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Coventry

3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 · rating details · 536 ratings · 133 reviews

Helen Humphreys draws on history to delve into the lives torn asunder by the German attack of November 14, 1940. Harriet, a widow from World War I, is atop Coventry Cathedral, part of the nightly watch, when first the factories and then the church itself are set on fire. In the ensuing chaos she bonds with a young man, very much like the husband she lost, who relies on her...more

Hardcover, 177 pages

Published August 22nd 2009 by HarperCollins Canada / Cdn Adult Hc (first published 2008)

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May 26, 2011 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads, historicals

Rating Clarification: 3.5 Stars

Author Helen Humphreys' novel, Coventry, primarily revolves around the night and early morning hours of November 14-15, 1940, when over 500 German Luftwaffe blitzed the entire town of Coventry, England. Over 600 residents were killed, thousands of homes and businesses were reduced to rubble, and the beautiful medieval Coventry Cathedral was turned into a shell of its formal grandeur.

Humphreys writing of the blitz of this town was strikingly, hauntingly beautiful. Y...more

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Aug 29, 2010 Shane rated it 3 of 5 stars

I visited Coventry Cathedral (the newer version) back in the ‘70’s on a trip to Oxford but never took much time to understand its fiery genesis. This book was a welcome filler-in of my information gaps from the perspective of the survivors of that inferno.

The lives of the two protagonists, Harriet and Maeve, intersect at critical points during World Wars I and II in the city of Coventry. At the dawn of WWI, Harriet and Maeve meet by happenstance and enjoy a double decker bus ride together, soon...more I visited Coventry Cathedral (the newer version) back in the ‘70’s on a trip to Oxford but never took much time to understand its fiery genesis. This book was a welcome filler-in of my information gaps from the perspective of the survivors of that inferno.

The lives of the two protagonists, Harriet and Maeve, intersect at critical points during World Wars I and II in the city of Coventry. At the dawn of WWI, Harriet and Maeve meet by happenstance and enjoy a double decker bus ride together, soon after the former has said goodbye to her recently married, 18-year old husband, Owen, who is heading off to the battle front in Belgium, never to return alive. The women forget to trade names or addresses on that first meeting and lose contact. During WWII, the two women meet again as refugees when the city of Coventry is under aerial bombardment; both are looking for the 22-year old Jeremy who has affected their lives in different ways, and who has gallantly gone off to save lives from the inferno. Outside of these two ghastly global conflicts, the two women’s lives seem unlived, but the crucible of war gives them definition and purpose. Their wartime experiences bind them inextricably, well into old age, and each in her own way begins to express and record the indelible images of war: Harriet as a writer and Maeve as a painter.

This is a very short novel, almost a novella, and the prose is simple and elegant. It is also an interior book as we see Coventry through the eyes of these two women, and much of the political machinations behind the bombing of that city are out of scope. That said, I found much of the back story, outside of the wartime events, being “told” to us: Maeve’s expulsion from her family when she gets pregnant, and Harriet’s wicked mother who is hell bent on burning everyone, are two examples; we even get a page of exposition on Maeve’s late marriage to Tom, another painter, just three pages from the end of the book.

The book woke me to the fact that much of the tragedy of history occurred, or was exacerbated by the technology (or lack of technology) of its time. For instance, if cell phones had been around at the time of the bombing of Coventry, finding Jeremy would not have been such a difficult thing for either of the women, and their lives (and Jeremy’s) may have taken a completely different direction. The book also woke me to the fact that so many hapless, silent, and stoic women of that period not only lost their husbands in one war, but they turned around to lose their sons in the next one – a truly persecuted generation. Humphreys pays tribute to this forgotten cohort with great sensitivity, without lapsing into sentimentality.

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May 13, 2013 Jackleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I do love Helen Humphreys lovely little books. I sat for a quiet couple of hours on mothers day and read this book cover to cover. The story of Coventry is set in Coventry on November 14, 1940 during a horrific bombing raid which leveled most of the city. The entire story takes place on November 14, with the exception of the beginning in which our two main characters briefly meet in 1919, and some flash backs memories from the two main characters of their life preceding this fateful night. The r...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Felice rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

On November 14th, 1940 the city of Coventry in England suffered through horrific bombings from the German Air Force. Coventry was a big industrial area and its manufacturing included munitions. On that night 515 bombers were set from Germany to destroy Coventry’s factories. By the end of this blitz two thirds of the area’s factories were either destroyed or severely damaged, public utilities were out of commission, 2 hospitals had been destroyed, Coventry Cathedral was a ruin, over 4,000 homes w...more On November 14th, 1940 the city of Coventry in England suffered through horrific bombings from the German Air Force. Coventry was a big industrial area and its manufacturing included munitions. On that night 515 bombers were set from Germany to destroy Coventry’s factories. By the end of this blitz two thirds of the area’s factories were either destroyed or severely damaged, public utilities were out of commission, 2 hospitals had been destroyed, Coventry Cathedral was a ruin, over 4,000 homes were gone , approximately 1,100 people were hurt and an estimated 600 people were killed.

Set on that same awful night, Coventry by Helen Humphreys follows three people during the bombing: Jeremy a young man who has recently moved to Coventry to find a job in one of the war related factories, his mother, Maeve and Harriet. Maeve is a devoted mother and artist who has spent her life going from job to job in an effort to keep herself and her fatherless son afloat. Harriet is a long time widow. Her husband died in the first few weeks of fighting in WW1. Even twenty years after that loss she has been unable to find happiness in life.

Fate brings Harriet and Jeremy together as firewatchers on the 14th. They spend a night together that is appalling and fantastic. In between the horrific damages, the devastating loss of life and the constant attempt at rescuing, Harriet realizes that she has a connection with Jeremy and his mother. When the bombing starts Maeve heads home to wait for Jeremy’s return. Before that happens she gets caught up in the exodus out of the city. When the night is finally over the lives of all three of the main characters will be forever altered and forever connected.

This huge story is told by Helen Humphreys with a minimum of muss or fuss. Her writing is spare and direct but not in a bullet point, journalist style. Rather Humphreys calm, matter of fact prose juxtaposes the horror of the events in Coventry with her very ordinary characters who are living through it in a way that leaves the reader transfixed.(less)

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Dec 15, 2010 Mrsgaskell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 9-star, bookcrossing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. From the back cover: “On the evening of November 14, 1940, Harriet stands on the roof of the cathedral in the British town of Coventry and marvels at the magnificence of frost glittering beneath a full moon. But it is a bomber’s moon and the Germans are coming to unleash destruction. For Harriet, the young man named Jeremy who shares her duties as a fire-watcher and his free-spirited mother, Maeve, this single night will resonate for the rest of their lives. In a story of breathtaking beauty, He...more From the back cover: “On the evening of November 14, 1940, Harriet stands on the roof of the cathedral in the British town of Coventry and marvels at the magnificence of frost glittering beneath a full moon. But it is a bomber’s moon and the Germans are coming to unleash destruction. For Harriet, the young man named Jeremy who shares her duties as a fire-watcher and his free-spirited mother, Maeve, this single night will resonate for the rest of their lives. In a story of breathtaking beauty, Helen Humphreys recreates the terror of the infamous bombing raid on Coventry. Touching on themes of love, loss, loneliness and remembrance, she has crafted a story that will seize the hearts and imaginations of readers.”

Helen Humphreys’ descriptions are so vivid that reading this book is like being transported to the night of November 14, 1940, during the bombing of Coventry. I was vividly reminded of The Blitz Experience exhibit at the Imperial War Museum in London which we visited many years ago. In a simulated air raid shelter, you hear the bombs, listen to the conversations of people who have spent night after night together, nerves taut and frayed, frightened, the excitement of a young boy wondering about the planes, feel the shaking, and exit to smoke and destruction…With just words, the author has been able to create that kind of experience. She writes beautifully, “‘I don’t really feel alive,’ says Maeve, and Harriet knows what she means. The world they left is unrecognizable, not a place they want to inhabit. It feels like a sort of afterlife. They are their own ghosts.”

