This Lovely City by Louise Hare

From the very beginning of her engaging debut novel, Louise Hare shows the reader that the West Indian protagonist, jazz musician Laurie Matthews, is going to have a rough time, making a new life for himself in London. It’s 1950, London has begun the long process of recovering from the destruction wreaked by WW2, and times are hard. ‘Austerity they called it, as if giving it a name made it more acceptable to those struggling to make ends meet.’ Laurie and his compatriots have answered England’s call for help in rebuilding the economy.

Laurie finds ‘digs’ in south London, and falls in love with the girl next door. His Irish landlady is sympathetic to the difficulties experienced by recent immigrants, so he benefits from the kindness and friendship of her family and lodgers. However, the outside world is unwilling to make room for those fresh off the Empire Windrush.

Hare has researched the period with a light hand. She sets the scene, for the dreadful event that disrupts Laurie’s plans, with vivid and well chosen details from everyday life: Silver Cross prams, typing pools, homes heated by a single fire downstairs. When Evie, Laurie’s girlfriend, discovers that he does not know how to light such a fire, let alone keep it alive with the strategic use of ‘slack’ coal, the huge contrast between the environments where they grew up is highlighted.

Laurie’s musical career takes off. He works as a postman by day and plays his clarinet in Soho clubs by night. A bright future awaits him, until, by chance, he makes a terrible discovery. Suspicion falls on him, and local people begin to blame the most recently arrived members of the community for the tragedy. The news spreads, until Laurie and Evie find themselves in an unbearable situation.

As the story unfolds, insights about the lives of women in the Fifties are plentiful. Rose, one of those who welcome the Windrush, says of her husband, ‘So long as his tea’s on the table when he gets home from work I reckon he can’t really complain, and he’s in the pub most nights anyway.’

In the end, not all of Evie and Laurie’s problems have been resolved, but Hare leaves them in a place from which they can progress and their relationship can grow. This is an inspiring, hopeful, life-affirming book. I recommend it to readers who enjoy exploring difficult issues, and finding a way to a positive solution.