The genius of H.E. Bates and C.F. Tunncliffe was inspired by the beauty of the English countryside. In the Heart of the Country is their tribute to its many faces: the magnificence of winter blizzards; the sudden sweet arrival of spring blossom; the heavy scent of an August garden; or the bronze glow of autumn light. Its pages are full of sharp observations which reveal the loveliness of everyday sights and fleeting moments, from the charm of butterflies and their names to the behaviour of animals and birds, the joys of gardening and the character of the people and their landscape.
H. E. Bates (1905–74) was an English writer and author. Many of his stories depict life in the rural Midlands of England. Bates was partial to taking long midnight walks around the Northamptonshire countryside and this often provided the inspiration for his stories. His best-known works include Love for Lydia, The Darling Buds of May, and My Uncle Silas.