The advance word on Helen Bain’s first novel, The Daffodil Days, has been remarkable. Thanks to the gift of an advance copy, and can confirm that the initial raves are well deserved: This is a remarkable, wonderful debut novel.

So we’re excited to have Helen offering a reading and discussion about her engrossing, subtle work.

The Daffodil Days brings to the fore the lives of a Devon village in the early 1960s. There’s the local GP who knows more about his patients than he would sometimes prefer. There’s the young shop assistant at Kestrels, who understands that the ladies who come there for a new outfit sometimes hope to find a new self. There’s the tenant farm labourer, who rings the tower bells at the church three times a week, the notes – harmonious and clashing – rippling across the rooftops of the town. They are united by their village - and by their relationship to the couple who move to the village with their young daughter.

Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes planned a new and fulfilling life in North Tawton. They made friends, entertained their London gang, and .entered into village life. Seen through the eyes of neighbours and friends, a multi-faceted portrait of the couple gradually emerges.

There is so much to enjoy in Helen’s book – and so much to learn about, from her in-depth research into North Tawton to her subtle vision of perhaps the most infamous couple in recent literary history.

Quietly miraculous. The Daffodil Days brings the characters in a rural community to life in a way that evokes Andrew Miller’s The Land in Winter ... Compassionate, perceptive and truly wonderful – Miranda Seymour

Join Helen celebrating her exciting first novel at The Star Inn on Sunday 29 March. We’ll start at 3pm, with a signing to follow the talk.

Entrance cost £6, and includes a discount on the price of Helen’s novel. (We will extend the discount to ticket-holders in days before the event, when we secure copies of her book, so you can read it before the talk.)

We will not send tickets - we’ll keep a guest list instead. Space on the day will depend on whether there are places available, of course - so secure your spot early, please!

(Author photo by Sarah Weal)