GREATCOAT, THE - Hardcover

HELEN DUNMORE was born in York in 1952. She is a prolific poet and author who has published several collections of poems and children's books, as well as ten novels. Her novel A Spell of Winter won the inaugural Orange Prize in 1996.

Dunmore’s eerie evocation of post–WWII Britain provides the perfect framework for this nifty little ghost story. As newlyweds Isabel and Philip Carey attempt to cope with housing, fuel, and food shortages in their remote Yorkshire village, the lonely and dissatisfied Isabel becomes increasingly drawn into a disturbingly realistic relationship with a deceased airman. After discovering an RAF greatcoat in their drab little flat, she begins receiving visits from the coat’s original owner. Just who Alec was and how he figured into the life of the Careys’ ominously dour landlady is revealed in delectable dribs and drabs as Isabel begins to lead a double life. Hovering between two worlds, she must figure out exactly what is going on, what her landlady has to do with it, and how and when to extricate herself from a passionately romantic relationship with Alec. This atmospheric tale features an appropriately Gothic twist that bolsters the haunting conclusion. --Margaret Flanagan