Never Stand Alone

Durham #3

by Janet MacLeod Trotter

When Carol Shannon, the unruly daughter of Brassbank's pit manager, falls for young miner, Mick Todd, their defiant relationship causes a storm in the close-knit mining village. For the bitterness between their families runs as deep as the coal seams that are Brassbank's lifeblood. But the hardest battles are still to come for rebellious Carol. With 1984 dawns the year long Miner's Strike that divides the nation and sets communities at war. Hardship not only threatens Brassbank's survival, but pushes Carol and Mick's passionate union to breaking point, leaving tragedy in its wake. Set against the fascinatingly vivid backdrop of a momentous time, Never Stand Alone is an impassioned novel of a woman's fight for her community, her family and the man she loves. 'A tough, compelling and ultimately satisfying novel ... another classy, irresistible read' Sunderland Echo 'She pulls no punches, tells it like it is and taps directly into your emotions. Excellent' Northern Echo 'A vivid picture of courage in the face of injustice...Never Stand Alone ought to increase the author’s growing band of fans' Northern Review 'The gritty, unforgettable story of families torn apart by the conflict that divided a nation...a powerful story' World Books

307 pages, Kindle Edition

About the author

Janet was brought up in the North East of England with her four brothers, by Scottish parents. She is a best-selling author of 24 books, including the hugely popular INDIA TEA SERIES, THE JARROW TRILOGY and a childhood memoir, BEATLES & CHIEFS, which was featured on BBC Radio Four. Her novel, THE HUNGRY HILLS, gained her a place on the shortlist of The Sunday Times’ Young Writers’ Award, and the TEA PLANTER’S DAUGHTER and IN THE FAR PASHMINA MOUNTAINS were nominated for the RNA Historical Novel Award. Her India-set novels, such as THE RAJ HOTEL SERIES, are inspired by her grandparents who lived and worked in India from the 1920s to '50s.
A graduate of Edinburgh University, she has been editor of the Clan MacLeod Magazine, a columnist on the Newcastle Journal and has had numerous short stories published in women’s magazines. Aged 18 she climbed on a bus and went to Kathmandu - the result was a mystery novel, THE VANISHING OF RUTH. Her second mystery, THE HAUNTING OF KULAH is set on the remote Outer Isles of Scotland. She has also written a Scottish historical novel, THE JACOBITE LASS, based on the epic story of Scottish heroine, Flora MacDonald.

Reviews

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best fictional book I've read about the 1984 Miner's Strike. Trotter carves delicate yet raw working class characters and ideals,and the desperation and unity of an entire community drips from this book. It's also a well-observed love story too. I lived in one of the north-east mining villages during the strike and Never Stand Alone effortlessly captures the devastation and defiance of a proud community.

[Mrs Linda Sadler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very moving story

I loved reading about Carol and Mick and of course all the other characters. I remember watching the news in the 80’s about the Miners strikes around the country, the amount of hardship for hundreds of people, has really brought it home to me personally. Thatcher’s government had a lot to answer for. Getting back to the book though, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I can highly recommend it.

[mrs m j a houlding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read really enjoyed the book