For centuries, the inhabitants of Barrowbeck, a remote valley on the Yorkshire-Lancashire border, have lived uneasily with forces beyond their reckoning. They raise their families, work the land, and do their best to welcome those who come seeking respite. But there is a darkness that runs through the village as persistently as the river.
A father fears that his daughter has become possessed by something unholy.
A childless couple must make an agonising decision.
A widower awaits the return of his wife.
A troubled man is haunted by visions of end times. As one generation gives way to the next and ancient land is carved up in the name of progress, darkness gathers. The people of Barrowbeck have forgotten that they are but guests in the valley. Now there is a price to pay. Two thousand years of history is coming to an end.
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It's likely that Barrowbeck's original settlers were drawn by the river and the seclusion of the valley (FIRST FOOTING)
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(John Murray, 24 October 2024, e-galley, 304 pages, ARC from the publisher via @NetGalley)
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I'm a fan of the author and have devoured all of his books so Barrowbeck was a must read for me. This is a strange book, even stranger than his other works which are on the odd side (in a good way). The book is formed of a series of stories or vignettes spanning from ancient times to the near future about the residents of the village of Barrowbeck with hints that something strange and eerie is going on which is never clearly stated. I didn't enjoy this as much as his other works and it came across more as a collection of stories that a cohesive novel. I was disappointed by this given how much I enjoyed The Loney and Starve Acre. It wasn't a terrible book but not what I was expecting at all.
