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Harry Cane #2
Love Lane
Not yet published
Expected 26 Mar 26'A mesmerising storyteller' The Times
From the Canadian prairies to the streets of 1950s Liverpool - is it ever too late to start life again?
When veteran Canadian wheat farmer, Harry Cane is obliged to sell up and sail home to an England transformed by two world wars, his arrival triggers unwelcome self-examination for the family he abandoned, and for whom he has never been more than a distant myth.
His daughter feels duty bound to take him in but is riven with doubt and ambushed by a long buried anger she has never before expressed. Harry's effect on the next generation is less predictable, and enables his granddaughter to deal with an unspeakable trauma, while her gentle husband feels seen for who he truly is.
Can Harry stay and make a new life before it's too late, or will he find himself cast out again, punished for having witnessed and understood too much?
LOVE LANE is a searing portrayal of escape and entrapment, and a powerful exploration of what home and family can really be.
From the Canadian prairies to the streets of 1950s Liverpool - is it ever too late to start life again?
When veteran Canadian wheat farmer, Harry Cane is obliged to sell up and sail home to an England transformed by two world wars, his arrival triggers unwelcome self-examination for the family he abandoned, and for whom he has never been more than a distant myth.
His daughter feels duty bound to take him in but is riven with doubt and ambushed by a long buried anger she has never before expressed. Harry's effect on the next generation is less predictable, and enables his granddaughter to deal with an unspeakable trauma, while her gentle husband feels seen for who he truly is.
Can Harry stay and make a new life before it's too late, or will he find himself cast out again, punished for having witnessed and understood too much?
LOVE LANE is a searing portrayal of escape and entrapment, and a powerful exploration of what home and family can really be.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 26, 2026
8 people are currently reading
543 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Gale
43 books717 followersPatrick was born on 31 January 1962 on the Isle of Wight, where his father was prison governor at Camp Hill, as his grandfather had been at nearby Parkhurst. He was the youngest of four; one sister, two brothers, spread over ten years. The family moved to London, where his father ran Wandsworth Prison, then to Winchester. At eight Patrick began boarding as a Winchester College Quirister at the cathedral choir school, Pilgrim's. At thirteen he went on to Winchester College. He finished his formal education with an English degree from New College, Oxford in 1983.
He has never had a grown-up job. For three years he lived at a succession of addresses, from a Notting Hill bedsit to a crumbling French chateau. While working on his first novels he eked out his slender income with odd jobs; as a typist, a singing waiter, a designer's secretary, a ghost-writer for an encyclopedia of the musical and, increasingly, as a book reviewer.
His first two novels, The Aerodynamics of Pork and Ease were published by Abacus on the same day in June 1986. The following year he moved to Camelford near the north coast of Cornwall and began a love affair with the county that has fed his work ever since.
He now lives in the far west, on a farm near Land's End with his husband, Aidan Hicks. There they raise beef cattle and grow barley. Patrick is obsessed with the garden they have created in what must be one of England's windiest sites and deeply resents the time his writing makes him spend away from working in it. As well as gardening, he plays both the modern and baroque cello. His chief extravagance in life is opera tickets.
He has never had a grown-up job. For three years he lived at a succession of addresses, from a Notting Hill bedsit to a crumbling French chateau. While working on his first novels he eked out his slender income with odd jobs; as a typist, a singing waiter, a designer's secretary, a ghost-writer for an encyclopedia of the musical and, increasingly, as a book reviewer.
His first two novels, The Aerodynamics of Pork and Ease were published by Abacus on the same day in June 1986. The following year he moved to Camelford near the north coast of Cornwall and began a love affair with the county that has fed his work ever since.
He now lives in the far west, on a farm near Land's End with his husband, Aidan Hicks. There they raise beef cattle and grow barley. Patrick is obsessed with the garden they have created in what must be one of England's windiest sites and deeply resents the time his writing makes him spend away from working in it. As well as gardening, he plays both the modern and baroque cello. His chief extravagance in life is opera tickets.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 23, 2025
I have a particular warm spot for Patrick Gale and an even warmer spot for A Place Called Winter. Loosely based on his maternal grandfather it tells of Harry, "sent" to Canada by his scandalised Edwardian family.
Love Lane picks up the story of our pioneer in the prairies. It is again beautifully written, atmospheric and with a magnificent sense of place, time and attitudes. I re-entered this magnificently imagined outback world - which has been touched by the impact of both World Wars. Harry has found a way of life that works, or the best he can achieve as a (necessarily for the times) closet gay man. The book gives a real insight (on both sides of the pond) of hypocritical propriety seeping through every layer of the story.
Half of this latest novel is set back in England with the next generations of Harry's family as he meets his daughter for the first time in almost half a century. Expectations are far from the reality. No longer the handsome buck of the long ago photos, he presents as an impoverished withered old man. After the vast skies and open spaces where fortunes are made and lost with the weather, grain harvests and global politics, the contrast with a smog filled Liverpool is germane.
I devoured this book, much like its precursor. Gale's writing drew me into this small, but perfectly formed cast of characters who pop out of the pages. It made me re-consider family stories we inherit that could all be configured differently told from another perspective.
With thanks to #NetGalley and #TinderPress for the opportunity to read and review
Love Lane picks up the story of our pioneer in the prairies. It is again beautifully written, atmospheric and with a magnificent sense of place, time and attitudes. I re-entered this magnificently imagined outback world - which has been touched by the impact of both World Wars. Harry has found a way of life that works, or the best he can achieve as a (necessarily for the times) closet gay man. The book gives a real insight (on both sides of the pond) of hypocritical propriety seeping through every layer of the story.
Half of this latest novel is set back in England with the next generations of Harry's family as he meets his daughter for the first time in almost half a century. Expectations are far from the reality. No longer the handsome buck of the long ago photos, he presents as an impoverished withered old man. After the vast skies and open spaces where fortunes are made and lost with the weather, grain harvests and global politics, the contrast with a smog filled Liverpool is germane.
I devoured this book, much like its precursor. Gale's writing drew me into this small, but perfectly formed cast of characters who pop out of the pages. It made me re-consider family stories we inherit that could all be configured differently told from another perspective.
With thanks to #NetGalley and #TinderPress for the opportunity to read and review
October 22, 2025
Just beautiful. I was totally caught up in Harry's story, and then his daughter's, and then his granddaughters...the characters walk straight off the page and into your head and your heart and it happens in such a gentle, thoughtful way. Nothing is rushed about the story, and whilst there are moments of real darkness, and some very disturbing passages, they serve to deepen the characters, and the overall tone was, I felt, one of hope. I loved it.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy.
March 4, 2026
I like Patrick Gale’s writing and particularly the pictures of CornwalI he paints. The location in Love Lane was not therefore as familiar. Starting around the start of the 1900s this family story spans the first half of the twentieth century. I read this book not knowing it was a follow up to a previous novel. I wish I had read A Place Called Winter first. This story starts around the 1940s. There are different points of view: of Harry living in rural Canada after settling there as a young man; his daughter Betty; her daughter Pip and her husband, Mike. Essentially it’s a book following Harry Cane and his rural life in the Canadian prairies. It reaches back to his early life and settlement, his middle age. He left England and his wife and small daughter. No doubt the reasons were dealt with in the previous story.
Harry’s equilibrium and routines are shaken when a mother and her son arrive on his land having lost her husband/father in supposedly dramatic circumstances. His close neighbour and brother in law, Paul, takes them in and shortly after announces his marriage to the woman called Dimpy. This disrupts a previously close relationship between the two men. Although Dimpy and Harry become firm friends. The son, Davy, grows up there in the neighbouring farm. He leaves for the city when he is old enough. When Paul suddenly dies Dimpy is left on her own. Davy inherits the farm but doesn’t return until he’s married and then he has plans for the farm which don’t include Harry as neighbour.
In the mean time Harry’s daughter writes to him as an adult and he starts regular letter writing with her. When he sells up he goes to stay with Betty and when she goes away, her daughter. To his English family he isn’t quite what they expected despite having earned the nickname Cowboy Grandpa.
The depression years and post-War in Canada and England are not easy for this family. So this story shows a different insight into history of the period. Living on a single wage, both Betty and her daughter are married to Prison Officers and don’t work outside the home. Harry is another mouth to feed.
I was also mildly surprised at the end to learn it was based on a real life family story. I generally found Love Lane slow going. I wondered at the choice of points of view. A more interesting one might have been Paul’s.
