Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #148648 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-03
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

David Mitchell
'A memorable writer of sinewy intelligence and rare grace'

Ann Patchett
'A beautiful, ambitious novel...Emotionally resonant and perfectly
rendered, I believed in every character, every sheep, every last blade of
grass.'

Claire Messud
'Deeply compelling and utterly uncompromising...each sentence is a
pleasure. This book is a rare gem.'

Customer Reviews

Belonging and betrayal
Peter Ho Davies has a history of writing about belonging - belonging to place and culture mainly. This is not surprising, as his name suggests his parents were from Wales and Malaysia, and he was brought up in the English Midlands. The Welsh Girl is no exception to the theme of belonging with the plot focusing on Esther a young Welsh woman in 1944 who works in a bar and a farm in a village where German prisoners of war are imprisoned nearby. Her encounters with the English soldiers building the prisoner of war camp and a German who escapes from the camp form the other theme in the book that of betrayal and how to survive it. The theme of belonging is encapsulated by the stories about the flocks of sheep tended by Esther's father who are said to be cynefin, (for which there is no English equivalent), which means having a certain knowledge and sense of place that is passed down the matrilineal line. Both the attractiveness of belonging to a place but also it's restrictive nature are well described in the book where the author points out that Nationalism is at heart a provincial aspiration and specifically reminds the reader that some Welsh nationalists spoke out in support of Hitler before the war.

The second theme of betrayal, I think, is less well done. The introduction of Hess into the story at the beginning and end seems to be a device to remind us that betrayal is never straightforward but its role in the narrative is unclear. The book would have read the same without Hess and his interrogator Rotheram even though some time is spent introducing these characters. The German prisoner Karsten who escapes is a curiosity rather than a character. He surrenders, a form of betrayal, and is imprisoned. He escapes imprisonment, possibly to earn redemption for surrendering, but then has a relationship with Esther which for me was the part of the book that did not work. I'm not sure the author was also convinced as this relationship tales off and is dealt with in a cursory way at the end of the book.

The author deals with big themes but I think he tried to introduce too many into this book. That said I like his writing, his attention to detail and he is very easy to read. I'll certainly be first in the cue to read his next book.

A well written novel of substance
The Welsh Girl is an odd compendium of different stories. Firstly, we have the intriguingly named Rotheram, a German émigré who is working for the British army in 1944, trying to work out whether Rudolph Hess is fit to be tried.

Then we have the story of Esther Williams, the Welsh Girl of the title, as she adapts to the arrival of evacuees and her own little bundle of joy, whilst she deals with the loss of her mother and various friends.

And then there is the story of Karsten, a German prisoner of war.

The three stories overlap only tangentially, due to collocation in a Welsh speaking village. They have common themes, though, in exploring concepts of loss, shame, guilt, nationalist patriotism, freedom and, perhaps, hope. The stories are competently told - although there does seem to be some needless fuzziness over whether and when Karsten learns Esther's name. They have some complexity but are told in perfectly lucid fashion. The language feels plain, but probably isn't.

The characterization is strong. The key characters have depths of feeling and insecurity that are graphically communicated. This depth of character extends even to careful, albeit brief, depiction of some of the bit part players: Jack the barman, Jim the evacuee; the Major; Hess and all. The imagery of the Welsh countryside is also strong, with the fields and the slate mine adding a contrast of textures.

In terms of style, there is a good balance between the serious themes and the humour provided by Harry and Mary, a couple of radio entertainers who are broadcasting from the relative safety of Wales. This is welcome relief in what might, otherwise, be a rather intense work. There are also some metaphors that would probably dazzle if one thought about them for long enough - the instinct of sheep to remain within their territory is perhaps laid on a bit too thick, but is effective nonetheless.

But the Achilles heel of the novel is that it feels a little too clinical. Like the stylized travel poster cover, the novel feels just a bit sterile. There isn't quite enough emotion to draw the reader into any of the characters and the direction of the story lines is rather predictable. The reader has a role of impartial observer rather than feeling involved in the process. The final epilogue is too long and would have detracted from any emotional crescendo at the end of the final chapter - had there really been a crescendo.

The Welsh Girl is a well written novel of substance, but it does seem to lack the wow factor that could have made it a great.

Pleasant Unchallenging Reading
This novel has recently been nominated for the Booker Prize. Surely it can't win? The dust wrapper is reminiscent of the great Brian Cook of Batsford fame and I bought it purely on impulse because of that - sad eh? A co-reviewer has described the plot in detail so I won't bother. This is a good book, not a great one, but a good one. It reveals the ambivalence of Welsh-speaking towards the "English" army during WWII and the tensions between "ordinary" German POWs and their more fanatical colleagues. Those are the main insights of this novel. Its is well written and unchallenging to read. The plot is undemanding, but engaging enough. Don't expect thrills or unexpected twists, though. I would sum this up as the near-perfect beach novel.