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'Went out, got pissed. Same shit, different day.' Aberalaw, a tiny South Wales valley village where nobody ever arrives and nobody ever leaves. The new police chief has declared war on recreational drugs, resulting in an eighteen-month drought. The party-loving wives and girlfriends of local punk band, The Boobs, are getting desperate, both for drugs and Ellie, factory girl with dreams of a better life in New York; Rhiannon, hairdresser with a taste for violence and designer clothes and Sian, unappreciated, obsessive compulsive mother of three. Into their lives, enter the languid dark stranger, Englishman, drug dealer and shameless seducer. In the space of just a few months, three women's lives will be changed forever. Prize-winning writer, Rachel Trezise, dissects the morals and mores of a small Welsh village community with a scalpel-sharp pen and an incisive wit.
The arrival of a mysterious drug dealer disrupts the stagnant lives of three women in a small, isolated South Wales village during a local crackdown on recreational substances. Ellie, a factory worker yearning for a life in New York, Rhiannon, a volatile hairdresser, and Sian, an overwhelmed mother, find their personal trajectories altered by the stranger's influence. The narrative examines the claustrophobic social dynamics of Aberalaw, where the lack of opportunity and the monotony of daily existence drive the characters toward impulsive decisions. Through a sharp, observational lens, the story tracks the collision between these women's desperate desires and the harsh realities of their environment.
This work is characterized by its gritty, unflinching portrayal of post-industrial Welsh life and the specific social pressures faced by its inhabitants. The narrative style suggests a focus on dark humor and social critique, utilizing the isolated setting to heighten the stakes of the characters' personal dramas. Readers likely encounter a stark contrast between the protagonists' mundane surroundings and their larger-than-life aspirations. The prose appears to prioritize authenticity and sharp observation over sentimentality, creating a vivid portrait of a community in flux.
Page Count:
284
Publication Date:
2011-01-01
Publisher:
Blue Door
ISBN-10:
0007305613
ISBN-13:
9780007305612
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