Let in the Light by Gerard Nugent – Book review

I love sharing book reviews especially when I have enjoyed the read as much as is the case with Let in the Light by Gerard Nugent.  This is a book about a musician, shop assistant and father living in Edinburgh. I have neglected reading in recent weeks so it was good to return to such a lovely leisure activity with a real page-turner.

What the novel is about

We meet Richie who is a musician who has fallen a little out of love with music for reasons that are revealed as the book goes along. We discover his relationships troubled and otherwise with the mother of his child, his son, his employer and other musicians both professional and amateur. We see how he moves on personally and professionally over the course of the book. He’s on a journey as we all are in life and it has major and minor keys again just like everybody else if we are honest with ourselves.

Location

Although some of the book takes place in London and other places, the real sense of place comes from Edinburgh. We learn about the history and community of the city. It made me want to visit once the lockdown restrictions are eased.

Characters

The author works that wonderful trick of making you feel like you actually know the characters. I found myself caring not only about Richie but also some of the other players. I particularly loved the owner of the music shop with his supportive nature and homespun philosophy.

What I loved about the book

The novel is really easy to use and keeps you gripped. I thought it was clever how it teased you with a suggestion something had gone horribly wrong with Richie and music pretty much from the start but reveals the truth a little bit at a time. The book alternates between chapters about the now and ones that are effectively flashbacks explaining why we find Richie in his current situation with a low mood permeating his existence. The title of the book is not only about a song but about the action Richie needs if he is to move forwards positively.

I could empathise with Richie feeling he has mucked up and struggling to start all over again with any real hopes or dreams. I won’t bore readers with what has happened to me in the last year or so again. Regular readers will know how challenging I have found it to forgive myself and others and start a new chapter. I also empathised with simple challenges such as the horrors of picking children up from school not quite knowing if you should speak or what you should say to the other parents.

What I didn’t like about the novel

To be honest, I loved this book. Maybe it came at the right time for me or maybe it is perfect. Either way, I highly recommend it to my readers.

The great news is that for the whole of April, the ebook will be just 99p.

Profits from the book go to Health in Mind – a charity that campaigns for better mental health and wellbeing. Their website is https://www.health-in-mind.org.uk/.

You can find the author on social media.

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/gerardnugentwriter/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/gerardnugentwriter/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/letinthelight20