A review by abbie_
Dark, Salt, Clear: Life in a Cornish Fishing Town by Lamorna Ash

adventurous informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

(#gifted @bloomsburypublishing) And the award for biggest reading surprise of the year goes to... 🏆 When this showed up on my doorstep I was sceptical. What would I, someone with no interest in fishing, get from a book with the subtitle: Life in a Cornish Fishing Village? Well, as it turns out, EVERYTHING. I picked this up with a want for something completely different, and what I got was a beautifully written, thoughtful reflection on the fishing industry and the community spirit in a small village in Cornwall.

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I've never really ventured in to nature writing before, but thanks to Lamorna Ash I can sense a new obsession brewing... I loved everything about this book, but the (many) descriptions of the sea, the coastal landscapes, the wildlife... OH MY 😍 Trust me, this book is perfect for lockdown, I felt like I was genuinely there. Ash's writing is rich and intensely researched, but she presents it in a natural, readable way.

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But Ash doesn't romanticise the industry or the village. Fishing is a decimated industry, and the job takes a severe mental and physical toll on its fishermen. Meanwhile, tourism in Cornwall is pushing up house prices and subsequently pushing locals out. She paints a well-rounded picture of life here, and yes there are good things, but there are negatives too, including the drinking culture heavily enmeshed in fishing, the break-down of families, and of course lives lost at sea.

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But as I said, there is good. The camraderie between crews, the strongest sense of community spirit in Newlyn, the efforts towards sustainability taken very seriously by fishermen. The sea is their livelihood, many know nothing else, and so they have to support what supports them. It was lovely to see how Lamorna was welcomed into the community too. She went on fishing trips with a variety of crews to write this book, learning practical skills and gaining her own fishing nickname - a true sign of acceptance.

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I went on a true adventure with this book. Even if, like me, you're a nature writing newbie with no apparent interest in fishing, if you come across this one I beg you to give it a chance because it is EXCELLENT.