Although the latest from Clare Clark is a work of fiction, it’s based on true events—principally the deliberate flooding of a Welsh valley in the mid-1960s to create a reservoir to be used by the people of Liverpool. Scores of families were evicted from their homes, including many farmers, all of whom were offered land elsewhere in Wales. The novel begins with the Jones family having to up sticks and leave their farm behind. Dai Jones cannot hide his contempt for the whole farrago, while his wife, Olwen, isn’t averse to finding a silver lining. It’s their teenage son Emyr, however, who is most affected and is gradually drawn into a Welsh separatist movement. Time and place are wonderfully evoked here in this thoughtful family drama in which Clark explores everything from loyalty to identity to imperialism. She also finds room for a neat plot that powers the narrative along nicely. RM

Published by Wilton Square Books