The Litten Path

by James Clarke

The Litten Path is a sweeping debut that provides an intimate view of the miners' strike of 1984 as it unfolds through the eyes of two families on either side of the struggle. The Litten Path is a novel of the strike as much as about the strike, knitting the intense emotional and political terrain of the famous dispute with the stark landscape of a small town in South Yorkshire. Written in a tough yet lyrical northern vernacular, The Litten Path is grimly honest and tender, comic and painful, a story of the clash between the urban and the rural, class frictions and the pressures of family. It is about what happens when a decision is made, when one cannot turn back.

Genres: Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2018

Reviews

[Luisa Pringle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down. A really great insight into the history and culture of Yorkshire during a particular period that definitely informs the area today.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

The miners’ strike was a defining moment for parts of the UK and I am still shocked (although not really surprised) at how little there is written about it - at least in fiction. The Litten Path does its bit in rectifying this although I ended up disappointed that it relied as much on a plot that was a bit too soap opera for me as on the events of the strike that form its backdrop. That said, it does give a hearty look at what life was like during this period, and is both sympathetic to and condemning of some of the actions of miners on both sides of the picket lines and, if you have any interest in modern working class history it is worth reading for that alone.

[Eliza303 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A joy to read. I've given it four stars because the writing is sometimes a little patchy but don't let that put anyone off. The Litten Path is both a page turner and an important book. James Clarke has an impressive ability to move between the viewpoints of different characters regardless of their gender, age or social background, and he has a good sense of place too.

[Andi Chorley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great gritty debut novel of the Miner's Strike of 1984 which I remember well having just left school.

[Malcolm · Rating 5 out of 5]

The miner’s strike of 1984, the pickets and the battles with police at Orgreave and elsewhere dominates this story and brings back many memories of that period. I remember it as a time when the government used the police for political gain and when lies by politicians and the media became the norm. Families and communities were destroyed as was a proud industry that had served this country well through two world wars. A bitter time.

The story is told through the lens of one family, itself breaking up from internal and external pressures. Well written I would recommend it to anyone but especially those who remember the pain and suffering that the miners and their families went through.

[Annette Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personalises the miners strike and the Battle of Orgreave in a story about a family from a Yorkshire mining village and their wealthy neighbours. Bit of a curates egg in that it's patchily written which made some things jar but overall a good read.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book which showed the human face of the miners strike rather than simply the politics and economics.

It lost me in a few places when the timeline seemed to jump around but besides that it was mostly well written and atmospheric.

[Tom Mooney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why write a sentence when a chapter will do, eh?

[Susan H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Occasionally overblown but marvellous, gorgeous prose and also heart breaking.

[Kokeshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite of the year. Brilliant.

[Jan Schmid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes captivating, sometimes not so much.