September CultureCAT: Working Class Cultures

For September’s CultureCAT, I invite you to read a book on working class lives. Often publishing focuses on aspirational, middle and upper class lives, so this is our chance to centre the narratives of those people who keep our economies and daily lives going, and without whom 21st century life would grind to a halt. I don’t want to romanticise, or promote ‘poverty porn’, but am looking forward to accounts – fiction, memoir, non-fiction, poetry – giving working class cultures and lives a voice.

As usual, add your recommendations and reviews here.

Don't forget to add the books you read to the wiki: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2025_CultureCAT#September:_Working_class...

I'm not sure if I have many choices on my shelf, but one book I do have is Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg, which was recommended over in the Reading Through Time group. It can be downloaded for free from the author's website. Its focus is on LGBTQ+ topics, but it also is set among the working classes.

I've got Undercurrent: A Cornish Memoir of Poverty, Nature and Resilience by Natasha Carthew lined up for this one.

>2 MissBrangwen: Ooh, I've been meaning to read Stone Butch Blues for ages, that's a good idea!

I'm hoping that Shirley by Charlotte Bronte works for this category--I won't really know to I read. It's been called the "industrial novel" and the Luddites make an appearance, so maybe so!

>6 Jackie_K: I'd imagine there are a few "classics" that could be relevant here. North and South being perhaps the most obvious one. (I've not read Shirley so can't comment on that, I'm afraid!)

I will be listening to an audio book that has already come in for me at the library. I will finish my current audio, then move to this one:
The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace / Jeff Hobbs

I read Germinal by Emile Zola which is about an impoverished coal-mining community in 19th century France where they endure brutal working conditions, even for the children and don't make enough money to cover the barest of essentials. This was such a compelling read.

I read The Women of the Copper Country about a strike 1913 in the copper mines of Michigan. The manager of this mine was a piece of work; so callous and cold-hearted.

I finished Undercurrent: A Cornish Memoir of Poverty, Nature and Resilience by Natasha Carthew. Through her own story (working class family with violent, largely absent dad, no prospects, next-to-no money) she explores the reality of life/future for rural poor, working class people with minimal opportunities to get off the treadmill of intergenerational poverty and inequality. It was beautifully written, particularly her descriptions of the landscape, and the importance of writing in her life from an early age, and whilst not perfect (especially during Natasha's self-destructive teenage years) I really admired her mum. I also thought her weaving in of statistics on rural poverty, both Cornwall-specific and England-wide, then illustrated by her life experience, was particularly effective.

>9 staci426: this sounds interesting, recently I got an anthology and this is 1 of the 50 included

I finished this one

>12 AnishaInkspill: If you have it in your anthology, I would definitely give it a try. Zola's writing is excellent.

>14 staci426: thanks, I will have a look through my library, and if I don't have it I will keep a look out for Zolas's works.

Stone Butch Blues

I cannot remember ever in my life reading a book which was so emotionally difficult to read and yet so hard to put down. I'm actually glad I read it electronically — even physical books which I personally own I find a strong reluctance to ever annotate, highlight, etc., but with my ereader I have no resistance whatever and found myself highlighting a large amount of quotes which spoke deeply to me and will remain with me. At times I saw myself in Jess, and at other times I saw a strength that I do not know if I could muster in the same circumstances. This is a profound book and I believe it will stay with me forever.