Rough Edges by Natasha Carthew

Natasha Carthew takes us beyond the picture-postcard image of Britain's coastline to reveal the lives of the people who call it home. Blending memoir, travel writing and social commentary, Rough Edges explores the realities of working-class coastal communities facing poverty, pollution, rising house prices and the erosion of local identity. Drawing on her own upbringing in Cornwall, Carthew creates a deeply personal and compassionate portrait of life ‘on the edge’, asking what home, belonging and opportunity really mean.

As someone who also grew up in a seaside town, I found the book profoundly affecting. Much of what Carthew writes about felt immediately familiar; the contrast between bustling summers and quiet winters, the sense of being overlooked, and the complicated relationship between loving the place that shaped you while yearning to leave it. What resonated most strongly was her exploration of ambition - the tension between leaving to build a future and remaining fiercely proud of your roots. That theme runs through every chapter, giving the book both emotional honesty and real depth.

Rather than romanticising coastal towns, the book gives voice to communities dealing with insecure employment, widening inequality and increasing social problems. Yet this is not a book of despair. Carthew writes with warmth, honesty and a great deal of empathy, celebrating the humour and solidarity that continue to define such places.

Beautifully written, fiercely compassionate and powerful, this book will make you look again at places you thought you knew. It is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever loved where they come from while wondering what else the world might hold.

Richard