A beautiful tale of an inter generational odd couple. Poignantly drawn, without cliche or cheap shots. The characters are textured, genuine and compelling. Loved this book.

Akin is a novel about unlikely travel companions looking for answers and for similarities and compromises that will get them through the present. Noah is a retired professor in New York, about to take a trip to Nice—where he was born—for his eightieth birthday. Just before he leaves, he gets a phone call that will change everything: his eleven year old great-nephew who he's never met needs a temporary guardian, and Noah is the closest kin to Michael who is available. Suddenly Noah and Michael find themselves together in France, clashing over everything, but Noah ends up on a quest to work out the mysteries behind some old photos taken by his mother and Michael might be able to help point him in the right directions.

Donoghue takes a short space of time—the trip to Nice—and fills it with the present and past in a way that works well, as Noah thinks about family across generations and the history of Nice during the Second World War but the narrative stays firmly in the present day. There are a lot of details that make it thoroughly modern—from the realities of what children see on the internet to how technology can help solve old mysteries—but it also has a sense of the past and how people are shaped by it. The mirroring of this not only through Noah's family history but through Michael's—with his mother in prison and questions around his dead father—shows that family and history can be varying categories, but still with similar connections and dangers. The writing style makes the novel very easy to get into and it is more gripping than expected as the trip unfurls.

Akin is often very much about the personal—about specific relatives and about two people trying to compromise being forced together—but also tries to keep an eye on larger issues at stake. There perhaps could have been more made of the class issues that are important undercurrents to the novel, but as it is through Noah's perspective, it seems purposeful at times that he often doesn't realise how different his and Michael's lives are not from an age perspective, but a class one. It is a book that ultimately tries to be uplifting and to show that people can have more in common or find more ways to relate than might be expected, and one that you could imagine being made into a film.

79 year-old Noah is about to go on a long deserved trip to Nice when the gets an unexpected phone call. His junkie nephew has overdosed, leaving behind Michael, a disgruntled 11 year old Noah has never met. The very stroppy Michael must now travel to Nice with Noah, They have to get to know one another under the oddest of circumstances, solving a mystery based on some wartime photographs. Akin is a thoroughly charming novel. Four stars.

Akin is essentially about two unlikely travel companions - an old man and his great nephew who travel to Nice and find out that they are not too disimilar after all. It’s a story that is both unexpected and unique and both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Touching in many ways too.


Noah is a a retired professor who is about to head back to Nice for his 80th birthday. He was born there you see and he wants to find out about his past, the photos he has found which were taken by his mother. Michael is the 11 year old great nephew who is in need of a temporary guardian. The two worlds join - or collide - and their story becomes an interwoven one of past, present and future.

The novel is set in the present day but it also looks at the way in which Noah’s life in the past has turned him into the man he is today. This generational gap showcases a lot of the worries we have today -such as how old and young see and use the internet, how older people may not see the way it can help them to discover the past and see the past come to life. We see how Noah has become the man he is today and it’s a fascinating and complex image which becomes clear.

Michael too is seen through this old/young premise and you have to feel sorry for him needing a temporary guardian and being stuck with this old man at first. The development of the relationship really is something special and lovely to watch. The perfect way to see how past and present, old and young can live in harmony and help us to understand the world and each other.

Two very different people who travel to a neutral setting, albeit one that the old man has links to, is the ideal way for a story about belonging, family and humanity to unfold. What we have in common with each other is so much more than what separates us.

This really is a journey of discovery in every sense of the word and it was a thought-provoking and captivating journey to go on.

I really liked this book. Emma Donoghue has written beautifully about the relationship between Noah and Michael. They are good strong characters and their story is a compelling read. Nice and the secrets it holds was a really interesting part of history. The entire story felt so real.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Noah is a retired 79 year old looking forward to a gentle trip to Nice, the place of his birth. Two days before he goes a social worker, Rosa, contacts him about the 11 year old great-nephew he has never met. Noah becomes the emergency carer for the child or he goes into care. Noah’s trip to Nice takes on a whole new perspective with Michael in tow.

There are quite a few books on the market about people going to trace the land of their forebears & discovering their parents or grandparents part in a war. Here Noah is searching for answers about his Mother and the reason she had a collection of seemingly unrelated photos. Wound into this is Noah’s own history, the relationship with his parents & the legacy his photographer grandfather Pere-Sonne left behind. This all makes for an interesting story.