I’ve always felt for Harriet and Maeve’s generation, those who were of an age to experience and remember the losses of both world wars and the flashbacks to 1914 and 1919 added to the intensity of the story. The novel ends on a hopeful note with the construction of a new cathedral incorporating the ruins of the old, mirroring the lives of those who have carried on, incorporating their own losses. I’ve never been to Coventry but having read this and Connie Willis’s To Say Nothing of the Dog, I’d love to visit. (less)

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Sep 24, 2009 Ruby rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those who like to read of other times & places

Recommended to Ruby by: review in The Guardian

The book begins in November 1940 with the German serial bombing of Coventry in England, as Harriet prepares to be a fire spotter on the roof of the cathedral. She doesn't know, though the reader may (I did) that the entire city will soon be on fire. Then we go back to the day in 1914 when she says goodbye to her new husband as he goes off to war, not, of course, to return. The author interweaves two other characters into the story very well, using the present tense throughout the shifts in time....more

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May 05, 2009 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

On the evenings of November 14th and 15th, 1940, a massive bombing raid destroyed the English city of Coventry. German attack planes flew over the city dropping hundreds of bombs, decimating most of the architecture and killing roughly 600 people and wounding many more. What was left standing was barely recognizable as a once flourishing and beautiful city. In the novel Coventry, Helen Humphreys weaves this tragic time in history into the story of three people who begin that fateful evening alon...more On the evenings of November 14th and 15th, 1940, a massive bombing raid destroyed the English city of Coventry. German attack planes flew over the city dropping hundreds of bombs, decimating most of the architecture and killing roughly 600 people and wounding many more. What was left standing was barely recognizable as a once flourishing and beautiful city. In the novel Coventry, Helen Humphreys weaves this tragic time in history into the story of three people who begin that fateful evening alone but somehow end up finding each other. Harriett, a young woman who lost her husband in the first World War, is quiet and unassuming. While she still misses her husband desperately, her emotions have been somewhat calloused and atrophied from the years spent alone. When she agrees to take over a shift on the local fire brigade, she gets more than she bargained for when the bombing causes massive fires to break out in her area of patrol. While she is simultaneously fighting the fire and eventually running from it's destruction, she meets Jeremy, a courageous young man who will be her guide and companion through the burning city. Jeremy is also part of the fire brigade, and after the bombing he and Harriett begin to search for his mother Maeve, the third player in this arresting drama. Maeve, an artist, has raised Jeremy alone and is caught in a pub when the bombing begins. When she makes her way home she wishes to stay there and wait for Jeremy but is persuaded by her neighbors to flee the city for the countryside, where it is safer. As the three players move closer to their reunion they witness terrible havoc and bloodshed throughout the once remarkable city. While they are busy dodging the falling bombs they each discover the hidden sides of themselves that they never expected to find, and become enmeshed with each other in astounding ways.

This is a slim book, but one of tremendous power. The author has a way of being very understated and subtle in her choice of words, but somehow this makes the narrative both more haunting and evocative. There were many things about the book that seemed subdued, from the way in which she portrayed her characters to the situations that she chose to illustrate, but there was something that was extremely poignant in the way that she juggled this huge amount of confusion in her story with restraint and quietness. Had she chosen to construct the narrative in a more hypersensitive way, I think the story would have been somewhat directionless and less focused.

Another thing that I appreciated about the book is that the author used the show and not tell method of storytelling. Instead of trying to explain all of her situations and characters and the reasons for their actions, I felt that she let the characters' actions and reactions speak for themselves. It was not hard to see why Harriett behaved as one wounded, or why Maeve was so headstrong. Their characters grew into these emotions as the book progressed, and instead of laying it all out there in a repetitious and elementary way, the author chose to close all those gaps with the growth of her characters and the emotive power of her situations.

