You know how before certain TV programmes begin the announcer warns people of violence, scenes of a sexual nature, scenes that some viewers might find distressing? And then at the end sometimes offers a helpline number that people can call if they have been affected by the issues in the programme? I’m wondering if it’s time for books to do the same? For this latest book by Linda Green should, at the very least, advise its readers to keep a box of tissues by their side for the duration.
Reminiscent of both The Curious Incident…. and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close with a tip of the hat to I, Daniel Blake One Moment is about two people who forge an unlikely friendship. The titular One Moment is their first meeting and the one that begins a ripple effect.
Finn is a weird kid. Good weird though.The characterisation is so good he just bursts straight off the page and into your heart. He’s 10 years old. Kaz reminded me a little of the Sarah character from Love Actually, selfless and dedicated. However Kaz tells it as it is. She’s unweird. She’s 59 years old.
There’s a dual structure from Finn and Kaz with a ‘Before’ and ‘After’ prefix to their chapters. It becomes clear as the story progresses that the ‘Before’ and the ‘After' refer to a major event that is not revealed until later in the book. Although you do start to guess at what potentially may have transpired. It’s clever though; because there is another ongoing situation that you initially think the ‘Before’ and ‘After’ refers to so it’s a shock when you realise it isn’t that at all. But it is the major event and the second meeting that cements the relationship between Kaz and Finn and binds them. There is an unspoken element of a ‘meant to be’ aspect of crossed paths, written in the stars, fate lending a hand and all that. But it’s a godsend, the fates would have been cruel indeed not to let their paths cross.
The writer has cleverly managed to sustain the voices of two different people, you can almost hear them speaking in your head; Finn, the child, Kaz, the adult, who have some kind of implicit understanding of each other. To do that though you have to have a deep understanding of children which this author has to be sure. It’s never stated but it seems likely that Finn is somewhere on the spectrum given some of his predilections. It’s written with an empathic comprehension of such conditions and syndromes. Kaz is that slightly under represented older character in fiction. Her story is no less deserving of our tears than Finn's but her stalwart and resilient nature offers her a buffer of sorts.
There's a supporting cast of vital characters; Lottie, Finn's best friend who totally gets him, oh, that all the Finn's in this world could have a best friend like Lottie. Terry, Kaz's brother, if you've a brother who you love this relationship in the story will impact on you. Finn's parents, Martin and Hannah, their story will touch you. And let's not forget - Alan Titchmarsh.;) (Dammit, has anyone sent a copy of the book to him?)
It’s a story written with passion and compassion. There are sub plot that looks at the weaknesses, for want of a better word, within our benefits system, the strain that divergent parenting ideas can place upon a marriage and how the child is affected. You may feel angry, you may feel sad, you may feel uplifted ultimately. I hope that isn’t offering any spoilers. At the risk of divulging too much because, trust me, you WILL want to read this book, I’ll stop now.
Linda Green has done it again. As she did with The Last Thing She Told Me she has offered a voice for those who may not have one but not in a soapbox, shouty kinda way but in a moving fiction that will stay with you kinda way.
My thanks to Milly Reid at Quercus Books for a copy of this book and an invitation to the blog tour. Please check out what other bloggers feel about the book.
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