Harry’s equilibrium and routines are shaken when a mother and her son arrive on his land having lost her husband/father in supposedly dramatic circumstances. His close neighbour and brother in law, Paul, takes them in and shortly after announces his marriage to the woman called Dimpy. This disrupts a previously close relationship between the two men. Although Dimpy and Harry become firm friends. The son, Davy, grows up there in the neighbouring farm. He leaves for the city when he is old enough. When Paul suddenly dies Dimpy is left on her own. Davy inherits the farm but doesn’t return until he’s married and then he has plans for the farm which don’t include Harry as neighbour.
In the mean time Harry’s daughter writes to him as an adult and he starts regular letter writing with her. When he sells up he goes to stay with Betty and when she goes away, her daughter. To his English family he isn’t quite what they expected despite having earned the nickname Cowboy Grandpa.
The depression years and post-War in Canada and England are not easy for this family. So this story shows a different insight into history of the period. Living on a single wage, both Betty and her daughter are married to Prison Officers and don’t work outside the home. Harry is another mouth to feed.
I was also mildly surprised at the end to learn it was based on a real life family story. I generally found Love Lane slow going. I wondered at the choice of points of view. A more interesting one might have been Paul’s.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is the eagerly awaited sequel to the wonderful "A Place Called Winter" which I recommend you read first to really get to grips with Harry and what has already happened with and to him before we catch up to him here.
So... Harry is now firmly ensconced in the farming life in Canada. Until circumstances dictate that he once again has to flee. Selling up and travelling back to the UK where he has only just reconnected with his estranged daughter. In flashback we learn more about her and her husband and children, and even, eventually grandchildren. Initially Harry stays with Betty and her husband Terry, arriving with the minimum of things, all in a pretty shabby state. He is a bit embarrassed but they try their hardest to welcome him. We also follow Harry and Betty as they get to know each other and each learn that the other's absence in their life wasn't always all their own making.
It's a wonderful story all told. Based loosely I believe on the author's own family. And always just under the surface, as with the previous book, is Harry's homosexuality and the way that attitudes to such a thing has both changed and stayed the same since he was exiled. Especially the inclusion of Terry being a prison governor, which added a whole other rich layer.
But it's more than the sum of its parts. It's a wonderful generational family drama chock full of emotion and heartbreak and peppered throughout with humour and tender moments. So much that I was really sad to have to say goodbye to the characters when the book was over. I hope to revisit them in Audiobook once it has been released, in much the same way as I revisited the first book prior to diving into this one.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book
So... Harry is now firmly ensconced in the farming life in Canada. Until circumstances dictate that he once again has to flee. Selling up and travelling back to the UK where he has only just reconnected with his estranged daughter. In flashback we learn more about her and her husband and children, and even, eventually grandchildren. Initially Harry stays with Betty and her husband Terry, arriving with the minimum of things, all in a pretty shabby state. He is a bit embarrassed but they try their hardest to welcome him. We also follow Harry and Betty as they get to know each other and each learn that the other's absence in their life wasn't always all their own making.
It's a wonderful story all told. Based loosely I believe on the author's own family. And always just under the surface, as with the previous book, is Harry's homosexuality and the way that attitudes to such a thing has both changed and stayed the same since he was exiled. Especially the inclusion of Terry being a prison governor, which added a whole other rich layer.
But it's more than the sum of its parts. It's a wonderful generational family drama chock full of emotion and heartbreak and peppered throughout with humour and tender moments. So much that I was really sad to have to say goodbye to the characters when the book was over. I hope to revisit them in Audiobook once it has been released, in much the same way as I revisited the first book prior to diving into this one.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book
February 17, 2026
Books like this remind me why I love literary and historical fiction so much.
It’s a character-driven novel, set in 1952, and tells the story of Harry Cane and his extended family. It begins in Canada where Harry has been living since he was a young man. Events beyond his control mean that he travels back to England to meet the daughter he left behind, together with her children and grandchild. He’s looking for a new home at this late stage of his life, but will he find one?
The narrative is told from five POVs so an in-depth look into the lives of Harry and his relatives is revealed. We read about their day-to-day lives, their doubts and anxieties, their hopes and dreams, their relationships with each other and the way they have adapted at each stage of their lives dependent upon what fortune has put in their path.
