Mari Strachan

'Has our family got secrets?' 'Every family has, Gwenni. Big secrets, small secrets, silly secrets, bad things we want to hide . . . 'Young Gwenni Morgan has a gift. She can fly in her sleep. She's also fond of strawberry whip, detective stories and asking difficult questions. When a neighbour mysteriously vanishes, she resolves to uncover the secret of his disappearance and return him to his children.She truthfully records what she sees and hears: but are her deductions correct? What is the real truth? And what will be the consequences - for Gwenni, her family and her community - of finding it out?Gwenni Morgan is an unforgettable creation, and this portrait of life in a small Welsh town on the brink of change in the 1950s is enthralling, moving and utterly real. Mari Strachan's debut is a magical novel that will transport you to another time and place.

The Earth Hums in B Flat

“Dark family secrets are at the core of this bewitching debut novel . . . a memorable read” from the author of Dead Man’s Embers (Herald on Sunday). Gwenni Morgan is not like any other girl in this small Welsh town. Inquisitive, bookish and full of spirit, she can fly in her sleep and loves playing detective. So when a neighbor mysteriously vanishes, and no one seems to be asking the right questions, Gwenni decides to conduct her own investigation. Mari Strachan’s unforgettable novel “is a richly evocative, warm but unsentimental tale of a child detective struggling to piece together clues about the lives around her. These lives, and the characters who live them, are so vividly drawn and Mari Strachan’s careful unraveling of the secrets they hide is extremely compelling” (Catherine O’Flynn, award-winning author of What Was Lost). “A lyrical debut . . . [Strachan’s] light touch keeps the story unfamiliar and surprising, while Gwenni’s uber-precocious narration revels in a love for language and reveals an unspoiled innocence about the world. It’s small, quiet and nicely done.”—Publishers Weekly “An unsettling account of matrilineal madness, illegitimacy and domestic abuse . . . Strachan’s deft handling of a dark subject is both sober and sparkling.”—The Guardian “One of those books that eases you in gently and then floors you . . . The Earth Hums in B Flat reads authentically, and the fictive truth in the story remains consistent and powerful as Gwenni moves towards the end . . . [of] this is a lovely, original, and imaginative debut.”—Gather.com

A Waterstone's New Voice 2009An Amazon Rising Star 2009Gwenni Morgan is not like any other girl in her small Welsh town. Inquisitive, bookish and full of spirit, she canfly in her sleep and loves playing detective. So when a neighbour mysteriously vanishes, and no one seems tobe asking the right questions, Gwenni decides to conduct her own investigation.Mari Strachan's unforgettable novel was one of the most acclaimed and successful debuts of 2009. It is a heartbreaking and hugely enjoyable book.'Strachan eschews whimsy for reality in a beautifully written story about growing up.'Independent on Sunday'A delight.'Financial Times'Extremely compelling . . . I loved this novel.'Catherine O'Flynn, author of What Was Lost 'A warm and touching, but blessedly unsentimental, novel.'The Times

In the aftermath of the Great War, Non Davies wakes one morning to find her husband crouching under the kitchen table in a cold sweat and with fear in his eyes, shouldering an imaginary rifle. During the intense heat of that summer she forces herself to sit and watch him, knowing she has to discover what has changed her Davey so completely.A mysterious letter addressed to Davey gives her the clue she needs and takes her to London in search of an answer. When she returns home Non realizes that the dark secrets of Davey's behaviour are working their way ever closer to the surface - secrets that will shatter the fragile happiness of their community if they ever become known.Blow on a Dead Man's Embers is a wonderful piece of storytelling, rich in atmosphere and full of characters that leap from the page. It is a gripping and moving portrait of a society emerging from the shadow of war, and of Non Davies, an unforgettable woman out of kilter with her time.

Mari Strachan

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