Reviewed by Emma Crowley
Based on an incredible true story…
Britain, 1954.The Second World War has ravaged the country, and for years families had been forced to go without to help the war effort. Even in the tiny stone village of Capel Celyn – where time seemingly stands still in the lush beauty of the surrounding hills – the war has left behind empty tables and broken hearts. But then the residents learn that their beloved village is at risk of being taken from them, and in the most shocking way imaginable. Who will be brave enough to save it?
Present day. Al Locke, retired Navy Captain, sets off up the well-worn track through the valley, towards the pretty village of Capel Celyn, determined to find the girl he once loved. Elin Jenkins: the dark-haired Welsh beauty he was going to marry after the war… until tragedy tore them apart.
But what he finds in that silent valley is a mystery greater even than their own. The village, once lively, is underwater. A shimmering ghost town in the depths of a vast lake. How can he find Elin when all trace of her has vanished? And will she be capable of forgiving him for his part in their tragic loss?
Many thanks to Bookouture via NetGalley for my copy of The Drowned Village to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
Norma Curtis is a new author for me and despite a slow start to this book, The Drowned Village, I found it to be an enjoyable and very easy read. It’s different from the usual dual timeline books I read and there is a strong emphasis on the romance element of the story. Prior to beginning this book I discovered it had an underwent a title change and definitely this new title fits the story and its themes much more so than the previously title, The Captain’s Wife. It’s a slow burner but when it does pick up you become lost in the story of one man’s journey to right so many wrongs and misunderstandings and in the process he hopes to reunite with the one he loves so much but she unfortunately slipped through his fingers.
Set between the present day and the late 1950’s this engaging story uses its setting of the Welsh valleys to perfection. It is so visual and helps you come to know the characters and their motivations. In particular I found the rich imagery of the landscape, hills and mountains and the village of the title really came to life through the writing. I could picture every setting so clearly. American Al Locke spent his time in the navy and when his ship docked at Liverpool for repairs he met Elin who was originally from the village of Capel Ceyn in Wales but was working as a nurse in the city. Upon meeting Al’s life was changed forever and they quickly became a couple which initially seemed to me very fast indeed but you can feel the deep bond that has established between the pair.
Elin takes Al to her village and he is introduced to her parents. She shows him a grave of a relative of Abraham Lincoln which will go on to have a significant forbearing on his journey in the present day. I love history and delving back into the past but I’ll say from the outset that the strand of the storyline regarding Abraham Lincoln and Quakers and emigrating to America really went over my head. Not because I couldn’t understand it, I could and I could see the necessity for its inclusion in the story as a whole but honestly it really didn’t hold my attention and I found myself quickly reading through those parts. My attention was much more focused on the love story of Elin and Al and also that of the reasons for and the fate of the drowned village.
Elin and Al quickly become engaged and plans are set in motion for Elin to go to America to begin a new life. But when she discovers that her beloved village is in danger of being demolished and a reservoir put in its place in order to provide drinking water for the people of Liverpool she knows she can’t leave her parents to this uncertain fate. Not to mention her Aunt and Uncle Eric and Jane. She sends a telegram to Al who has gone home already and a letter will follow but miscommunication and heartache occur and Al marries Virgina. The cruel way in which this occurred was just so heart-breaking for Elin and piece by piece her story that followed unfolded and there are plenty of twists and turns. You feel so desperately sorry for her but deep down you know that she was right. She wanted to fight for her village and its heritage, and she soon had an even deeper and even powerful reason for doing so. A short few weeks brought Elin so much joy and she knew the wonder of being in love but secrets, errors and misperceptions put paid to all that. Can Al in the present right so many wrongs?
It’s not often in a dual timeline historical fiction book that the present day really captures my attention as much as the past but in this case it certainly did. Al arrives at Mountain Ash Bunk House in the hopes of recapturing the past and seeking the closure he craves. He is now a sprightly 85 and arrives to be greeted by Sophie who now runs the hostel having taken over from her Aunt and Uncle Eric and Jane. Sophie was the link that tried to bind the two strands of the story together. Personally, I found her to be a little lost and adrift following a break up and as for the romance element to her story it seemed to peter out as there wasn’t a satisfactory conclusion. Unless I missed something it was like it was forgotten about or left open to interpretation. As Al sets off to the village he remembers, that of Capel Celyn he is soon distraught to find it under water. His aim of returning is shot in one fell swoop. He is heartbroken and doesn’t know where to turn. Any questions he has regarding Elin and here whereabouts or whether she is still alive remain unanswered. A wall surrounds Eric and Jane who perhaps know the truth but are unwilling to share.
The story meanders along at a very gentle pace in the present, a few more little surprises and twists and turns earlier on in the book would have been welcome. As previously mentioned, the element featuring the Quakers and Abraham Lincoln was also part of Al’s quest but if it wasn’t present and instead the sole focus was on reconnecting with Elin it would have worked perfectly fine. By coming back to Wales, Al, also hiding some secrets himself, thought that he could reset his life and make sense of it. He had a heartfelt yearning for a secure place but will he find everything that he so desperately seeks and will resolution bring contentment?
The Drowned Village is a good read although I don’t feel come the end of the year it will have been the most memorable book that I will have read. I found the true story of the drowning of the village fascinating and I think the author worked the human, emotional and romantic side of the story around it wonderfully. It’s a quick read which I read in a couple of hours and I am glad I did so. The ending was different to the norm and it was brave to take this route but it was good that it wasn’t cliched but instead realistic. I would definitely try more of Norma Curtis’s writing in the future.
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