However, this book adds the refreshing perspective of a streetwise 11 year old. Michael helps & hinders Noah in his search for answers providing a whole new dimension to his trip to Nice.

I really enjoyed this book. Michael’s inclusion makes this fresh & unusual. Noah’s comparisons of Michael’s previous life in a tough New York neighbourhood against his knowledge of the world & the past are interesting. Noah & Michael come from very different worlds in the same city and each has a lot to learn. There are some humorous moments and some very poignant ones. Noah and Michael both make their own mistakes and struggle to get to know each other. Add into this the emerging story of Noah’s Mother’s past and you have a good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

A beautiful story of 80 year old Noah who gets saddled with his eleven year old great-nephew Michael after his father dies and his mother is imprisoned.
As they tour the city of Nice in France, their shared and surprising family history is uncovered, beginning with a set of mysterious photos.
I’ve read all of Donoghue’s novels and have found each well-crafted but completely unique.
This works beautifully. Our hearts go out to Noah and Michael and we really care about their burgeoning relationship.
It’s one of those books that’s a wrench to stop reading.
I would really recommend it. It’s beautifully written and almost unbearably poignant.

What appeared at first to be a story of an old man and a young boy foisted upon each other for a trip abroad for a week, finding they had things to learn from each other in the way of such stories, turned out to be so much more. This element is certainly there and the two characters are spot on, their interaction plays out realistically and I enjoyed their banter, but the author also introduces a little mystery as Noah seeks answers to his mother’s war years in France. The city of Nice is an essential player in this as we come to understand its history during the occupation of the 1940s. Noah’s mother’s experience echoes down the ages to his grand-nephew’s fractured family in 21st century New York. Written with sensitivity and insight, their stories melded in a way that had me hoping for a happy outcome for all concerned. A really satisfying read, I have no hesitation recommending it.

A captivating read - Noah is 79 and widowed, newly retired from University teaching. The book revolves around him finding out more about his family - his nephew and great nephew Michael, who he ends up caring for, and his French mother and grandfather. I wanted to keep on reading and find out how they were going to get along, and had my fingers crossed for Noah and Michael. Most of the book is set in Nice, where Noah learns more about his family, and unearths lots of secrets. It was believable and engaging.

A tender, heartwarming and moving story which primarily focuses on the relationship between Manhattan widower, Noah and his intelligent but troubled eleven-year-old great-nephew, Michael. The witty and wryly humourous dialogue between octogenarian, Noah and wayward Michael is a joy to read.

As the story opens we learn that Michael’s father (and Noah’s nephew) Victor is dead, Amber, his mother in prison and so with no other close relatives to provide care, he is placed under the reluctant guardianship of widower, Noah, whom he has never met before. Their fledgling relationship is set against the backdrop of a nostalgic visit to Noah’s childhood home in Nice and his attempt to create meaning out of some long forgotten photos taken by his mother, Margot during World War Two. Noah is harbouring suspicions that his mother was a Nazi collaborator. Michael brimming with intelligence and a sense of injustice helps Noah in his quest to discover the truth.

This novel is an absolutely outstanding, intelligently written read; brimming with wit, poignancy and fascinating historical insights about the French Riviera under Nazi occupation. I was completely absorbed and truly moved by the originality of the story, the tender and affectionate yet simultaneously fractious relationship between Noah and Michael. I can unreservedly say that it is one of my favourite books this year. Having never read Emma Donaghue before I am now keen to read all her previous novels.

Noah and his great-nephew Michael are thrown together by family circumstances, not happy ones and find themselves on a trip to Nice that Noah had booked previously and doesn’t want to miss.
What follows is an elegiac journey between past and present. Alone, 79 yr old Noah wanted to revisit his birthplace and answer some questions about a period in his Mother’s life he knows very little about. With 11 yr old Michael in tow, grumpy, streetwise and hiding the damage caused by his upbringing not entirely successfully, it becomes an investigation into the history of the French Resistance and much more.
Both protagonists have much to teach each other. There are some wonderful set pieces and running jokes (the museum helmet for instance) as well as unhurried and insightful musings on that period of history. Noah knows some very dark things about the period of WW2 he is researching and many of them throw into stark relief ‘there is nothing new under the sun’.

