God's Own Country by Ross Raisin

God's Own Country

Ross Raisin

The North Yorkshire Moors is the perfect canvas for the portrayal of the young farm boy Sam Marsdyke. In and out of trouble, Sam's voice is one to remember. As he becomes enraptured by a new girl in the village Sam's behaviour becomes erratic and disturbing. The use of regional dialect throughout the book added so much to the character and the landscape and made the whole experience that much more memorable.

Extract
You're Sam Marsdyke, aren't you? she said to me. That set it off, her speaking to me, for I'd have sloped past otherwise, just a quick gleg at her, sat on the window sill in her skirt. I am, aye. I scanned up the corridor to see if there was a bunch of them round the corner, all giggles. I've been sent out of class, she says. That right? I say, fumbling in my pockets, what's she doing talking to me, is she pulling my string? Do I stand here like a doylem or do I get on? But I stay put because she chelps away, all she did was she drew a picture of a cat in her textbook, it wasn't even in pen, that's hardly a crime is it? I don't know why she's telling me this. Probably thinks I'm right impressed at her getting sent out. I don't mind, though for next thing I'm sitting down with her on the sill close enough I can feel her leg touching against my own.
Parallels
  • The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe
  • The Claude Glass by Tom Bullough
  • Digging to Antarctica by Lesley Glaister