A Yorkshire farmer who loves his land above all else.
A London tycoon who wishes to run a rail line through it.
Political leaders with their own axes to grind.
Roger Oldfield is a third generation sheep farmer in one of the most beautiful valleys in the Yorkshire Dales. Devoted wife, Annie, teenage daughter, Lily, and autistic son, Danny, are all involved in a heroic battle against the tycoon's company, the neighbouring farmer, the local council, and powerful forces within London's political circles. Civil war looms.
Set between some of the wildest and most stunning scenery in Britain, and the heaving London metropolis, this epic story traces the clash of personalities, environmental interests, and ultimately the philosophies of twenty first century society, in a novel which is part family drama, part thriller, and part political intrigue.
“I know why people die for their land. I don’t mean die for their country. I mean die for their LAND. I’d die for my land. I’d die for a single acre of my land."
'Beautifully written... an absolutely enjoyable novel from beginning to end.' Readers Favourite review.
Robin Hawdon - playwright performed in over 40 countries, novelist, actor, theatre director - this is his fifth and most graphic novel.
Robin Hawdon’s varied career has spanned numerous aspects of the arts. Actor, playwright, novelist and theatre director. Now one of Britain’s most prolific novelists and playwrights, with productions in at least forty countries and twenty languages. (see www.robinhawdon.com).
THE LAND, THE LAND, is his newest and perhaps most topical book - a psychological thriller involving a family's battle to preserve one of Britain's most beautiful landscapes.
NUMBER TEN is quite different. A fast action political thriller in the Lee Child genre, soon hopefully to be seen on Netflix.
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST is Robin’s third novel and encompasses three of his deepest concerns – the extraordinary impact of science on mankind’s progress, the distorting effect of so much religious and superstitious prejudice on that progress, and the telling of real human stories (in this case three stories, all fundamentally inter-connected). A RUSTLE IN THE GRASS, his first novel, has now been republished after it was discovered that, with the advent of the digital age, it has attracted an extraordinary list of 5 star reviews on Amazon. Robin has been married for over forty years, has two daughters and four grand children, and lives between Bath, the South of France and Australia.
Roger Oldfield is a sheep farmer in the Yorkshire Dales. A proposition is put to him by a London-based company to mine the limestone deposit on his land. In order to transport the limestone a railway line would need to be built to carry the heavy cargo.
Roger is however adamant that this would ruin the beautiful view of the land. Thus begin the negotiations as we meet Roger's family and without a doubt the two that capture the reader's heart are his children, feisty Lily and Danny who has Aspergers Syndrome.
Everyone had something to say. Politicians. Locals. Environmentalists. Neighbour's.
The Land, The Land is a story of one man and, simply summarised, his love for his land. Roger Oldfield, our narrator, lives in Yorkshire, England with his family made up of Anne, his wife, Lily, his daughter, Danny, his son and his dad and they live a happy existence, sheep farming in the Dales. It is not always easy but it is one for which they are equipped, especially Roger, as he feels an attachment and a duty to the land that he farms; a connectedness so strong that he believes he must preserve the land as its custodian.
However, this is all bound for upset when Roger spots strangers on his land with binoculars representing businessmen from London needing access to his farm for a railway to transport quarried stone. Roger is offered a lot of money to allow this to happen but is resistant for the reasons cited above.
Of course, the businessmen are not going to give in easily and so, what ensues is a battle between Roger and the others: the businessmen and politicians, the quarry owners and other farmers who will benefit.
The strength in Robin Hawdon's book, I think, is his depiction of the family life of the Oldfields. Characters are strong and well-drawn and I especially like the relationship between Roger and Anne. There is a sense that they have a marriage that will endure, built on attraction initially but honed throughout the years into something strong; not unshakeable but knitted together with knowledge of and respect for each other's needs.
Hawdon is able to show how the net is tightening around Roger and there is a real danger that he will lose everything that matters to him. Even with support from other individuals, eventually, like a maze, there are less and less places to turn until it feels like the end is inevitable.
But ultimately, this is an optimistic book in tone. It has dark moments but nothing too severe and it makes for easy, light reading with some touches of humour. It is about greed and how this can contort as well as the way ordinary people's lives can be governed from afar by politicians with agendas. But it is also about people coming together to help each other and finding a way through, wrapped up in a good story.
Just the sort of book for light summer reading.
This review was first published on Reedsy Discovery where I was privileged to read it as an ARC. This review is a fair and unbiased representation of my opinion of the book.
The Land, The Land by Robin Hawdon is about Roger Oldfield, a farmer that enjoys being one and doesn’t see himself doing anything else. He loves every inch of his land and would do anything to protect it. Things have been going decently for Roger, his lovely wife Annie, can’t-be-tamed daughter, Lily, and autistic son, Danny.
It’s not long before Roger finds two strangers on his land. He questions who they are and why are they there. He finds out soon enough they were sent there by a Mr. Collins. It turns out this businessman is interested in talking to Roger about his land. These discussions set the stage for the drama that unfolds in this story, the fight for Roger’s precious land.
