In the Place of Fallen Leaves by Tim Pears
Tim’s first novel is a remarkably confident debut. Set in a Devon village during a hot,
dry, summer in the 1980s, it weaves in multiple themes of change, community and
fears for the future.
Told through the eyes and experiences of a 13-year-old girl, it is
in part a story about growing up, in part a story about rural life, it also has a political
edge – with the turbulence of the Thatcher era providing an added layer of unsettling
backdrop.
Run to the Western Shore by Tim Pears
This is another book containing multiple motifs, as a Roman slave and a Welsh tribal
leader's daughter go on the run in 1st century Britain. It has the "will they, won't
they?" excitement of the chase, but also resounds with deeper themes of myth-
making, nature, and culture.
It's less than 200 pages long, and can be read quite quickly, but it is worth lingering over some of the lyrical passages describing the natural world in early Roman Britain.
The West Country Trilogy by Tim Pears
The first two books in this trilogy, The Horseman and The Wanderers contain some
familiar Tim Pears' themes: the sense of time, of place, and the rhythms of the
natural world. Again using a young protagonist, Tim Pears concentrates on a period
(pre-first world war this time) of uncertainty and change, and the books provide both
a celebration and a lament for a rural life that has largely been lost.
Opening on a Somerset estate, the tale unfolds slowly as it describes the cycles of country life and the often-harsh nature of agricultural work in the early 20th century.
Blogs by Andy Linington, Volunteer
Tim Pears will discuss The West Country Trilogy from 1-2pm on Sunday 14 June at the Walton Park Hotel. Find out more and book tickets for just £6.