A soulful tour de force of the world of coal miners in Yorkshire, a way of life like no other In this psychologically astute novel set in the boisterous South Yorkshire mining town of Dinlock, Davie, a young miner, paints to ease the mental and physical pain of digging coal, on his knees, two thousand feet underground. Sigal creates through Davie a microcosmic portrait of this backbreaking work, performed by men dedicated to social change. In close detail, Sigal illustrates their daily routines and surprising complexity-from the mines to the pub and back home. Weekend in Dinlock offers an immersive account of the brutal work these miners endure and their life-affirming, sometimes violent ways of relaxing. This intensely realistic account recalls George Orwell and is illuminated by Sigal's ability to convey working-class wit and a sympathetic yet brutalizing milieu, placing the reader in the mind and soul of the coal miner.
"Weekend in Dinlock is admirable technically. Sigal has a fine ear; his Yorkshire hot-potatoes drawl practically sings. His prose is finished, his characters solid, his taste and humor unfailing."
The New Yorker
"Sigal has caught Dinlock at a historical moment, in a strong light."
The Nation
"A remarkable achievement . . . authentic as the coal-dust in the mine."
