The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan is an enchanting journey of Welsh family and village life in the 1950s, seen through Gwenni Morgan’s eyes.  Gwenni is a normal little girl by day, trying to understand her family – particularly her mother, and the world.  By night, she has the ability to soul travel, and, she can remember where she goes. 

Her flying escapades are what make her want to investigate exactly what’s going on in the village.  Her Mother, Magda, tells her not to talk about her ‘flying’ or people will think she is odd, like her father’s side of the family.  He’s a placid kind father.

The book cleverly depicts Magda’s favouritism for Gwenni’s more slovenly older sister, Bethan, her lack of demonstrative motherly love for Gwenni, and her own personality disorder.   Slowly Magda is revealed not only as a highly strung, brisk and unthoughtful mother, but as mentally challenged.

Ifan Evans, husband of a normally balanced, caring school-teacher whom Gwenni likes, doesn’t have a good reputation.  When Ifan goes missing, Magda’s disorder piques.  Clearly, it’s not Gwenni or her father’s side of the family who are odd.  Magda has a quite a history, but her illness is only one of her closeted secrets.

One could easily be viewing the scenes from the face of one of the Toby jugs, or a shape in the distemper on the wall, creative anchors which lure the reader into the heart of the home.  Outside, the sweets Gwenni eats take us into fields and lanes with her.  Gwenni’s sensitive concern for animals, especially those on a plate, is skilfully portrayed, most notably Mrs.Llywelyn Pugh’s dead fox around her neck.

Solving a crime involves other threads of village life.  The Earth Hums in B flat shows how people lived and interacted in the 1950’s, from corsets to cops.  It demonstrates culture by tea-cup – prevalent throughout the British Isles, highlighted humorously when the Important Detective comes to town and wants to get on with the business of solving a crime.

This excellent piece of literature, embracing colourful, salt-of-the-earth characters is particularly recommended reading for baby bombers, teens and arm-chair travellers to Wales, or the 1950’s.

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