Jane Gardam, celebrated author of the Old Filth trilogy, brings her bright, incisive prose to an altogether different, more curious world in The Hollow Land, winner of the Whitbread Book Award.
These stories capture the beauty of the barren Cumbrian countryside, and among its few inhabitants, the lives of two young boys, Bell Teesdale and Harry Bateman. Bell, from a farming family,
has been raised in the dialect, hard work, and myth of the fells. His new friend Harry is a tourist whose family vacations there every year. The pairâs inseparable friendship provides a series of delightful
adventures rendered with Gardamâs gorgeous detail and sure use of humor. Bell and Harry look for every opportunity to discover ancient grounds and mysteries, like the history of the Egg Witch. And
everyone is curious about the Household Name, the wildly famous Londoner who takes up residence at Light Trees Farm. Here as always, Gardamâs writing displays a marvelous spirit with confident ease.
These are memorable stories, alive and sparkling, written as only Jane Gardam could write them. Her love for the âhollow landâ and its people is evident in every line: readers of all ages will be
persuaded to share this heartfelt connection by the vividness of her writing.