As far as the characters go, I preferred Maeve's character to Harriet's because Harriet at times seemed a bit too detached for me, and her remoteness in the main portion of the book was something that I felt was a bit hard to relate to personally. Despite this, I felt that, as a character, Harriet displayed much more growth than the others did. It was illuminating to watch the shifts in her personality and to see her mentally become more cognizant of her emotions and behavior. The growth that Harriett evinced was one of the things I liked most about this character and this book. There was a type of internal monologue running through her that was both plausible and satisfying to witness.

Of the three characters highlighted in this book, Maeve was my favorite. She was very independent and spirited, and I liked the way that her love of drawing and art was infused into the very fiber of her character. I thought that she showed tremendous courage in raising her son alone. During that time period, I am sure hers was not the most popular or acceptable decision. Her love for her son was touching, but it was not an overpowering force in the story; instead it showcased the bond between the two characters in a tender and gentle way.

I also liked Jeremy. He was very young, but he seemed to show a mature and sound emotional capacity, and was endowed with many characteristics that are rare finds in the men of literature. I found him to be an extremely sensitive and compassionate person while still being somewhat of an innocent. Although he could have left Harriett behind to face the odds alone, he willingly took on her presence and agreed to guide her safely through the maelstrom towards safety.

There was a an interesting chemistry between these three players; they were all so very different, but in the end, they all manifested some of the same characteristics, albeit in different ways. Though the force of the war was huge, the force of their personalities were bigger, and that was something that elevated this from your typical war story.

I really enjoyed this book, and think it would be perfect for those who enjoy character driven novels. Whether or not you are a war enthusiast, this book will probably strike a cord in you because there is a great deal to focus on in the story. The characters and situations in the book feel authentic, and although this is a sad story, it is not permeated with bleakness throughout. If you enjoy books that focus on the people surrounding an event and their reactions towards that event, you might really enjoy this book. Recommended. (less)

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May 20, 2013 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, 2013-hf-challenge, historical-fiction

Coventry by Helen Humphreys is an almost poetic depiction of the devastation of the bombing by the Germans in WWII upon that town.

I felt very close to one of the main characters, Harriet Marsh and her reaction to her husband's death in WWI. I could understand why she felt the way that she did. The only thing that keeps this book from getting a five star rating from me is an act by Harriet that just did not did believable. I also enjoyed reading about Maeve but didn't feel close to her.
Coventry...more

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Apr 05, 2011 Linda Lipko rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: wwii

Using three strong characters whose lives were forever changed, Humphreys chronicles the historical event of the bombing of Coventry England by the Germans on the night of November 14, 1940.

This superb author writes of the visceral, astounding, tragic city under siege. As the Germans unrelentingly destroyed Coventry, two middle aged women, Mauve and Harriett, separately witness the horrific destruction and chaos. Years earlier they met fleetingly. Now, on this vivid night, they will reunite as t...more

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Jul 02, 2009 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, world-war-2

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 23, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian

I had bought this book a few weeks ago, and took it with me to get the author to sign it for me yesterday. She read from the book at lunch, and it intrigued me and I started it on my public transit trip home. I read it when I had trouble sleeping in the night and finished it off this morning at breakfast.
The story is mostly set on November 14, 1940, in Coventry, England. This is the day that German bombers destroyed the city, including its cathedral. The main character, Harriet Marsh is firewatc...more

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Sep 13, 2009 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Helen Humphreys uses powerful, yet simple language to relate the events of the night of November 14 1940 as Coventry is beseiged by bombs.

