Helen Mort

Although I’ve hiked and climbed in the Peak District National Park for many decades and, more recently, explored Sheffield and enjoyed its many green spaces, I had never heard of Ethel Haythornwaite and so had no idea that, had it not been for her tireless and determined campaigning, frequently in the face of considerable opposition, the landscapes which I’ve been able to enjoy would almost certainly have either looked very different or been inaccessible to the general public, so I’m delighted that Helen Mort decided to tell the story of this truly remarkable woman.
Biographers are generally discouraged from ‘inserting’ themselves into the story of their subject but I loved how Helen combined her considerable research into Ethel’s personal life and her campaigning with personal ‘asides’. I enjoyed her ‘interrogatory’ letters to Ethel, which preceded each chapter of the book and in which she asked all the questions she would have liked to ask had they been corresponding in real life. I also enjoyed her reflections on her own experiences when walking in Ethel’s footsteps, enjoying and appreciating the terrain which this wonderful pioneer had fought so hard to protect. I appreciated discovering that not only did Ethel actively protect the beauty and, at times, wild grandeur of the physical environment, but that she so beautifully and evocatively captured its essence through the poetry she wrote throughout her long life. Interspersed through the biography Helen included various snippets of this poetry and, to my delight, devoted the final sixty pages of the book to the reproduction of Ethel’s ‘The Pride of the Peak’, her epic paean to the countryside she so loved.
I think that Helen’s idiosyncratic approach to writing this biography, combined with her own very poetic writing-style, made this feel like a very intimate interaction between two people who, had they ever met, would probably have enjoyed each other’s company. This definitely made for a hugely enjoyable, and informative, reading experience for me and I know that I’ll return to this book to re-read Ethel’s poetry, and to delight anew in the local words which feature throughout it, some of which I knew but I must express my thanks to Helen for including the glossary which ‘translated’ the many which were new to me!
With thanks to Vertebrate Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.… (more)

When I was first looking at reading this book I had a look at the first few pages and I thought to myself that here is a book that is very 'Sheffield'. As a born and bred Sheffielder that makes it great for me but don't worry if you don't know the city as you will still appreciate the story.

I do, however, think that the setting is crucial, not least because it deals with the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster, particularly for police officers who were on duty that day, some of whom have never been able to move on. One of those ex-officers is a character in the book and he's obsessive about going over and over his memories and the paperwork relating to the incident.

The other major characters are all women. Alexa is a PCSO who is in a polyamorous relationship with Caron. Caron is a climber and wants to attempt the difficult Black Car Burning climb at Stanage Edge. Leigh works in a climbing gear shop and watches on as Caron pushes herself further and further with her climbs, whilst also dealing with her slightly unstable boss, Pete.

In between each chapter is a vignette from the point of view of a place in Sheffield, really bringing the city to life for both residents and non-residents alike.

Feelings and emotions are very much at the forefront of Black Car Burning. I'd describe it as a quiet and intense read at times. I liked the way boundaries were challenged and that it's far from formulaic. It's a very well-written story of love, loss, trauma, being tested and being brave, leading up to a hopeful ending. Helen Mort is a poet as well as a debut novelist and her writing is definitely poetic in style. This meant that it wasn't always easy for me personally to read but I do think she has an intelligent, thoughtful and descriptive writing style. I'm really interested to see what she writes next.… (more)