Trust, love, loyalty and betrayal in a very Cold War indeed
Helen Dunmore’s magnificent novel of espionage, set in England in the early 60s, deep in the Cold War, captivated from its first sombre, reflective sentences in the prologue, right up to the final arresting image.
Simon Callington is a very ordinary man, bright, but never brilliant, he went to Cambridge, and ended up working in an administrative capacity at the Admirality. However, he does have some secrets and inconsistencies in his past. Firstly, he does not reflect the arrogance of his elitist background. He does his work conscientiously, but work is not what matters most – that space is occupied by his German born wife, Lily and his three young children Paul, Sally and Bridget
Callington, with no malice aforethought, becomes embroiled within an espionage ring, purely out of a misplaced loyalty to an old friend, and an accident. Callington, as the reader knows, is not a spy, and the kind of subterfuge needed for espionage is alien to him. Nevertheless, as he gets caught up in events, he, his wife, and even his children, are forced to learn to dissemble. The hunted has to learn to think as the hunter does.
The central character of this book is Simon’s wife, Lily. Lily and her mother Elsa came to England shortly before the war, and, as German Jews, needed to learn to remake themselves in order to blend in. Both Lily and Simon have a certain reserve about them, through circumstance; their loyalty to each other, even though each has secrets from the other, is unshakeable.
There are some definite parallels in this story with a well-loved children’s book – E.E. Nesbit’s The Railway Children – 3 children, two girls and one boy, a disappeared father, a relocation from London to an out of the way place, a mystery, and, of course, the role of the railway itself. For me, one of the most poignant themes in the book concerns the loss of childish innocence, and the need to begin thinking, early, with an adult awareness, in order to protect your family. This was the inheritance Lily had had to learn in her own childhood, because of politics, and war, and this is learned again, because of politics, and a different kind of war, by Paul, Sally and Bridget.
Dunmore’s novel has a fine feel for period; this is the very early 60s, and a few short years before the explosion of ‘the sixties’ which began to shake up a society and usher in radical change. Although one could say that on the surface characters correspond to some broad types, Dunmore’s characters are far from cliché – nuanced and individual they can surprise themselves as much as they surprise the reader.
As the end of the novel neared, remembering the prologue did predict the outcome, and I think this was an excellent choice, in structuring the novel. There were certain questions which were left for the reader, the right ones, but this story also absolutely needed the ending it got.
Every character in this book was well drawn and all were more or less like icebergs – whatever you saw, there were hidden depths and surprising delicacies, nuances and understandings going on. There were also odd little throwaways which sent the reader away with some questions (good ones) without firmly spelling things out. An excellent read – and also, I think, with a lot of potential for discussion by book groups
It isn’t what you know or don’t know: it’s what you allow yourself to know….It turns out that I knew everything. All the facts were in my head and always had been. I ignored them, because it was easier. I didn’t want to make connections. I’ve begun to understand that I’ve been half-asleep all my life, and now I’m waking up
I received this as an ARC from the publishers, Hutchinson/Cornerstone Digital, via NetGalley, and recommend it, without any reservations
It will be published on January 28th in both digital and wood book form in the UK, but it looks as if Stateside readers will only be able to get it digi or Audible on that date (or order from the UK) as the hardback looks not to be published till May.
Lady Fancifull 
Lady, I’m very much looking forward to reading this book, but my Amazon/US says the ebook won’t be issued til April 5th, so I ordered if from Amazon/UK. I have no idea why the audio version is available here so much earlier than the ebook and print version.
Oh how annoying – when I clicked the US Kindle button from this side of the pond it suggests the digi will be released at the same time it is released in the UK, on 28th Jan
Helen Dunsmore is an author I’ve been introduced to through blogging. I’ve really liked everything of hers I’ve read so far, and this one sounds like another winner. I’m glad you liked it, and I’m looking forward to reading it once it becomes available in the US.
I’m sorry for the wait it seems you will have!
Despite being notoriously fickle about modern fiction, this does appeal because of the subject matter. I may give it a look!
