The author manages to transport the reader to Oxgodby. Little shows of defiance that are, in reality, much better for the soul. Little things such as negotiating for a new organ for church, allowing Tom to preach, instead of the Pastor having to run himself ragged being in two places at once. But as he uncovers more of the medieval painting, he also uncovers more of characters inhabiting the surrounding area, showing them they can be both happy with their lot and capable of much more. Tom’s influence on the village is silent, barely noticeable at first. Whilst he realises he cannot follow his desires, have them reciprocated by the women who inspires them, he does come to realise that he has the capacity to open his heart to love again.Īs Tom heals from the nightmares that follow him from the Great War as he take on the peace of the countryside and the joy in his work, the reader slows down a pace too, the slower pace of life and intricacies of village life working their magic on real and fictional people alike. In this small village he can also heal his heart, coming to terms with the break-up of his marriage. Those physical affectations begin to calm down, becoming less noticeable, at least to Tom who comes to realise those he interacts with are adept at not seeing, or at least ignoring, his injuries.

There are multitudes of little things, working like bees in a hive to create a balm for Tom, with his tics and tremors, a souvenir of his days at war. It may seem that not much happens during this short tale, but that is not the case. What he doesn’t realise is he will also spend the month re-discovering himself, and a hope for the future. There he will spend the summer uncovering a medieval wall painting in the village church.

Tom Birkin, still haunted by the Great War, has taken a job at Oxgodby, a small village in the English countryside. Adapted into a 1987 film starring Colin Firth, Natasha Richardson and Kenneth Branagh, A Month in the Country traces the slow revival of the primeval rhythms of life so cruelly disorientated by the Great War. Now an old man, Birkin looks back on the idyllic summer of 1920, remembering a vanished place of blissful calm, untouched by change, a precious moment he has carried with him through the disappointments of the years. Immersed in the peace and beauty of the countryside and the unchanging rhythms of village life he experiences a sense of renewal and belief in the future. A damaged survivor of the First World War, Tom Birkin finds refuge in the quiet village church of Oxgodby where he is to spend the summer uncovering a huge medieval wall-painting.

A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr