Tin Man

 

Tin Man by Sarah Winman

Fiction

2017

Finished on June 10, 2025

Rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good!)

Publisher's Blurb:

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

Ellis and Michael are twelve-year-old boys 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.

Many years later, Ellis is married to Annie, and Michael is nowhere in sight. Which leads to the question: What happened in the years between?

By the internationally bestselling author Sarah Winman, Tin Man is an unforgettable and heartbreaking novel celebrating love in all its forms, and all the little moments and small kindnesses that make up a life.

I finished this beautiful novel a couple of weeks ago, but we've been traveling, and I am just sitting down to compose my review. 

Sarah Winman writes the most gorgeous prose, and while the storyline is a little confusing, I loved Tin Man. It's a tender story about friendship, love, heartache and grief. Much like her most recent work (Still Life), Winman's characters are memorable and well-drawn. This moving novel avoids cliche, and will enchant fans of John Boyne, particularly those who read and enjoyed The Hearts Invisible Furies. Sarah Winman has become a favorite author, and I intend to read more of her books. 

"Plan to read it twice: first for the story, then to savor the beauty of the poetic symbolism threaded throughout the sparsely crafted prose." - Shelf Awareness

Highly recommend.