The Prize

by Irma Chilton

109 pages, Paperback

First published February 29, 2000

Reviews

[Capn · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Bevan was determined to win the challenge trophy at the school swimming gala, and the mining project that Mr. Jenkins, the history master, set the sixth form was just an annoying obstacle in his training programme. But as David worked at his essay, the characters he had imagined began to take on a life of their own - until soon there was far more at stake in the race than the silver cup that was its prize. Jacket summary. "Welsh Interest" was pencilled in on my used copy of ISBN 0 907117 28 7. 'Published with the financial support of the Welsh Arts Council'

The "Prize" this should win is for Worst Cover Art Ever.. I'll try to take a snap of my copy and get it uploaded. ;)

It took a long while for me to get into this one - it was as dry as coal dust. We've got David Bevan in modern day Wales (ca. 1983) worried about winning the local Swim Gala, focused on training and, possibly, a little on Jane... though he's not really as into girls as he is into fishing with his mates (especially Glyn). David's six-form History teacher, Jinks for short, has just assigned them some staggeringly dull local mining history to learn in its minutia, and an essay has been assigned. (I told you it was dull...).

David, while writing his dull essay, somehow time-slips several generations earlier (1890s), and becomes/sees through the eyes of Dai, a 12 year old boy living in the very same house who has finished school and is off to work in the mines helping to ferry coal out of his dad's narrow tunnel and into the main thoroughfare for it to be carted away the 3/4 miles in the dark by the mine's pony. There's much more specific terminology for that, but I can't be bothered to retain it - he's technically not employed by the mine (and so isn't entitled to his own lantern), but is the boy who pushes the dram to the trolley along the tunnel from the coal face that his dad and partner are hacking away at. (Here's my second complaint about the cover: it's not only hideous (big-headed lumpy hobbits having a pouty staring contest?!), but it shows the wrong mine works in the background - ask me how I know... I'm now a freaking expert. Dai isn't working in that mine (though his friend is assigned to the one with the lift), but in the long walk-in tunnel colliery, the sort that gives 'collier's humps' from being stooped over the whole day long. Also - Dai isn't issued a lantern...).

There's soooooo much detail here (arguably too, too much), but if you are into mining, this is your book. Chilton does an admirable job of making it palatable (she herself was a sixth-form teacher, which is probably why Jinks is so credible a character), but it's still very historically accurate.

And then suddenly, it's all YA-romance, throwing pebbles at the window, sneaking kisses in the cowshed in the middle of the night in one timeline, and gang violence and underage gambling in the other, on top of swimming training (if you're into swimming... again, very detailed and accurate!), detention and homework. I have to say that in spite of me having very little interest in romantic plotlines, this book sucked me in unexpectedly. And then it both did and didn't disappoint...

I really can't say much more without spoiling it, but while some aspects were fairly predictable from the outset (Dai being a blood relative of David), others really weren't. There were some big ups and downs, and surprises, and then the expected and satisfying resolution (because by then you've largely worked it out). Some disappointment for me in re: explanation of timelines and causality and nerdy stuff like that, but standard fare for your average juvenile timeslip ("Can history be changed retroactively?! Who knows?! It's a mystery to all of us, still!" - that sort of thing).

So three stars because I can't believe I got into this book (eventually), and it really was well-constructed and different with just that little bit of Welsh magic thrown in to muddy those peated waters.

Read this if:
- you're moderately to fanatically interested in coal mining in Wales
- you're into competitive swimming
- you're male and around about the age where you're starting to fall in love for the first time but are equally apathetic about the female population
- you don't mind timeslip and low fantasy elements sneaking into an otherwise very realistic story

(none of the first three apply to me, and I still enjoyed it)

By the way - whoever drew the artwork for the cover had the good sense to remain anonymous: credit was given to "Dragonfly Design Consultants" for the cover design. ;p

Until it is uploaded, here's the cover (on my profile pics and subject to deletion):