The book also focuses on love, and the complexities of ‘forbidden’ love in the 1950’s; the hardships of war and its aftermath; life as a prison governor and life as a housewife looking after her family. There are a couple of incidents which really pulled at my heart-strings, but I thoroughly enjoyed being invited into this family’s life, and felt that it had been written about with compassion and empathy.
I love that this piece of historical fiction was not only impeccably researched, but it was also inspired by true events. It’s a poignant, thought-provoking read with the true relevance of the title only being revealed at the very end in the author’s acknowledgements.
I was sent a proof copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
It’s a character-driven novel, set in 1952, and tells the story of Harry Cane and his extended family. It begins in Canada where Harry has been living since he was a young man. Events beyond his control mean that he travels back to England to meet the daughter he left behind, together with her children and grandchild. He’s looking for a new home at this late stage of his life, but will he find one?
The narrative is told from five POVs so an in-depth look into the lives of Harry and his relatives is revealed. We read about their day-to-day lives, their doubts and anxieties, their hopes and dreams, their relationships with each other and the way they have adapted at each stage of their lives dependent upon what fortune has put in their path.
The book also focuses on love, and the complexities of ‘forbidden’ love in the 1950’s; the hardships of war and its aftermath; life as a prison governor and life as a housewife looking after her family. There are a couple of incidents which really pulled at my heart-strings, but I thoroughly enjoyed being invited into this family’s life, and felt that it had been written about with compassion and empathy.
I love that this piece of historical fiction was not only impeccably researched, but it was also inspired by true events. It’s a poignant, thought-provoking read with the true relevance of the title only being revealed at the very end in the author’s acknowledgements.
I was sent a proof copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
November 6, 2025
Last time we read Harry Cane's story, he was heading to Canada to become a wheat farmer. Now, a joyous return not just to Harry but the family he left behind in England, as well as discovering how life faired in his new and unexpected environs. Patrick Gale gives us a poignant account of Harry the wheat farmer, his life lived through such a small window, whilst also delving deeply into the various strands of family he was forced to abandon; this fascinating, multi level portrayal of all the individuals is executed so perfectly, with their quirks, secrets and more.
Especially so, what happens when Harry finds himself sailing eastbound, back to England, in his later years and as a grandparent: to a daughter who can scarcely remember him and is so desperate to do the right thing, and to a new generation who just call him Cowboy Grandfather, because that's where he is now from, surely?
I so enjoyed feelings emotions play out, both Harry's as he discovers what he has missed out on, while the perspective of those who never knew why he really left was achingly sad. And, throughout, the realisation that for Harry, nothing could changed if he's never left in the first place.
One again, another beautifully told tale that lives on when the book is closed.
Especially so, what happens when Harry finds himself sailing eastbound, back to England, in his later years and as a grandparent: to a daughter who can scarcely remember him and is so desperate to do the right thing, and to a new generation who just call him Cowboy Grandfather, because that's where he is now from, surely?
I so enjoyed feelings emotions play out, both Harry's as he discovers what he has missed out on, while the perspective of those who never knew why he really left was achingly sad. And, throughout, the realisation that for Harry, nothing could changed if he's never left in the first place.
One again, another beautifully told tale that lives on when the book is closed.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was asked by NetGalley to review this interesting story which follows on from a Place called winter but this can also be read as a standalone story.
Set in the 50s Harry Cane had emigrated to Canada and had not seen his daughter since, but had since recieved a letter from her, he travels to Liverpool to see her. There is a bit of a cloud between them, as her father seemed to have left and she has unresoleved issues about this.
The author handles issues such as 1050s homosexuallity well Interesting in the way Harry feels he has been left out since leaving but that nothing would have essentially changed had Harry not emigrated.
Interesting well written story.
Due for pblication March 26th 2026.
Set in the 50s Harry Cane had emigrated to Canada and had not seen his daughter since, but had since recieved a letter from her, he travels to Liverpool to see her. There is a bit of a cloud between them, as her father seemed to have left and she has unresoleved issues about this.
The author handles issues such as 1050s homosexuallity well Interesting in the way Harry feels he has been left out since leaving but that nothing would have essentially changed had Harry not emigrated.
Interesting well written story.
