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The Rat Cage
Lynette Clarke, author
It’s London in the summer of 1984, a time of big hair, bold clothes and an ever-present sense of foreboding, just scratching beneath the surface. Here there is high unemployment and a housing shortage compounded by the counties’ jobless, striking miners and tourists all converging on the capital. When Elizabeth arrives in London she finds herself living in a once grand hotel, now cheap hostel, sharing a room with five strangers. Forced into each other’s personal space the normal boundaries become non-existent as they find work, fall in love and forge friendships that are more akin to family. As their interactions with the outside world infringe on their already pressured living conditions, it seems there is just no room for privacy. But, with so much on show, it’s surprising how little they know about each other.