#20BooksOfSummer #BookReview Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman #DucksNewburyport

And now to BOOK 20!!! YAY ME!!!!  This years challenge has been an absolute blast to take part in and I’m really glad I chose to do  my own twist on it with the LITTLE and LARGE element – even if I didn’t stick totally to the original list!!  It made for some fun discoveries of books I’d not normally have considered and gave me a really big push to pick up those chunksters of books that often get left behind! Thanks as always to Cathy at 746 Books for hosting such a wonderful challenge…. roll on 2020!!

And what a book to finish off with!!  At 998 pages long I think it probably could have counted for the last 5 books of my total! With it being so big it took me much longer to read as I had to keep putting it down to digest the goings on (so.many.words!!!) but the challenge kept me coming back for more!!

Latticing one cherry pie after another, an Ohio housewife tries to bridge the gaps between reality and the torrent of meaningless info that is the United States of America. She worries about her children, her dead parents, African elephants, the bedroom rituals of ‘happy couples’, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and how to hatch an abandoned wood pigeon egg. Is there some trick to surviving survivalists? School shootings? Medical debts? Franks ‘n’ beans? A scorching indictment of America’s barbarity, past and present, and a lament for the way we are sleepwalking into environmental disaster, Ducks, Newburyport is a heresy, a wonder – and a revolution in the novel.

published by GALLEY BEGGAR PRESS

PURCHASE LINK

publisher website shop

MY REVIEW

Extraordinary! That’s the simplest way I can think of to describe my time with this book! And at 998 pages long it’s not going to be one of those books you race through – not that you’d want to!

I think the author has achieved an amazing thing with this book – once you get your head round the style in which it is written, the lack of chapters/pauses…. the places you normally get to catch your breath! I found myself having to stop every now and then to take in what I’d read and then come back to it later as all those words took their toll!

It’s a book of information overload – the thoughts of a mother in America and how they take over your mind. How you think of one thing and a million other things race into your head – well, they’re all written down here so you’re left in no doubt as to how she views the world around her, the beauty, the brutality, the inane, the injustices, the horror, the humour – and everything in between. I’d find myself laughing loudly one minute at a thought she’d have, and then close to tears the next as she’d recollect events from the news or her past.

It’s often very bleak and full on but that reflects perfectly the world we live in now – it’s 24/7 and there is no escape. We’re bombarded with thoughts, news and how do we process it all? It plays on our minds constantly, building up fear, resentment, anger…..

Cleverly mixed in with the story is a side tale of a Lioness taking care of her cubs and this was beautifully written and observed, and brilliantly worked into the world created.

It all builds so ingeniously and I slowed down my pace even more reading the final few pages so that I could spend just a little bit more time in the head of this woman. This isn’t going to be for everyone because of the length of the book and the writing style, but I’m very happy to have experienced this clever and stunning book.

Heartbreaking, Humorous, Emotional and Endearing….. genius!!

★★★★★

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#20BooksOfSummer #BookReview A Respectable Woman by Susanna Bavin

And to book 19 of the #20BooksOfSummer.  This had been sitting on my shelves for a while after I’d been sent a signed copy by the lovely Susanna Bavin, and at 477 pages long it was perfect for the long part of my reading challenge! And what a mighty fine story it was too! Loved it!!

ABOUT THE BOOK

After losing her family in the Great War, Nell is grateful to marry Stan Hibbert, believing she can recapture a sense of family with him. But five years on, she is just another back-street housewife, making every penny do the work of tuppence and performing miracles with scrag-end. When she discovers that Stan is leading a double-life, she runs away to make a fresh start.

Two years later, in 1924, Nell has carved out a fulfilling new life for herself and her young children in Manchester, where her neighbors believe she is a respectable widow and a talented machinist. But the past is hard to run from, and Nell must fight to protect the life she has made for herself and her children.

PUBLISHED BY  Allison & Busby

MY REVIEW

I’m a recent convert to the genre of Sagas and if they’re all going to be this good then I’m glad to have finally started reading them! I found this to be such an enthralling read that I had to read it in one sitting and have taken the character of Nell to my heart as she had to put up with so much heartache but still found the strength to pick herself up and carry on.

