19 year old William Lavery has just qualified as the youngest embalmer in the country. It’s October 1966 and he’s at a black tie do for undertakers in Nottingham with his friend Gloria, and his uncle Robert and his partner Howard. As the evening unfolds they get the news of the landslide in Aberfan in Wales. The master of ceremonies asks for volunteers, William doesn’t hesitate and immediately departs for Aberfan. What he encounters there, changes him forever.
He starts thinking about his past. When William was ten, he joined the choir and shortly after he was sent to a choir school in Cambridge. He befriended another boy called Martin on the first night there. A few weeks into his first term, the soloist (Martin) fell ill and William got his chance to sing solo. Everyone was duly impressed. After four years, William was meant to sing the solo, however, something happened that made the headmaster disqualify William. After this, William refused to sing in public and he started living with his uncle Robert. While he’s 14, he spent the summer doing the makeup and hair of the deceased. And that was the only time he’d sing.
William decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and become an undertaker and embalmer, (his father was uncle Robert’s twin), much to his mother’s dismay. His mum was set on him continuing his singing, she had even moved to Swansea so there’d be a lot of choirs to choose from. However, William was not persuaded. He remained with uncle Robert and Howard, and after secondary school, he went on an embalming course. He lodged with the beautiful Gloria’s parents who are in the industry as well. Gloria on the other hand is a nurse. William and Gloria spent a lot of time together until one of his fellow embalmers-to-be moved in at Christmas and started courting Gloria.
Right before William left for Aberfan, Gloria kissed him and he had planned to ask her to marry him when he returned… but after Aberfan, he’s lost. He sets out to go to the funerals, but at the last minute, he goes up to where the coffins were laid out. He sings Myfanwy out there alone…
I loved this book when I first read it a few years ago, and it’s still as raw and excellent now. As a foreigner I had never heard of the Aberfan disaster (a bit before my time). I can imagine how this would have impacted a young undertaker like William. 100 children and 25 adults lost their lives that day and it must have been horrible. The fact that he has PTSD afterwards is very understandable.
My favourite athletic team is Donar, the basketball team of Groningen, the Netherlands. Their colours are blue, and blue. I’ve taken a few liberties with the hue of the blues, though the coat is close.
Read for the ShelfReflection Reading Challenge 2025
Prompt 2: A book with a cover the colors of your favorite athletic team
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
