By A.J. Griffiths-Jones

Nestled on blustery Cape Ann and hugging the rugged Massachusetts coastline in 19th century America, Dogtown is a tiny rural backwater that is reputedly coming to an end.

However, it endures, thanks to the eccentric, hardy and dignified characters that remain to fight for their community’s survival when all others have fled to the larger and infinitely more prosperous towns.

Being a resident of coastal Massachusetts, the author draws on what she knows of the area, the vast sprawling seas, abundant wildlife and bitterly freezing winters, and has created a vivid image of life in times gone by.

Imagine an outcrop forgotten by its original settlers, a place stripped of almost all its minerals and crops, somewhere devoid of personality, yet hanging by a bare thread of existence.

Almost a village, yet reduced to far less, Dogtown has become a forgotten neighbourhood where prosperity has passed by without leaving a single trace, save the cluster of cottages that hug the landscape like limpets to a rock. It is here that we find an incredible group of residents who are determined to stay put, survive and cling together at all costs, despite their differing racial, religious and personal backgrounds.

At the centre of the Dogtown lifeline is enigmatic and practical Judy Rhines, a young woman with a huge heart who is prematurely wise beyond her years and holds her own secret heartache close to her chest as she rallies around and tends to her fellow neighbours in need.

Whether it be a kind word, a medicinal remedy or practical help, Judy is always ready to venture out in all weathers to those who seek her guidance and support. While many former slaves have left the area, liberated and free to find new employment, two Africans remain.

Cornelius, a hulk of a man with a tender mind, and Ruth, who continues her craft as a stonemason in utter silence, communicating only through absolute necessity. It is to kind and genuine Cornelius that Judy Rhines is drawn, mesmerised by his gentleness and tendency to protect.

Tradition and social standing prevent the relationship from developing but a mutual bond is formed, and they eventually consider throwing caution to the wind.

One of the most uplifting scenarios in this creative drama is the tumultuous life of Oliver Younger, who overcomes childhood difficulties and becomes a pillar of the community. This superbly resilient man manages to find his forever love and, drawing on the negatives of his own experiences, eventually brings up his children in a home full of support and understanding.

Over the years, Oliver is forced to unravel family secrets in order to reclaim land that belonged to his forefathers, but in Dogtown nothing is taken for granted and the opposition he faces is fraught with turmoil.

The author is brilliant at developing this character’s personality as he matures, and it is wonderful to see Oliver blossom into a stoic and formidable young man before the reader’s eyes. In a place that has very little, save the resources they pull from land and sea, the importance of Younger’s buoyancy is imperative in helping others to survive.

In every corner of society there always has to be a matriarch, a woman older, more bad-tempered and difficult than the rest and in Dogtown she comes as the larger-than-life pipe-smoking Easter Carter.

Holding fort with her cronies, Easter is reliably crotchety, argumentative and opinionated, and always at the centre of any Dogtown gathering, whether it be a birth, marriage or funeral.

Residents seem to have lost count of Easter’s age, but this is immaterial, for the crone seems eternally destined to watch over the rest of the homeowners like a hawk regarding its prey. At times her wisdom seems misplaced, yet there are moments when Easter’s interaction with others is like a safeguard against intruders.

Like any suspenseful drama there is plenty to contemplate in this magical novel and despite the hardships there are some superbly heartwarming moments along with brilliantly described characters.

There are complex personal histories to be unravelled, new liaisons to negotiate and tribulations to endure, but when you consider the ties that bind these residents together, it makes for a satisfying yet rollercoaster of a read.

Expect the unexpected and you won’t be disappointed with Diamant’s clever storytelling. Add to that her expressive flair and eye for detail and ‘Dogtown’ is sure to become a favourite classic read to return to time and again.