Martha’s story

The girl who broke her chains

Tony Barnsley, Grosvenor House, 152 pages, £6.99

Tony Barnsley is a trade unionist from Halesowen who, a couple of years ago, wrote a popular book about the Cradley Heath Chainmakers’ strike of 1910.

Now he has followed it up with a book aimed at younger readers — sponsored by the NASUWT teaching union — which tells the story from another perspective.

On Martha Wood’s 11th birthday she receives paper and pens and decides to keep a diary. Her story captures the events of the chainmakers’ strike and, through her eyes, we see the mainly women workers in Cradley Heath take on their bosses and beat them to more than double their wages.

Barnsley says: “Martha’s diary is a fictional story written for children to appreciate the excitement of downing tools, going on demonstrations and the power of sticking together.”

The book is an inspirational story about the power of unions in fighting against inequality.

It also captures the experience of women workers in a story which, like that of the matchwomen, is often written out of our history.

Reviews contributed by the Bookmarks socialist bookshop. Order online at www.bookmarksbookshop.co.uk