Nell had faced heartbreak in her past – she lost her family in the Great War so was facing the world alone, until a soldier, Stan, walked into her life and seemingly was her knight in shining armour. She finds married life hard, with long hours working, trying to raise her son too while Stan seemed more interested in the opening hours of the pub. By chance she finds out the truth about Stan and his other family, so she does what is best for her and her son and runs away to Manchester to start over.

Life isn’t much easier up there but she soon finds somewhere to live, a lovely woman called Leonie takes her in and treats her like her own daughter, and Nell works her fingers to the bone as a machinist as she now has 2 children to provide for. All those who know her now think she’s widowed and admire her for her ability to stay so strong. All doesn’t run smoothly though in her new home as Leonies’ son in law doesnt’ seem to like the influence Nell has over his mother in law – being nice to someone seems alien to him and the more you find out about him and how he treats his own family, the more it made my blood boil!!

As she creates a new life for herself, she never shirks the hard work and also turns into a bit of a heroine but that notoriety may soon become her downfall as the press attention brings back her past and to see how women were treated, even in the court system, at that time was appalling and quite an eye opener. With the help of her new friends you always find yourself cheering her on in her battles but always fearful that the attitudes of the time would go against her.

There were some vile characters in this book that were brilliantly described, and the character of Posy was just a delight – the author really captured the children in this so well! Naive in many situations, but wise beyond their years in others and their storylines really added extra depth to this story of triumph over adversity.

★★★★★

#20BooksOfSummer #BookReview Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

Time for the rundown to the completion of this fabulous challenge!  This was book 18 and, yet again!, not on my original list but I picked this one up as I was in need of a quick read – it’s only 156 pages long – and it also is the September choice for the GoodReads book club I’m  part of so I’m getting ahead of myself already!

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the din and stink that is Cannery Row a colourful bend of misfits – gamblers, whores, drunks, bums, and artists – survive side by side in a jumble of adventure and mischief. Lee Chong, the astute owner of the fantastically well-stocked grocery store, is also the proprietor of the Palace Flophouse that Mack and his troupe of good-natured ‘boys’ call home. Dora, of the flaming orange hair and taste for Nile green dresses, runs the brothel with clockwork efficiency. Doc, who owns the laboratory, is the fount of all generosity and wisdom. Everybody wants to do something nice for Doc: the trouble is, he always ends up paying.

Packed with invention and joie de vivre, Cannery Row is Steinbeck’s high-spirited tribute to his native California.

MY REVIEW

My first John Steinbeck and not going to be my last! I was a little unsure what was ahead of me when I started this and did struggle with the first few pages, but I soon took the characters to heart, especially Doc and Frankie, and I loved seeing how things were going to pan out between this wonderful mix of outsider characters, and their quest to throw a party! I loved the comings and going on Cannery Row – it really helped set the scene as these outcasts of society came together in their own world, none more so than Doc who the others adored as he was always there to help out. But as a man himself he was happy to dance his own tune, stay out of the ‘normal’ and was totally wrapped up in his work and helping others. This was only a short novel but it really packed a punch and I could happily have read more as the characters lended themselves to so many storylines and avenues to explore!

★★★★

#BookReview #20BooksOfSummer The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan

And now for a review of Book 17 – it’s been a good bank holiday reading weekend for me and my 20 Books of Summer list! Except this was another one of those not on my original list haha!! I won a lovely proof copy from the bods at MYVLF and as Jenny Colgan is one of my favourites I just couldn’t leave this on the shelves for too long!

ABOUT THE BOOK

A grand baronial house on Loch Ness, a quirky small-town bookseller, and a single mom looking for a fresh start all come together in this witty and warm-hearted novel by New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan.

Desperate to escape from London, single mother Zoe wants to build a new life for herself and her son Hari. She can barely afford the crammed studio apartment on a busy street where honking horns and shouting football fans keep them awake all night. If she doesn’t find a way out soon, Zoe knows it’s just a matter of time before she has a complete meltdown. On a whim, she answers an ad for a nanny job in the Scottish Highlands, which is about as far away from the urban crush of London as possible. It sounds heavenly!

The job description asks for someone capable of caring for three “gifted children”, two of which behave feral wolverines. The children’s widowed father is a wreck, and the kids run wild in a huge tumbledown castle on the heather-strewn banks of Loch Ness. Still, the peaceful, picturesque location is everything London is not—and Zoe rises to the challenges of the job.