Harriet is on fire watch duty, as a favour to her neighbour - she was widowed during the first months of the last war. During the long and eventful night Harriet meets Jeremy, a young man recently moved to Coventry. Through flash backs to events over 20 years ago, the reader soon realises that Harriet and Jeremy have a link. Their link is Maeve; Jeremy's mothe...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Geri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

I'd never heard of the author before this book. I hate to say this but I found the hardback book in a discount pile for $1.00. The price caused me to pick it up and read the description which I thought sounded good. Though neither of those things were the reason I bought it. I liked the suthors face. She has a real no-nonsense don't give me any gruff look which I liked.
Helen captures the horror of war quite eloquently. On the town as a whole. Also on the lives of various individuals in the town....more

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Jun 04, 2010 Michèle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-literature

This is one discovery that owe a lot to my meeting with the author at an event, and me being an history (and "herstory") buff.
The Coventry bombing of November 1940 is an event wel know, especially as the intelligence knew the of the bombing plan beforehand, having just cracked the famous Enigma code. But Churchill did not want the Germans to guess their code was cracked, as an evacuation of the population would let out.

Coventry, by Helen Humpheys, is the story told entirely from the point of v...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I recently read an ode to small books on a blog. Inspired by that, I picked up Coventry by Helen Humphreys. At 179 pages, it is a quick read.

The majority of the story takes place on Nov 14 1940 when much of Coventry was destroyed by German bombers. Harriet Marsh lost her husband in WWI. Now, she stands as a fire-watcher on the roof of a church. She is a stand-in for her neighbour, Wendell Mumby, who has spent many a night on the roof without spotting a fire. Harriet will not have that experience...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Jayne Charles rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you like apocalypse novels, this may well appeal – a real life apocalypse from the second world war. I was keen to read this, as I know Coventry quite well. My husband comes from there and my grandparents-in-law lived through the very events depicted.

I liked the quality of the writing, particularly the depiction of Harriet who was widowed in World War I and has become ever so slightly prickly and aloof since then. It was subtly done. In all it was a good, if brief, account of the bombing of...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Sandy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ww2, england, hist-fiction, refugee-experience

Another superb book by Helen Humphreys. The tragedy of the destruction in war of the histories of civilizations, cities, cultures, is unfathomable. My heart cries each time I think of such things... be it the invading 'mongol' hordes in Asia hundreds of hundreds of years ago, the Taliban destruction of Buddah Statuary, the Cultural Revolution in 60's China, Ypres in WWI, the bombing of Dresden..., of London..., of Coventry..., of Nagasaki, of Nanking. Of Sarajevo, Dubrovnik, Baghdad, Kabul,... J...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Elaine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Spanning the decades between WW1 and the rebuilding of Coventry Cathedral in the 1960s, this novel covers some interesting times in the collective lives of the citizens of the beleagured city. Poetic and moving in its' descriptions of the fears and traumas faced by young and old alike, this short work really succeeds in drawing the reader into these frightening times.

The plot revolves around 3 characters-2 of whom met by chance in the early weeks of WW1, and fate has their paths cross again, cou...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Adam Dunn rated it 3 of 5 stars

A good solid, satisfying read, though very quick.

I had never really put together the Hell of war from the perceptive told here, the English being bombed by the Germans. This was really brought to life in the book and is something I had never considered so I enjoyed having that insight.

I had seen the show 1940's house so I knew about the Anderson shelter, but I was surprised at the devastation the bombings brought and how quickly life could be snuffed out, a house or street destroyed.

While I did...more

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Nov 10, 2010 Connie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book. The descriptions were very vivd. It made me so sad and so grateful for all of the veterans out there who served faithfully and helped to stop things like this terrible night from happeneing again. I'm amazed at what these people went through. I was not familiar with this town or this bombing at all. It was very interesting and has made me want to know more. The only thing I didn't like was that it was written in the third person. I just didn't like that viewpoint it made it fe...more

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Nov 26, 2010 Pat rated it 3 of 5 stars

A quick read (only 175 pages), this novel tells the true story of one night---November 14, 1940 and the aerial bombing blitz of Coventry by the Germans during WWII. The story entwines the fictional lives of two women who meet in 1914 as one sends of her husband off to WWI then they meet again on this fateful night in WWII. It was interesting to read about this subject and the sights and sounds and impacts of the bombing. The story reads too much like a short story for my taste---not enough detai...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Sam rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those interested in WWII

