Elmet book review

Author: Fiona Mozley

Genre: General fiction

Easily the best book on the 2017 Man Booker Shortlist. Should have won in my opinion. It's going to be a timeless classic. It won't be long before it escapes the shackles of its Man Booker listing.

Ok, enough of the adoration, what's going on? We have a gypsy family (in that they live outside of the system). The story is set in modern times but you would be forgiven for being confused. I was, momentarily. There are no modern trappings here. Our protagonist's family live off the land, built their own home. But even outside the system there exists a hierarchy. Daniel is 13, almost 14, at the beginning of the book. His sister, Cathy, has just turned 15. They arrive in North Yorkshire and their father is a respected man. A feared man if the occasion demands it. He is a sometime bare-knuckle fighter, a sometime enforcer for hire. 

But even though they have returned to the land their mother hailed from, Daniel, Cathy and their father find themselves harassed by the land owning family who rule the roost in that area. If you're outside the system, even with historical justice on your side, you can be subjugated. The head of this family wants nothing more than their Father to bend his knee. But Father is a proud man. A stubborn man. He has his principles. Inevitably, things come to a head. I'm getting a shiver down my spine now, just thinking about the finale. The Sunday Times called this book 'Hansel & Gretel meets the Godfather'. The latter part of that quote is no overstatement. The ending puts many a crime thriller to shame with sudden violence that will haunt for you days. The imagery is as horrifying as it is mesmerising. I've never read anything quite as powerful as this. Find a copy now.