Sarah Hall’s Helm is reviewed as an ambitious, lyrical audiobook novel centred on the powerful northeasterly wind that descends from Cross Fell in the Pennines. Its broad historical scope and shifting voices make narration demanding, but actor Louise Brealey is praised for bringing out the book’s poetic, playful and occasionally coarse qualities.

Written over 20 years, the novel links people affected by Helm across centuries, including a Neolithic seer, a “wizard priest”, a Victorian meteorologist and a contemporary climatologist studying airborne microplastics. Helm is Britain’s only named wind and is known for unusual clouds and destructive gusts; the audiobook is available through Faber and runs for 13 hours and three minutes.