Divide

LoveReading Says

A heartfelt, thoughtful, and insightful look at the urban and rural divide that exists in the UK. Divide - the relationship crisis between town and country was deservedly longlisted for the 2022 Wainwright Conservation Prize. Author Anna Jones is a journalist and broadcaster, she grew up on the Welsh Borders and comes from generations of rural workers, she left and by the time she was in her thirties had lived in three different cities. She is perfectly placed to explore the issues that need to be solved. She says: “To the outside world, England is a postage stamp with 56 million people squashed on top of it, but something in the bones of an English countryperson is wedded to an almost spiritual belief in our green and pleasant land. The religion of ruralism”. The different chapters focus on animals and food, home and work, politics, diversity, environment and community. Various topics are explored raising questions, and looking at barriers, problems, and potential change. She researches the divide and how it could be healed by talking to a diverse range of people, from conservation groups, to experts on rural development, to those living and working in the countryside. She is honest and fair, she is open to new ideas despite at times feeling split in two. I love how she writes, she doesn’t lecture, rather it felt as though she was chatting to me and sharing thoughts and feelings. The information flowed from the page and I soaked it up, eyes wide, and mind open. Divide is a hugely important book, at times provocative yet always considerate, it joins our LoveReading Star Books as a must-read.

Liz Robinson

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