'The Catchers' is set in 1920s USA, where 'song catchers' travelled from the cities of the north to rural areas looking for new folk music to record for the expanding music industry. The musicians who produced said songs were paid a pittance and sent on their way, regardless of how successful the recording became. John Coughlin is new to 'catching' and plans to go further south than anyone has before. He travels deep into the southern states, where the Mississippi river has recently catastrophically flooded. There he finds a young Black musician, Moss Evans, who has survived the flood by a narrow margin. Being caught by Coughlin seems like a good opportunity to escape his unenviable existence - but he might end up wishing he'd stayed in the Delta.

The story took a while to really get going, but it was compelling in the second half once it did so. The descriptions of the apocalyptic flood are frightening and vivid, as is the disturbing nature of the people's behaviour in the aftermath of the flood. Brooks creates an atmosphere of unease and tension, where friends might turn into foes with no warning, and the usual rules don't apply - except for the ones that you wish didn't apply in the first place. The ingrained racism is just awful, and the aftermath of hurricane Katrina shows that can't be considered a thing of the past by any means.

It's an intelligent story that would make a good book group choice as there is plenty to discuss about the ethics of song catching. The Great Mississippi flood of 1927 was a true event, one that I hadn't been aware of. The appalling racial inequality and way Black people were treated before, during and after the flood is all too real. The destructive power of nature is enough to send a shudder through anyone reading, no matter how modern the era, as is the reminder of how awfully people are capable of behaving.

If you enjoy literary fiction, or have an interest in the era or region, this is a worthwhile read.

The Catchers, by Xan Brooks, takes us to 1920s America, to Appalachia, and the birth of a new music. Brooks captures the spirit of the era beautifully, and the story is engaging, well written and evocative. I could smell those Appalachians mountains. His characterisation is equally well done, from the song hunter John Coughlin to the teenage guitarist Moss Evans: their adventures across a changing America make for a recommended read.