With the help of Nina, the friendly local bookseller, Zoe begins to put down roots in the community. Are books, fresh air, and kindness enough to heal this broken family—and her own…?

published by Sphere

432 pages

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon UK  £9.99

hive.co.uk  £10.69

whsmith  £9.35

MY REVIEW

I adore Jenny Colgan and I adored her latest book that gave me all the feels and more!!

This is the story of Zoe who is a single mum doing all she can for the sake of her little boy, Hari. Life is tough and even tougher when Hari has never uttered a single word but nobody can work out why he’s suffering so badly with this social anxiety disorder. She soon finds herself being priced out of her flat in London and is running low on options for what to do next.

Desperate times call for desperate measures and she and Hari soon find themselves heading to Scotland to help run a local bookshop, as well as being nanny to 3 children while their father is often away travelling for work. The home they move into ‘The Beeches’ is a large mansion but very run down and very low on love – it’s just filled with children who have been left pretty much to their own devices so their reaction to Nanny Number Seven leads to some very interesting and humorous experiences!

I really empathized with Zoe – it was clear how much she loved Hari and she just wanted the best for him but often felt powerless to break him out of his silence. And the mix of her 3 new charges was also so fascinating – she clearly felt sorry for them having no routine or structure but finding the balance to get them onside was a frustrating process for her. 

This book was also not afraid to approach some darker subjects around childcare, grief and anxiety and it all really struck a chord with the times we are living in now. Zoe had her own doubts over making the move and how it would impact on Hari and it was so heartwarming to see bonds that he made as he began to settle into country life. I just wanted to give him a big hug!!

Add in to the mix her new boss Nina and her worries over her pregnancy, Ramsay – the father of the 3 children and owner of The Beeches and his reluctance in letting go of the past, and issues with Jaz, her ex – it just made for such an entertaining and fabulous read that I couldn’t put it down once I’d started. Just wonderful!!

★★★★★

#BookReview #20BooksOfSummer FOLLOW ME TO GROUND by SUE RAINSFORD

Back again! Time for me to review Book 16 – and guess what?!! another one that wasn’t on my original list! But it was Cosy Reading Night over the weekend and this one just spoke to me with its’ lovely gold cover and was around 200 pages so perfect for an evening of reading and scoffing of chocolate!!

‘Equal parts beauty and horror, and unlike anything you will read this year’ TEA OBREHT

‘Seethingly assured debut fuses magical realism with critical and feminist theory’ GUARDIAN


ABOUT THE BOOK
In house in a wood, Ada and her father live peacefully, tending to their garden and the wildlife in it. They are not human though. Ada was made by her father from the Ground, a unique patch of earth with birthing and healing properties. Though perhaps he didn’t get her quite right. They spend their days healing the local human folk – named Cures – who visit them, suspiciously, with their ailments.

When Ada embarks on a relationship with a local Cure named Samson, and is forced to choose between her old life with her father, and a new one with her human lover. Her decision will uproot the town – and the Ground itself – for ever.

A poised and simmering tour-de-force, FOLLOW ME TO GROUND is a sinister vision of desire and freewill, voiced in earthy prose and eviscerating detail by an astoundingly original new writer.

‘Fierce, palpable, hynoptic. A dazzling, troubling dream’ COLIN BARRETT

LONGLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOT PRIZE 2019

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon UK  £9.99

hive.co.uk  £10.25

whsmith  £9.35

MY REVIEW

I found this to be a dark, strange, absorbing and extremely enjoyable read! One of those books that didn’t always work for me, but the bits that did were so captivating that I just wanted to read on!

Ada and her father live in the woods and they aren’t human. But they’re ‘tolerated’ by the humans living nearby as they have gifts that means that they can cure sickness. It’s how they get by. 

Ada was made from The Ground nearby, which is a patch of earth that has birthing and healing properties – it must also be respected as it can eat you up so you do wonder just what is the meaning of this ground – a double edged sword maybe?!

This book allows you to see the complexities of a father/daughter relationship along with how those seen as outsiders are seen within the community and there’s always a fear of them despite their help when needed.

Ada grows close to one of the ‘cures’ she is treating, and when she spends more time with Samson the dynamics change with her father – is he being over protective? Or is she being blinded by the overbearing personality of Samson. 

