Tin Man by Sarah Winman @TinderPress @KatieVEBrown #TinManBook

It begins with a painting won in a raffle: fifteen sunflowers, hung on the wall by a woman who believes that men and boys are capable of beautiful things.

And then there are two boys, Ellis and Michael,
who are inseparable.
And the boys become men,
and then Annie walks into their lives,
and it changes nothing and everything.

Tin Man sees Sarah Winman follow the acclaimed success of When God Was A Rabbit and A Year Of Marvellous Ways with a love letter to human kindness and friendship, loss and living.

Tin Man by Sarah Winman is published by Tinder Press in hardback on 27 July 2017.

"What's a complement? Ellis asked. Complementing colours are ones that make the others stand out. Like blue and orange, said his mother.  Like me and Ellis, said Michael. 

Yes, she smiled. Like you two." 

Tin Man is about complements. Sarah Winman's characters complement each other completely and wholly. Not just Ellis and Michael from the quote above, but also Annie (my favourite character), and Mabel and even Mrs Khan. This is a novel of less than two hundred pages, yet the words evoke every emotion possible; from overwhelming sadness, to joy, to the ultimate feeling of complete satisfaction as the final page is turned.

My beautifully bound, hardback, proof copy, covered in bright yellow cloth complements the words inside. The yellow of the cover seeps into the story, into the painting of sunflowers that Ellis's mother wins in a raffle in 1950 and which takes centre place, not just in her living room, but in her life and throughout the novel. 

At it's heart, Tin Man is an exquisite story of ever lasting love, and how special people can complement an affair, how they can strengthen it, but also how they can dilute it. Sarah Winman's characters are solid, clearly identified and incredibly human. Whilst she does not hide their flaws, she also exposes their hearts, and even those who appear to be the cruelest have hidden corners that are slowly exposed to show their inner yellow, brightening them and surprising the reader.

Tin Man is both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and as Ellis reveals his tragedy and then Michael relates his story, the sheer brilliance of this author's writing hits the reader. The skill and care taken in the creation of both the characters, and their story is outstanding, perceptive and quite frankly, stunning.

I have no doubt that Tin Man will be up there in my top reads of the year. 

My thanks to the publisher who sent my beautiful proof copy for review.

Sarah Winman grew up in Essex and now lives in London. She attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and went on to act in theatre, film and television. 

She has written three novels, WHEN GOD WAS A RABBIT, A YEAR OF MARVELLOUS WAYS and TIN MAN.


Find her Author page on Facebook

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