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A review by jmatkinson1
The Valley at the Centre of the World by Malachy Tallack
3.0
In a desolate corner of Shetland live a small community in danger of extinction. Young people move away and few take their place, the population is growing smaller and families are needed to bring life into the valley. For David, a lifelong resident, change is something he has observed over time. For Alice the valley is somewhere to escape after the death of her husband.
This is a gentle and spare book in which nothing really happens but the quality of the writing is enough. Tallack writes in a version of dialect which is almost soporific in its gentleness but keeps the reader engaged. A decent enough debut.
This is a gentle and spare book in which nothing really happens but the quality of the writing is enough. Tallack writes in a version of dialect which is almost soporific in its gentleness but keeps the reader engaged. A decent enough debut.