Due for pblication March 26th 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I didn't realise that this was a continuation of Harry's story from A Place Called Winter when I got this from NetGalley but actually it works beautifully as a standalone novel. I fell in love with Harry and am now excited to go back and read of his earlier life. This is such an affectionate, poignant book. The chapters switch from character to character in terms of point of view, and each is drawn with care and a clear sense that they are real people and not plot devices. I love the quietness of this novel. Things happen but in subtle, shifting ways. It has moments of bleakness but also moments of tenderness and hope.
November 20, 2025
An enjoyable read
In full
This book starts with Harry and Paul who are living next door to another in Winter, Saskatchewan, each on their own farms. We met them in the previous book, A Place Called Winter (and if you haven't read that please do). That said this book gives enough of a resume to allow someone to read this as a standalone book. Harry has to sell his wheat farm and having had a letter for his daughter who he hasn't seen since he emigrated, he travels to Liverpool in the 1950s to see her.
The correspondence between Harry and his daughter, Betty, came as a surprise to both of them in some ways. They know very little indeed about each other and in the case of Betty, she has unresolved issues about the fact that her father left in the first place. As such it's fair to say that neither he nor Betty and Terry (his daughter and son in law) have any idea what to expect after all this time. He also has two granddaughters that he has never met. This book follows Harry's time in Canada and then his journey back to England to stay with his daughter. There is much to like in this. There's wry humour which is gently sharp. The feeling of the time/era is great and for me Harry Caine is a very good character.
Quite a lot of this is about the minutiae of Betty and her family's lives and I guess that was not that compelling for me. It felt very valid for its era however. Once Harry is on the scene either in Canada or England the book worked better for me. Aspects of the edginess of England in the 50s and the secrecy that was necessary for homosexual men to survive was very real. In the end my issue here is a personal one. I simply loved A Place Called Winter which was about Harry's life in Canada in the main. This is unquestionably a follow up to that and, based on the author's comments at the end, very valid indeed but it just didn't blow me away like the first book. I am a fan of Patrick Gale's books and this is a decent read however few books will ever have the impact on me of Harry's original story.
Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review
In full
This book starts with Harry and Paul who are living next door to another in Winter, Saskatchewan, each on their own farms. We met them in the previous book, A Place Called Winter (and if you haven't read that please do). That said this book gives enough of a resume to allow someone to read this as a standalone book. Harry has to sell his wheat farm and having had a letter for his daughter who he hasn't seen since he emigrated, he travels to Liverpool in the 1950s to see her.
The correspondence between Harry and his daughter, Betty, came as a surprise to both of them in some ways. They know very little indeed about each other and in the case of Betty, she has unresolved issues about the fact that her father left in the first place. As such it's fair to say that neither he nor Betty and Terry (his daughter and son in law) have any idea what to expect after all this time. He also has two granddaughters that he has never met. This book follows Harry's time in Canada and then his journey back to England to stay with his daughter. There is much to like in this. There's wry humour which is gently sharp. The feeling of the time/era is great and for me Harry Caine is a very good character.
Quite a lot of this is about the minutiae of Betty and her family's lives and I guess that was not that compelling for me. It felt very valid for its era however. Once Harry is on the scene either in Canada or England the book worked better for me. Aspects of the edginess of England in the 50s and the secrecy that was necessary for homosexual men to survive was very real. In the end my issue here is a personal one. I simply loved A Place Called Winter which was about Harry's life in Canada in the main. This is unquestionably a follow up to that and, based on the author's comments at the end, very valid indeed but it just didn't blow me away like the first book. I am a fan of Patrick Gale's books and this is a decent read however few books will ever have the impact on me of Harry's original story.
Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review
November 8, 2025
Like many people I'm sure, I'll read anything Patrick Gale writes.
I'd picked this one up without looking at the blurb, so was thrilled to discover it was a follow on from A place called Winter.
I'd forgotten it was loosely based on Gales family.
It was so very lovely to be back with Harry, and his family, where the love and warmth shone through.
Some fantastic characters.
It handles some tricky subjects really well, and gives an excellent sense of place and time.
It really was the sequel I didn't know I needed.
Just lovely.
I'd picked this one up without looking at the blurb, so was thrilled to discover it was a follow on from A place called Winter.
I'd forgotten it was loosely based on Gales family.
It was so very lovely to be back with Harry, and his family, where the love and warmth shone through.
Some fantastic characters.
It handles some tricky subjects really well, and gives an excellent sense of place and time.
It really was the sequel I didn't know I needed.
Just lovely.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Love Lane is a quietly powerful, character-driven novel that will stay with me long after I finished the book.
This is a layered family story where the return of a long-absent father forces old wounds to the surface and ripples across generations. The characters are richly written and deeply believable, and I found myself genuinely caring about what happened to them.
A thoughtful, emotionally resonant read about absence, understanding, and the things that remain unspoken.
🤍📖
Thank you to @trevilley and @headlinebooks for the advance copy via @netgalley
✨️✨️Out 26 Mar 2026!✨️✨️
This is a layered family story where the return of a long-absent father forces old wounds to the surface and ripples across generations. The characters are richly written and deeply believable, and I found myself genuinely caring about what happened to them.
A thoughtful, emotionally resonant read about absence, understanding, and the things that remain unspoken.
🤍📖
Thank you to @trevilley and @headlinebooks for the advance copy via @netgalley
✨️✨️Out 26 Mar 2026!✨️✨️
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I had not realised that this is a follow up to 'A Place Called Winter' which I had read years ago, and had that feeling of deja vu in the first few chapters. Once I realised I was delighted to be back in Harry's company. Patrick Gale writes a beautiful book, the character's feelings and thoughts are so well described that it is an intense emotional reading experience. A wonderful tale.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a gentle book which is told in a beautiful and thoughtful manner. The family dynamics are so nicely observed and I love the interaction between ‘grandpa’ and ‘grand-daughter’. A lovely read. Thanks to NetGalley and Tinder press for the arc.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review closer to publication date
March 3, 2026
Love Lane centres around Harry Cane, a character from, A Place Called Winter, (which I haven’t read), as he is faced with loneliness and is forced to sell his farm in Canada so travels to England to connect with his estranged daughter, and extended family.
Harry is an interesting character. He was clearly a terrible father, in the sense that he simply wasn’t there at all but you don’t hate him, or in any way dislike him as you read this, mostly the story just leads you to feel sorry for him. His daughter, Betty, has certain expectations of him, having seen photos from when he was much younger and, well, he’s disappointing, further adding to the sympathy you are made to feel. Although handy on the farm, what is essentially Harry’s self neglect leads you to believe that he’s not all that together emotionally, but on more than one occasion he picks up on things missed by those around him and comes across as surprisingly sensitive.
The book is beautifully written, with such detail that you really can ‘see’ everything that is going on and really do feel for the characters as a result, particularly Harry. It is a surprisingly fast paced book for the genre (literary fiction), with an enormous amount of story in the first hundred pages. While it slows down a little after this, it is never slow and is probably the fastest paced literary fiction novel I have read, and I’ve read a lot.
Personally I would not have gone with the title Love Lane, though I can see why it was chosen. If you are unfamiliar with the author and see that title in a bookstore you will likely think this story is something it’s not which will potentially lead to disappointment. On the other hand those that would have enjoyed the story may never pick it up in the first place as a result of the title and the expectations it sets.
Harry is an interesting character. He was clearly a terrible father, in the sense that he simply wasn’t there at all but you don’t hate him, or in any way dislike him as you read this, mostly the story just leads you to feel sorry for him. His daughter, Betty, has certain expectations of him, having seen photos from when he was much younger and, well, he’s disappointing, further adding to the sympathy you are made to feel. Although handy on the farm, what is essentially Harry’s self neglect leads you to believe that he’s not all that together emotionally, but on more than one occasion he picks up on things missed by those around him and comes across as surprisingly sensitive.
The book is beautifully written, with such detail that you really can ‘see’ everything that is going on and really do feel for the characters as a result, particularly Harry. It is a surprisingly fast paced book for the genre (literary fiction), with an enormous amount of story in the first hundred pages. While it slows down a little after this, it is never slow and is probably the fastest paced literary fiction novel I have read, and I’ve read a lot.
Personally I would not have gone with the title Love Lane, though I can see why it was chosen. If you are unfamiliar with the author and see that title in a bookstore you will likely think this story is something it’s not which will potentially lead to disappointment. On the other hand those that would have enjoyed the story may never pick it up in the first place as a result of the title and the expectations it sets.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews