Title: Tin Man
Author: Sarah Winman
Publication Date: August 2017
Synopsis: "It begins with a painting won in a raffle: fifteen sunflowers, hung on the wall by a woman who believes that men and boys are capable of beautiful things.
And then there are two boys, Ellis and Michael, who are inseparable. And the boys become men, and then Annie walks into their lives, and it changes nothing and everything.
Tin Man sees Sarah Winman follow the acclaimed success of When God Was a Rabbit and A Year of Marvellous Ways with a love letter to human kindness and friendship, loss and living."
My thoughts: The main thing I noticed while reading this is the underlying sense of pain. Everything is slightly painful, but also hopeful. It is a tragic, yet wonderful, hope, and you can't help but feel wrecked by it by the end of this short book.
The book consists of what I can only describe as extended snapshots - times that are 'now', and times from the past. Much of it is Ellis, looking back on times with his mother, with Michael, with Annie, with his father. I find myself not wanting to give very much away about this book - the blurb has given you a bit of an idea, anyway - because I went in not knowing a lot, and I think that works really well for this book. You aren't sure what to expect, aside from feeling some things, and so you go in and meet this characters and feel for and with them.
Ultimately, I think this book looks at the pain and joy of living and loving others, and it does it really, really, really well.
[I received a review copy of this from Hachette in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!!]
A favourite line from the book: 'It would be as if the sun itself rose every morning on that wall, showering the silence of their mealtimes with the shifting emotion of light.'
You would like this book if: you enjoy gentle tales that very slowly destroy you, and make you confront deep-held fears.
Tea to drink while reading this book: Doesn't matter. Perhaps your tears will change the flavour. Perhaps spike your tea with some whisky?
Rating: 9/10
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