THE HAPPY LAND

A moving picture of the making of a ghost town, in a forceful and harrowing picture of a small Yorkshire coal mining community, and of the livelihood of a whole district brought to a standstill when the mine closes down. The story centers on one family and their efforts to find some way to avoid the dole. The story is told in the vernacular; there's great depth of feeling and sincerity in the portrayal of the effect of joblessness, of near starvation, of loss of faith and pride. There is less of the romanticism of Song On Your Bugles, but in spirit and tempo it is closest to that. A memorable book, but not a book to read for entertainment. It has been called an English Grapes of Wrath: it should get a fine press; but one questions the sales chances here, which from sheer literary merit and significance it deserves.