The Brickworks by Lucy E.M. Black. Published by Now or Never Publishing Co., October 2023.
Reviewed by Gail Kirkpatrick, author of Sleepers and Ties, (Now or Never Publishing Co.)
Lucy E. M. Black has the makings of a multigenerational saga in her rich and deep novel The Brickworks. Beginning in Scotland with narratives starting between 1879 and 1909, it tells the story of two men driven by ambition and their need to overcome the tragedies of their past in a new land just beginning to discover its potential.
Through a fateful series of life events and a benefactor uncle, Brodie (Hamilton) Smith feeling ‘ashamed of his father, while yet sustaining a keen sense of injustice’ earns his engineering degree to prove construction and not his train-operating father was to blame for the collapse of a bridge. Even more, Brodie longs for something for which he cannot find the words.
Alistair learned the art and science of brick building by way of his father. ‘I learned my craft in Scotland and thought there might be need of my skills in a growing country.’
The Brickworks is available for pre-order now.
The men meet while working on a swing bridge over the river Welland in Canada and quickly form a bond. Each are ambitious in their own way, seeking to make their fortunes and a new life in Canada. From the correct mix of clay, slate, and water to the Flemish Bond pattern in which they can be laid, the art of brickmaking is revealed. Likewise, in the demands of good bridge building, trusses vs cables, to the cable system used by Roebling for the Brooklyn Bridge, Black blends and layers history within the story of these two men. There is also lovely detail on how to build a spur rail line that will serve the factory. The nuanced use of Scottish dialect--‘if you were nae half so bladdered you would know it too’ adds just the right touch of authenticity.
Inevitably, both men meet the women they wish to marry but through their own insecurities, doubts, and plain stubbornness these romantic relationships are delayed. As Alistair observes, ‘he was a man building his fortune and could not afford to be distracted.’ Violet Lewis and Charlotte Gowan are also both well-developed and interesting characters of their time and circumstances.
The cold and harsh environment of Canada in the 1900’s is realized against the pains of a growing country, and Lamith Bricks is also concerned about housing its workers.
As in her previous book, Stella’s Carpet, the author organically incorporates historical details within a moving narrative, never allowing a writer’s thorough research to outshine story.
That the work flows with ease between time periods and narratives is testimony to the skill of being able to write speculative, layered, and imaginative historical fiction. The reader is left wanting to know if the men do make their fortunes, if indeed their dreams of fishing and passing on their heritage to their children come true. Readers will be left imagining a book two or three of The Brickworks by Lucy E.M. Black.
About Lucy E.M. Black:
Lucy E.M. Black is the author of the short story collection The Marzipan Fruit Basket, the historical fiction novel Eleanor Courtown, and most recently Stella’s Carpet. Her award-winning short stories have been published in Britain, Ireland, USA, and Canada in literary journals and magazines including Cyphers Magazine, the Hawai’i Review, The Antigonish Review, and others. A dynamic workshop presenter, experienced interviewer, and freelance writer, Lucy lives with her partner in Port Perry, Ontario.
About Gail Kirkpatrick:
After receiving her undergrad at the University of Victoria, Gail Kirkpatrick completed her MA in writing at Lancaster University where she explored the parallel and converging lines of memory, shared history, and landscape. Her writing has been published in various literary and trade magazines in Canada and the UK, and Sleepers and Ties is her first novel. She currently resides in Victoria, BC.