WE also get to see little thoughts on the pair from the people they’ve cured – the rumours, their experiences and this was a really interesting little side story. 

As Ada grows in confidence in her own abilities she starts to think more for herself and that doesn’t always lead to the best decisions, and with Samson’s own sister showing concerns you are always wondering just who to trust in their judgement of characters.

A really interesting and twisted little story and one that I raced through and hope to re-read in the future!

★★★★

#20BooksOfSummer A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White #bookreview #wtfbcthu

And on to Book 15!! Another one not on my original list – I think this a theme now!! – but one that covers the #large element of my reading challenge at 480 pages long!  Was prompted to pick this one up as the lovely author EliAllison has started a little twitter book club called #What The Fuck Book Club’ that will focus each month on weird science fiction and fantasy books so can highly recommend checking that out if it’s your thing! And if the first pick of book is anything to go by, then we’re in for some fun reads as I really enjoyed this one! What is it about a group of people in space that captures my imagination so much!!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Boots Elsworth was a famous treasure hunter in another life, but now she’s washed up. She makes her meager living faking salvage legends and selling them to the highest bidder, but this time she might have stumbled on something real–the story of the Harrow, a famous warship, capable of untold destruction.

Nilah Brio is the top driver in the Pan Galactic Racing Federation and the darling of the racing world–until she witnesses the murder of a fellow racer. Framed for the murder and on the hunt to clear her name, Nilah only has one lead: the killer also hunts a woman named Boots.

On the wrong side of the law, the two women board a smuggler’s ship that will take them on a quest for fame, for riches, and for justice.

Published by Orbit Books

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon UK

hive.co.uk

whsmith

MY REVIEW

Fun, feisty and frenetic! I think that sums this book up well! And though it’s not perfect, it still has a really interesting blend of characters fighting battles with themselves as well as those they meet along their way.

Nilah, is the race car driver who seems to be caught up in a conspiracy to frame her for the death of a fellow racer and she finds herself on the ship the Capricious against her will, alongside Boots who is a bit of a loner and fraudster – not someone you’d want to mess with! Boots also used to be part of the Capricious crew so when she finds herself amongst her old ‘friends’ that stirs up a few memories and it was really interesting to find out her back story. 

Boots and Nilah are very different characters but both are flawed and it’s good to see how the dynamics of their ‘relationship’ changes over time. They all soon find themselves being chased by ‘mother’ who is hellbent on destruction, and also trying to track down The Harrow ship to get answers as to what is going on!

Full of diverse characters and strong female leads, I found there to be plenty to keep me intrigued and entertained throughout – if you liked A long Way to small angry planet, or A chain across the dawn, then this will appeal to you as well as it had all the elements of a space soap opera with a bit of magic thrown in, and I’m interested in seeing how this series pans out!

★★★★

#20BooksOfSummer Lanny by Max Porter #BookReview

Time to play catch up with some reviews!!  And yet another one that wasn’t on my original list – I really don’t know why I bothered with that! – but the mood just grabbed me to pick this up on Cosy Reading Night, and it was perfect for the #little part of my challenge at around 200 pages long and all I can say is WOW!! I adored Grief is the Thing with Feathers, but loved this even more!

ABOUT THE BOOK

There’s a village sixty miles outside London. It’s no different from many other villages in England: one pub, one church, red-brick cottages, council cottages and a few bigger houses dotted about. Voices rise up, as they might do anywhere, speaking of loving and needing and working and dying and walking the dogs.

This village belongs to the people who live in it and to the people who lived in it hundreds of years ago. It belongs to England’s mysterious past and its confounding present. But it also belongs to Dead Papa Toothwort, a figure schoolchildren used to draw green and leafy, choked by tendrils growing out of his mouth. 

Dead Papa Toothwort is awake. He is listening to this twenty-first-century village, to his English symphony. He is listening, intently, for a mischievous, enchanting boy whose parents have recently made the village their home. Lanny.

published by Faber & Faber

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon   £7.50

hive.co.uk  £10.35

Lanny by Max Porter  £9.35

MY REVIEW

What a special book! Hypnotic, weird, heartbreaking, quirky, dark, spellbinding – just a glorious reading experience.. I’m beginning to expect nothing else but these kind of stories from Max Porter.

