Monday, April 28, 2008

How Green Was My Valley


Set in a Welsch coal mining village, this book is a poetic and nostalgic coming-of-age story. I loved the beautiful language of the book, although it took me a little while to get used to the unusual dialogue. I loved the protagonist, Huw Morgan, who has a very unique and strong voice. He describes his large family, the valley they live in, the community and society they share, so vividly and with such integrity, you feel as if you are seated around the hearth and walking the hills with him. At times it was painful to read of the difficult life the coal miners lived, but I loved to read of the strong community ties, respect for family and God, and just the basic integrity and decency of the characters.

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