BOOK REVIEW: The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle: A love story the likes of which you’ve never read before .

Matt Cain

What a lovely book this is, I sighed when I finished it, it touched me. It follows the journey of quiet unassuming postman Albert, in his 60’s living alone since the death of his mother 18 years previously in a small northern town.  With no friends and nothing to look forward to, the lonely future he faces terrifies him. He realises it is finally time to be honest about who he is. He remembers George, a man who touched him in many ways, who he can’t forget, so sets out to find this long-lost love of his life, and has an unforgettable and life-affirming adventure on the way with people who support and challenge him, ending up in a famous London gay bar to face his truth.

Cain’s prose is warm, filled with humour and wry observations of life, tinged with regret and reflections of what-might-have-been but also with a passion for renewal. It’s utterly charming and seduced me into almost being unable to put it down, the narrative is suffused with joy, skipping around with an inventiveness that carries the plot along. Arthur is written with such gawky passionate reality that you join him on his journey of discovery, also realising that it’s never too late to strike out for the things you really, really want. Reminding us that shame, lies and regret also fade with time, the book is wonderfully affirming, filled with love and humour.

This is a delightful book, one which confirms the satisfying joy of loves recovery. Hardback £14.95 

To order or for more info here   or the publishers website here