Brother and sister, Ted and Rose Howker, grew up in Mount of Zeal, a mining village blackened by coal. They know nothing of the outside world, though both of them yearn for escape. For Rose this comes in the form of love, while Ted seizes the chance of a job away from the pit. But neither can truly break free and their decisions bring with them brutal consequences.
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[ON MONDAYS, the village, which was called Mount of Zeal, smelled of washing as well as of coal dust]***
(Vintage, 6 November 2014, paperback, 144 pages, borrowed from my library)
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I really loved this short, intense little novella. So much happens in such a short book and I felt like I'd read something much longer. The characters of Ted and Rose are really well developed. I felt like I really got to know them well. Hill creates great sympathy and empathy for both of them, both trapped in a life they don't want but unable to truly leave because they've never known anything else. Of course they both leap at the chance for some kind of escape. Black Sheep takes quite a dark turn towards the end. My heart ached for Ted and his terrible fate because of Rose's moment of stupidity. Black Sheep is quite dour and bleak and the coal mining village setting is perfect. This novella haunted me.
