Sussex Gorse: The Story of a Fight by Sheila Kaye-Smith is a compelling historical fiction novel set in early 20th-century rural England, specifically the Sussex countryside. The book delves into the struggles of country life, focusing on social issues and class conflict that impact the local community. Through a detailed portrayal of agricultural life and land disputes, Kaye-Smith explores the economic and social challenges faced by rural families. The narrative centers around a fight over land and its consequences, highlighting the personal and social dynamics that shape village life. Kaye-Smith’s depiction of rural hardships and social realism provides a vivid and engaging look at the English countryside, capturing the essence of early 20th-century rural England. The novel is character-driven, offering insights into the complexities of family conflict and community relationships amid the broader social and economic struggles of the time.
Sheila Kaye-Smith was an English writer best known for her books set in the borderlands of Sussex and Kent, following the English regional tradition. Her 1923 book, The End of the House of Alard, became a best-seller and propelled her to popularity; it was followed by additional triumphs, and her works sold around the world. Interest in her novel Joanna Godden (1921) was reignited once it was turned into a film titled The Loves of Joanna Godden (1947), which had a different ending. In the 1980s, Virago Press reprinted this novel and Susan Spray. Sheila Kaye-Smith, the daughter of a physician and his wife, was born in St Leonards-on-Sea, near Hastings, Sussex. She spent the majority of her life in that county, with the exception of a brief stay in London when she was younger. She was a distant relative of the author M. M. Kaye. In 1924, Kaye-Smith married Theodore Penrose Fry, an Anglican minister. The next year, she wrote a book about Anglo-Catholicism. By 1929, she and her husband had joined the Roman Catholic Church. Penrose Fry had to give up his Anglican curacy, and they relocated to Northiam, Sussex, where they lived in a big renovated oast house.
