WHAT do a medieval mystic, a Victorian meteorologist, and a glider pilot have in common? Sarah Hall’s latest book weaves together several lives that share the same quest: to measure and understand Helm, the only named wind in Britain.
As Helm opens, the eponymous wind speaks directly to the reader. The novel then jumps between various perspectives, progressing each storyline gradually. Although this fragmented structure, which features an array of writing styles, makes it difficult to settle into the book, the initial hard work pays off. Hall’s earthy language admirably captures the bleak setting of the Eden Valley, and yet she also allows light touches of humour to lift the characters off the page as they each see their faith, in science or God, tested.
To further enrich the novel, Hall inserts labelled artefacts between the interlocking narratives, taking the reader on a tour through a museum of wind-battered objects, diagrams, and people that tell the story of a natural phenomenon considered both heavenly and hellish by the Cumbrians who endure it.
Helm covers impressive historical and geographical ground. For instance, one chapter lists the various ailments and injuries humans have attributed to the Helm Wind over time (including headaches, decapitation, and bad temper). Sometimes, these deviations reduce the story’s momentum, but it is a book that leaves a deep impression, whether through the formation of neolithic stone circles, a man with a terrifying sallet (another kind of helm, or helmet), or the recent effects of climate change. An unusual read from a talented writer.
Helm
Sarah Hall
Faber & Faber £20
(978-0-571-38355-9)
Church Times Bookshop £18