Book Review – Children of the Dead End by Patrick MacGill

In 1914 when this was first published novels about the working classes were largely ignored, if they were referred to, it was usually written from a more educated social standing. This therefore, was radically different, and immediately successful because of it.

Although fiction, it is based heavily on the author’s own experiences,

<blockquote>it must be said that nearly all the incidents of the book have come under the observation of the writer, that such incidents should take place makes the tragedy of the story.</blockquote>

Dermod Flynn (MacGill) leaves Ireland at 12 years old, and is largely alone on the Scottish roads, sleeping rough, often not eating for days, taking work when he can. Such was the life of navvies.

Descriptions are precise and completely believable, details of such incidents as the death of a railway worker, are graphic and gruesome.

Flynn ends up at Kinlochleven, where indeed I am tonight, working to build the hydroelectric scheme; a huge engineering venture which included Blackwater Reservoir, a 6 kilometre aqueduct and an aluminium smelting plant. He works mainly up at the reservoir, 5 rough miles from the town, where life indeed is brutal.

I came across this book in [author:Patrick Baker|20312218]’s [book:The Unremembered Places: Exploring Scotland’s Wild Histories|53403479]. He hikes up to the reservoir and is haunted by the ruins of the community and its graveyard. The chapter was so inspiring I am heading up there tomorrow to see it for myself.