Farthing

Farthing (2006) Jo Walton

Wow. That was far more depressing than I expected.

It’s 1949, and Great Britain remains independent after its “Peace with Honor” with Hitler. The war between Hitler and the Soviet Union continues on, but in Britain labor unions are starting to emerge to ask for better pay and working conditions.

The “Farthing Set,” who were behind the peace with Hitler, are gathered at Farthing Castle for the weekend–ostensibly for pleasure, but with the Farthing Set politics is never too far away as they plan for an upcoming important vote in Parliament.

The story goes back and forth between two narrators: Lucy Kahn, the daughter of the owners of Farthing Castle, and Inspector Carmichael of Scotland Yard who is sent out to Farthing Castle to investigate a murder.

The backdrop to the murder mystery is the politics in Great Britain as it continues to come to terms with peace with Hitler and the Jews in its own country. It is both fascinating and depressing to see Britain slowly begin to come apart at the seams, as various individuals and groups are slowly singled out. It’s also fascinating to see who ends up in control of other nations around the world, including the US.

But it is a depressing story, as the backdrop of politics begins to take a larger and larger role in the story, and you see oppression against minorities beginning to raise its head. But despite that, it’s a very good story, well worth reading, and I’ve ordered the sequel, although it seems as if some of the characters about whom I am concerned don’t seem to be in the sequel.
Rating: 8/10

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