Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Apr 2016
272 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Information
A succinct and witty literary venture that tells the strange story of a priceless treasure discovered in East Anglia on the eve of World War II.
In the long, hot summer of 1939, Britain is preparing for war, but on a riverside farm in Suffolk there is excitement of another kind. Mrs. Pretty, the widowed owner of the farm, has had her hunch confirmed that the mounds on her land hold buried treasure. As the dig proceeds, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary find.
This fictional recreation of the famed Sutton Hoo dig follows three months of intense activity when locals fought outsiders, professionals thwarted amateurs, and love and rivalry flourished in equal measure. As the war looms ever closer, engraved gold peeks through the soil, and each character searches for answers in the buried treasure. Their threads of love, loss, and aspiration weave a common awareness of the past as something that can never truly be left behind.
Paperback Original
"Starred Review. As homey at times as chamomile tea but spiked with pointed undercurrents, this is a real treat for a reader who can appreciate its quiet pleasures." - Kirkus
"A moving tale of mortality and the passage of time... affecting... Preston is subtle but precise in his characterizations, and meticulous with period detail." — Publishers Weekly
"The Dig offers both a vividly reimagined slice of history and a tantalizing rumination on what remains after we cease to exist" — Booklist
"Intensely human... [The Dig] constantly reminds us, rediscovering the past is a deeply equivocal pursuit...Preston keeps an iron grip on the reader's attention... a wonderful, evocative book. From his simple tale of dirt, Preston has produced the finest gold." — The Guardian
"A rich vein of dry humor runs throughout." — Evening Standard
"Intriguing, tender and entertaining...easily Preston's best." — The Independent
"A delicate, quietly affecting human drama." — Daily Mail
"A moving novel that coheres wonderfully as it progresses." — Spectator
"A delicate evocation of a vanished era." — Sunday Times
"Beautifully written...there is a true and wonderful ending to the story." — Bill Wyman, Mail on Sunday
"A very fine, engrossing, and exquisitely original novel." - Ian McEwan, author of Atonement
"Wistful and poignant. A masterpiece in Chekhovian understatement." - Times Literary Supplement
"An enthralling story of love and loss, a real literary treasure. One of the most original novels of the year." - Robert Harris, author of An Officer and a Spy
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
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