The Village: A Year in Twelve Tales (Unabridged‪)‬

It is the New Year, and people in the village are making plans. A father and son visit a disused aerodrome and find a mysterious link to their past. In spring, a young boy is entranced by nature as he follows a hare. A marriage enters its death throes with a terrifying drive. In May, a gardening competition rekindles an old rivalry. There are dastardly deeds at the Summer Fete, but real violence erupts later in the year, with an influx of newcomers at harvest time. In November, a new arrival to the village learns the importance of first impressions. As the year ends, the whole village comes together to overcome imminent danger.

These 12 interlinked stories portray a year in the life of the village and its inhabitants, as four generations of the Marshall family negotiate the hazards of modern life. Babies are born, children grow, matches are made or marriages founder, and death, both anticipated and unlooked for, pays a call.