Published 20th October 2020 by Bluemoose Books.
From the cover of the book:
Jimmy Noone escapes his difficult life in a small town and finds himself living on the streets of a big city where he meets Betwa, who brings with her a chance of real friendship and a glimpse of new hope. Betwa disappears and Jimmy walks across the sprawling metropolis searching for her.He arrives on Shifnal Road on the other side of the river where people from all over the world live side by side yet some inhabitants are so isolated they seem to have disappeared altogether. Jimmy becomes the catalyst for their lives colliding.
Journeys to the street and to the city are retraced, so too are stories abundant with lost dreams, unrivalled friendship, profound love and stifling grief, each underpinned with the subtle threads of commonality which intersect them all.
Should We Fall Behind is about the passing of time, and the intricate weaves of joy and suffering, love and loss which shape human life along the way. It is about the people who have somehow become invisible, and how their stories make them visible once more.
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Should We Fall Behind is the third book being published by Bluemoose Books as part of their year of publishing only women authors - following on from the gorgeous Saving Lucia by Anna Vaught and the compelling The Sound Mirror by Heidi James.
Like the two wonderful books before it, Should We Fall Behind is captivating and beautifully character led, making it another winner from Bluemoose!
From the very first page, when we meet Jimmy Noone, as he forms his friendship with the grief stricken Betwa, you know you are in for the kind of story that is going to tug mercilessly at your heartstrings, but both the journey and the destination make this book an absolute pleasure to read.
When Jimmy loses track of Betwa on the streets, his search for his only friend takes us into the heart of the small community of Shifnal Road, which is populated with some beautifully drawn characters - the pensioner Rayya with her terminally ill husband; the feisty single mother Ebele and her lonely daughter Tuli; and the widowed landlord and shopkeeper Nikos - not forgetting the all round good guy and knight in shining armour, Daban. Each of these characters lives an isolated existence, keeping their history and secret sorrows hidden deep, even though they live and work cheek-by-jowl with each other.
Although, on the surface, they seem very different to each other, and the homeless man Jimmy who is sleeping rough in their neighbourhood, there are threads and similarities that connect each of their stories. As the novel progresses, Sharon Duggal lets us experience life from their different points of view, cleverly steering us through the happy and traumatic moments that have brought them to where they are, and showing us the reality of the lives they now live.
Their lives touch, in such superficial ways, and I found myself yearning for the moment where their bubbles would merge meaningfully and their relationships could develop into something more - but they are unable to break out of the prisons they have created for themselves without a catalyst, and this proves, most unexpectedly, to be Jimmy.
Jimmy's presence evokes some pretty strong reactions in out little cast of characters - from bringing out Rayya's long supressed motherly feelings; feeding into Ebele's fear and suspicion; inspiring Tuli's imagination and longing for a friend; provoking Nikos' sorrowful anger; and spurring the lovely Daban on a quest to do good for everyone - and when a moment of crisis brings them together it sparks real change for them all.
This is a beautiful book that delves into the lives of people suffering deep seated sorrows and loneliness, who have fallen through the cracks and been left behind by the endless rat-race of modern life - and sometimes the people they love. It is also one which shows us how important it is to look beneath the surface to the person below, and the magic that can happen when love. kindness and understanding are allowed to triumph over fear, discrimination and hatred. I loved it!
Should We Fall Behind is available to buy from Bluemoose Books HERE, or from your favourite book retailer, from 20th October 2020.
Thank you to Sharon Duggal and Bluemoose Books for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
About the author:
Sharon Duggal was born and raised in Handsworth, Birmingham. She now lives in Brighton & Hove. The Handsworth Times is her debut novel.
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