At Hawthorn Time
Written by Melissa Harrison
Narrated by Gareth Bennett-Ryan
4/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
Melissa Harrison
Melissa Harrison is the author of the novels Clay and At Hawthorn Time, which was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award and longlisted for the Bailey's Women's Prize, and one work of non-fiction, Rain, which was longlisted forthe Wainwright Prize. She is a nature writer, critic and columnist for TheTimes, the Financial Times and the Guardian, among others. Her new novel All Among the Barley is due for publication in August this year. @M_Z_Harrison
More audiobooks from Melissa Harrison
Mother to Daughter: Wisdom from the Heart Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMother to Son: Wisdom from the Heart Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related to At Hawthorn Time
Related audiobooks
The Road Home Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Orchard: A Year in England’s Eden Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Easternmost House Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Draw of the Sea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Long Gaze Back Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Loop Tracks Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Valley at the Centre of the World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Quiet Tide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Feast: The Classic Summer Mystery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5History of the Rain Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Time We Spoke Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Restoration Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Midwinter Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Shearwater: A Bird, an Ocean, and a Long Way Home Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Detached House Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMusic & Silence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Crow Court Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Olive Farm Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dun Cow Rib: A Very Natural Childhood Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBetween a Wolf and a Dog Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Make Yourself at Home Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Growing Season Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Greenhouse Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Footnotes: A Journey Round Britain in the Company of Great Writers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lenny Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOf Love And Desire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Something Like Breathing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Natural Way of Things Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Last Orders Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5An Irish Nature Year Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Fantasy For You
Iron Flame Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fourth Wing Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Court of Mist and Fury Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Alchemist Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The House in the Cerulean Sea Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Court of Thorns and Roses Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Legends & Lattes: A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Poppy War: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Court of Wings and Ruin Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5From Blood and Ash Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Court of Frost and Starlight Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Court of Silver Flames Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Hobbit Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Silmarillion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of The Oxford Translators' Revolution Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Outlander Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Good Omens Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fairy Tale Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Starling House: A Reese's Book Club Pick Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Return of the King Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good Omens: A Full Cast Production Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Is How You Lose The Time War Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Name of the Wind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure (The "Good Parts" Version) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Two Towers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Neverwhere Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Farseer: Assassin's Apprentice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for At Hawthorn Time
48 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jack walks the back roads of England, picking up day jobs on farms when he can. He has spent most of his life outdoors and although completely harmless, his unconventional life is seen by a threat by most people. Having recently done a spell in prison for apparent trespassing, he's determined never to be confined again. Jaimie is a young man who still lives with his parents in the small village of Lodeshill, where he works indoors in windowless warehouses. He appreciates his deep roots to the land and the people of the area, but is aware of the changes going on around him. Kitty and Howard have recently retired-- their two adult children are off on their own and so they left their life in suburban London to follow Kitty's dream of living in an English village. She develops as a painter and makes friends in the village, while Howard makes a half-hearted effort to satisfied -- they don't agree on much. The novel opens with a car crash and then goes back over the month of May leading up to the accident, jumping between the characters and their backstories. I liked this a lot. It had a familiarity to it that was comfortable, but was also strongly different from anything I'd read before. The main difference from other books is how the author brought in nature elements to everyday scenes. I loved these. She also brought in historical elements and how people living in Europe today are treading paths historical and ancient. I live in a corner of the world where the oldest buildings are maybe 130 yrs old, so I delight in this aspect when I visit Europe, and I like how Harrison gave nods to the ever-changing uses for the land. There's a lot going on here, and I'd like to read it again because I'm sure I missed some interesting connections. At Hawthorn Time was nominated for the Orange/Bailey's/Women's prize and the Costa award. This is yet another excellent recommendation from Simon at Savidge Reads. Why I Read This Now: Because it was hawthorn time (May, here in Vancouver and in England in the story). Recommened for: people who like books with strong nature elements will love this, but there's a lot going on if that's not your thing. If you need a straight forward linear storyline, this won't be for you.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It starts with a bang. In a lane outside the village of Lodeshill there has been a car crash. As the violence of this act is fading, and the wheels are still spinning, the debris from a glove-box is scattered on the tarmac and there is the faint sound of sirens in the distance.
Lodeshill is a busy rural village populated by those still working on the land, and those who have sought out its peace. There is Jamie, a teenager whose future is in a dead end job in a huge distribution centre, Howard and Kitty, who have left the bright lights of London for tranquillity. Jack is also recently from London, wandering the lanes picking up casual work on farms, as and when he can.
These characters are seeking different things. As well as work, Jack is looking for shelter, the fields and copses are his bed for the night. He treads lightly on the countryside, as this is his home. Howard and Kitty are still married, just, and are now sleeping in separate bedrooms. They have secrets kept long from each other, Howard has returned to a drinking habit and Kitty has a diagnosis that only her fellow artist knows about. Jamie loves where he lives, but he cannot see much beyond his job, so he busies himself customising his car. These four people who are all living very different lives, slowly start to overlap as the story builds to the tragic accident.
This is a hauntingly and beautifully written book. It is rooted deep in the natural world and the slow movement of the seasons. The detail is magnificent too; you sense the breaking of the buds, the heady aroma of the mayflowers on the verges, the aeronautics of bats at dusk and wheeling of birds seeking sustenance. The way that Harrison has intermingled these four lives as they orbit the village is quite something. But it is infused with a melancholy too, a farm is sold after a tragedy , an old man goes missing, but all these events are the precursor to the accident that happens in the prologue. There is rarely a word out of place here as well, making it effortless to read. I liked too the detail of natural events happening at that moment at the beginning of each chapter, it adds a nice sense of time to the story, and that whatever happens in her characters lives, there is that constant metronome of nature ticking away... - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5With her trademark elegant, lyrical prose Melissa Harrison has written a moving, thought-provoking story, using superbly drawn characters to explore many aspects of change. Change in the relationships and personal development of her multi-dimensional characters, changes brought about in agricultural practices by modern technology and changes to old traditions and folklore in small rural villages, brought about by an influx of "incomers" who have no ties to the countryside, no understanding of the interdependence of man and the natural world, and therefore no idea of the unintended consequences of certain interventions. Her evocative descriptions of the flora and fauna were a delight to anyone who enjoys observing the seasonal changes in the countryside. The story is poignantly moving, often sad in its reflections but it also carries a message of optimism ... I found it a delightful read.