Welcome to Tindle Reads, a place where we recommend a book for you to read. This week we’re looking at On the Red Hill by Mike Parker.

On The Red Hill is a story of Mike Parker’s friendship with couple Reg and George, two men who were the first to have a civil partnership in the town of Machynlleth. Throughout the story, Parker recounts stories taken from the diaries of the two men, documenting their observations of life in rural Wales.

But it’s the home that is a key character in the story. Rhiw Goch, translated to Red Hill, is a home where both Reg and George, and Mike and his partner, Peredur, have really stepped into their lives.

On The Red Hill is poignant with a reminder of how Reg and George faced homophobia throughout their lives, externally and also internally. Not only does it recount struggles of LGBTQ+ lives, but it also talks openly about the adjustment the couple made when living in rural Wales.

But there’s enjoyment and love to be found within the pages. Colourful characters flit through the chapters, Reg and George are still alive, and anecdotal memories really bringing you in to the world that Mike knew, so that you feel as though you knew Reg and George yourself.

Landscape is also a pivotal role throughout the story. Mike observes the way the seasons change on the red hill, and how the house sits against every cycle. Basking in the summer sun, or stoic in the frost, you get a sense that Rhiw Goch is a place of connectedness to nature.

It’s not a spoiler to say that the couple died within weeks of each other. In their will, they left Rhiw Goch to Mike and his partner. It’s clear that even though the home belongs to Mike, the ghosts of Reg and George still remain. But not in a haunting, terrifying sort of way. More of a feeling that they are always with Mike, and are always a part of Rhiw Goch.