"A timely story about the impact of child poverty that will make you laugh, cry and think."
September 2024 Debut of the Month
Chosen by Guest Editor, Lisa Williamson as her Book of the Month.
With money tight, 10 year-old Solo’s mum Morag is forced to come up with imaginative solutions to their money woes, like crashing funerals for a free meal! Solo meanwhile is desperate to fit in and be normal for a change – not easy when you’ve just gone viral for all the wrong reasons. With the cost-of-living crisis affecting more and more of the population, this book could not be better timed. Honest, funny and touching, Solo’s story will stay with you long after the last page.
This compelling and engaging debut tells the story of ten-year-old Solo, an endearing, funny and unforgettable character, who is fighting a losing battle to just be ‘normal’. Unfortunately, in the current cost-of-living crisis, there will be children like Solo in every class, with not enough to eat and without proper clothes and shoes. Solo’s lack of uniform gets him into trouble at school, and he is a target for bullying. Solo’s mother, who insists on being called Morag, really struggles to conform and to provide any normality for her son. Solo has not seen his father for years and is led to believe that his father wants nothing to do with him. Morag lost her job, and her mental health is fragile. Her solution to feeding them has been gatecrashing local funerals as mourners and stocking up on buffet food. Dressed in an ill-fitting black suit bought at a charity shop, Solo is dragged to event after event. Although grateful for the food, Solo is shamed and embarrassed and he knows what he and his mum do is wrong, but he is terrified of getting his mother in trouble or provoking an attack of what Morag calls the ‘Big Bad Reds.’ There is a rapid escalation of his troubles when they get caught at a celebrity funeral and become a news sensation. Adults are continually telling him that if there’s anything wrong, he should speak up and ask for help, but he just doesn’t know how. Then Morag, unable to cope, abandons him and his brave efforts to find her eventually bring matters to a head.
Having suffered every step of the way with Solo, the reader is immensely relieved to see him properly cared for at last, reconciled with his father and Morag eventually found and receiving the treatment she needs. Sensitively and honestly shining a light on those ‘invisible’ children, who can so easily slip through the cracks, this is an important and empathetic must-read that will provoke lots of discussion as well as encouraging compassion, kindness and understanding.
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