The Bay by Julia Rampen #TheBay @JuliaRampenMM @SarabandBooks #BookReview

 

A tender and poignant debut of the redemptive power of unexpected friendship.

In an old-fashioned fishing community on Morecambe Bay, change is imperceptibly slow. Treacherous tides sweep the quicksands, claiming everything in their path.

As a boy, Arthur had followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footprints, learning to read the currents and shifting sands. Now retired and widowed, though, he feels invisible, redundant. His daughter wants him in a retirement home. No one listens to his rants about the newcomers striking out nightly onto the bay for cockles, seemingly oblivious to the danger.

When Arthur’s path crosses Suling’s, both are running out of options. Barely yet an adult, Suling’s hopes for a better life have given way to fear: she’s without papers or money, speaks no English, and chased by ruthless debt collectors. Her only next step is to trust the old man.

Combining warmth and suspense and recalling a true incident, The Bay tells a tender story about loneliness, confronting prejudice, and the comfort of friendship, however unlikely―as well as exposing one of the most pressing social ills of our age.

The Bay is an engrossing novel recalling the Morecambe Bay cockling disaster of 2004.

The Bay by Julia Rampen is published by Saraband on 10 August 2023. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

This novel won the 2022 NorthBound Book Award which celebrates the richness of writing from the North of England and is Julia Rampen's debut.

I can clearly recall the horror of the Morecambe Bay cockling disaster in February 2004. At least twenty-one undocumented workers were killed that night on the cold, dark desolate sands of the bay. Workers from other countries who were exploited by both the gang masters and the large corporations that demanded the cockles that they picked. Human beings with families and loved ones. Those deaths did impact the laws in this country relating to migrant workers, but we are all aware that innocent, desperate people are still being used and exploited for financial gain. 

Julia Rampen's novel is so beautifully written, it is rich and poignant, filled with characters who are perfectly formed, but are often flawed. Despite the theme of the story, there's also a gentle humour woven in the narrative, which enhances the story so much. 

Set in an imagined small town in the North of England that is populated by people whose families have lived there for generations. Hidden among these people are the undocumented workers who live in houses tucked away on side streets, often with twenty people in one room. Workers from far away countries who owe money to ruthless masters and who dream of a better life.

Arthur is a recently widowed man, he's a retired Accountant but also spent time before the war collecting cockles on the bay. Arthur knows the dangers of the bay at first hand and frets constantly about the cocklers and their safety. Arthur's daughter Margaret would like him to move out of his home into a local care home. Just like his friend Reggie. Arthur and Margaret have a tense relationship, she's often angry, appearing frustrated and tired by her father.

Suling is a seventeen-year-old migrant girl. She followed her boyfriend to the bay with dreams of making enough money to build a new home for her mother back in China. Suling is on the run from the debt collectors, she has no money, no phone and her only possession is a dictionary which helps her to understand English. 

When Arthur and Suling meet, in a dark shed on a cold cold night, neither of them can imagine how much they will learn from each other. Their initial mistrust is slowly overcome and this unlikely pair form a wonderful, unusual and supportive friendship. 

At its heart, this is a compassionate and tender story of friendship, highlighting the loneliness that can be felt even when one is surrounded by people. Rampen deals with important social issues here, including prejudice and the exploitation of vulnerable people. 

Arthur is a man who seems so set in his ways. Mourning his late wife Gertie, and missing his close friend Reggie, whilst trying his best to avoid his domineering daughter, he is a man of many mixed messages. Suling is an innocent young girl, used to hard work and constantly terrified and they teach each other so much about humanity and tolerance. 

The Bay is an absolutely beautiful read, the language is tender and compassionate and the themes are relevant and handled with sensitivity, whilst still exposing the horrors faced by so many.  One of my favourite books of the year so far. Highly recommended. 

Julia Rampen is a journalist and writer with a long track record of working with refugees
and undocumented migrants. 

Julia has worked for The New Statesman, the Mirror and the Liverpool Echo, has contributed to the Guardian, BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 5 Live, and is co-founder of the Syrian storytelling platform Qisetna: Talking Syria.

Her novel, The Bay, won the 2022 NorthBound Book Award and was written in consultation with those who investigated the tragedy at the time and told the survivors’ stories.

Twitter @JuliaRampenMM