The Hills and the Valley

In the small mining town of Hillsbridge, the locale of Tanner's previous, well-received novels ( The Hours of Light ; The Emerald Valley ) the reverberations of WW II are felt in various ways by members of the Hall family. Some of the extended clan are called to service in 1939, foreshadowing the devastating Battle of Britain; some shelter evacuee urchins from bombed-out London. But the love story of Barbara and Huw is the narrative's focus. They are companions from childhood, when abused orphan Huw was taken in by Barbara's parents. When their friendship ripens into love, Huw learns that he might be Barbara's illegitimate half-brother. Stunned, Huw joins the RAF, but the secret is kept from Barbara, who eventually enters an ill-starred marriage. Although a certain amount of melodrama precedes the lovers' reunion, this well-told story holds the reader's attention. (Jan.)