David West’s A Long Time Coming: Snapshots of Life in the South Wales Valleys is a wonderful collection of stories, showing all sides of the author as well as that of his setting: the South Wales Valleys. The book is a collection of short stories influenced by David’s life in the historical town of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales; he deftly takes the reader through situations and stories, historical and current, from the isolation of a single parent to the perils of DIY.
While the narrative does have a strong Welsh influence, the themes of loneliness, betrayal and hope are universal parts of being human and David approaches them with great believability and a light touch of humour.
