Books of the Month

'The Carhullan Army' by Sarah Hall

Sarah Hall's third novel returns to the north of England where she grew up. But if readers of Haweswater and The Electric Michelangelo were expecting another historical tale set among the beautiful landscapes of Cumberland, Westmoreland and Lancashire, well, they're in for something rather different.

The Carhullan Army is set in an indeterminate, but not too distant, future. Society as we know it has broken down. There are limited power supplies, transport networks have been allowed to wind down, food rations are shipped from America, and almost everybody lives in the towns where they're under the watchful eyes of The Authority and its monitors. There are a few exceptions though, 'unofficials' who live off the radar, eking out an existence in the upland wilderness. The novel's narrator, known only as Sister, has heard of some of these: a group of women living on a farm at Carhullan, high in the Cumbrian fells. Risking everything, she sets out on a journey to find them, and to forge a new life with them. But as the political situation in the country worsens, even self-sufficient Carhullan cannot wall itself in from events outside, and the women are forced to make a difficult choice which puts everything they've worked for at risk.

This is a powerful book which deals with some big issues - political meltdown, totalitarianism, feminism, and sexual liberation among them. But it manages to do it in an immensely readable and engaging way. The narrative is compelling, and the world Hall creates is disturbingly convincing. Despite being set in the future there is nothing gaudily or ostentatiously 'futuristic' about it. This is a world of dirt, brutality and hard choices. Written with a sharp ear for language, some astute characterisation (particularly of central character Jackie Nixon), and a strong storyline, it comes highly recommended.

Susan Tranter

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