Told from different viewpoints it’s the story of a family – a couple with a young boy who is different to the other children in the village – he seems to have his own way of dealing with the world he lives in and is happy to be amongst nature rather than in the thick of things with children his own age. His actions are overseen by the presence of Toothworth, who watches over the happenings in the village with his own narrative of how the world is changing in front of him, but with special attention given o Lanny who is his favourite. He gets him!

I loved the viewpoints of Lanny and his mother and father – they both have different outlooks on life and how to raise their child – his father is always consumed by work and his commute, his mother is a writer who suffered with depression after Lanny was born so their move to the country was them trying to live a different way. They hire a local art teacher, Pete, to teach him and there is a connection between them. When Lanny goes missing he is the first under suspicion because he’s an outsider too. Watching on as the story unravels you really get to see how the assumptions on people fall under the microscope and how perception affects the reality of the situation.

This was a beautifully written story, the use of language and the way that Toothworth listens to all the dialogue of the villagers was just wonderful and often had me laughing with the randomness of the conversations. Just brilliant!!

★★★★★

#20BooksOfSummer A New Map of Love by Abi Oliver #bookreview

Back on the reading challenge front!! And book 13 has now been finished! This wasn’t one of the books on my original list, but I found it while having a clearout and it fitted perfectly for the larger element of my challenge – 460 pages – and I found the audio version on the library Borrowbox app so I could listen to it as well!  

It was a little different to what I was expecting but still made for an enjoyable read!

ABOUT THE BOOK

How can you pack for the journey of a lifetime?

George Baxter has settled for a comfortable life, content as the years unfold predictably – until Win, his wife of twenty-six years, dies.

With his loyal dog Monty by his side, George throws himself into his work as an antiques dealer. His business is at the heart of the village and all sorts pass through the doors, each person in search of their own little piece of history. 

When George meets local widow Sylvia Newsome, he imagines a different kind of future. But life has more revelations to offer him. Over the course of an English summer George uncovers some unexpected mysteries from his past, which could shape his tomorrows . . .

Published by Pan MacMillan

MY REVIEW

This was a sweet and gentle paced read following George as he tries to get on with life following the death of his wife. He sees this as an opportunity to grab life and try new adventures but when faced with choices it seems he doesn’t really know what he wants and it shows him how much he misses his wife and realises how he may have taken her for granted while she was always around.

With his faithful dog, Monty, by his side there are many humorous observations to be had by the reader as you see him dealing with life on his own -always seemingly surrounded by a number of helpful (!) women who seem only too keen to care for him which he often takes full advantage of. 

I didn’t connect too well with George as he wasn’t the most likeable of characters – at first he seemed almost relived that his wife had died and would blame her for the fact he’d not been more adventurous and missed out on a few things because of her. 

It does a great job of showing the minefields of dating when you’re older, and the whole process of moving on and becoming too set in your ways to enjoy a change in routine. There was a big twist at the end which came out of nowhere which did add an extra element to the story and I think I would have liked more of that, than him dealing with various women throwing themselves at him! But it still made for an enjoyable read, and I listened to some of the audio version too which was brilliantly read and brought to life.

★★★

#20BooksOfSummer Tinderbox by Megan Dunn #BookReview

Back again with another review! Book 11 has been ticked off although this wasn’t on my original 20 Books list – there’s a surprise! I recently bought a couple of books from Galley Beggar Press and TINDERBOX by Megan Dunn was one of them! And at only 150 pages long it came at the time when I was in need of a little non fiction and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Megan Dunn was in a hole. Her attempt to write a fictional tribute to Fahrenheit 451 wasn’t going well. Borders, the bookseller she worked, for was going bust. Her marriage was failing. Her prospects were narrowing. The world wasn’t quite against her – but it wasn’t exactly helping either. 

Riffing on Ray Bradbury’s classic novel about the end of reading, Tinderbox is one of the most interesting books in decades about literary culture and its place in the world. More than that, it’s about how every one of us fits into that bigger picture – and the struggle to make sense of life in the twenty-first century.

Ironically enough for a book about failures in art, Tinderbox is a fantastic achievement; a wonderfully crafted work of non-fiction that is by turns brilliantly funny and achingly sad. … It will also help ensure that you will never ever again be rude to anyone working in retail.