Recommended to Sam by: saw it on Amazon

Coventry may be more aptly described as a novella, given its slim silhouette, but its content certainly punches well above its weight. It is the story of two women who meet initially during World War I, but the majority of the plot takes place during the night of the Coventry bombing during World War II on November 14, 1940. This is the story Harriet, a widow from WWI, now a substitute firewatcher on the roof of the cathedral who meets Jeremy while trying to escape the city. Their night of near...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Rarecat rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a beautifully written story about the intertwining lives of two women against he background of two world wars and the destruction of Coventry during the last one. I love Helen Humphreys’ poetic language and vivid yet succinct description of people, feelings and places. She captured in fine detail the terror and destruction caused by war, the fickleness of life and the heartbreak of loss. One is plunged right into the destruction, saw and felt everything through the eyes of these two wome...more

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Sep 03, 2010 Veronica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Another book about WW2! But very different from Nella Last. This is a novella really, 170 pages of rather large print, mostly recounting the traumatic events of a single night in Coventry. In that sense, comparisons with On Chesil Beach are inevitable. In some ways, I like it better. Helen Humphreys is a poet, and turns some beautiful phrases; her prose is limpid and beautiful. The story is a little bit predictable in places, but the characters are sensitively drawn, and feel real. Easily read i...more

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May 04, 2012 Gavin Stephenson-Jackman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Gavin by: Mature Men's Book Club

This story follows the lives of two women from WWI and WWII in Coventry England. Harriet meets Maeve as she leaves the train station after seeing her new husband off on his way to Ypres early in WWI. They make their way across the city returning to Harriet's flat never really exchanging enough information to find each other again. Fast forward to 1940 and WWII where Harriet is on fire watch duty on the roof of Coventry Cathedral when the Germans attack. She and another young fire watcher are for...more

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Nov 12, 2008 Darlene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Coventry is the second book of Helen Humphreys that I've read (this is also my selection for my November 2nds Challenge). The first I had read was The Lost Garden which I really enjoyed. Coventry was no different. Helen Humphreys has a way of writing that is beautiful to me no matter how difficult the subject matter may be as it is in Coventry.

Coventry is mainly focused on one night, November 14, 1940, on which occured the bombing of the British town of Coventry by the Germans. Harriet is a wid...more Coventry is the second book of Helen Humphreys that I've read (this is also my selection for my November 2nds Challenge). The first I had read was The Lost Garden which I really enjoyed. Coventry was no different. Helen Humphreys has a way of writing that is beautiful to me no matter how difficult the subject matter may be as it is in Coventry.

Coventry is mainly focused on one night, November 14, 1940, on which occured the bombing of the British town of Coventry by the Germans. Harriet is a widow who lost her husband in the first war. Now in the second war she is found standing on the roof of the Conventry Cathedral on bomb watch watching out for fires with a young man named Jeremy. The air-raid sirens start to wail and a bomb falls. This puts Harriet and Jeremy on a journey through the town of Coventry to find Maeve, Jeremy's mother. What they see and experience on the way is both horrifying and devastating-the destruction of Coventry and the killing of so many innocent people. Yet, in the midst of all this terror love and comfort can be found.

There are several quotes in this book that have stayed with me and I'd like to share a few...so that you have an idea of the descriptive and beautiful writing style of Humpreys...

"For hours, for no reason that I could imagine, I drew black swans. Hunched over a piece of cardboard on the floor of the hotel room, the coal softening to dust on this surface beneath me. What I wanted was the simple pleasure of seeing you again. But you didn't come, couldn't come. I don't know how to make you return to me. But I did come to know the black swan. I knew the long snake flex of its neck, knew that the shape of the body was a leaf, a wing, an open hand, the human heart. I fastened these images to paper, called them swan. And then I rose, black dust dripping from my hands, my arms spread empty to the empty sky, as I walked out through broken streets feathered with shadow-darkness lifting me home."

