The author tells us of the demise of the main character right at the beginning of the book. The story of Charlie and Maureen Buck unfolds through the reign of Maggie Thatcher and their life reflects the impact of her policies. Charlie is a printing press compositor, a union man living in a city council flat. Maureen is a meek housewife without dreams. Their lives change dramatically over 11 years of the iron lady's reign.
What a riveting read. Unusual in that you know ultimately what is going to happen in the end. ( )

To say I loved this book is to gloss over how evocative and enthralling and uncomfortable and brilliant I found it. The writing is superb, as is the characterisation. This isn't a one-sided account of Thatcher's Britain, it opens up to evaluation Thatcher and police corruption and the individualist philosophy, but also racism and union corruption, as well as human responses to change - its a brilliant evocation of changing times, of old knowledge being discarded, but slowly and reluctantly, and new knowledge, not always better, being taken on board. This book really made me feel (and as a rule I avoid any books or movies that have the appendage 'powerful' or 'moving') not in the epic way of forced sentimentality or patriotism or those kinds of things, but the pain and vulnerability and exposure of the characters, both joy and sadness at their 'successes', particularly how these successes are defined by the times. This review sounds too naff for this book, better to read it than read this review! ( )