Book Review – Tin Man by Sarah Winman

Following good reviews on Amazon, I decided to pick up Tin Man by Sarah Winman. I wasn’t disappointed.

It follows the lives of three main characters: Ellis, Michael and Annie. It begins in the present but then delves into the past and the events that have occurred that get the characters to where they are now, told through the perspectives of Michael and Ellis. The first half is told by Ellis, a middle aged widower and the second half by Michael, his childhood friend who left for London after the death of his mother.

The story touches upon sexual orientation in the 1980s, loss and loneliness, friendship and love. It infuses bittersweet memories with the backdrop of summer holidays to France. It presents just the right amount of detail for you to build up a picture in your head, without being cumbersome. The characters are believable and engaging, and even though the character of Annie is only revealed through recollections, you can get a good idea of what she was like, too.

I was hooked on Tin Man by Sarah Winman from the first page. It encapsulated the complexities of relationships in a extremely tender way. It was original and so easy to read because of how engaging it is.

A good read for the upcoming summer, I think. What do you think of Tin Man by Sarah Winman? Is it a book you would ever be tempted to read?