The Potato Factory

My first Courtenay book and I can see why he's so popular, the man can write.

The story feels loosely plotted, changing between characters a little randomly, and zooming into some moments and then zooming out for a year to pass on a whim, this is a strength and weakness - the ending felt a strangely rushed but the unexpected, extended, and thoroughly enjoyable, sidetrack on Sperm Whale Sally was a little mini showcase of Courtenays ability to create an extremely convincing world and the strange combination of tragedy and warmth he can draw from it.

Mary is delightful, Ikey is great, and once you realise Hannah is basically a Dickensian one-dimensional villain she becomes fun too.