The Alum Maker's Secret is a novel by Stephen Chance set in the 18th century alum mining hamlet of Scarshead.
At the inception of the industrial era, Ana, daughter
of a widowed Spanish urine trader, complains she feels 'bartered like a Moor'
to procure work for her father in a desolate and inhospitable region of northern
England.
Making alum, a beautiful translucent crystal, essential to the dyeing of cloth, has been a lucrative business for centuries, however, its obscure and obnoxious manufacture, burning rocks and stirring together urine and seaweed, dominates a remote part of eighteenth century Britain.
Making alum, a beautiful translucent crystal, essential to the dyeing of cloth, has been a lucrative business for centuries, however, its obscure and obnoxious manufacture, burning rocks and stirring together urine and seaweed, dominates a remote part of eighteenth century Britain.
Ana
is put to work with the inheritor of the 'alum-makers secret', manager Robert,
and witnessing the almost alchemical rituals of his work, an attachment starts
to form. Shortly after her arrival a canny scientist-on-the-make arrives from
London's Royal Society to investigate a disturbing discovery in a quarry rock
fall.
©StephenChance
Great! More details please....
ReplyDeleteManelDS
Yes - have just set this up - more to follow...
ReplyDeleteStephen
Guardian article ends with the comment "lives in a rusty steel house" any chance of images somewhere. thanks
ReplyDeletewww.chancedesilva.com - see project 'Cargo Fleet'
Delete