conclusions instead of showing them, and uses oddly formal language and obscure long words at times.
I learned a lot about historical events I didn't know anything about beforehand, and it was interesting to view them in the light of the formation of, and then break-up of Yugoslavia.
January 26, 2014
It is May 1944 and the war is raging in Eastern Europe. Yet again the Balkans are being fought over. Battles, sniper fire, cruelty, sabotage and reprisals - all are everyday occurrences. Three British soldiers are parachuted into Slovenia to help the resistance there in their fight against the Axis forces. Major Jack Farwell, radio operator Sid Dixon and young academic Lieutenant Tom Freedman. They are greeted and welcomed by a group of partisans and the book narrates their exhausting and dangerous efforts as they take part in the struggle. I found this a powerful and gripping war novel, set in a country I know little about, and about a group of resistance fighters I didn’t even know existed. The writing is spare but vivid and gives an unforgettable portrait of what it is like to be a part of a partisan struggle – the hunger, the daily battle for survival, the wounds and deaths, the loyalties and betrayals. Both a war novel and a love story, a novel of friendship as well as enmity, this is an evocative portrait of Tito’s partisans and the British military involvement in their fight, a vivid portrayal of just how difficult and dangerous their task was. This depiction of a country under occupation is indeed impressive and the book eminently readable, a real page-turner, with believable and sympathetic characters, authentic dialogue and a glimpse into a world few of us can imagine.
October 4, 2017
I really enjoyed this novel based around the experiences of the author's father who fought as a British liaison officer with Slovenian partisans during WW2. It really expanded my knowledge of this area of conflict with all it's bitter ancient enmities that were exposed once more in the Balkans wars of late last century. It sort of works in the same way as Hemingway's novel For Whom the Bell Tolls where an American character fought alongside the Spanish against the forces of fascism. Of course the writing is not on a par with Hemingway but in many ways I still preferred it. The countryside setting was constantly well described, the peasant lifestyle and the Slav characters were nicely portrayed and had some depth, the action seemed real and was kept mostly simple and unmelodramatic. Particularly well done was the constant dilemma of the partisans in seeking food and shelter from locals which would inevitably bring down savage revenge attacks on those who gave them succour of any kind. It was let down slightly by some of the dialogue and the British main character occasionally felt a bit too innocent and nice but all in all a pretty good read.
July 1, 2020
First half rather repetitive but got much better in second half. He writes well but this is not up to West Country trilogy standard.
October 28, 2022
1944 with underresourced Slovenian partisan bands fighting for a free Slovenia against German occupiers under the direction of Marshall Tito our protagonist Tom lands with two colleagues. Their mission to destroy railway bridges. What follows is tortuous tracks across Slovenia. With a measured prose Pears creates a story not of daring do but comradeship and endurance in the face of deprivation and brutality.
May 16, 2018
Just about made 3 stars because it got me interested in finding more about an aspect of WWII I was unfamiliar with. The story itself was OK but, apart from an excellent ending & highlighting yet again how the allies used rebel groups for their own devious ends, tended to feel very repetitive with all the various raids.
October 11, 2017
I didn't enjoy this as much as the other novel of his that I've read, however it was an interesting story and historically and locally informative
August 31, 2019
A sad book, it didn't seem to go anywhere, I kept expecting it to improve.
March 29, 2014
Tim Pears takes us to Slovenia in May 1944 as three British soldiers are parachuted in; although we hear aspects of the stories of Major Jack Farwell and Sergeant Sid Dixon it is the young academic Lieutenant, Tom Freedman, who is the central focus of the novel and it is his journey we follow.
It is an area of the war I knew little about and the links with the Partisans (both the Slovene and Serbian fighters) the conflict with the Germans, the Black Hand group and others at odds with the Allied effort provides an intriguing backdrop for Tom's story.
Pears creates great pictures with his writing and is effective in the way he adds details that bring the story visually to life; we have images that hit the senses with description of food, noises, colours and this sensory awareness adds depth to the tale.
Intertwined is a love story but this is a conundrum because there are undercurrents that make the question of where people's affections lie, in a love triangle, complex and maybe Pears could be seen as using a tad too much subtlety because there seems to be confusion from reviewers about who has captured Tom's love. That would make a great discussion point for a book club! The love story is told quite sparsely and I could imagine some people might find it difficult to be drawn into this aspect of the narrative.
This is a very human war book and you can feel the frustrations, questions and sense of futility that often surface in well written fiction in this genre. Threaded through the book are a variety of themes (religious faith; loyalty; love and friendship; and survival) that are woven into the book in a smooth, effortless way making it an enjoyable and thought provoking read. At times the novel is slow in pace and it centres on the people rather than being an action, adventure plot driven read. It manages to convey the tensions and turmoil of the conflict effectively but the main focus is on 'fish out of water' Tom coming of age through his experience. An interesting read that made me want to discover more about this aspect of WW2, thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
It is an area of the war I knew little about and the links with the Partisans (both the Slovene and Serbian fighters) the conflict with the Germans, the Black Hand group and others at odds with the Allied effort provides an intriguing backdrop for Tom's story.