As you read the story, it becomes apparent how much Roger loves his beautiful, majestic land. Roger is someone you don’t meet every day. He’s old school because he’s not interested in worldly things. He enjoys spending time with his family and days working on the farm. Those are the things that matter to him most. He also possesses a dark streak that comes out as the story progresses. His willingness to do whatever it takes to keep his families land knows no bounds. Passion for family, traditions and his land are what drive Roger.
Roger loves his wife, and he never forgets what she gave up for him. Readers will find his children lovable and relatable. Tough Lily and sweet Danny are given strong characteristics that make them stand out and become memorable. Danny especially, you come to know more about through his diary entries which can be read at the entrance of each chapter.
The fight for Roger’s land attracts the media’s attention and a group of activists. This adds additional drama to the story as it becomes a public interest, family farms vs. big corporations. As the battle continues to play out, readers will be left wondering what will happen next.
The Land, The Land is an emotionally charged psychological thriller that combines family and political drama. The characters are fresh and original, the setting lush and the story is wonderfully written. The story is beautiful, heart-warming, and shows if you are strong and determined enough, you can achieve great things.
This is a book all about the land (surprise, surprise). It is the protagonist of this drama. It is a living thing that is loved by Roger Oldfield, farmer. Roger can’t imagine ever doing anything else. He lives, in farming bliss, with his wife Annie, and their two children, horse mad Lily and autistic son Danny.
One day, Roger spies two strangers on his land. From this point on, nothing will ever be the same. Behind their visit is Mr Collins, who is interested in buying a part of Roger’s land. It forms part of a huge plan in which Mr Collins mines stone and transports it via the farm to be made into new homes.
Roger is pulled into talks he wishes did not take place. He is offered millions of pounds to sell a part of his land so that a railway can be run through his land. We find out just how much the land means to Roger. He doesn’t care about the money, he loves his land and his life exactly the way they are. And so starts the fight of his life.
Each chapter begins with Danny’s thoughts for the day and these are a real bonus. Danny is sweet, thoughtful and quite clever in his musings. Danny is a great observer of life and his musings are wonderful. He was my favourite character in the book.
The fight for the land becomes intense as the other side decide to up the ante by using cruel tactics such as poisoning the water supply to put pressure on Roger to sell. The media eventually get involved and this brings activists to shield the land from developers. Family vs big business. The odds seem unfair.
It is difficult to breathe at times as the fight increases. The story is fabulous with very real characters. The sense of dread is written throughout the pages as you wonder what will happen next. It is a beautiful story and well written. It has great morals throughout and the ultimate message that any fight worth fighting can achieve the impossible.
Set in the Yorkshire Dales, Roger Oldfield lives on a farm along with his wife, Annie, his teenage daughter, Lily, and his autistic son, Danny. When a company from London approaches Roger with the idea of building a railway line through his beloved part of the Dales and his home, he is not best pleased and a big battle commences!
I very much enjoyed this story. It’s beautifully written, very evocative of the landscape, and has some fantastic and realistic characters. I liked that each chapter began with a diary extract from Danny. I thought this added a charming and quirky element - Danny is such an endearing young man and became my favourite character. The setting is fabulous if I do say so myself, being a Yorkshire lass! I was totally immersed in the world of Roger’s Dales and his plight, I almost felt I was there. Roger puts up a fierce fight for his precious land and I for one was rooting for him. I nearly had my placards ready! 😊. An engaging and absorbing read about standing up for what you believe in and your place in the world.
Roger Oldfield and his family live on their farm in the Yorkshire Dales. The farm has been owned by the Oldfield family for three generations and Roger took over the running of the farm when his father Fred when he retired.
Roger receives a phone call from Mr George Collins the CEO of Dragonsmead Holdings inviting him to their London offices as he has a proposition to put to him.
Roger is faced with a battle against big business, The Transport Department, The Environment Department and other interested parties who want to build a railway right through the family land to move limestone from a local quarry.
I enjoyed reading Roger’s determination in safeguarding his Land. My favourite characters are his lovable son Danny who has Asperger’s syndrome, I loved his daily diary notes and his different view of the world and his sister Lily who is a strong determined young woman.
Thank you Pigeonhole and Robin for the opportunity to read this book.
A really enjoyable story. The characters were engaging and the plot was absorbing/gripping. You really felt the emotion of the family as their farm was threatened by developers, especially when the "dirty tricks campaign" started. I really loved the character of Danny in particular, Roger the Farmer's disabled son, the use of his diary entries as a way of opening chapters was a lovely touch. Roger, the main character's, views and attitudes towards women were a little hard to take (one badly thought out jokey comment in particular: you'll recognise it when you read it), but this is a true reflection of the type of person the character was depicting so can be forgiven in some respects. With thanks to Pigeonhole and the author for the opportunity.
Roger Oldfield is a third generation sheep farmer in the Yorkshire Dales. He is married to Annie and they have two children, feisty daughter Lily and son Danny who is autistic. His idyllic life is shattered when a London based developer from London has plans to run a railway through Roger's farm in order to transport stone from a local quarry. Roger is offered quite a lot of money if he agrees to the proposal but he turns it down. Then the battle of wills begins not to mention a dirty tricks campaign. A very enjoyable, well written book with interesting characters and a real star in Danny who comes up with the solution to the problem which will suit everybody.
