Two books Reviewed
OFF THE SHELF
“Holding the Line” by Barbara Kingsolver
In 1983, Barbara Kingsolver, had a job as a scientific writer but she spent her weekends as a freelance journalist covering the Phelps Dodge Miners’ strike in Arizona. This book tells the story of how miners’ wives took up the mantle of their labourer husbands and held an 18-month picket line for a union contract that never materialized. Kingsolver follows this timeline through the eye-witness accounts of the women from Arizona. It’s a verbatim report from many tapes, and the group often felt it was lengthy and repetitive. However, what we did feel was immensely gripping, was the powerful strength of the women who continued to battle for a fair and just cause. The relentless belief, and energy of the Miners Women Auxiliary is a testament to how commitment can outwit and grind down the giants, who tried to break the morale of the strikers through violent and sometime illegal methods. The book shows how strong women changed the patterns of life by making small steps and it was acknowledged that this wasn’t an easy road to take, with often a high price to pay in terms of marriage relationships and family breakups. Although it was hard to keep track of the threads of the research there was no doubt that the endless efforts of these women led to major changes for the rights of women. As individuals began to speak out and ‘hold court’ in a world which was dominated by the male voice, they earnt a respect which travelled internationally creating a world arena for women to continue to speak out against injustices. It is a book which includes many characters and acronyms which can be confusing, but the direct factual approach leaves the reader with the sense of awe that this was an immense period in world history for feminism.
The group gave it as score of 8 out of 10.
Isobel Davies
“Golden Hill” by Francis Spufford
It is 1746 and a handsome young man arrives in New York wanting to cash a bank order for £1,000. The City is very much in its infancy and suspicious of the newcomer; who is he and why is he here. A fast-paced rollicking story with many highs and lows for the protagonist. It is full of twists, turns and wonderful descriptions. Extensive research obviously underpins this novel.
Opinion on this book was divided. Half of the group found it hard to get into because of the archaic language and at the start it seemed disjointed. The rest of us really enthused over the fun, adventures and eventual reveal.
We scored 7/10
Patricia Coulthard
