Patrick Gale's 'Love Lane': A Tender Homecoming Tale Echoing Brokeback Mountain
In Patrick Gale's 18th novel, Love Lane, readers are immersed in a kindly and companionable story of homecoming, set against the backdrop of 1950s England. The narrative centers on elderly protagonist Harry Cane, who returns after living in Canada, offering a colourful evocation of the times through richly detailed period elements.
Secrets and Relationships in the Wilds of Canada
The novel opens with the clandestine relationship between widower Harry Cane and his bachelor brother-in-law, Paul Slaymaker. Both Englishmen emigrated to Canada around the turn of the last century, where they homestead in the unforgiving Saskatchewan wilds. Fans of Gale's earlier work, such as A Place Called Winter from 2015, will recall the dark cloud of scandal that forced Harry's departure from Britain.
Their bond, described with a "steady tenderness" that echoes Annie Proulx's Brokeback Mountain, provides succour as their neighbouring farms weather the bitter economic vicissitudes of the 1920s and 30s. However, this wordlessly powerful connection is forever altered by the arrival of Dimpy, a woman down on her luck, and her hard-hearted son, Davy.
A Sprint Through War and Return to England
Delivered in an often expositional voice, the narrative sprints through the second world war, covering a series of devastating and brutal events. These lead to Harry reconnecting with Betty, his long-lost daughter from an early marriage, setting the stage for his somewhat equivocal return home. A central question emerges: whether England's green and pleasant lands still constitute home for Harry after such a marked hiatus.
Upon crossing the Atlantic, the novel introduces multiple narrative perspectives, including affable Betty, her doughty husband Terry—a prison governor—and their grownup daughter Pip with her ascetic husband Mike, each harboring secrets. These glimpses into lives adjacent to Harry's round out Gale's presentation of 1950s England, drawing significantly on his family history and letters for rigorous period detail.
Colourful Evocation of 1950s England
While Gale asserts this is "a novel not a memoir," it is rich in meticulously detailed period colour. Realities such as rationing, irascible charladies, clouds of Dubonnet, and Ascot water heaters feature prominently, creating a vibrant evocation of the era. The alleyways and sidestreets of the narrative provide most interest, with secondary characters and subplots often stealing the show.
For instance, the "galére of formidable, big-bosomed aunts" who raise Betty after her father absconds to Canada and her mother dies add a fabulously catty element. Characters like Whistle, Betty's free-speaking youngest daughter, and racy Vivvy, who leads sensible ingenue Pip astray, inject freshness and a gossipy tone. However, this liveliness sometimes overshadows the central plot, causing Harry to fade into the background until he decisively returns near the novel's close.
Lightness and Darkness in Gale's Prose
Gale's sentences possess an enviable lightness, with comedy that has a Forsterian ease in its profound Englishness. Asides about wedding day wardrobe malfunctions and bourgeois euphemisms for genitalia contribute to the novel's unashamed Call the Midwife chumminess. Descriptions of domestic life, such as Mike's nervous hands snapping sherry glass stems or Harry's great-granddaughter fascinated by apple peel, shine with pure brilliance.
Yet, darkness permeates the narrative, particularly in portrayals of the prison Terry governs. The criminalisation of queerness and Terry's oversight of hangings for two likely innocent inmates are handled with dignity and nuance, adding depth to the story.
The Heart of 'Love Lane'
The novel's title refers specifically to the street in Wakefield where Pip and Mike host "Cowboy Grandpa" Harry for eventful weeks, but its significance extends beyond that. What is most palpable is the evident love Gale feels for his semi-fictional characters, resulting in a refreshing warmth and gentleness. This precisely imagined vision of connected lives makes Love Lane a kindly, immensely companionable read, celebrating the complexities of family and secrets across decades.
