Book review: Debut inspired by personal story

Author Louise Powell delivers originality and empathy in spades in ‘Underdogs’ — an ode worthy of a community she is ‘incredibly proud to be part of’

Louise Powell, author of 'Underdogs', openly refers to her years growing up below the poverty line. Picture: Rob Irish

• Underdogs
• Louise Powell
• John Murray Originals, £14.99

Underdogs is the debut novel from Louise Powell and is inspired by her own personal story of going to Co Durham’s flapping tracks, racing her family’s greyhounds. 

She openly refers to her years growing up below the poverty line and how the flapping track provided her family with an additional source of income when times were particularly tough.

Underdogs is a novel that was initially conceived by Powell in 2018. 

When the final flapping track closed in Co Durham in 2019, she was driven with more urgency to put into words the memories and the experiences of those heady days of her childhood.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term ‘flapping track’, it is an independent venue that works outside of the normal regulations.

With working-class support, these tracks were typically found around mining towns but today most have ceased operation.

Underdogs is set in 1998, in a community that has been damaged by the closure of the mines.

For 10-year-old George and his dad, Reg, times are tough. Reg is unemployed and is struggling to keep the roof over their heads. 

As the letters arrive from the bank, George sees the red writing but is unaware of how bad their financial situation really is.

George’s mother tragically died, leaving Reg shellshocked and unable to cope. 

They monitor the home of a local ex-miner, now greyhound owner, Bertie, who assists families in difficulty. 

When they spot that Bertie is recruiting, they ring his doorbell with a glimmer of hope. 

Before they know it, Reg and George arrive home with Goldie, a beautiful racing greyhound that needs minding. 

Neither George nor his dad have any experience with dogs, but the opportunity is too good to miss.

In the blink of an eye Reg and George are thrown into the frenetic world of the flapping track. 

As they navigate their way through some hairy situations, their bond strengthens. 

There are many moments of stress and anxiety, especially as pressure from the bank mounts, leaving Reg quite distraught and depressed. 

He often expresses his failure as a father, but George has a wise head and steers Reg when he falters.

One strong feature of Underdogs is the East Durham dialect that Powell deliberately utilises in order to convey the personality and lyricism of a language and its community. 

It takes focus to adapt to the rhythm of it, but if the commitment from the reader is there, the brain quickly adjusts. 

An understanding of betting and racing would probably be of benefit, but it is not a pre-requisite, as Underdogs is more than just a tale about greyhounds.

John Murray Originals was established in 2015 to provide a platform for ‘distinctive, experimental, genre-defying fiction and non-fiction’ and it is into this home that Underdogs fits perfectly. 

It explores the identity-crisis experienced by men who were traditionally the breadwinners, but who now find themselves on the scrap heap of life.

Family and community are central to this story, with the humour and compassion of a wonderful cast of characters radiating off the pages. 

The dynamic of the relationship between a father and son is beautifully depicted, conveying the personal sense of loss and grief that each experience as individuals, and together.

Authenticity is very evident in this raw debut, with Powell delivering originality and empathy in spades or as she herself describes it — ‘an ode worthy of a community that I’m incredibly proud to be part of’.

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