Pears creates great pictures with his writing and is effective in the way he adds details that bring the story visually to life; we have images that hit the senses with description of food, noises, colours and this sensory awareness adds depth to the tale.
Intertwined is a love story but this is a conundrum because there are undercurrents that make the question of where people's affections lie, in a love triangle, complex and maybe Pears could be seen as using a tad too much subtlety because there seems to be confusion from reviewers about who has captured Tom's love. That would make a great discussion point for a book club! The love story is told quite sparsely and I could imagine some people might find it difficult to be drawn into this aspect of the narrative.
This is a very human war book and you can feel the frustrations, questions and sense of futility that often surface in well written fiction in this genre. Threaded through the book are a variety of themes (religious faith; loyalty; love and friendship; and survival) that are woven into the book in a smooth, effortless way making it an enjoyable and thought provoking read. At times the novel is slow in pace and it centres on the people rather than being an action, adventure plot driven read. It manages to convey the tensions and turmoil of the conflict effectively but the main focus is on 'fish out of water' Tom coming of age through his experience. An interesting read that made me want to discover more about this aspect of WW2, thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
March 15, 2014
This is something of a departure for Tim Pears. I've read four of his previous novels, all of them involving stories about families in provincial England. Here, if the dedication is a clue, he is tapping into his own family history and brings us his first historical novel, about the Partisans in Slovenia during WW2 and the British who were sent to help them.
His focus is Tom Freedman, a young and inexperienced Lieutenant with a facility for languages who is sent to liaise with one small group of partisans, arranging for drops of equipment and supplies to the various units scattered throughout the hills. Tom is well-realised and carries the reader through the book, as he gradually comes to see how naive he is and how complex the situation in which he finds himself; he rejects his God and falls for one of the partisans with whom he works, though their love is doomed from the start.
But the relationship with Marija never really convinces enough for the reader to care about, and for all the wonderful detail and depictions of camaraderie, the novel can get bogged down in the details of day-to-day existence. But my main issue with the novel is that it lacks a compelling narrative - Tom feels like he has been dropped into a history book to make it into a novel and I'm not sure it really succeeds as either. But it is a fascinating glimpse into an aspect of the War that I previously knew little about, and well worth reading for that alone.
His focus is Tom Freedman, a young and inexperienced Lieutenant with a facility for languages who is sent to liaise with one small group of partisans, arranging for drops of equipment and supplies to the various units scattered throughout the hills. Tom is well-realised and carries the reader through the book, as he gradually comes to see how naive he is and how complex the situation in which he finds himself; he rejects his God and falls for one of the partisans with whom he works, though their love is doomed from the start.
But the relationship with Marija never really convinces enough for the reader to care about, and for all the wonderful detail and depictions of camaraderie, the novel can get bogged down in the details of day-to-day existence. But my main issue with the novel is that it lacks a compelling narrative - Tom feels like he has been dropped into a history book to make it into a novel and I'm not sure it really succeeds as either. But it is a fascinating glimpse into an aspect of the War that I previously knew little about, and well worth reading for that alone.
August 22, 2016
I've read many by Tim Pears and enjoy his writing style a lot. I was especially interested in this one because of it's setting in Slovenia in World War Two. Having visited that beautiful country a few years ago and learnt a little of its history, this novel bought the events to life. The main character, a bookish British officer, was believable and drew you in to the experience of helping the resistance movement.
July 4, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this. It follows a group of Brits parachuted into occupied Slovenia towards the end of WWII. It's a good, solid straightforward story about a less well known side of the conflict.
June 26, 2015
Geen heroïsche veldslagen, geen beschrijving van onmenselijke slachtpartijen, geen sentimentele liefdesroman. Gewoon een mooi verteld verhaal over de Britse aanwezigheid in ex-Joegoslavië, en de impact van deze missie op het leven van de betrokkenen. Mooi.
September 1, 2015
A good war and love story, but really lacked the cutting edge and real thrill that would keep me reading for hours on end, and invade my conscious whilst away from the book. However it was a beautifully painted picture of the hills of Croatia and Serbia.
August 6, 2015
Interesting story but not very well written and not always well researched.
December 5, 2015
Very disappointed as Tim Pears is a favourite writer of mine but the story just plodded and plodded.
December 26, 2016
I don't particularly like war books or novels written in present tense. Having said that, there was a magic to the writing of this novel and I loved the descriptions of the countryside and wildlife.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews