James Hannah (1)

Received as an uncorrected proof from Doubleday in exchange for a review. Expected publication date: 1st April 2015.

We find 40 year old Ivo in a hospice, dying of something only alluded to (diabetes? his kidneys?). As he stares at the ceiling, with little energy or will to do anything including having visitors, Shelia (his carer) challenges him to a game: take each letter of the alphabet, and name a body part starting with that letter, and tell a story.

As the book continues, we get snippets of Ivo's previous life, ranging from the relationships he has with his parents, with his sister Laura, his friends Becca, Kelvin, Mal and ultimately Mia, his girlfriend. We also have a window on his current life, including Amber - the daughter of the woman in the room next door - who is in university and trying to deal with a mother who is dying and a father who seems disconnected from the situation. In turn this allows Ivo to move forward in coming to terms with his own dying.

Ivo was diagnosed as a diabetic quite young, requiring him to do regular injections, but as he comes into his twenties, he is skipping injections on an almost daily basis, skipping out late at night with Mal, Becca and Laura and ingesting various forms of drugs, most notably Heroin and alcohol, usually supplied by Mal.

There is chopping and changing about time periods within each chapter, with some pieces only lasting short paragraphs, some whole chapters. It's a pleasing way to recognise that some memories can be simple impressions of a moment, some that are whole days or weeks. There's been a rift between him and Laura approximately 8 years before the now, which has resulted in people taking sides, and Ivo unwilling to accept visitors or work on recovering his relationship with Mal, who seems to have gone missing after leaving prison.

As things progress we find out why Ivo has cut himself off from his friends and family; what hold the crocheted blanket means to him after so many years; and ultimately why he fears Mal more than he misses him.

This is one of those books that is apparently simple in it's structure, but delivers so much more and gives a sucker punch at the end. Things aren't always explicit especially in the final act when Ivo is full of morphine, but you get the indication that this is the only person Ivo ultimately trusts to do this one thing for him, no matter what the cost might be or what has gone before. Certainly a book to have the hankies out for when you finish!
… (meer)

I admit, this book had me crying just from reading the back! I knew there was only going to be one outcome for Ivo but as he got near to the end of the alphabet I was stuck with a dilemma of not wanting the book to end but at the same time wanting to find out how it ended. How did it end? Not at all as I expected - cue the absolutely massive gasp out loud!

I'm not going to spoil any of the story in my review but this is a wonderful testimonial of Ivo's life. Yes, he's made mistakes and boy is he paying for them. There are some really tender poignant moments where he talks about his ex-girlfriend, Mia - the girl with the patience of a saint. It must have been love when she put up with Ivo's partying, often at the expense of taking his insulin.

During the reminiscences, I was reminded of the feeling of being young and thinking you're invincible. Then we are reminded of where Ivo has ended up - on oxygen and morphine in a hospice as his kidneys are failing. It's a brilliant contrast between the feel good happy memories of the past and the stark reality of the present.

The hospice environment was written with dignity and respect. Ivo's nurse, Sheila, is always there when he needs her and I liken her to a guardian angel. Perhaps not a guardian angel as such, as it's too late to keep him safe from harm, but an angel who makes Ivo's final journey as comfortable as it can be.

It's an absolutely stunning book. I loved the A to Z idea and have some favourite Ivo stories such as hanging the crochet hearts from the tree and asking the vicar about his Adam's apple. What will your favourite Ivo story be?

This is a book that pulled at my heart, not only for Ivo's suffering, but for really making me appreciate what I have - my family, friends and health. So cheers, James Hannah!

I received this book from the publisher, Transworld, in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)