Book review: ‘Aberfan: A Family Story’ by Jack Lewis

Onwy Gower

The graphic novel ‘Aberfan: A Family Story’ opens with the historical backdrop: “On the 21st of October, 1966, an avalanche of thick black slurry from a nearby tip engulfed Pantglas Junior School and the surrounding village of Aberfan. One hundred and forty-four people were killed, one hundred and sixteen were children.”

The impact on bereaved families extended beyond their loss. When compensation money was being paid to parents, surviving relatives had to prove that they were ‘close to their dead children’.

Jack Lewis approaches this familiar history through members of his own family. His uncle Wyndham was one of the rescuers, his Aunty Anne was part of the grieving community, and his Aunty Alyson survived the slurry which engulfed the school.

Using few words and arresting art, he evokes deep empathy while allowing their experiences to guide the story. His admiration for them shines through.

Lewis, from Merthyr Tydfil, is a Welsh-speaking artist whose work explores Welsh language, history, culture, people and mythology. A recent graduate of Kingston School of Art in London, he has also exhibited at Cynon Valley Museum in Aberdare as part of the Valleys Re-told project with Amgueddfa Cymru.

Community grief

Sixty years after the disaster, these personal accounts help convey the scale of the loss for a tight-knit mining community. The 116 children who died are remembered as a ‘lost generation’, while the black-and-white drawings emphasise the darkness of the time.

Despite not previously knowing his family’s story, Lewis homes in on poignant moments: the seemingly ordinary morning, the hard work in the mines, the rhythms of the school day and the desperate rescue mission.

Although these aspects of the disaster are well documented, the fleeting snapshots give them an intimacy rooted in his relatives’ recollections.

‘Aberfan: A Family Story’ is a beautifully melancholic account of one of Wales’ most devastating disasters, made personal through the voices of those who lived through it. It leaves a deep impression.

‘Aberfan: A Family Story’ by Jack Lewis is published by Graffeg and is available to buy from all good bookshops.