Sometimes in life, things happen for a reason. Little things. Tiny things that appear innocuous and incidental at the time but can go on to have life changing consequences. Sometimes good and sometimes bad. A Man's Life is a heart rending novel that draws on this theme. Break-time at St. Edmunds School in 1970 and Tom Harper is a twelve year kid being picked on by a bully. An everyday scenario played out thousands of times all over the country and indeed the world. Paddy Porter is an older boy who knows neither of the boys involved but he senses the mismatch and he settles the dispute. It is not something he has ever done before but the moment takes him and in doing so, he changes both of their lives. The bully backs down and life goes on. Tom and Paddy connect only with a glance. Tom is embarrassed and can only shrug his thanks and they part. No words exchanged and yet in this moment, these two boys are irrevocably linked. A fleeting moment that some thirty years later will set in motion events that will save and complete each of their lives. In 2013, Tom is a broken man. A bereavement renders his wealth and success utterly meaningless and he cannot recover. Prostrate with grief and in hospital, Tom's memory releases the forgotten incident in the playground and his encounter with Paddy. He feels compelled to revisit the Birmingham suburb where he grew up and see what ever became of the big boy who had rescued him. And so an unlikely friendship ensues which has a beautiful synergy. Paddy too is a man in great need and he is unable to solve his crisis alone. Unbeknownst to them both, what each man needs is precisely what the other has to give.
A Man's Life is a novel that affirms life. A heart rending love story that will move readers from tears to laughter and to joy. A book that celebrates the human spirit and values love and kinship above all else. Holland has made his living by observing human nature. He makes people laugh by reflecting our lives in his own. This is his first novel in ten years but this story and its gestation has occupied much of this decade. It could not be written quickly. Based on a series of real events in his own life, it is a story that needed to evolve. A Man's Life has been a long time coming but it has been worth the wait. A beautiful story of love and loss, Holland shines a brilliant light on human nature. Our vulnerability and our impotence and our need for other people and their love to complete us as human beings.
A Man's Life is a novel that affirms life. A heart rending love story that will move readers from tears to laughter and to joy. A book that celebrates the human spirit and values love and kinship above all else. Holland has made his living by observing human nature. He makes people laugh by reflecting our lives in his own. This is his first novel in ten years but this story and its gestation has occupied much of this decade. It could not be written quickly. Based on a series of real events in his own life, it is a story that needed to evolve. A Man's Life has been a long time coming but it has been worth the wait. A beautiful story of love and loss, Holland shines a brilliant light on human nature. Our vulnerability and our impotence and our need for other people and their love to complete us as human beings.
