Published by Doubleday, review by Lesley Finlay
Oh my! What a book – heart-breaking, true to life and difficult to read. From the opening line: ‘None of them would believe me if I told them’ to its conclusion, Anne Fine’s latest novel holds your attention, keeping you praying that Eddie’s godforsaken story ends well.
Eddie and his mother are found in a filthy flat, the victim of neglect and abuse, following a tip-off to social workers after years of humiliation by Bryce Harris, his assumed stepfather. The story is unpicked through the testimonies of those involved in Eddie’s ‘case’ – including his social worker, his foster parent Linda Radlett and his adoptive parents Nicholas and Natasha.
The boy is remarkably unscathed but his progress is cut short when a chance visit to a museum reveals his resemblance to Harris. Eddie’s terror at becoming his own father sends him on a devastating path of self-destruction that fills all around him with horror.
Will nature or nurture dictate Eddie’s destiny? This is a brilliant piece of fiction, rooted in the modern world where there are more ‘agencies’ helping children than the flawed system in which they sit can cope with. This is a view of a truly modern social problem that fine explores sensitively and expertly in all its complexity. A must-read.