Pat Barker's powerful early novels Union Street (Virago) and Blow Your House Down (Virago) earned her considerable praise. Hard-hitting and unsentimental, they are strong and memorable books celebrating the individuality of the lives of 'ordinary' women. The books have bleak backgrounds but are energetic and often uplifting without softening the circumstances that her characters have to face. This could serve as a bare description of her remarkable Regeneration trilogy, a stunning and memorable series of novels abou ... Learn more