Genre:
Autobiography/Coming of Age/Humour
Description:
From
an impoverished Edinburgh childhood, where Dad tapped the electricity
supply from the street lamp outside their Pilton home to provide heat
for the ten kids, to breaking into the altogether brighter lights of
the advertising world, Jim Divine has seen off many a storm. His
hilarious autobiographical novel recounts the highs and lows of a
life spent searching for answers to the big questions: Will I be
playing for Hibs on Saturday? Was that Joanna Lumley I spotted down
Leith Walk? And just how the hell did I manage to avoid killing those
three people?
Author:
James Dean Divine began writing his debut, The Lost Tornado, in 2009. One of nine siblings growing up in one of Edinburgh's less affluent areas gave Jim many stories to tell.
Jim always wanted to play for Hibernian FC and is now Creative Director at a marketing and advertising agency in Leith. He's been married to fellow athlete and former Scottish champion Trish since 1988.
You can learn more about the author at his website.
Appraisal:
James Dean Divine began writing his debut, The Lost Tornado, in 2009. One of nine siblings growing up in one of Edinburgh's less affluent areas gave Jim many stories to tell.
Jim always wanted to play for Hibernian FC and is now Creative Director at a marketing and advertising agency in Leith. He's been married to fellow athlete and former Scottish champion Trish since 1988.
You can learn more about the author at his website.
Appraisal:
Although
I’m a people watcher autobiographies aren’t usually my thing. But
then again The Lost
Tornado isn’t your
average self-assessment, either. The author grew up in a busy
household and with a single minded ambition – to play football for
his local team. The sport and Divine’s love for it cuts through the
whole story. The trouble is Jim is up against it, given his
background.
However,
it is this background that gives The
Lost Tornado its unique
perspective. This novel is as much humour as it is autobiography, the
ability to laugh through even the toughest of times, to make the best
of the worst with a smile on your face. The hardest aspect of an
autobiography is communicating this all in a way that first draws in
then keeps them engaged. It’s tough, but no problems here for the
author. It’s a difficult book to put down.
The
author’s voice shines through loud and clear, he pulls no punches
when describing his hardships and the local language in all its
forms. This may put some people off, but for me it added depth and
colour. Same with the characters that are all superbly drawn, three
dimensional people that talk loud and clear in your head through the
narrative.
Lastly
there’s the environment itself. Lots of novels are set in Edinburgh
(largely started by Ian Rankin, of course) but Divine shows another
side of the city not seen elsewhere.
Overall,
a wonderfully emotional, warm and funny coming of age novel.
FYI:
Scots
vernacular, plenty of hearty language.
Format/Typo
Issues:
Nothing
major.
Rating: ***** Five Stars
Reviewed by: Keith
Nixon
Approximate word count:
95-100,000 words
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