 | Josephine Cox's The Woman Who Left opens in 1952 in The Vale of Salmesbury, Blackburn. Sally Hunter has just lost her loving husband, Ronnie, a farmer who worked the land all his life to provide a meagre, but honest living for his family. Of their two grown-up sons, Ben had taken his place beside his father, grafting hard to make his living in the family business, while the rightful heir--his older brother Jacob--has caused nothing but sorrow and despair for as long as anyone can remember. When the will is read, no one is surprised that Ronnie has left the farm to his younger son. Ben, his wife Louise (who is widely admired for her beauty and loyalty) and Sally are relieved that their home will remain theirs--until Jacob intervenes. Consumed by jealousy, the errant son soon finds a way to wreak his revenge and change the lives of those he despises most in the world, beyond the realms of even his wicked imagination. Josephine Cox writes about what she knows best: post-war, everyday life in the Lancashire countryside and the relationships, rivalries and jealousies that make and break ordinary families. Cox's men are largely ineffectual--weak at best, wicked at worst--while the women are "copers", capable of managing whatever fate throws at them, whatever their station in life. The story moves quickly from one heart-wrenching event to the next, while the descriptions of ordinary life in between give it a solid grounding in reality. Cox fans will be delighted with The Woman Who Left-Âand even more thrilled with the imminent publication of a sequel. --Carey Green |
