Union Street

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Wonderfully readable - Rated
I took this on holiday and read it in a day. I thought all the characters were wonderfully constructed. The way Pat Barker makes each chapter separate but linked to the others is very well done.
I felt sort of sad at the end because the book had ended. Highly recommended!!

Beautiful, heartbreaking, yet strangely optimistic. - Rated
I have to admit when I opened this book and read the first couple of pages, I was slightly taken aback by the crude tone and language used, and wondered if this novel was for me. However I perservered and within minutes I was completely absorbed. The book is incredibly easy to read, the characters are very well developed and you are quickly drawn into their world and made to sympathise with them.

The book contains the stories of 7 women all living on the same street in Northern England. It begins with the story of 11 year old Kelly, raped and traumatised, who struggles to deal with such an experience without much support. Then, chapter by chapter, it deals with the stories of 5 older women in the street, from about the ages of 20 up to 60, all dealing with various problems such as pregnancy, post natal depression, prostitution, the death of a husband, etc. Finally the book ends with the story of Alice, a stroke victim determined to end her life on her own terms without the interference of her uncaring son or a nursing home.

Whilst this might seem depressing, it actually manages to be quite uplifting. The harsh realistic imagery of the poverty and hardship present in the lives of these women is contrasted with the beauty of nature, the power of bonds between women, and the cyclical ongoing nature of life and love. The connection made between Kelly and Alice is particularly beautiful and heartrending.

It's also important to note that this isn't just a book for women - we read it on our university course and for a lot of the men, this was their favourite book of the module.

I had best say, though, that if you dislike hearing about the less glossy side of life, and are particularly sensitive, this may not be for you. Otherwise, definitely worth buying. Unreservedly 5 stars.

Gritty and absorbing - Rated
It took me two brave tries to finish this book, and I'm not normally someone who does that. So here is a caveat for anyone who may react the same way I did: this novel shows Barker's power to shock has been, if anything, almost toned down with age. It begins with the rape of a 12 year old, and Barker doesn't let you off the hook later on (a backstreet abortion, childbirth and not the easy way either, a grisly yet touching death). If, like me, you're a rape victim, or plain squeamish, this disturbing book may not be for you. If you can cope, it is a powerful and disturbing portrayal of several women's lives in a vicious, poverty-stricken world: the despair, the ugliness, the violence. And yet astonishing strength and courage still come through; love and loyalty still exist, as far as they can in such a life.

For those of us with a far more privileged lifestyle, it too could have been named "Another World". Strangely beautiful through the harshness.