“The Land, The Land, is beautifully written with a variety of interesting characters that range from lovable to evil. The story is smooth flowing with a continuous theme of determination, values, beliefs and inner strength, all fighting against the destructive forces of business and infrastructure. The author is clearly experienced in producing high quality novels. I particularly enjoyed the twists and turns, complete with a few astounding surprises… An absolutely enjoyable novel from beginning to end.” Natalie Soine
I read The Land, The Land by Robin Hawdon stave by stave with The Pigeonhole and was immediately hooked by the portrayal of the farming family and the captivating descriptions of the Yorkshire landscape where generations of Roger’s family owned a farm. They were such a wholesome, close-knit family I didn’t want anything terrible to happen to them but, of course, I was reading a novel, and something had to happen! I got really stuck into this book, felt like I was part of it, and didn’t want it to end.
A delightful book where the old meets the new. Roger digs his heals in when a big company from London puts forward its plan for developing a nearby quarry. The drawback is that the train from the quarry would be running through part of the farmland owned by Roger and his family. There ensues a campaign between Roger and his supporters and the developers. One side wants to maintain the Yorkshire Dales as they are, the other side is looking to the future. Well written and evocative descriptions of the countryside as well as likeable characters.
I liked the story behind this, and initially loved the writing style, as Roger was portrayed as an educated man. However, as the book progressed, it became obvious that he was something of a misogynist, seeing women as weak objects. Some of his comments were close to the bone. The women don't really feature much in this book, apart from comments about their size and clothes, and the whole story is told very much from a male viewpoint. This slightly spoiled the book for me as I was hoping that a female character would challenge him. Thanks to Pigeonhole and Robin.
Robin's style of writing makes for a wonderfully flowing read. The characters in this book are real. The story is feasible and makes reading the 198 pages non-stop, irresistible. Concise and tightly crafted, Robin tells a story of today's corporate world vs small family business, placed within the dramatic landscape of the north Yorkshire dales and valleys. A clever twist allows insight into the mind of the son's autism.
A story of our time I think more development through green belt land is the price of progress, but is it worth the losses.I mostly enjoyed this but the main character's blatant sexism made me less sympathetic to him.I know this is not uncommon in men of his generation but no female character ever calls him out on it. Women throughout the book are objects either to be controlled, leered at or ridiculed for the supposed lack of beauty or class.
A heart warming novel with well-drawn characters. The plot was enthralling developing into a thriller with political and social aspects. Beautiful descriptions of the countryside! A great read! I read this novel for free on Pigeonhole! Thank you Robin for this opportunity!
Interesting read. I enjoyed the range of characters who were all unique and well developed. The pace of the book was good and the issues raised about development vs the land were delicately handled. Very satisfying ending.
Loved this book and good to have a happy ending for once. Interesting that it was told from the farmers point of view too. The added touch of Danny’s notes was good too
A brilliant novel that reads so much like a autobiographical book, it's almost unsettling. Set in Yorkshire, in what could be present day(or thereabouts), The Land, The Land covers a very important and pressing subject: land dispossession in the name of economic development. Themes like: protecting the environment, preserving land and farming practices, protecting private property, corruption at high levels and the power of the people and the media, go hand in hand with the Oldfields' lovely and emotional story. I really loved how real the story felt. There is no doubt in my mind that such a scenario could happen at any given moment. The dry humour was another favourite of mine. I loved how Robin Hawdon poked fun at all sort of things from societal expectations, to the digital world and social media, to environmental protesting for the sake of having something to protest again and so on. Danny's character is another lovely touch. He is very well drawn and really binds the story together in a rather touching, feel good way that will stay with the reader.
*Many thank to ThePigeonhole for the opportunity to read it.
This is a story of when “modernisation” and “traditional ways” clash – Roger Oldfield is a 3rd generation Yorkshire farmer. He loves the land where his family have reared sheep & a few cows for decades. When a developer makes him a very attractive offer, in return for running a railway line through his land, Roger has a dilemma – does he put the security of his family before the land he loves? Everyone has an opinion: the developers, the neighbour, the local MP, the environmentalists, the local people, his family. We soon find that Roger is a man of principle & will fight for his land against whatever comes in his way. The fight for Roger’s land attracts the media’s attention as well as the attention of environmental activists, but also a “dirty tricks” campaign.
The book follows the family as they fight for their land – and the reader will constantly wonder who will “win”. I didn’t feel that the ending/solution was particularly realistic, but the countryside is described in impeccable detail and the characters are likeable, especially Danny (Roger’s son who is autistic – we get a real glimpse in to his character through his diary entries at the start of chapters). I appreciate that Yorkshire farmers have certain ways with words, but I was very surprised to find this is a book published in 2022 as some of the language felt very dated (particularly sexist). This left me with a bit of a sour taste as I finished the book & for this reason can give it no more than 3*.
Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via ThePigeonHoleHQ. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own & my review is left voluntarily.