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A review by portybelle
The House at Silvermoor by Tracy Rees
4.0
The House at Silvermoor begins around the beginning of the 20th century and follows the lives of Josie and Tommy who meet when young children and become firm friends. They are both from mining communities, from neighbouring rival villages, and both know that there is little expected of their lives beyond marriage for Josie and going down the mine for Tommy. Both dream about a life beyond the pit villages and both are fascinated by the families who own the mines and control their lives.
Tracy Rees' writing takes you right into the era, showing how hard life was for mining communities and how they were totally at the mercy of the pit owners. And mercy was something in short supply, especially if something went wrong. Women and children could find themselves flung out their homes if a miner could no longer work or was killed in a pit accident. I could absolutely understand Tommy's dread at going underground and Tracy Rees described his first terrifying, back breaking dark days in the mines so clearly. Josie too had few opportunities open to her and could only see a life of drudgery ahead, having children, constantly cleaning coal dust, and struggling to feed a family just as her mother and the other women had to do.
And yet these two young people had dreams which they thought could never come true. They both dreamed of a better life for themselves. I loved reading about how they always had ambitions even when life seemed so very hard. Josie in particular was a feisty character, a trait which often got her into trouble but also gave her the chance to make changes in her life. The bond between Tommy and Josie was so well described and the strength their friendship gave to each other was clear. They always stood up for each other and wanted the best for each other.
Another strand of the story features the families who own the mines and hold the livelihood of the villagers in their hands. Here we see two contrasting families with the Sedgewicks of Silvermoor being a much kinder family, showing more duty of care towards their employees whereas the Barridge family of Heston Manor are much more unsympathetic and often negligent. Tommy and Josie's lives become more intertwined with these families than they ever imagined. With secrets concerning both families coming to light, this made for some intriguing reading.
A book about friendship and love and never giving up on your dreams, The House at Silvermoor is an atmospheric read with secrets, love and ambition at its heart.
Tracy Rees' writing takes you right into the era, showing how hard life was for mining communities and how they were totally at the mercy of the pit owners. And mercy was something in short supply, especially if something went wrong. Women and children could find themselves flung out their homes if a miner could no longer work or was killed in a pit accident. I could absolutely understand Tommy's dread at going underground and Tracy Rees described his first terrifying, back breaking dark days in the mines so clearly. Josie too had few opportunities open to her and could only see a life of drudgery ahead, having children, constantly cleaning coal dust, and struggling to feed a family just as her mother and the other women had to do.
And yet these two young people had dreams which they thought could never come true. They both dreamed of a better life for themselves. I loved reading about how they always had ambitions even when life seemed so very hard. Josie in particular was a feisty character, a trait which often got her into trouble but also gave her the chance to make changes in her life. The bond between Tommy and Josie was so well described and the strength their friendship gave to each other was clear. They always stood up for each other and wanted the best for each other.
Another strand of the story features the families who own the mines and hold the livelihood of the villagers in their hands. Here we see two contrasting families with the Sedgewicks of Silvermoor being a much kinder family, showing more duty of care towards their employees whereas the Barridge family of Heston Manor are much more unsympathetic and often negligent. Tommy and Josie's lives become more intertwined with these families than they ever imagined. With secrets concerning both families coming to light, this made for some intriguing reading.
A book about friendship and love and never giving up on your dreams, The House at Silvermoor is an atmospheric read with secrets, love and ambition at its heart.