Angol
In post-war North Shields, childhood is shaped by friendship, hardship, family secrets and the simple determination to make the most of what you have.
It is the summer of 1947, and along the cobbled streets of North Shields, Ralph Mason and his friends spend their days playing cricket, football, fishing and getting into mischief. Their world is one of rationing, poverty and post-war rebuilding, but it is also filled with laughter, neighbours, family gatherings and friendships that seem as though they will last forever.
At the heart of their neighbourhood stands the Skin Shop, an unpleasant landmark whose smell has become part of everyday life. Around it, a whole community carries on: parents struggle to make ends meet, children find adventure wherever they can, and families deal with loss, illness, hardship and difficult choices.
As Ralph grows older, the innocence of childhood begins to give way to experiences that will stay with him for the rest of his life. Friendships are tested by tragedy, young people face choices far beyond their years, and family secrets threaten to change lives.
Spanning childhood adventures, personal loss, family struggles and the changing face of a North East community, The Skin Shop is a nostalgic portrait of a generation growing up in difficult times.
For readers drawn to historical fiction, post-war Britain, working-class communities and stories of childhood friendship, The Skin Shop offers a richly detailed journey back to a North Shields that has largely disappeared.
