Review of ‘Bracken and Bryn’ Myrddin ap Dafydd
by Awen Schiavone
A particularly artful historical fiction found in Bracken and Bryn (Susan Walton’s adaption of ‘Rhedyn: Merlyn y Mawn’) by Myrddin ap Dafydd.
The story is set at the end of the nineteenth century, and spans a period of about five years. Corner-stones to guide the story are a young boy and a pony, and the ups and downs of their transformative lives as they both mature and extend their horizons.
The novel is divided into two - historically and geographically, and the two parts are contradictory in many ways. The story opens in the rural area of Gwytherin, Mynydd Hiraethog (Denbigh Moors), before moving on to the coal mines of Mold and Alun vale. There is a clear contrast between the mountainous scenery, freedom, and fresh air of the highlands, and the underground, confined scenery, and the unhealthy blackness of the coal mines.
At the beginning of the book, there is a list of some of the characters in the novel. Some would probably worry that this is a sign of a complex story with too many characters, but it is not so - the list can be useful, but it is not necessary. There is also a map of the Hiraethog area, and before the second part there is a map of the Mold coal mines area, which is again useful and interesting when following the story and the characters' journeys.
The book opens with a prologue that contains an impressive scene - it de-scribes Tomos losing his way in a snowstorm. The short sentences and sensible de-scriptions set the mood skillfully, capturing the reader's attention straight away - you must read on eagerly to know Tomos' fate. We go forward about six months by the first episode, and we get to know Berwyn, the grandfather, and Ifan, his fourteen-year-old grandson in an episode that opens the door to the living condi-tions and customs of rural Wales at the time. We are also introduced to more of the family - Siân, the mother, and Eirwen, the fifteen-year-old daughter, getting a glimpse of the girl's position in mid-nineteenth century society.
We follow the story of Ifan, who has to look for work as the small home-stead where he lives is not big enough to keep him. He feels that the wages of a farm servant are low, and so he joins the Irish who work in the area as they take a group of mountain ponies to the coal mines in Mold. He has some unexpected connection with one of those ponies, and we see the relationship deepen as Ifan gets work in the pits.
We will learn a lot from this historical novel - about the poverty of the Welsh countryside, and about the frightening reality and injustices of the dark life of the coal mines. We will also learn about the geography of the area, and an explanation of the meaning of Mynydd Hiraethog, together with the beautiful names of the mountains. In addition, we will learn a lot about the cleverness of the methods of handling wild ponies in the mountains, and the habits of young people when having a bit of fun with them.
Throughout, there are very special descriptions, which reveal a lot without saying it bluntly, especially with comments about characters which say a lot about the personalities of the various individuals. We must mention the many wonderful nicknames that are here this year - from Dei Crys Glân to Harri Mochyn, and from Jona Ded Loss to Traed Chwadan - they are funny and reflect the truth of organic Welsh nicknames.
To complement the honest telling, the book is full of examples of local dia-lects, which give an intimate feeling to the style and draw the reader into the world of history. The language is very rich throughout, but that doesn't mean it's difficult to understand - it flows beautifully; and although it is aimed at young people, any-one with an interest in history will surely enjoy reading it.