Of Love and Slaughter

by Angela Huth

George Elkin has loyally trained as a solicitor in order to run the family firm. But when his father dies, George resolves to follow his heart instead, taking on the family's farm. With the help of his neighbors Prodge and Nell, George is sure he can adapt. Nell has kept her feelings for George hidden, and has long hoped that their friendship would develop into something stronger. But then Lily, George's university friend, comes to stay and it seems that Nell's hopes will remain unfulfilled. All the while, the rural community is facing a number of threats: BSE, foot and mouth, government proposals on hunting - each crisis straining farmers to breaking point. And George and Prodge are faced with the awful knowledge that their future is out of their hands...

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Daughter of actor Harold Huth, english novelist Angela Huth married journalist and travel writer Quentin Crewe in the 1960s and with him had a daughter. She presented programmes on the BBC, including How It Is and Why and Man Alive.

She also writes plays for radio, television and stage, and is a well-known freelance journalist, critic and broadcaster. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

She has been married to a don, James Howard-Johnston, since 1978. They live in Warwickshire and have one daughter, Eugenie Teasley.

Reviews

[Suzanne]

Bon roman qui nous plonge dans l'Angleterre rurale sous l'épidémie de la vache folle, avec des personnages attachants et des histoires touchantes mais globalement trop long, on s'essouffle sur les cent dernières pages

[Aurelia]

Not my favourite from this author

[Imaan Farooq Sheikh]

This is a book for a very selective audience and may not be everyone's favorite.

I bought this book in 2016, and I have never had the chance to read it until now. When I first picked it up, it did not interest me, but years later, I sat down again and started reading. Now I understand where the author's ideas were coming from, and this book makes much more sense to me.

It's a simple plot with very linear storytelling save for the two perspective chapters in the beginning. I particularly enjoyed the first part of the book, which focused more on establishing the characters and building the chemistry between George and Lily. The second part was more complex, going beyond the happily ever after and indulging in the real-life troubles of farming in England back then and the difficulties that arose with the BSE. It's a good attempt at highlighting an otherwise overlooked issue through a story. I really appreciate the author's efforts.

[Rose]

Pas assez plate pour que j'arrête de le lire, mais pas assez trippant pour que je prenne mon pied en le lisant. Oui, c'est ma définition de la torture. La trame de fond est très intéressante (les questions soulevées sur le futur de l'agriculture, sur le passage du temps sont touchantes et pleines de résonnance). Mais les personnages sont emmerdants et l'auteur prend un peu le lecteur pour un con quant à l'application du sous-texte.
J'avoue que j'ai lu une traduction, mais je pense pas que le dos de la traductrice est assez large pour prendre le blâme du contenu.

[Rachel]

Oddly, the actual fiction was pretty terrible. However, as a fictional account representative of the reality of what it was like living through that - to say nothing of the aftermath - it is absolutely superb.

[Ruth]

Actually, choose not to try to read this one since the Sun Child book was so .......

[Ann Chappe]

Loved this book! Gentle story about a traumatic time..