In The Springtime Of The Year

5.00 out of 5 (2 ratings)

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Format:: Paperback
Pages:: 256
Publisher:: Vintage
Publication Date:: 05 April 2012
Category:: Modern & Contemporary
ISBN:: 9780099570486

Description

After just a year of close, loving marriage, Ruth has been widowed. Her beloved husband, Ben, has been killed in a tragic accident and Ruth is left, suddenly and totally bereft. Unable to share her sorrow and grief with Ben's family, who are dealing with their pain in their own way, Ruth becomes increasingly isolated, burying herself in her cottage in the countryside as the seasons change around her. Only Ben's young brother Jo, is able to reach out beyond his own grief, to offer Ruth the compassion which might reclaim her from her own devastating unhappiness. The result is a moving, lyrical exploration of love and loss, of grief and mourning, from a masterful writer.

Reader Reviews

Showing 1-2 out of 2 reviews.

I feel like I don’t have much to say about this one, simply because it was so perfectly written. It was elegant, it was dignified, and it never tried to make the death of a spouse into anything more than it needed to be. Other writers might have tried to throw more twists and turns into the plot, but the simplicity of the story was perfectly counterbalanced by the emotional complexity. I’d never read any of Susan Hill’s work before but I will definitely be reading more.

5.00 out of 5

pokarekareana
A moving exploration of bereavement told with simplicity and beautifully written. The seasons and the countryside add an extra dimension, almost an extra character, which provides depth to this the tale of a young widow's loss of her husband in a freak accident. It is not maudlin but it is very touching and some of the writing has a very poetic, lyrical feel which I thoroughly enjoyed.It is not a complex story but it is one that I feel better for reading - it asks questions but doesn't provide all the answers what it does provide is a sense of hope.

5.00 out of 5

arkgirl1