First can't-put-down read-walking-along-the-street of the year ( )

A fantastic coming of age novel about a young man in the Highlands of Scotland in the 1970s. In an act of minor rebellion and an impatience to start his adult life, he leaves school at 16 to work on the railways. There, he initially finds himself a bit of an outsider. Since his father is comparatively rich (he owns a road haulage company), he is considered too posh for a railway worker, but when he befriends a brother and sister who live the local 'big hoose' (rather gloriously called 'Broken Moan') he is considered too working class for them.

The evocation of time and place is wonderful, and the rendering of the local dialect is great. It also captures really well the friendship and petty rivalries between the men who work on the railway. As a woman, I found it an interesting insight into what was then (and probably still mainly is today) a man's world. There's even some great technical detail about trains and the railway system that gives it a ring of authenticity, but is also entertaining if you're a bit nerdy like me. ( )