THIS WEEK’S NEW BOOKS REVIEWED | FEATURE
THE FORTUNE MEN
Nadifa Mohamed (Viking)
A heartbreaking fictional account of a true miscarriage of justice, and the severe consequences in Cardiff’s Tiger Bay during the 1950s, form the basis to this novel. Mahmood Mattan, a Somali sailor, is working towards getting his life back on track to support his Welsh wife Laura and their three young sons when he is arrested for the murder of local shopkeeper Violet Volacki.
The prejudice and injustice Mahmood endures through the state system is explored, along with recollections of his past in Somalia, providing an indication of what led him to look to the seas and journey to Wales. An additional perspective is provided by murdered shopkeeper Violet and her sister Diana, offering an insight into the diverse cultures living in the city and the aftermath of the tragic event.
The Fortune Men is an exceptional novel, its rich storytelling transporting you directly to the heart of multicultural Tiger Bay. It’s strange to think that the familiar streets of my hometown are steeped in so much history; though this is a difficult episode, it’s an important story to be told.
Price £14.99. Info: here
words RHIANON HOLLEY
A LATE RETURN
William Rees (Parthian)
An enthusiastic table tennis player in his fifth decade, Welsh but long settled in southern France, William Rees is aware his fitness is not what it once was. Still, he begins training with the help of zealous coach Simon, who soon gets him into shape. A Late Return, Rees’ wistful account of this pastime, focuses on a one-day tournament in Lanquedoc.
The highs and the lows are dramatized in descriptive prose as the game progresses, encompassing the atmosphere and fast pace of table tennis: short, snappy paragraphs keep you on your toes just like the game itself, as much a tough mental exercise as a physical one. Moreover, it’s an encouragement to anyone over 40 wishing to try something new, that it is possible to succeed. “Table tennis is kinder to non-youthful limbs and minds. The ageing process is less visible. The physical distances involved in playing the sport are shorter. You may nurture the inner Peter Pan,” writes Rees, early in the book.
A Late Return is amusing, too, with multiple anecdotes about winning and succeeding. A feel-good, all-consuming read: absorb yourself in the not-often-penned game of table tennis.
Price: £7.99. Info: here
words EMILY EDWARDS
LOREM IPSUM
Oli Hazzard (Prototype)
An entire book composed of one single sentence is no small feat. This 50,000-word undertaking by Oli Hazzard does just that. Is it a success? It achieves its aim, certainly: the book possesses only one full stop, and every other grammar point is, for the main part, a comma. The effect of this is curious – the lack of a stopping place does create a kind of breathlessness, which I found challenging in and of itself. Have I come to live on Twitter over the last year, and has my attention span shrunk to encompass its limited character count? Almost certainly.
This book is both a comment on that, then, as well as an invitation to stretch the muscle of attention once more. The story set within Lorem Ipsum unfolds within this structure, its lack of full stops meaning that much of the tale takes place in an associative style. Presented in first person, the combination of form and interiority work together to mirror the way our minds flow from topic to topic, following threads but also, very often, veering wildly.
This makes Lorem Ipsum intimate and believable, whilst its experimental form challenges and excites. An innovative, intriguing, very engaging book, and unlike anything else I have ever read.
Price: £12. Info: here
words MAB JONES
THE OUTSIDERS
James Corbett (Lightning)
A novel full of intrigue, where the past is weaved with the present, forms the basis to this superb debut from James Corbett. The Outsiders centres around Paul, and the long summer of 1981: as his home city of Liverpool endures nightly riots, Paul awaits exam results that could send him to Cambridge. He is introduced to Sarah, sharing an instant connection – but her mother Nadezhda, an elusive poet with a mysterious past in wartorn Europe, shapes both Paul and Sarah’s futures.
Liverpool – its history, culture and atmosphere – shines brightly within the pages. It’s intoxicating how the author manages to weave events including World War II, the Toxteth riots and the Hillsborough disaster into the narrative so seamlessly, connecting them with the local characters in such a way as to make you appreciate their effect on ordinary people’s lives.
The Outsiders is Corbett’s debut work of fiction after two previous sports-based titles, but its poetic prose belies that background. A novel you won’t want to end, yet the conclusion did not disappoint. This has leapt into my list of favourite reads and I honestly envy those who will be starting their journey with this book.
Price: £20. Info: here
words RHIANON HOLLEY
SEVASTOPOL
Emilio Fraia [trans. Zoë Perry] (Lolli Editions)
The three short stories within Sevastopol converge in a subtly connected way. Each story contains three individual narratives, each of which deal with human emotion at a key turning point in each of the characters’ lives. The first is an account of a woman whose passion it is to climb Mount Everest, and the melancholy events that proceed; the second a mysterious account of a Peruvian-Brazilian staying in a half-abandoned inn, bearing all the hallmarks of a spooky read but with unexpected twists and turns as the man vanishes into forest. Thirdly the story turns to a young playwright and a painter: the playwright desiring to portray the city of Sevastopol, the Russian artist wishing to portray Crimean War soldiers.
All three stories transmit human emotion in innately relatable fashion. Adventure and excitement combine with sadness, failure, and loss, all of this tinged with hope and a desire to carry on, woven through each narrative. Well written, Emilio Fraia’s [pictured, top] clever prose ignites the imagination and keeps the reader engaged till the end.
Price: £12.99. Info: here
words EMILY EDWARDS