Black Earth by Kate London – Review
By Karl Hornsey
Kate London sprung to literary attention almost 10 years ago with the publication of Death Message, which spawned another three novels in what was to become The Tower series, named after the TV adaptation of the same name, starring Gemma Whelan and Jimmy Akingbola.
Now, she has turned her attention to what seems destined to become another hugely successful series, beginning with Black Earth, set in the mid-1980s in Staffordshire around the time of the infamous and bitter miners’ strikes.
You may think that particular topic has been covered enough already, especially in the likes of David Peace’s magnificent GB84 or the relatively recent Sherwood TV series starring David Morrissey and Lesley Manville, but Kate London has an authenticity that few others can emulate, as she was raised in the Stoke area during the strikes, her brother-in-law was a striking Staffordshire miner and she also has the string of having been a former homicide detective in the Met Police to her estimable bow.
“Tension of the times”
Her knowledge of police procedures gives her a head start into how to tell a genuine story during a period of time in which it must have been incredibly difficult to part of the police forces, often regarded as almost as much of an enemy as the Thatcher government themselves.
This opening novel in the Stoke Rising series takes place across three decades, from 1959 through to the strikes themselves and is as authentic as they come. The ferocity and fractured nature of communities affected by the strikes are perfectly captured here, and one of London’s key tools is her use of dark humour, which is perfectly apt given the tension of the times and the attitudes needed to survive.
It’s that authenticity that sets this apart as a great read, with the language used being ‘real’ and evoking memories of the likes of This Is England. As someone who was a little too young to realise the sheer scale of angst, despair and lifelong enmity caused by the strikes, this is also informative and educational, as the families created by London are clearly real, the situations are real and the emotions are as real as can be. This is gritty, tough, but ultimately rewarding, and leaves the reader waiting eagerly for the second part of a promising trilogy.
Black Earth by Kate London is published by Firefinch on 5th November
Karl’s love of writing was piqued at the age of eight, when he won a Blue Peter badge in an essay-writing competition. The location of said badge might be a mystery now, but the memory never fades. Hours spent writing about sport as a teenager, in pre-internet years when you had to make your entertainment, honed his skills, and Karl has worked in TV and radio listings at PA Media for 28 years, and the age of hybrid working means 50% of that can be at home listening to Classic FM and thinking about his next visit to his beloved Yorkshire Dales.
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