In the author’s words:

It is about the end of the Borders book chain, Julie Christie and me – but not necessarily in that order.

It is also about Ray Bradbury, censorship and the end of the world – but not necessarily in that order.

It is also about Jeff intellectual, Bezos freedom, and Piggle Iggle – not in order but that necessarily. 

Published by Galley Beggar

PURCHASE LINKS

Publisher Site – Limited Edition copy

hive.co.uk

MY REVIEW

I really enjoyed this charming and insightful book about the author and her experience and struggle of trying to write a book about a book, while dealing with all that life was throwing at her! It was funny, heartfelt and just made me want to pick up Fahrenheit 451 and re-read it to add to the experience of noticing the little things you often forget about a book when you’ve not read it for so long!

It’s a book about the impact a book can have a person – the experience of reading and the relationship we all share when we connect with a book or author, and the memories it can evoke from the time in our lives when we pick these books up. It also deals with her time as a bookseller – the bookshop Borders was going through very tough financial times while she worked there and some of the things she noticed about staff and customers was enlightening to say the least! Loved the potted history of Borders as well and why it was created and how the creation of A****N(!) affected sales and how we as readers still have such a deep rooted connection with bookshops.

But the main thread of the story is centred around Fahrenheit 451 – the book and film version are both analyzed as she attempts to write a tribute to it and I loved how her mind just kept wandered as she attempted to hit word counts each day. It also touches on book snobbery, reality tv and how she discovered how prophetic the original F451 was -characters without books to light up their minds become more self obsessed/narcissistic – very apt it seems for the world we live in nowadays. And any book that can include Iggle Piggle in gets a thumbs up from me!

★★★★

#20BooksOfSummer Man With A Seagull on his Head by Harriet Paige #bookreview

Finally I’m back with another book finished off the list!  This was book 10 and another one from my ‘little’ list, where it’s under 200 pages.  I think that is 7 books read now from my ‘little’ list so I really need to up my game on the ‘large’ book front – if only there weren’t so many other books I need to read for blog tours and publication dates!!

And what a stunner of a book this was!  I don’t know if I connected to it more because it was set very locally to me, but I just found it to be so absorbing and touching!

A gull falls from the sky and strikes a council worker on the beach below. From that moment on he is obsessed, a crazed visionary depicting the scene and the unknown figure with in who filled his view at the moment of impact. The mysterious beauty of his creations draws others to him, but can they lay hold of that which possesses him? And what of his anonymous muse?

‘A bona fide gem. A book that would be a credit on any short list.’Guardian

PUBLISHED BY BlueMoose Books

PURCHASE LINKS

Publisher Website  £8.99

hive.co.uk  £6.25

WHSmith  £6.47

MY REVIEW

Quirky and poignant – my kind of book! And set in the south east corner of Essex that I know so well, this was a wonderfully touching little read that made a very hot afternoon fly by.

Centred around Ray Eccles who lives a quiet life in a quiet cul-de-sac in Southend On Sea, he’s a succesful artist but you’d never know it to see him. Happy to stay out of the limelight and keep to himself – but that all changes when he has a rather unfortunate incident on Shoebury East Beach with a seagull. Witnessed by one woman, he returns home from hospital with her face on his mind and starts his obsession with her that takes over his whole artistic outlook and sees him paint the same scene for 10 years.

The woman who saw the incident with the seagull has her own quiet life – working in a clothes shop, living a normal life but when the work of Ray Eccles becomes a huge success, she knows that the face he is painting is her. She doesn’t know how to feel about it and the struggle she faces is brilliantly portrayed.

The whole cast of charaters in this book are such a wonderful mix of the good and bad sides of humanity. The art studio owners who look upon Ray as their pet project when they take his work to London and have him move in with them, the local reporter from the Evening Echo trying to make her name with a breaking story, and especially Ray himself who never escapes his ‘oddball’ personna and seems happiest when he’s doing his own thing and not living by the rules of normal life.

I loved the touching and human side of the story and the familiarity of the places visited really brought this to life for me – any book that features Keddies is fine by me! It had a great mix of humour and tragedy, and the absurd side of the art world where anything seems to go if it has the right PR behind it, no matter the effect on the artist who was just trying to make sense of what happened to him and dealing with his grief and loneliness.

A stunning little book and one I’m very glad to have read!

★★★★