TIN MAN by Sarah Winman is a tender, delightful read with a
memorable last sentence…. “It was a moment in time, that’s all, shared with
strangers.” Set in the UK, this novel gives us the story of Ellis, Michael and Annie. Spanning decades between post-war 1950, through the beginning of the AIDS crisis and the mid-90s, TIN MAN
explores the lives of two young men who have lost their mothers, who find a special
friendship and a sense of family. Sarah Winman’s writing is gentle; yet, she
evokes strong emotions in this short book which deals with art/beauty and
passion, with kindness and insensitivity, with love and loss.
Another LibraryReads selection
for May, TIN MAN was short-listed for the Costa Novel of the Year
Award and received starred reviews from Library Journal and Publishers
Weekly.
A similar quiet and contemplative novel, EIGHT
MOUNTAINS by Paolo Cognetti was published in March in the US although
it has already spent more than a year on the bestseller list in Italy. Friendship between Pietro, a young boy from Milan and Bruno, an adventuresome boy who has grown up in the mountains is at the center of this novel which also deals with relationships
between the generations, particularly those between fathers and sons. I originally thought that this title might
work as a selection for our Global Voices Senior English class; however, the lengthy descriptive passages and
relatively sparse dialogue likely would be less appealing for those students. The
publisher recommends EIGHT MOUNTAINS for fans of Elena
Ferrante and Paulo Coelho and it is indeed filled with nature and a
beautiful book, particularly for those who know and love the Alps.
THE ENSEMBLE by Aja Gabel is also about friendship although this
quartet is especially bound by their love of music and care for one another. Gabel
herself is a former cellist and expertly captures the concerns and uncertainty
as these string musicians try to establish their careers. The novel begins in San
Francisco in 1994 as Jana, who plays first violin, starts to form the group
with Henry, an immensely gifted viola player. Brit, an orphan, plays second
violin and has a secret relationship with Daniel who is an older cello player
and conflicted about choosing music given the poverty he faced as a child. Each
shares a part of his or her life and the dueling egos, maturing talent and competitive
disappointments experienced over the next 18 years.
Like its beautiful and
eye-catching cover, THE ENSEMBLE is a performance to savor, appealing
especially to aspiring musicians. This debut work received starred reviews from
Booklist, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly and was another LibraryReads selection
for May.
