Review: Tin Man by Sarah Winman

*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Title: Tin Man

Author: Sarah Winman

Publisher: Viking Canada

Publication Date: July 27, 2017

ISBN: 9780735235151

Synopsis from Goodreads:
4 hours, 33 minutes

This is almost a love story.

Ellis and Michael are twelve when they first become friends, and for a long time it is just the two of them, cycling the streets of Oxford, teaching themselves how to swim, discovering poetry, and dodging the fists of overbearing fathers. And then one day this closest of friendships grows into something more.

But then we fast forward a decade or so, to find that Ellis is married to Annie, and Michael is nowhere in sight. Which leads to the question, what happened in the years between?

This is almost a love story. But it’s not as simple as that.

Wow! If ever there was a book to take your breath away, Tin Man is the one. It’s not often that a beautiful book comes into being and moves you so completely. Winman’s story is an absolutely must-read. No joke. Go get a copy RIGHT NOW! I knew I was going to like this book the second I read the synopsis, but I didn’t realize how much I would like it. It’s safe to say that Tin Man is the best book that I’ve read in 2018, hands down. Ok, now that I’ve gushed enough, let me tell you a bit about what I L.O.V.E.D.

First off, Winman’s writing. Let’s talk about that. You know someone has boatloads of talent when you start on page one and then it’s been 3 hours and your done the book without even realizing it. The writing is so elegant and delicate and breathtaking. Every sentence holds so much power, I would have to pause and re-read, then re-read again, just to savour the words on the page. I was enchanted right from the get go. This is a story about love, written so lovingly and with such detail that it unfolds like a painting in front of you. Central to the book’s plot is the Van Gogh painting, Sunflowers. It is like it’s own character throughout the book, captivating many of the characters for the power it held over another. Like the painting, this story holds that same kind of power, bringing you back to it again and again to study, appreciate, be swept away by, and enjoy. There’s so much to be gained in these pages, one read just won’t suffice.

Next, this is a love story on so many levels. Friendship, romance, lust, companionship, family–these are the themes that run deeply through this book, highlighting what it means to be human and to love and have lost. This book will give you ALL the feels. I was crying by the end of the first section, and then for 200 pages thereafter. As someone who’s more emotional, and quite empathetic, I was swept away in the emotions of the characters, relating to them on so many levels and connecting with them in ways that I rarely connect with characters. Winman is an artist, I swear. Ellis and Michael’s story is just so heart-breaking but also heart-warming. As is each of their relationship with Ellis’s wife, Annie. There is nothing but pure love and kindness between these three, despite time and differences, they still manage to make it through, forgiving faults, overcoming difficult pasts, enduring unbearable presents.

Winman presents the true essence of humanity with this lovely, powerful novel. She reminds the reader what is worth living for and to endure against even the darkest of trials. This novel is a beacon of hope and peace, of overcoming grief and loss, of the purest forms of love. It’s a love story, but it’s about so much more than love.

If you choose not to read this one, I promise you, you’re missing out on something great. So read it and share your thoughts!

Happy reading!