A Spell of Winter
“Secrets can cross from one person to the other without words.” — Helen Dunmore
Tati’s Thoughts
We open with a peek into the future, where our protagonist Catherine (Cathy) is sitting in a room alone, wearing a man's coat. Who that man is and how she came to acquire the coat - we soon find out.
Set in the years leading up to World War I, Cathy and her brother Rob are living with their grandfather in a decaying manor in the English countryside. Abandoned by their mother who left under mysterious circumstances, and separated from their father who was relegated to an asylum - because, 1900’s mental health - Cathy and Rob are siblings who grow close, too close.
Cathy bears a striking resemblance to her mother, and because of it, she is in a constant sprint away from the ghosts associated with this shared likeness. As an apathetic, and occasionally unreliable narrator, Cathy gives us a view of life as a person who lets life happen to her. Until she doesn’t. As Cathy and Rob’s relationship morphs into something forbidden and taboo, we are drawn in by their shared and unshared secrets.
At its core, A Spell of Winter is a gothic tale about the ghosts and secrets we carry and try to bury. Where did their grandfather - “the man from nowhere who came from nothing” come from? How did Miss Gallagher find her way to the family? How much did Mr. Bullivant know before arriving at Ash Court?
We might ask ourselves these questions without ever finding answers.
Cathy’s story is quiet and gradual, but it packs a punch that is grounded in Helen Dunmore’s incredible writing style. In A Spell of Winter, we see Dunmore’s ability to craft a misty and hazy tale that draws you in with atmospheric scenes and complex character dynamics. While not all readers will be able to move past some of the choices Cathy (and Dunmore) makes, I found the narrative arc uncomfortable, compelling, and hopeful.
If you love an atmospheric read (and you can get past the incest), this might be one for you. I know I will never stop raving about it.
