Hand Me Down World by Lloyd Jones

Hand Me Down World


As this is my first review on my shiny new blog, and indeed my first ever blog post, I thought it only apt to review a book by an author that I admire very much. This is the third book I have read by Lloyd Jones and whilst all completely different, I find the writing to be beautiful and the stories intricate and each one wonderfully different.

Hand Me Down World was first published in 2011 and is the story of a lady who goes by the name of Ines. She is an enigma for much of the book but first and foremost we know she is a mother. It is essentially about the lengths that a mother would go to be reunited with their child. The crossing of continents and the way that people behave towards one another. The story is told from the perspective of the people she meets on the way and it is not until nearing the end that we actually hear from Ines herself. 

 I found this novel to be ambitious in the way that it is written and enjoyed that fact the details about Ines come to light gradually. Some might say that it is a difficult book to read as it is hard to engage with the characters but I actually really enjoyed it. 

I found Ines story to be moving and I am glad that she was given a voice at the end, I actually liked her, felt for her and was hoping for a happy ending. Days later my thoughts still drift back to this story, a sign of an excellent piece of writing in my book.

About the Author:  Lloyd Jones is from New Zealand, he is the author of several novels and short stories. Most notably Mister Pip for which he won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize.