Ray Kingfisher

I've read another of Ray's books and enjoyed it - this is another cracker.  Poignant and funny at the same time.

Matchbox Memories

Amazon.com  Matchbox Memories

My review - 


The narrator of this story, Ian Greefe, is called back from his home in London to the family home in Cumbria where he grew up.  His mum Ruth, who adopted him and his sister and brother, is suffering from Alzheimers and her husband Harry has been taken into hospital for an operation and can’t look after her.  Ian is called upon to take his turn as carer.  He has to deal with his sister’s acerbic nagging and his brother’s strange and uncharacteristic behaviour, as well as Ruth’s growing eccentricities.

This is a lovely book to read.  The author’s writing style is clear, easy to read and sharply funny.  There are secrets abounding in this family, some more serious than others.  Ian grows to feel he can call them Mum and Dad for the first time.  The growing relationship with Ruth, as she goes off at tangents or forgets where she’s going, where Harry is, what shoes she should have on, is told with warmth and real feeling.  Ian is able to share his own family’s secrets while his sister and brother also ‘come clean’ about their lives.  What more can I say?  I enjoyed this book enormously.