The Boy with No Shoes: A Memoir. William Horwood

by William Horwood

Book Overview

Five-year-old Jimmy Rova is the unwanted child of a mother who rejects him, and whose other children bully him. The one thing he can call his own is a pair of shoes, a present from the only person he... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0755313186
• ISBN13: 9780755313181
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Not Avail
• Length: 440 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Brilliantly narrated

Reading my way through this book was like walking through a hall of mirrors at a fairground. Every turn revealed a new reflection of an aspect of my own childhood. Some were distorted more than others, but the story of the life of Jimmy Rova, told in the first person singular, evoked many poignant memories. Jimmy tells the story of his difficult early life, and the interactions with those around him. When he progresses, against the odds, into grammar school, life gets even tougher for him. The descriptions of the highs and lows in his life cannot fail to stir the readers' emotions. This is a gripping read and it is so obviously wrapped around the personal experiences of the author. Having been previously so deeply moved by "Skallagrigg," I should not have been at all surprised to be just as deeply moved by this book by William Horwood. I am sure that there are many who, like me, will see reflections of their own lives as they read The Boy With No Shoes. However, there has got to be something here for everyone. I would not hesitate to recommend the read to anyone, and I am confident that my friends will thank me for doing so. Footnote: If this sweeps you along on an emotional roller-coaster, you should definitely read SKALLAGRIGG by the same author.

Survival and triumph

This memoir of an abusive childhood is raw, and uplifting. Jimmy has his heroes as well as his demons and manages to find a place of safety in an alien and horrific world. This book is 'fictionalised biography', loosely based on Horwood's own childhood. In this book, I could recognise some of the imaginative writing evident in Horwood's other works. I recommend this book highly. Not so much because of the recounting of a childhood filled with deprivation and pain, but because of the triumph of spirit and power of imagination that have enabled hope not to be overwhelmed by despair. Jennifer Cameron-Smith