Let the Hero be the Hungry Man - Softcover

Anstis, Ralph

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0951137158 ISBN 13: 9780951137154

Publisher: Albion House, 2000

Synopsis

This novel is about life in a coal-mining village in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, in the 1870s. The poverty in the Forest at that time and the raw industrial struggles there between the coalminers and their masters form the backdrop to this story of conflict between private love and public commitment.

Adam Turley, a young Forester, goes to south Wales in search of work and returns to the Forest with Catrin, a farmer's daughter, as his bride. They are deeply in life until Adam, aware of the poverty and poor working conditions of his fellow miners, becomes involved in forming a trade union to improve their conditions of work. Catrin shows no interest in her husband's ambitions or his struggles with the local coalmaster, and he turns elsewhere for understanding, companionship and eventually, for love.

Forest life in the 1870s among both coalminers and coalmasters is vividly recreated in this story, not only in day-to-day matters, but in the feelings and emotions which stirred men and women - love and ignorance, kindness and indifference, passion and hatred - and drove them forward as relentlessly then as they do today.

About this title

Review

As Alexander Cordell has become known for his stories based in the coal mines of south Wales so Ralph Anstis should be known as the authentic voice of the Forest -- Ross Gazette, Oct. 26, 2000

I really could not put this book down. Ralph Anstis's characters are real people and the situatons they find themselves in are completely believable -- Forest of Dean History Society Newsletter, Oct 2000

The struggle with the coalmasters leading to strikes, riots and family feuds are graphically described. The author has used his considerable knowledge of the history of the Forest of Dean and particularly the coal mining industry there in the 19th century to give a vivid and accurate description of life in this community -- University of West of England Regional Historian, no. 6

This carefully-drafted and convincingly written novel is full of delightful cameos -- Forest and Wye Valley Review, Nov. 10, 2000

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The two women busied themselves getting the meal. When it was ready they put it in the oven to keep warm. Then Emma unhooked the tin bath from outside the back door and put it in front of the fire, forcing Cornelius to retreat into a corner. She poured some buckets of cold water into the bath,and placed two towels to warm before the fire.

'Nice and clean tonight,' she said, admiring her washing. 'They won't be tomorrow, you can be sure. But you can't wash towels every day.'

She heard the gate open and hurried to the back kitchen to draw the first bucket of hot water from the copper. 'Never keep them waiting,' she said.

The men came in.

'What be for eats?' said George, collapsing into a chair.

Adam came over to Catrin. As he did so she smelt the sweat from his body, an acrid, unattractive smell, distressingly male. It had been reheated several times during the day and was now being revived by the warmth of the room. She had smelt the odour rising from his body when he had put his arm around her during their courting, and had found it clean and sweet; but this was an objectionable, frightening smell.

She drew back and he no doubt thought it was his dirt that repelled her. 'Sorry, Catrin, I be all smot up with dirt. Wait till I've had me bath.' But he leaned forward and kissed her on the tip of her nose, leaving a black smudge. She looked in the mirror and they both laughed.

Meanwhile Emma had poured another bucket of boiling water into the bath and George was removing his clothes. Catrin looked away.

'Get me some clean clothes, love,' said Adam, and Catrin was pleased to go upstairs. She stayed until she judged that George was out of the bath and dressed.

'My turn in first tomorrow night, then,' Adam was saying when she returned. He was sitting in the bath, his hair washed, his face shining clean, his knees close to his chest. He was rubbing a bar of yellow soap on a flannel. 'Wash me back, love.'

Catrin approached timidly, rubbed the flannel over his back and then rinsed the grey scum off. She was appalled at the scabs of coal-dust embedded in his back, and wanted to kiss them, but did not dare in case the others saw her. Adam, unaware of her thoughts, got out of the bath and took the towel his mother handed him.

'When I was down the pit,' said Cornelius, 'I used to 'ave me dinner before I washed. We all did in them days. Nowadays you must be all clean 'afore you sits down.'

'Filthy lot you must have been, too,' said George.

'And when we did wash we never cleaned our backs. Made for weakness in the spine, that it did. Them as washed their backs couldn't work as well as them as didn't'.

Edition details

• Publisher: Albion House
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0951137158
• ISBN 13: 9780951137154
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 313