"The good thing about books is that they remain themselves. What happens in their pages stays there. Harriet does not like the idea of the story bleeding through into real life. She trusts a story, and doesn't trust real life. But what makes her trust a story is the knowledge that it will stay where it is, that she can visit it but that there is no chance it will visit her."

"Harriet is sure she can smell the books burning in the library. She thinks she can smell the pages turning to ash, all the pages she has poured through, the paper thick and slightly damp, the edges of the pages brown with foxing and sometimes sticky to the touch. She used to pride herself on all the information she knew. For some reason it was a comfort, all this knowledge she could unravel with a breath. Now, that still contemplation she had in the library seems completely unreal. Maybe reading was just a way to make her feel less alone, to keep her company. When you read something you are stopped, the moment is stayed, you can sometimes be there more fully than you can in your real life."
If you've never read anything by Helen Humphreys you really should-you should experience her beautiful writing yourself. I don't think a review can do justice to the way her novels make a person feel. Coventry is a gripping read. Humphreys brings alive the bombing of Coventry in such a way that you feel as though you are living through this terror with the characters. In fact she drew on actual events and eyewitness accounts for the writing of this novel. It's not a huge book either at 192 pages and yet you feel as though you know the characters intimately.

I absolutely recommend this novel. I fully intend to read more of Humphreys books.

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Jul 23, 2009 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Amanda by: LibraryThing

Shelves: won, historical-fiction, england

It's a beautiful little hardcover book with a gorgeous cover of Coventry Cathedral in England. At only 192 pages, it reads more as long short story than a novel. While not the best World War II book I've read, it's a great story about the part one town, Coventry, played in the war.

The book centers around two women, Harriet and Maeve, who live in Coventry. They had previously met back in 1914, the day
Harriet's husband went off to fight in World War I. They meet again in 1940 during the German bli...more

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Sep 29, 2008 C.G. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to C.G. by: I won it in a Goodreads contest!

I would actually give this book 3 1/2 stars, if I could. The main story line in "Coventry" takes place on November 14/15, 1940 during WWII when Churchill allowed the Germans to bomb the city so as not to let the Germans know they had broken their codes. (That part is not in the book, of course.)

There are three main characters: Harriet, who was widowed as an 18-year-old during WWI; Maeve, an artist whom Harriet met the day she saw her husband off to war; and Jeremy, Maeve's son, with whom Helen i...more

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Apr 19, 2009 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Another "little" book from Helen Humphreys, anglophile Canadian author. Short like The Frozen Thames and focusing on the three individuals who witnessed the bombing of Coventry, England during the early days of the second world war. Humphreys was obviously very moved by the destruction of that once-beautiful medieval city and who wouldn't be? The atmosphere she creates of aerial bombardment is very effective and her characterization if quite vivid for such a novelette. Good read.

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Sep 12, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Humphreys has a very lean and spartan writing style but I felt it suited her topic: the night when the city of Coventry and its historical cathedral were bombed to the ground by the Germans. The story is told from the views and actions of 3 people caught in the bombing. The book is small and I read it in one evening, but the topic does not need to belaboring. Historical fiction, yes, but also an important contribution to the story of what happened to Coventry.

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Historical Fiction

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War

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History > World War II

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European Literature > British Literature

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About Helen Humphreys

Helen Humphreys is the author of four books of poetry, five novels, and one work of creative non-fiction. She was born in Kingston-on-Thames, England, and now lives in Kingston, Ontario with her dog, Hazel.

Her first novel, Leaving Earth(1997), won the 1998 City of Toronto Book Award and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her second novel, Afterimage (2000), won the 2000 Rogers Writers'...more

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Quotes from Coventry

“Maybe reading was just a way to make her feel less alone, to keep her company. When you read something you are stopped, the moment is stayed, you can sometimes be there more fully than you can in your real life.” — 34 people liked it

“I like being mistaken for someone useful.” — 2 people liked it

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avg rating	preview: Coventry Goodreads rating: 3.66 (536 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2025600.Coventry?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329943931l/2025600.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2025600.Coventry?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Coventry by Helen Humphreys[/url]

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