Small Hours, by Bobby Palmer - Milly
Having loved Bobby Palmer's debut novel, Isaac and the Egg, I could not wait to read this book.
The story follows a father/son relationship that has seemingly broken down through no particular fault of the other. However an incident occurs that brings them to begin to understand each other. It is a testament to the superb writing of the author that these characters seem so real, so flawed, and so mesmerising.
This novel is a masterpiece. It is hard to describe how Bobby Palmer's beautiful writing makes me feel. He has created brilliant characters that you really grow to love, know and understand. I was hooked from the very beginning, and immediately felt as if I was there with the characters, being part of their lives, seeing how they grew more understanding of each other, and how they changed as people.
I took my time reading Small Hours, so that I could absorb every word, this is such a tender and magical read. Topics such as dementia and mental health were handled sensitively, and talked about with care and compassion. It is truly exquisite writing that moved me to tears.
Small Hours is definitely my favourite book of the year. It is magnificent and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is story telling at its absolute best.
Milly
