A Place Called Winter cover art

A Place Called Winter

The epic and tender bestselling novel of love, compassion and living again

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A Place Called Winter

By: Patrick Gale
Narrated by: Patrick Gale
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About this listen

 ** Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2015 **

To find yourself, sometimes you must lose everything.

A privileged elder son, and stammeringly shy, Harry Cane has followed convention at every step. Even the beginnings of an illicit, dangerous affair do little to shake the foundations of his muted existence - until the shock of discovery and the threat of arrest cost him everything.

Forced to abandon his wife and child, Harry signs up for emigration to the newly colonised Canadian prairies. Remote and unforgiving, his allotted homestead in a place called Winter is a world away from the golden suburbs of turn-of-the-century Edwardian England. And yet it is here, isolated in a seemingly harsh landscape, under the threat of war, madness and an evil man of undeniable magnetism that the fight for survival will reveal in Harry an inner strength and capacity for love beyond anything he has ever known before.

In this exquisite journey of self-discovery, loosely based on a real life family mystery, Patrick Gale has created an epic, intimate human drama, both brutal and breathtaking. It is a novel of secrets, sexuality and, ultimately, of great love.

(P)2015 Headline Digital©2015 Patrick Gale Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Fiction Emotionally Gripping Heartfelt Inspiring Tear-jerking Thought-Provoking Scary Winter

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Critic reviews

Patrick Gale has written a book which manages to be both tender and epic, and carries the unmistakeable tang of a true story. I loved it. (Jojo Moyes)
Absorbing, moving and beautifully written, with echoes of EM Forster which I found especially enjoyable. (Amanda Craig)
Beautifully structured around the warmest of warm hearts, but it's also run through with something new: a devastating chill of loss, fear and exile which keeps you shaking your head and biting your lip in concern and shame and disbelief. (Louisa Young)
Bold, moving, intensely erotic - I couldn't put down this tale of passion and endurance, told with such tenderness. (Patricia Duncker)
A tender tale of loss and love
This is an intensely personal book. Gale was inspired by a true tale from his own family history, and the depth of feeling shows. It's one gay man reaching out to another across a century of social change, and his most powerfully moving novel yet
A dramatic and affecting portrayal of dislocation, extreme environments and the traumatic effects of enforced secrecy
A master storyteller. Quite simply, you believe every word he tells you
Gale is not a sentimental writer, he's vividly aware of hardship and despair, but the overwhelming emotion in this fine book is one of tender, life-affirming joy
His best book yet
This is a convincing and fascinating portrait of daily life over a century ago in a far away place. The mixture of adventure, historical saga and romance is utterly heartwrenching
Gale is a skilful storyteller
Mr Gale often uses autobiographical detail to good effect; here, he has excelled himself with the historical detail, resulting in a beautifully written, satisfying story that deserves to be a bestseller
A mesmerising storyteller; this novel is written with intelligence and warmth
Gale employs his gift as a writer to will such pockets of tolerance retrospectively into existence - for the sake of his relative, as well, perhaps, as for all of us. Humanity does not look quite so wretched through Patrick Gale's eyes
Lightness of touch, one of Gale's characters observes, is desirable in a novelist, and it is one of Gale's virtues...Rich in atmosphere and period detail...this enjoyable tale is both witty and poignant
A gorgeously written, bittersweet story about secrets and identity
[A] fascinating novel (Helen Dunmore)
Be inspired by Patrick Gale's entrée to historical fiction... the deep undercurrents of love and desire that give the novel its pull will awaken you
An epic, intimate human drama, both brutal and breathtaking
A gripping and deeply moving book about love, fear and hope
All stars
Most relevant
Patrick Gale's reading of his own tale of love and loss is tender and absorbing. The story casts light on aspects of history and war that are little covered in literature. The handling of the myriad forms of love was both passionate and delicate. I really enjoyed this as a talking book.

Atmospheric and thought provoking

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I was drawn into this story and seemed to live, as if invited, with both family's. I realised at the end how blessed we are to live now in this day and age, even if there are still difficulties that we need to over come

Beautiful

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I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audio book and - knowing very little of the White settlement of Canada in the late 19th/early 20th century - I also found it historically enlightening and interesting. It was perhaps a bit slow to get started as we get a thorough introduction to Harry Cane's family and background, but it all deepens the listener's understanding of and sympathy for Harry whose life story is indeed a remarkable one. The narration seems a bit aloof, but I still liked the fact that it is the author himself who narrates the story as it adds an extra dimension to the characters; this is how he imagines they sound and act. Definitely recommended if you enjoy slow-paced historical novels with complex characters.

Captivating and complex

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At first more character set up but then the story reeled me in totally
Knowing it's the author reading made me more trusting in understanding all nuances
Great story, beautiful prose and intonation, and very enjoyable. Historically insightful and touching upon all that it is to be human
Loved the characters

Moving and powerful

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I absolutely loved the way this touching story unfolded. It was moving, sensitive and evoked a clear sense of emotions.

Beautiful story telling.

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