I was sad when this book ended. It crackled with life and optimism and hope.

Akin is a wonderful read. The story of old man Noah and young lad Michael who are brought together is the most bizarre way and set off on a trip to Noah's birthplace and early memories. This journey is laugh out loud funny and very sad in parts, I confess this was a slow burn for me initially, however I soon got into it and loved the book. It is a fabulous read. I cannot wait for more from Emma Donoghue.

Well written mystery that’s easy to read and keeps you interested.

The dynamics between the characters make it stand out and I enjoyed the grandparent angle.

It is hard to define this excellent book - the story of 79 year old Noah travelling on a holiday to Nice with his troubled 11 year old grand-nephew, Michael. As Noah discovers more about his past and the story of his mother during war-time Nice, he also learns about the present world through Michaels eyes. Theirs is a spiky relationship and we come to care about both as they navigate their way through the pitfalls of their new life together.
Another thought-provoking novel from Emma Donoghue. Recommended.

An amazing second novel easy to see why the first was bestselling, I imagine this will be too. Very descriptive telling of nice in France and the bond of the two main characters is heartwarming and so funny. The way the two different generations adapt and differ. Definitely one to buy as a present loved it so much. Its immersive.

The heartwarming tale of a young boy and his Great Uncle, thrown together and tracing back their family history through a haphazard series of events. I very much enjoyed the relationship between Michael and Noah, and feel privileged to have journeyed through Nice with them. I will miss them!

You can never say if you’ve read one Emma Donoghue book, you’ve read them all. Here she sets out a story different in time, place and genre to others she’s written before.
With the main character she writes from the perspective of an 80 year old New York academic but the portrayal of his 11 year old great nephew, whose life has been very different, is equally strong.
In the story Noah simultaneously finds out about the hidden early life of his French mother, while learning how Michael lives and deals with his less than desirable circumstances.
Well plotted, well brought together, funny, believable and moving, we also understand it’s never too late to do something new.

Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this rather heartwarming book.
The developing relationship between the childless almost 80 year old and his streetwise great nephew kept me engaged. Throw in the stories of his childhood and Nice during WW2 and it is an entertaining read.
I especially liked the interactions between the two main characters, coming from very different backgrounds caused some difficulties but you could see both points of view.
The reminiscences of Noah were enlightening and took the reader back to different times. There was a lot of other historical information too, some of it interesting but not all. At times I felt like Michael - too much education!
Michael’s upbringing was not an easy ride either and you found out more about him as the book went on.
All in all this is a book that I would recommend to friends.

Akin is the new novel from master storyteller Emma Donoghue,who weaves a snippet of historical fact into a heartwarming, entrancing novel with her customary aplomb.
Featuring the unlikely duo of 80 year old Noah and 11 year old Michael, I think this will appeal to a wider audience especially those who loved ‘ Room’. Every novel by this author is completely different which makes her stand out from the crowd which is refreshing given the market is saturated with novels following similar plot lines. Multi layered, this book explores themes of love and friendship, the joys of discovery and how it’s never too late to teach an old dog new tricks!
Set mainly in Nice, Noah, great uncle to Michael has been thrown into the role of the boy’s guardian due to exceptional circumstances and so the two embark on a journey of discovery and enlightenment despite being virtual strangers. For Noah this is a trip down memory lane, revisiting old haunts and the first time he has set foot on French soul in decades. With the aid of a few photographs he has a chance to discover more about his mother’s life in France during the Second World War since they were separated when Noah was sent away to America to join his father. The historical element of the novel highlighting the role French individuals played as part of the resistance is fascinating. Michael is a somewhat reluctant companion but useful in helping slot together the pieces in this puzzle giving Noah an insight into the mystery surrounding his mother’s life during this time of separation.
The pair have much to learn from each other. Noah, a scientist and childless and Michael, a streetwise kid who is addicted to technology and fast food negotiate their way through this fledgling unusual relationship that is delightful and often humorous. Both characters are brought to life extremely well to the point by the end of the novel these are two individuals who you can’t fail to love in equal measure. Noah’s deceased wife Joan converses with him in his mind, often berating him and guiding him through tricky situations which I think is a lovely touch.
I loved this book and having been fortunate enough to listen to the author talk about her novel ‘Frog music’ a few years ago, I can appreciate the huge amount of research she undertakes for each novel and what a labour of love it is! Highly recommend and thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read ahead of publication.

