Zennor in Darkness

They stand by side on the rock, facing out to sea. They are hidden from land here. Even spies would see nothing of them.

It is spring 1917 in the Cornish coastal village of Zennor, and the young artist Clare Coyne is waking up to the world. Ignoring the whispers from her neighbours, she has struck a rare friendship with D.H. Lawrence and his German wife, who are hoping to escape the war-fever of London.

In between painting and visits to her new friends she whiles away the warm days with her cousin John, who is on leave from the trenches, harbouring secrets she couldn't begin to understand.

But as the heat picks up, so too do the fear and the gossip that haunt the village. And the freedom to love will come at a steep price.

Winner of the McKitterick Prize

'Highly original and beautifully written' Sunday Telegraph

'Electrifying . . . Helen Dunmore mesmerizes you with her magical pen' Daily Mail

'Deceit gives Helen Dunmore's novel a jagged edge. Secrets, unspoken words, lies that have the truth wrapped up in them somewhere make Dunmore's stories ripples with menace and suspense' Sunday Times

'We believe in Clare's intelligence, talent and passion. A triumph' Independent on Sunday