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Persuasive path to class consciousness
PAUL SIMON recommends James Clarke's novel, set in the middle of the miners' strike of 1984-5

The Litten Path
by James Clarke
(Salt, £9.99)

FRAMED by a sequence of betrayals, The Litten Path is a story of unequal class struggle.

The geographical co-ordinates of the novel are tightly drawn — the Yorkshire mining village of Litten, the semi-derelict Threndle House on its outskirts and the Orgreave coking plant.

Within these parameters, author James Clarke explores the multilayered relationships between the Newmans, a mining family from the town, and the Swarsbys, ensconced in the “big house” as the father Clive prepares to fight the forthcoming parliamentary seat for the Tories.

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