I've now read and loved three of Emma Donoghue's books (Room, The Wonder and, now, Akin). On the face of it, all three have been very different although they all have wonderful, engaging writing in common. Akin may well be my favourite of the three.

The novel centres around an unexpected 'odd couple' relationship between eleven-year old Michael and his seventy-nine year old great-uncle Noah as they go on a trip to Nice to re-visit Noah's early years and explore a family mystery. This mystery was, in itself, fascinating but what kept me turning the pages and reading past my bedtime was the engaging and often amusing interactions between the two protagonists. By the end, I had grown very fond of these characters.

As a keen francophile and someone who has lived in France, I loved reading more about Nice and seeing how the characters responded to French culture and language. The author's love of the place and her research certainly came across, since I felt like I was there.

If that weren't interesting enough, there is lots to think about beneath the surface of this book. I loved the way Donoghue explored the themes of family, inheritance and memory in original ways and from several angles (from science and chemistry to the arts and photography). In that sense, this book made an interesting comparison to Ann Patchett's The Dutch House, which I also read recently.

This was one of those rare novels that made me think about our place in the world in new and thought=provoking ways - I can't wait to read what Emma Donoghue writes next!

Thank you and 'mille mercis' to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an advance copy of Akin in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very unusual and enjoyable tale of two people from New York, the 79 year old Noah, and his great nephew, 11 year old Michael, during a week travelling to Nice. They are thrust together as Michael’s social worker persuades Noah that the boy will have to be taken into care if Noah does not step up. They meet each other for the first time just days before travelling to France.
The contrast between the old man, who is widowed and has little to look forward to in life, and the street wise but vulnerable Michael, is beautifully explored by the author.
The irritations and annoyances of two wildly different people thrust into living together 24/7 is by turn irritating and humorous. Michael has much to offer to Noah in terms of using modern communications, and helps him in his search to discover more about his mother. Noah takes his responsibility for his young charge very seriously, but finds Michael’s youthful exuberance and recklessness hard to handle at times.
Noah is desperate to find out about the two years his mother missed of his upbringing, when she sent him to New York to join his father while she remained in Nice. What was she doing? Who was she with? The set of a few old photos he unearthed in his sister’s belongings are his only clue. Michael offers his sharp observational skills and modern thinking to help solve the mystery.
The story is poignant in so many ways, heartbreaking at times, and also very funny. But ultimately these two people come to realise that they may be better off together than apart, and this reader was urging them to make the most of a possible future together, however long or short it may be.

Once again I was impressed by the Emma Donoghue’s ability to inhabit so accurately the minds of such wildly different characters as Noah and. Michael, while bringing them both so to life so convincingly.
My thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

I loved 'Room' so was thrilled to be able to read an advanced copy and enjoyed this immensely

I love the way the author uses language and this is beautifully written - great character development and loved the story - literally could not put this down

The story felt real and current to me and I just wanted to sit in a corner and immerse myself til it was finished - so that's what I did !!!

Loved it and would highly recomment - a fantastic read

I loved this book. Noah, a retired chemistry professor and widower, is living a quiet, peaceful life. He is planning a trip to his birthplace, the South of France, to celebrate his 80th birthday and research his mother’s past, after finding some old photos. As he packs his bags for this quiet journey, he is surprised to discover he is taking his 11 year old great-nephew, Michael, whom he has never met, but has nowhere to live while his mom is in prison. This journey is hilarious, touching, and a meeting of the minds between these two. I laughed. I learned. I rejoiced at the end. This is a wonderful story

I loved Noah and his honest narrative was an exceptional tool in this story. It is touching, honest, complex and enlightening.
We follow Noah and his great-nephew Michael on a journey to Nice, France, which is in someway a swansong for Noah but transpires to be a begniing not an end.
I loved the sytle and tone of the author and will definitely be reading her others.

