With her vivid prose, Helen Dunmore is a writer who can make herself at home in any era.
Her latest novel takes an oblique look at the French Revolution, showing how distant political events can both impact and have echoes in very personal circumstances.
Lizzie, who has been brought up among radicals, is married to sinister speculative builder Diner. His plans to build a terrace of houses above the Avon Gorge are left in tatters when uncertainty caused by the events in France cause the market to collapse.
As Lizzie gradually realises the truth about her marriage, so her radical friends start to see the reality of violent revolution.
Birdcage Walk is a gripping read. And while it’s set in the past, this novel has a very contemporary message about the consequences of political turmoil.
