A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe (Faber & Faber, $32.99)
Reviewed by Louise Ward
Many of us know of the mining disaster at Aberfan in Wales in 1966, memorable because it was such an unimaginable tragedy.
The collapse of a slag heap wiped out a school and several homes, killing 116 children and 28 adults. This novel, based around that event, begins with a group of embalmers being notified that volunteers were urgently needed to go to Aberfan.
Our protagonist, William, is 18 years old and newly qualified; he knows he's good at his job and doesn't hesitate to drive from the Midlands of England to where he is urgently needed.
The most heartbreaking scenes are in the first few chapters of the book as William works through the night with great gentleness and respect for the dead and bereaved of Aberfan.