This book has it all, mystery,travel, culture, frustration, sadness and a intriguing dose of science.
Sympathetic characters who are poles apart start to understand each other in difficult circumstances. Noah settling for a peaceful life of widowhood and peace is suddenly presented with the care of his Great-Nephew, Noah is 80 and never had children so is on a steep learning curve. Micheal the nephew has a lot of issues, dead Father and Mother in prison, so his wild unruly behaviour and lack of respect shock Noah. Noah has planned a trip to Nice to discover more about his Mothers life, he and Micheal track down her history and jump to unsettling conclusions before finding the truth. A roller coaster of a book, brilliant, frustrating and a great insight into young and old lives.

Emma Donoghue writes beautifully, she pulls you into the worlds of her characters and her descriptions are so thorough and detailed that you can almost believe you have stood alongside the characters. I enjoyed the relationship development between Micheal and Noah, and the photo mystery was an added bonus to unfold as I read.

This is an enthralling, beautiful, magical story full of lavish contrasts and both culture and character clashes but also develops to become an appreciation of the similarities and collaboration between the 2 principal characters, Noah and Michael. After they arrive in Nice, Noah discovers some facts that concern him about his mother's role in Nice during the WW2 whilst in parallel Michael's father's demise in the US could be more than it seems.

The main characters are both wonderful but also frustrating in parts as they struggle to get to know each other and find a way to get on together.

I really wanted to keep on following Noah and Michael but unfortunately the book has ended.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the interaction between pensioner Noel and his great-nephew Michael. I loved the interweaving of family history and French history and I loved the vibrant descriptions of Nice. An uplifting tale of resilience and the true nature of family.

A troubled 11-year-old boy is foisted onto his elderly great uncle when his grandma who has been his carer dies, his father is already dead from a suspected drugs overdose and his mother is rightly or wrongly incarcerated for drug dealing. They have nothing whatsoever in common the elderly man is a retired college professor who has never had children of his own. The story follows a long-awaited trip back to Nice in France where the uncle was born, he has no alternative but to take the boy with him. The boy uses some very colorful language and his behavior is anything but appropriate but the uncle does try to cut him some slack given the circumstances. The book is well written and I enjoyed the banter between them and the descriptions of their trip together.

I loved this, I loved the generation gap between Noah and Michael and how they had to navigate it. I loved the South of France setting, and I liked learning all about Noah's family.

This book has several different threads and themes and so it took a while to engage me as each element took time to set up, but once it had me hooked, I really enjoyed it.
I liked the rawness of both Noah ( aged 79 and investigating his history and set in his ways) and Michael ( a young man unwillingly left seeking somewhere to stay and disenchanted with the world around him). They felt very real and the you felt the discomfort of the social and generational gap between them. I loved the slight element of mystery in Noah's mother's photos and I'd have liked a little more of that thread but Donoghue is most certainly a master of portraying the human condition in all its guises. Another great read!

A voyage of discovery for two very different family members - an enjoyable read.

This novel brings together an elderly retired and widowed professor of chemistry living in Manhattan and his young great-nephew from a reasonably deprived background. They end up going to Nice to uncover family secrets. As events unwind, the gap between them narrows as they try to interpret their findings. The characters are possibly the most important element of the book as they develop and change as well as their interpretation of events during the Nazi occupation. It reads well and is quite entertaining. I recommend it and I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a gentle story about an elderly man and a young boy who are thrown together through circumstances. It is well written with sharp humour at times and is a study of well observed behaviours of the two generations. There are only two main characters although others do enter the story as it progresses. They are well drawn and cleverly accurate as they start the journey entrenched in their own thinking and are gradually pulled together.
The reader is aware of how the man thinks, the boy just does his own thing!
The underlying problem is ever present and the major difficulties of the two travelling together are obvious but the gradual building of a friendship is cleverly done.
Recommended.

After the success of Room I was excited to read Emma Donoghue's latest novel and I was not disappointed .
Akin tells the story of Noah a widow on the cusp of his eighties who has resigned himself to his retirement years after a holiday to the place of his childhood -Nice France. .
He is then thrown a couple of curve-balls in the shape of being temporary guardian to his 11 year old great nephew Michael and finding an envelope containing mysterious old photos of what he believes were taken by his mother during the war ...
We are then taken on a wonderful journey around Nice where Noah and Michael struggle to find a bond with each other and Noah tries to solve the mystery of the photographs..
A delightful story - I loved it !
Thank-you NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review

This is a gorgeous, sympathetic, engrossing and most importantly kind story, much needed in today’s world. The author clearly understands 11 year old boys too!

I’ve only read one other novel, Room, by Emma Donoghue and was surprised that Akin was very different in its wit and charm which was very refreshing alongside a poignancy hidden deep in the past. The childless and widowed elderly Noah finds himself unwittingly and reluctantly drawn into the ‘short term’ fostering of the 11 year old son, Michael, of his estranged and deceased nephew on the eve of his first overseas holiday in years. Unable and unwilling to change his plans, Noah reluctantly agrees to Michael accompanying him, at great personal expense. Thus ensues, what appears to be from the outset, an unlikely pairing. During the week long holiday, Noah and Michael discover past family secrets neither of them knew, forging a proud kinship and reliance between the two of them. Beautifully written.

I loved this book. Noah is approaching his 80th birthday, and suddenly finds himself temporary guardian of his troubled 11 year old nephew Michael...... and this comes on the eve of a long awaited trip to Nice where he was born.
Michael faces an uncertain future but in the company of Noah he shows signs of flourishing, and I found myself hoping that Noah and Michael would be able to stay together on their return to New York. Both can learn much from each other.
Thank you, Net Galley, for this advance copy of Akin.

It took me a while to decide whether or not I liked this book but I didn't want to stop reading. The storyline, a nearly 80 yr old reluctantly taking on the care of an 11 year old great nephew - I thought initially would be stereotypical but it wasn't. They embarked on a trip to Nice to look into the background of the 80yr old's family. The story had humour. The Great Uncle shows empathy and understanding, he does not try to change the boy or impose his values on him. The family story developed alongside the development of the relationship between the boy and his uncle. It is a book well worth reading.

Emma Donoghue has written the novel I wish I had. She has clearly mastered the art of prose very well and her latest novel will not disappoint old and new readers.

I loved the dynamics between the characters and the way Nice was brought to life in the present as well as in it's unfortunate past when it was occupied by the Germans.

Will definitely be recommending!

Emma Donoghue’s latest book, “Akin”, tells the story of Noah and Michael. Noah is an 80 year old widower who is about to embark on his first trip back to Nice, where he lived as a child. Michael is his 11 year old great-nephew who he has never met and who now needs a temporary guardian. Can the two put aside their differences and learn to get along?

Donoghue’s writing is simple but effective. I don’t feel like she overwrites her descriptions and her characterisation is lovely. I loved the burgeoning relationship between Noah and Michael. It’s hard to imagine how each must feel in the circumstances they find themselves in and I loved seeing them trying to figure each other out. I can see a little of myself in both of them and I loved when Noah let his slightly more playful side out occasionally. I really felt for Michael, it must be be so difficult to lose the only family you’ve known and be suddenly paired with this elderly gentleman who is supposed to be your relative but you’ve never met him before. Couple that with the feelings of anxiety and excitement you must feel about going to a foreign country for the first time and I have absolutely no idea how Michael kept it together.

There are a few different plots running through this one and I loved the way they intertwined with each other. The main plot of Noah looking into his Mother’s past definitely intrigued me and I felt like Donoghue executed it well but I would have liked to have seen more of the plot surrounding Victor’s death. Some parts were, unfortunately, a little predictable as well but it didn’t take a great deal of enjoyment away.

I enjoyed the historical facts about Nice and Noah’s family’s time there during World War II. I actually learned a lot from this book, which I love. Much like “Room”, “Akin” has left me thinking about it long after I stopped reading.

On the whole I’d say “Akin” is a great book. Donoghue’s writing completely hooked me in and I couldn’t put it down. The subject matter is obviously very different to “Room” but I’d still say if you liked “Room” you’d probably like this too.

An old man aged 79 suddenly finds himself responsible for his 11 year old great nephew just before a holiday in Paris. He takes the boy with him and the interaction between the two is fascinating. The boy has been brought up in a poorer district of New York and is wise beyond his years in many ways but yet there is a kind of vulnerability to him on occasions.
An interesting idea and storyline

I’ve read Donoghue’s six most recent works of fiction. As I was reading Akin I kept thinking to myself, “this doesn’t feel like an Emma Donoghue novel.” (What did I think it was like instead? Maybe a late Philip Roth or something.) But her books are all so different from each other in setting – a one-room prison in contemporary America, bawdy 1870s San Francisco, rural Ireland in the 1850s – that it’s hard to pin her down to one time period or set of topics. She never writes the same book twice, and that’s got to be a good thing.

