A sweet story about an old man reconnecting with his community - but that ultimately disappointed me a bit.

 

We’re following Hubert Bird, a retired eldery man who lives alone in England. His beloved wife died 13 years ago, his daughter lives across the globe, and he has no dreams of putting himself out there and making new friends. But when his daughter shares she’s coming for a visit, he realizes he’s got to escape his isolation in order to make the “friends” he’s been telling her about for years. 

 

Hubert is also a Jamaican immigrant, and so the story is told partly in flashbacks featuring his struggles with racism upon arriving in London, meeting his wife and starting his family, and the tragedies that led to his isolation.

 

Hubert was an interesting protagonist, and I found the cast of characters to be very unique and well-developed. His venture towards building community & reconnecting with old friends was empowering; one person can make a difference. 

 

But unfortunately, I found a lot of the content to be a letdown. It was a bit formulaic, plot points were dropped (specifically a few threads from the flashbacks), and the arc with Hubert’s son was disappointing. Certain “plot twists” felt needlessly cruel. Did we need THAT much emotional trauma? Did it truly serve a purpose to the storytelling?

 

CW: racism, racial slurs, hate crime, death, grief, drug abuse, addiction, dementia, mental illness, xenophobia, car accident, suicidal thoughts, suicide (mentioned), ableism, infertility, infidelity, pregnancy, abandonment

 

(I received a free review copy of this book; this is my honest review.)