Book: A Room Above a Shop by Anthony Shapland

This short novel, set in a small South Wales town in the 1980s and written by local author Anthony Shapland, was a, quick, easy read.

Essentially a love story, it follows a second-generation ironmonger, known simply as M, who befriends another loner, B, and they slowly begin an unspoken gay relationship. After offering B work in the shop, M moves in to share the one room upstairs, which is vaguely divided into two, should anyone ever come by, or perhaps just for themselves. I don't know if they quite understood what was happening between them, other than that it felt right.

To the outside world, they are simply two workmates, but the reader is privy to the backgrounds that drew them together.

I picked this up in the first indie bookshop I came across after arriving in Wales, then read it on a weekend away in Scotland. I had just about the right train time for it.

I'd definitely seek out more from this author.