Akin gets off to a slightly slow start but soon had me hooked. Noah Selvaggio, a childless widower and retired chemist in New York City, is looking forward to an upcoming trip to Nice, where he was born, to celebrate his 80th birthday. He never guessed that he’d have company on his trip, much less a surly 11-year-old. This is Michael Young, his nephew Victor’s son. Victor died of a drug overdose a year and a half ago; the boy’s mother is in prison; his other grandmother has just died. There’s no one else to look after Michael, so with a rush passport he’s added to the Nice itinerary.

In some ways Michael reminded me of my nephews, ages 11 and 14: the monosyllabic replies, the addiction to devices and online gaming, the finicky eating, and the occasional flashes of childlike exuberance. Having never raised a child, Noah has no idea how strict to be with his great-nephew about screen time, unhealthy food and bad language. He has to learn to pick his battles, or every moment of this long-awaited homecoming trip would be a misery. And he soon realizes that Michael’s broken home and troubled area of NYC make him simultaneously tougher and more vulnerable than your average kid.

The odd-couple dynamic works perfectly here and makes for many amusing culture clashes, not so much France vs. the USA as between these Americans of different generations:

“It was exhausting having to translate almost every word into vocabulary he imagined an eleven-year-old would know.”

The dialogue, especially, made me laugh. Donoghue nails it:

[Noah:] “The genre, the style. Is rap the right word for it? Or hip-hop?”
[Michael:] “Don’t even try.” Michael turned h is music back on.

(At the cathedral)
[Michael:] “This is some seriously frilly shit.”
[Noah:] “It’s called Baroque style.”
[Michael:] “I call it fugly.”

But there’s another dimension to the novel that keeps it from being pleasant but forgettable. Noah’s grandfather was a famous (fictional) photographer, Père Sonne, and he has recently found a set of peculiar photographs left behind by his late mother, Margot. One is of the hotel where they’re staying in Nice, known to be a holding tank for Jews before they were sent off to concentration camps. The more Noah looks into it, the more he is convinced that his mother was involved in some way – but what side was she on? Though he’s always trying to play it cool, Michael gets invested in the mystery, and in his constant selfie-taking he’s unconsciously reproducing a family hobby. This is feel-good fiction in the best possible sense: sharp, true-to-life and never sappy. With its spot-on dialogue and vivid scenes, I can easily see it being made into a movie, too. It’s one of my favorite novels of the year so far.

As Noah prepares to celebrate his 80th birthday on a journey of discovery in Nice, he becomes the unexpected caretaker of 11 year old Michael.

Emma Donoghue is so brilliant at capturing those small, seemingly insignificant, moments that make us who we are, this book is a perfect example of how the mundane makes us extraordinary. The complexity of the relationship between an old man and a young boy are beautifully told and ultimately a story of familial love and trust are explored.

Interweaving this complex dynamic is Noah’s determination to discover the role his mother played in Nice during WW2, fearing that she wasn’t the courageous heroine he imagined her to be, his dogged determination and Michaels fresh perspective help him to piece together her true narrative, one which was equally as fascinating to follow.

This was a story I really enjoyed and would thoroughly recommend.

Akin by Emma Donoghue
I was really excited to read another book by the hugely talented Emma Donoghue and I was not disappointed. The theme of “an old man dealing with a challenging young boy” is not new but in Donoghue’s hands the story is in a different league.
The novel opens in New York with Noah Selvaggio contemplating a solitary trip to the city of Nice which he left aged just 4 years. He is alone in the world. His beloved wife is dead (Although he does constantly consult her and hear her opinions of his actions.), his sister too has died, as has his nephew. His union with his wife was never blessed with children so he is alone in the world. Set in his routines and looking forward to his 80 birthday when he is contacted by Rosa, an overworked social worker, she informs him that he is the only relative of his great Nephew Michael and asks him to take the child on, while his mother is in prison, in order to prevent Michael ending up in care.
Reluctantly Noah agrees and the relationship between this ill matched pair is essential to the joy of the book. Noah is an irascible old chemistry professor and Michael is a seemingly street wise kid from one of the toughest areas of New York. Noah has some unanswered questions about his mother’s life in Nice during the war and is desperate to unravel her story before he dies. Michael has no interest in history and culture and as companions on a trip to the Carnival in Nice they are ill matched. I was entranced by the conversations between the two as Noah begins to gain a partial understanding of those things which are vital to Michael. The book is a joy to read and one which I will definitely be recommending. Many thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

A slow moving book which fits perfectly with the characters involved. The relationships of the main character Noah were beautifully portrayed and you could really relate to them. The story was gentle and softly spoken with a hard core to it, representing well the theme of the story. I really enjoyed reading this one.

Thanks for allowing me to review this book

Emma Donoghue writes well and she writes about children particularly well. Best known for her unsentimental, gripping portrayal of five-year-old Jack in ‘Room’, her creation of Michael, a weary worldly-wise eleven-year-old is entirely different but just as convincing. There seems to be nothing lovable about Michael. He has created a tough layer of insolence, a self-protecting armour against the adults who have let him down. And yet, from the time when he and Michael, his distant elderly relation meet, there are glimpses of vulnerability, curiosity, wit and intelligence. No father, mother in prison, grandmother dead, it’s no wonder that Michael baulks at having to go to France with his octogenarian ‘sort of’ uncle Noah.
And Nice is anything but nice to Michael who is used to fast food, noisy streets, a rebellious peer group and gaming. As Noah struggle to entertain his young charge, he is also caught up in the mystery of his mother’s story during WW11. Why didn’t she travel to America with him? What was she doing in occupied France? The plot thickens when Noah discovers that she has links with Hotel Excelsior, requisitioned by the Nazis for the holding of three thousand Jews before sending them to Drancy. He begins to imagine all sorts of horrors.
Whilst this element of the story is interesting and linked to the author’s own history, the central focus is always on Noah and Michael, their very gradual understanding of the other and the relationship that develops. Love? Maybe, but as Donoghue shows, anything that goes that deep takes a long time to nurture. The novel’s title, referenced in the epigraph, tells us that it means:
1. Related by blood
2. Similar in character
This is the essence of the narrative drive; if it seems a little underwhelming, it doesn’t mean that ‘Akin’ is a slight novel. As she explores the notion of trust, Donoghue has plenty to say about the benefits of age as well as the vulnerabilities, just as she does about the advantages and drawbacks of youth. Well worth the read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Picador for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

Akin is essentially about 79 year old Noah, a widowed retired professor living in New York and his 11 year old great nephew Michael who has led a troubled life. Noah is about to set off on a weeks trip to Nice, his birthplace and where he lived until aged 3. Noah’s sister has recently passed away and left him some photographs taken by their late mother in Nice, her homeland, this sets off his desire to know more about his and his family’s past. Just before Noah is about to embark on his trip he receives a phone call to say his great nephew, his late sister’s grandson Micheal, is homeless, he has been living with his maternal grandmother but she has passed away, Micheal’s mother is in prison and his father, Noah’s nephew has died. Noah is Micheal’s nearest relative. Noah and Michael’s Social worker make arrangements for Michael to accompany Noah on his forthcoming trip. The story of the relationship between Noah and Micheal, who is quite intelligent and perceptive, evolves during the week in Nice. Old meets young in both senses of two completely different generations and the present and an so very different past set during WW2 and Noah’s mother’s part therein.
The book is written beautifully, the characters are wonderfully drawn so much so the reader feels empathetic towards both Micheal and Noah as their burgeoning relationship develops along with Noah’s quest to uncover his past. I enjoyed the book and would not hesitate to recommend it

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan Picador for the ARC

I really enjoyed this, was a bit unsure diving into this but I’m so glad I did, a great story about crossing the generations and finding out there are no real differences only years divide you. A beautiful read, emotional and you really root for the developing bonds between them. Highly recommended

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

A retired New York professor's life is thrown into chaos when he takes a young great-nephew to the French Riviera, in hopes of uncovering his own mother's wartime secrets .

Emma Donahue writes beautifully about relationships, especially between adult and child. I think this is her best book since her bestselling Room.

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy.