A thorough study of women's lives between the two World Wars. A vivid re-creation of the lives of working-class women during this difficult time of depression, dislocation and dramatic industrial and political struggle.

Astudiaeth drylwyr o fywydau gwragedd yng nghymoedd De Cymru rhwng y ddau Ryfel Byd, yn cynnwys atgofion benywod ifanc ynghyd â detholiadau o hunangofiannau cyhoeddedig yn adlewyrchu caledi a chyfeillgarwch, ymdrech ac ysbrydoliaeth y cyfnod.

Women's voices have only relatively recently begun to be heard in the historical record. Carol White and Sian William's Struggle or Starve does much to re-dress this imbalance by giving expression to the writing of working-class women in the South Wales valleys.

Struggle or Starve is a collection of writing by twenty-two women who all lived in the South Wales valleys during the interwar period. It is divided into twelve chapters, each focussing on a particular issue important in women's lives. The work of three authors, Mair Eluned McLellan, Maggie Pryce Jones and Beatrice Wood, accounts for a substantial proportion of the book. The selections from these three autobiographies allow the reader to follow their lives through from earliest memories to young adulthood. Alongside these selections, the book also features work by a number of other women, several of whom have started writing after retirement. One of the most notable inclusions is extracts from the writing of Elizabeth Andrews, a significant figure in the Welsh Labour Party. As her autobiography is currently out of print, this volume usefully makes her work more accessible.

Throughout the book the hardship and deprivation of life during the period is vividly apparent and the extracts chart the constant struggle of women against poor living and working conditions, hunger, debt, dirt and unemployment. Despite this the resilience and resourcefulness of entire communities, but especially women, is evident; the women who appear in Struggle or Starve are willing to go to extreme lengths to keep their homes and families together. However, the book avoids the trap of sentimental reminiscence, providing a well-balanced picture of life in the twenties and thirties.

Carol White and Sian Williams's editing allows the reader with little knowledge of the broader context to quickly gain a feel for the period. The extracts are prefaced by a wide-ranging introduction (including thorough footnotes and references), giving historical background and context to both the area and social conditions.

The contributions in Struggle or Starve give a distinctively female account of the impact of economic and political conditions on interwar South Wales – an account too often missing from the literature of the period.

Kate Wright

It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council.

Gellir defnyddio'r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatâd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru.