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In the Valley, Where Belladonna Grows Kindle Edition

by Tim Lebbon (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 54 ratings
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An apocalyptic vision from one woman's damaged mind, this story is for anyone who has ever felt alone. A dark nightmare of solitude and rejection, pride and guilt, love found and lost.

Mary exists alone in a valley, happy, surviving, but all too aware that the terrible dangers beyond her home must one day come home to roost. And that day is now.

Includes exclusive bonus story 'The God of Rain'
Previous page
  1. Print length
    78 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    March 8, 2014
  5. File size
    3821 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00IW9EIJK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dreaming in Fire Press (March 8, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 8, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3821 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 78 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 54 ratings

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
54 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

mkittysamom
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2020
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I love the writing! The fantasy, the big twist at the end! I love the female perspective! I also read “The God of Rain” which was a great short story! It actually was kind of like the story of a couple, who married and then something happened except the reader doesn’t get to really know. I was thrown off at the end of “The God of Rain” I’m not sure if the narrator was just unreliable or if it was really a projection of fantasy/imagination? I hate endings that leave the reader going.. WTF, except this one I didn’t hate even though I was confused.. I think it went over my head. But yes Tim Lebbon is just the best storyteller and writer! I always enjoy his work!
One person found this helpful
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Jeremiah Walker
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2014
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In the Valley Where Belladonna Grows was an intelligent smooth read. I have often wondered where we go when we are not here.
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Rachel
3.0 out of 5 stars Wtf
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2017
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What did I just read? This was trippy and strange with a disappointing and unsatisfactory ending. The writing was lovely though.
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FuldaRussell
5.0 out of 5 stars Short and oh, so intense!
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2014
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The title intrigued me enough to go against my personal conviction of NEVER reading anything that has less than a dozen favorable reviews, which has never been wrong--until now. Very, very well done. This tale drew me in from the first sentence and I could not stop until it was done. The swells and releases, the dissonance and the consonance formed a very intense and satisfying tale. Well done. As lagniappe, we also have "The God of Rain", a way of dealing with grief that, I am afraid, I can easily understand. Thank you, Mr. Lebbon, for the intensity of both tales.
3 people found this helpful
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DsrtRosy
4.0 out of 5 stars Worth a read
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2014
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The ending was a bit more abrupt than the rest of the story deserved, but it was really well-done otherwise. I would have liked a bit more exploration of the metaphor of the images, wondering what it all might mean, the work of revamping the relationship in light of her memories (even dream memory can seem very real).
One person found this helpful
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Cat Voleur
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Written and Unsettling
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2020
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This book grabbed me from page one. I loved the writing style and there were some really excellent, poignant quotes.

There were one or two things I had objections to in terms of message and pacing, but the protagonist was wonderful and it was a good way to spend my sick day.
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Doc Redbat
3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2015
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A very well written bunch of stories. I'm not normally a fan of "quiet" horror, but I really enjoyed this.
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Zachary D Walters
5.0 out of 5 stars "Philosophy is a luxury of a balanced populace"
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2014
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An aging woman, living alone, exiled by her husband, making a life and finding peace in a gorgeous valley when a stranger appears on the horizon. Her first visitor and human contact in 16 years shatters her sense of peace.

I loved this novella. Very immersive and beautifully written. A curtain of dread begins to smother you, the reader, as visitors begin to descend into Mary's valley, into her life.

A Wonderful read. Check it out.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

AJs Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing and intriguing
Reviewed in Australia on April 24, 2020
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I found this absolutely absorbing and intriguing. Even after finishing it, I can't place it in a particular genre, except that it has dark leanings. Threads of horror, fantasy and mystery create something unique here. Well worth reading.
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Karswell
5.0 out of 5 stars Bella, bella - molto bello...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2014
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I have to confess that when I read the novella Still Life from Spectral Press, it was my first encounter with the work of Tim Lebbon. On the strength of that book, and given my enjoyment of it, I sought out more of Tim’s writing and as a result find myself currently nearing the conclusion of Coldbrook – a hefty tome but one which I’m flying through, faster than the spread of a zombie plague. Listed within the book are all of Tim’s other publications – an extensive back catalogue that, whilst whetting my appetite greatly with the prospect of some wonderful reading ahead also made me wonder how I’d managed to miss so many books for so long.
Working through that back catalogue is something I’m very much looking forward to and so it was with great pleasure that I discovered that Tim has set up his own enterprise in the form of Dreaming in Fire through which he will be publishing electronic versions of some of his short stories and novellas.
Figuring that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I did, I took a break from the breakneck pace of Coldbrook to sample one of these newly resurrected stories, In the Valley Where Belladonna Grows.
The story focuses on Mary, living a life of isolation in a remote valley. What at first seems an almost idyllic existence turns into something more sinister as information is slowly drip-fed to the reader – it seems Mary’s isolation has been enforced, she has been exiled from “the city” by none other than her husband, Sherlock, a man who has achieved status and power through less than reputable means.
It seems that the years of exile are over however, as a series of emissaries from the city are sent to persuade Mary to return…
In the Valley… is a story of changing perceptions, playing with expectations, presenting a scenario which raises questions in the reader’s mind and then slowly reveals information that offer clues and suggestions as to why Mary is where she is.
Or does it?
Certain aspects of Mary’s situation don’t seem to ring true – in particular, it’s stated that she hasn’t seen another human being for sixteen years which begs the question of how far removed from society can she actually be? It’s a clever device, planting the seeds of suspicion in the reader’s mind that all is not what it may seem. Much is made of the presence of Belladonna growing in profusion around Mary’s homestead, a plant well known for its hallucinogenic, as well as poisonous properties. Dreams and visions (of a generally post-apocalyptic nature) are woven into the narrative and add to the feeling of uncertainty - are her visitors real or imagined, and what of the wild dogs that terrorise the surrounding countryside? Are all of her experiences actually happening or simply the products of her own imagination – brought on by loneliness and isolation or the insidious influence of the Belladonna?
To say more would be to potentially spoil what is an extremely cleverly written story. Its conclusion is eminently satisfying and will cast a whole new light on all that has gone before. It will probably make you want to read it again so you can see just how clever it actually is. I did. (And it is very clever).

The idea to re-release a back catalogue in this way is one I heartily applaud and I look forward to more from Dreaming in Fire, especially if they are of the same high standard as In the Valley…
4 people found this helpful
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Jakk54
4.0 out of 5 stars brilliant self. Not as good as White
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2014
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Lebbon at his usual, brilliant self. Not as good as White, in my view, but remarkable nonetheless.
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Craig Saunders
5.0 out of 5 stars Spellbinding.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2014
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Tim Lebbon's been a favourite of mine for a long time, since discovering his shorter work in some 'Year's Best' anthologies...can't remember which editions, but I'm sure he's been in a few ;)

It's a good tale, but for me, it's Lebbon's measured prose that sells it. A story told with patience, so that you, the reader, are forced to slow down and take a little time among the belladona, too. Wonderful stuff. Cheers!
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Izzy Fulton
5.0 out of 5 stars Read this!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 27, 2019
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Loved this book, the main character kept my interest, I was fascinated with her lifestyle, the ending wasn't what I was expecting, I really didn't see it coming.
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