The Western Wind
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The Western Wind is a 2018 novel by the English author Samantha Harvey. Set in the Somerset village of Oakham in 1491, it tells the story of the death of Thomas Newman, a wealthy landowner, from the perspective of John Reve, the village priest. The narrative structure is unorthodox, recounting four days in reverse order, beginning with Shrove Tuesday and ending with Shrove Saturday, the day of Newman's disappearance.
The novel initially appears to follow the style of a detective story, as Reve assists the local dean in investigating Newman's disappearance and establishing if any of the villagers played a role in his death. The dean settles on two suspects: the local landowner, Lord Townshend, and Sarah Spenser, a gravely ill woman who falsely confesses to Newman's murder. In the final section (chronologically the first), it is revealed that Reve knew throughout the story that Newman's death was suicide, and that he has hidden the truth from the dean in order to protect Herry Carter, a young parishoner who was with Newman when he died.
Critics praised the book's lyrical prose and the construction of Reve as a character: several described him as an unreliable narrator. The novel drew comparisons with Harvey's earlier works for its philosophical tone and fascination with memory, as well as with the works of Hilary Mantel, Virginia Woolf, Ian McEwan and Marilynne Robinson. Some critics found the historical setting unconvincing, and the novel's philosophical and theological diversions to be ponderous and distracting. The anachronic narration was variously seen as reinforcing the novel's plot, as a source of satisfaction and cleverness, and as an over-complicated distraction from the story. The novel won the 2019 Staunch Book Prize, and was shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction.
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- Narration (1) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Ein kamocha - Av Harachamim - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (2) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Vayehi binso'a - L'cha adonai - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (3) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Av Harachamim (Arr. M. Machtenberg for Cantor & Vocal Ensemble) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (4) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Avinu shebashamayim (Arr. M. Lazar & R. Slade for Cantor & Vocal Ensemble) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (5) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Hodo al eretz - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Psalm 29 "Havu l'Adonai" - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (6) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Uvnucho yomar (Arr. A. Manchester for Choir) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (7) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Etz chayim - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (8) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- M'chalkel chayyim - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (9) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Kedushah - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (10) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- L'dor vador - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (11) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Uvyom hashabbat - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (12) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Yis'm'chu (Arr. E.Z. Levine for Cantor & Choir) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (13) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- R'tzei (Arr. A. Ellstein for Cantor & Choir) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (14) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Y'va'rech'cha - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (15) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Sim shalom - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (16) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Ein kelohenu (Arr. R. Goldstein for Cantor & Choir) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Adon olam - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Narration (17) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Hamavdil - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 2 – Saturday Morning Service - The Western Wind
- Introduction - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Yedid nefesh (Arr. for Cantor & Vocal Ensemble by Elliot Z. Levine) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (1) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Ono B'choach (Arr. for Cantor & Vocal Ensemble by Matthew Lazar) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (2) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- L'cha dodi - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (3) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Psalm 92, D. 953 - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (4) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Tzadik katamar - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (5) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Ha-shirim asher li-Shlomo: No. 3, Barechu - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (6) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Ahavas olom - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (7) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Ha-shirim asher li-Shlomo: No. 15, Hashkivenu - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (8) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- V'shamru - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (9) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Magen avot - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (10) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Yih'yu l'ratzon - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (11) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Shalom aleichem (Arr. for Vocal Ensemble by Elliot Z. Levine) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (12) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Eshet chayil (Arr. for Vocal Ensemble by Stanley Sperber) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (13) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Yah ribon alam - Tzur mishelo achalnu (Arr. for Cantor & Vocal Ensemble by Gil Adema) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (14) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- D'ror Yikra (Arr. for Vocal Ensemble by Yehezkel Braun) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (15) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Ein adir (Arr. for Vocal Ensemble by Odeon Partos) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (16) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- El Dio alto (Arr. for Vocal Ensemble by The Western Wind) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Narration (17) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
- Shir Hama'alot (Arr. for Cantor & Vocal Ensemble by Raymond Goldstein) - Taste of Eternity: A Musical Shabbat, Pt. 1 – Friday Night Service & Table Songs - The Western Wind
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