I rather understand the fickleness, Karen. Whilst there is of course writing as brilliant as writing ever was out there, I do think that a lot of stuff which just would never have seen the light of day in times gone by (because the standard was so dire!) is getting churned out relentlessly. I think the possibility of REALLY big bucks if something gets turned into a movie/cable/TV has led a stream of people to write with that in mind. And it means the volume of the writing is ear-splittingly loud, and sometimes it seems the bodybag a bonkathon count is through the roof, and some writing is the literary equivalent of an addiction to amphetamines – loud, fast, flashy. That’s my cynical grump showing. I do find I can often settle into older times writers with a sigh of satisfaction. Those that have survived their times will tend, I guess, not to have been the schlocky stuff of yore, but the stuff which has something to say and a way to say it which outlasted the ephemeral. I’ve finished reading my first Margery Sharp for Jane/Eden Rock’s Margery Sharp day on Monday. I have seen Sharp described as ‘early chick lit’ . A comparison which made me harrumph like a crusty old colonel. Her touch is light, crisp, hinted. I’ve not read much chick-lit, but beating around the head with JOKE THIS IS FUNNY seemed to be endemic.
The Dunmore is very good. I’m rather obsessed with espionage – it’s the whole idea of living a conscious deception, I suppose, in ‘service’ either to some greater ideal (right or wrong) or because your life has in some way become owned by another. I think it requires a body chemistry which is completely alien to my own. I can only imagine one would have to be quite insensitive to one’s own adrenaline/noradrenaline levels, some kind of hypoarousal.
Spot on! And describing Sharp as chick-lit is offensive – I’ve never read one but I’ve seen enough of them to know that they have no depth, and Sharp has plenty. No, I’ll stick with my classics and my translated books I think!
The problem with just having found Sharp, thanks to Jane, is wanting to read more, but apart from the odd reasonably priced copy popping up in Marketplace Sellers, or a just happen to strike lucky in a charity shop, it won’t happen. Alas, my once excellent library which could be relied on for having writers of yore has it seems been given over to airport reading, best sellers and banks of computers. Shelves of books radically cleared away. Libraries no longer such a delicious place to browse and pick up interesting new (often old) discoveries
No, her works are getting harder to track down. My library has less interesting books than it used to and they seem to shed stock at an alarming rate – which is one of my excuses for buying copies of the books I want to read… 😁
I’ve yet to try anything by Helen Dunmore, but she keeps popping up across a range of the blogs I follow. The set-up sounds excellent, and I’m always attracted to this era. Definitely one to keep in mind once it comes out in paperback.
It was a interesting, and rewarding, double to read her earlier The Betrayal, set in Russia after the end of the Second World War a few weeks ago. I particularly liked, in this book, the exploration of how the events affected the children. I’ve got The Railway Children, which I never read, lined up to read at some point
Many things entice me about this story, so it’s definitely one for my list. And a good reminder about The Railway Children which I read as a child, but now you mention it, I know I’d like to reread it.
Tragically, this one is sitting under the ‘currently pending’ section of NG for me -it’s been pending for so long that I suspect it isn’t going to drop! I may even be forced to consider buying it…
Oh bad luck – it will be worth it though, even if you have to be prised loose from cash
I really enjoyed this too. I must read more by Helen Dunmore.
I’ve preferred her later books to her earlier ones, and i think she’s really hit her stride!
A lovely review; thanks so much!
And thank you GTL!
Ive read only one book by Dunmore – The Great Coat – and didn’t rate it that much.But I learned that this ghost type story is not her usual genre so decided to give her another try. Hence I have Espionage waiting for me via net galley too. I’m saving it up for a long flight early next month..
Espionage!! what am I talking about. I mean Exposure. Clearly haven’t had enough caffeine this morning yet
Well you know I didn’t even blink or do the tiniest double take. As it’s about espionage it made perfect sense. What is far worse (I’ve done it, I’ve done it) is to write within the whole text of your review – and a complimentary one too – and several times – the wrong title! Ouch! Much rapid editing of posted howler review
I wrote a whole essay on Midsummer Night’s Dream for a university course where I called the leading lady Tatiana (should of course have been Titania). Now I can’t get it out of my head. In my defence there must surely be a Russian version of the Dream and then I’d be right
I think you are onto a winner there. It should have been written by Bulgakov and titled Obleron and Tatiana
What a great review – interesting that the espionage happened almost by chance – I have to admit this isn’t a subject that usually appeals, but it is Helen Dunmore!
It’s a brilliant read. Isn’t it wonderful how each of us is fascinated by such a wide variety of different things! The brilliant curiosity of being human
I’ve got the ARC on my Kindle, but I always find it harder to get round to starting non-physical books. Thank you for the great review, it means I should definitely get on to reading it sooner!