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A review by nerdbrarian
The A to Z of You and Me by James Hannah
5.0
If I could give this book more than five stars I would. There are not very many books in this world that can legitimately make me cry. This is one of them.
Ivo has been interred at St. Leonard's - a hospital where everyone knows you only leave feet-first in a box. He has been prompted by Nurse Sheila - a wonderful representative of the best of the profession as I have ever read - to keep his mind busy and sharp by playing the A to Z game. For every letter of the alphabet, Ivo must think of a body part and relate a memory from his life for each one. In this way author James Hannah takes you on a journey through a maze of Ivo's highs and lows, his mistakes and joys. Little by little, with each body part, you meet Ivo's sister Laura, his best mates Kelvin and Mal and his ex-girlfriend. This is a beautiful and creative way to gain insight into a character. And as you finally learn the heart-breaking path that brought Ivo to this hospital bead, you become completely invested in the character, crying when even he can't (T is for Tear Ducts, even when you can't force them to make tears).
James Hannah tells a beautiful story of love, loss, betrayal, the process of dying, and - ultimately - forgiveness.
Ivo has been interred at St. Leonard's - a hospital where everyone knows you only leave feet-first in a box. He has been prompted by Nurse Sheila - a wonderful representative of the best of the profession as I have ever read - to keep his mind busy and sharp by playing the A to Z game. For every letter of the alphabet, Ivo must think of a body part and relate a memory from his life for each one. In this way author James Hannah takes you on a journey through a maze of Ivo's highs and lows, his mistakes and joys. Little by little, with each body part, you meet Ivo's sister Laura, his best mates Kelvin and Mal and his ex-girlfriend. This is a beautiful and creative way to gain insight into a character. And as you finally learn the heart-breaking path that brought Ivo to this hospital bead, you become completely invested in the character, crying when even he can't (T is for Tear Ducts, even when you can't force them to make tears).
James Hannah tells a beautiful story of love, loss, betrayal, the process of dying, and - ultimately - forgiveness.