Akenfield

by Ronald Blythe

You get this incredibly vivid picture of country life in East Anglia in a period of rapid change. He is talking about the changes to rural life up to the 1950s and 60s, which in many ways I’d argue were the most crucial periods of change, and the book gains its strength from Blythe’s total immersion in the area and society, and the fact that he is a superb writer.