National Winner

In National Winner, the sixth novel in the Land of the Living sequence, Amy Parry appears to have reached a summit of affluence and influence. As Lady Brangor, the widow of her third husband, she plans to create a cultural centre for women at Brangor Hall. These ambitious plans are impeded by the obsession of her youngest son, Peredur, with the mysterious death of his father, John Cilydd More, Amy's first husband, the poet and National Winner of the title. Her devoted stepson, Bedwyr, and her other son Gwydion, each with his own agenda and concerns, are also resistant to Amy's enthusiasms and practised charm. This is a family that has emerged from a tightly knit and recognisable society: each now in his or her own way, in spite of obstacles, seeks a path to fulfilment in a post-war period of unprecedented change.

'The characters are splendidly human; consistent but surprising, as living people are, regarding each other with affectionate intolerance, as living people do. Mr Humphreys is skilful and percipient, but he has a rarer talent still: he appears to love his fellow men.' Daily Telegraph