In mourning for his mother who has died of cancer, 14-year-old Robbie falls in love with fire. He sets light to bins, to children’s playgrounds, telling his social worker the flames are his anger. Keen to get him away from the lawless gang he has fallen in with, his father and new stepmother Sheila move to the village on the Somerset Levels where his father grew up. Here Robbie makes friends with another marginalised “loser”.
22 June 2017, The Tablet
Rural magical realism
Get Instant Access
Continue Reading
Register for free to read this article in full
Subscribe for unlimited access
From just £30 quarterly
Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
The full weekly edition in print and digital including our 179 years archive.
PDF version to view on iPad, iPhone or computer.
Already a subscriber? Login