103 Book Review
Festival. There are also plenty of books currently making some noise on the shelves – some lyrical, some powerful and some full of soul. The Songaminute Man by Simon McDermott (published by HQ) hits a spot close to my heart and clearly demonstrates the uplifting power of music. Written by his son, this is the true story of a man
THE SOUND OF MUSIC T
(Teddy Mac), his life growing up the 40s, his dementia journey and above all his strong and harmonious bond with his son and music. You need only watch their carpool karaoke video on Youtube singing “Quando, quando, quando” to see the magic of music. It’s clear
he sounds of summer are here – bleating lambs, the dawn chorus and the unmissable Dart Music
by Emma Jones
catalogue in order to make up her Greatest Hits album of 16 tracks. Set over the course of one day the book’s chapters are titled as album tracks and with the memories attached to each song they reveal the soundtrack of a lifetime. “This engaging, emotionally charged novel about music, motherhood and mental illness deserves to be a hit.” (The Observer). As I always like to end on a high note a quick
mention for The Music Shop by Helen Joyce (published by Black Swan). I confess I’ve mentioned this in a previous column but it’s recently out in paperback and tipped to be a top summer read.
In
short, it’s a love story – “easy, joyous and packed with humanity” – simply music for the soul.
that this video not only went viral as the ex-Butlin redcoat is a talented singer but it also demonstrates how Teddy’s lifelong passion for music enabled him to find his own self and overcome the fits of forgetfulness and flares of temper. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (published
by Bloomsbury) is one of the titles recently shortlisted for the 2018 Women’s Prize for Fiction. This is a haunting road novel set in the wake of Hurricane Katrina about a troubled, young, American family.
It’s
definitely one for those who like an intense, meaty book, “blazing with power, grief and tenderness” (Financial Times). It has won a string of awards across the Atlantic with its lyrically written prose and strong subjects of race, hope, struggle and family bonds. Leila Slimani’s Lullaby (published by Faber & Faber) is not so much a book for bedtime but more a taut thriller set in present day Paris. This is both a chilling and gripping story which opens with the disturbing description of the death of a baby and continues with the shocking transition from a nanny to a monster. This is more a whydunnit than a whodunit and with spine tingling tension the author plays on the psychological and emotional turmoil surrounding mother and child bonds and childcare. Greatest Hits by Laura Barnett (published by
W&N) is a “ballad of a book” (Stylist) and a novel for music lovers who pay attention to the words. The main character – Cass Wheeler – is a former singer/ songwriter in her 60s, who listens to her entire back
New books for adults and children from our community co-operative Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm Sundays in school holidays
info@dartmouthcommunitybookshop.co.uk www.dartmouthcommunitybookshop.co.uk
12 Higher Street (opposite The Cherub Inn) 01803 839571
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