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A major new novel from the critically acclaimed author of IF THE INVADER COMES.On Boxing Day 1962 it began to snow. Over the next two months England froze. It was the coldest winter since 1740. The sea iced over. Cars could be driven across the Thames.Riding home from London in that first snowfall, on the powerful motorbike he has been given for Christmas, seventeen-year-old Alan Rae has a brush with death. Immediately he meets a girl, Cynthia, who will change his life. But someone else is equally preoccupied with her, Geoffrey, a young scientist who works with Alan's father in the race with the Americans and the Russians to develop the microchip. Alan, Geoffrey and Cynthia become linked by a web of secrets which, while the country remains in icy suspension, threatens everything they ever trusted.Derek Beaven's new novel is a moral drama. It demands that we question who our real friends are, and asks us to reconsider the scientific assumptions upon which all of modern life, and much of modern fiction, is based.
A brutal, record-breaking winter serves as the backdrop for a collision of personal secrets and professional ambition. Seventeen-year-old Alan Rae survives a near-fatal motorcycle accident during the onset of the historic 1962 freeze, an event that introduces him to Cynthia. As Alan and Cynthia grow closer, they find themselves entangled with Geoffrey, a scientist working on early microchip technology alongside Alan's father. The narrative explores the shifting loyalties and moral compromises of these three individuals as the harsh weather mirrors the cold, calculated nature of their developing technological race. The story unfolds as a moral drama, examining how personal trust fractures under the pressure of hidden agendas.
This novel presents a somber examination of the intersection between personal morality and the rapid advancement of technology. The narrative suggests a focus on the psychological toll of secrets kept during a period of national stagnation. Readers likely encounter a deliberate, measured pace that mirrors the icy, suspended state of the English landscape described in the text. The work appears to prioritize thematic depth over rapid plot progression, inviting reflection on the scientific assumptions that underpin modern existence. The author's approach indicates a preference for character-driven conflict set against a backdrop of historical and technological change.
Page Count:
288
Publication Date:
2003-05-05
Publisher:
Harper Perennial
ISBN-10:
0007151101
ISBN-13:
9780007151103
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