London Lies Beneath

London Lies Beneath by Stella Duffy
Reviewed by Jack
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I have been familiar with Stella Duffy's work in the theatrical world for some time and I'm not sure how her career as an author has passed me by. London Lies Beneath was nominated for the 2017 Green Carnation Award and when I saw it on the list I knew I had to pick it up. The novel tells the story of three young boys from South London who, in the summer of 1912, embark on the trip of a lifetime with the Boy Scouts of the walworth mission. This story gives a heartfelt, impassioned glimpse in to the life of working class families in Old London Town like no other book I have read. Duffy masterfully interweaves the story of the young boys: Tom, Jimmy and Itzhak with the expansive narrative of their mothers and their respective family histories. A tragic tale of lost childhood, unrealised potential and hardship perfectly mixed with tales of joy, memory and love, this book swept me away to a city and way of life that are consigned to the history books.