Ruth_A

This book was a very profound and emotional read for me. It makes you question what is the purpose of life, what makes life worth living and how we should collaborate and live together. It is also upsetting and joyful by turns. A group of 39 women and one girl live as prisoners in a bunker for many years. They are guarded by men who bring them food but never speak, only use whips to control their behaviour. One day an alarm goes off and the women are able to escape. They start a new life in a strange environment above ground. Many years later there is only one woman left of the group. Many things are not explained about this situation but somehow this adds to the universality of the ideas and messages in the book.

Part 2 in Minette Walter's Black Death series. This is a rollocking good story of a post-apocalyptic Dorset where whole domains have been wiped out and hypocrisy, cruelty and perversion have been exposed and society is about to undergo huge changes. The characters are well written and memorable, and it is fascinating to experience some of the practical challenges of travel and communication in a time when England was ruled by French speaking Normans, the road network was very limited, and most of the population were serfs.

A truly mind expanding read! This is a beautifully written and well researched book, which reads like a story, with moments of dilemma and jeopardy as well as insight into methods of espionage, the rise of Communism and the birth of the Cold War. I felt deeply invested in Ursula's story, even though I found it hard to sympathise with her values. I also enjoyed the link to another of my favourite books 'Empire of the Sun' by J.G. Ballard.