Glasgow Boys

Margaret Mcdonald £8.99 (Paperback) FABER

The voices of people who grew up in care are rarely heard in fiction, and if they are, they are often used as a plot device or a footnote in the story.

However, there is nothing tokenistic about the care-experienced characters in Margaret Mcdonald’s courageous debut novel.

Finlay and Banjo, two young men who grew up in Scotland’s care system, are front and centre of this book, and we navigate the world through their eyes in this incredibly moving, tender but also, humorous story.

Neither Finlay or Banjo can remember the last time they received a hug. Yet against all odds, 18-year-old Finlay has begun studying for a nursing degree at Glasgow University.

However, coming straight from the care system means that he has no support network. How on earth can he manage to write essays, focus on his nursing placement and stop himself from falling in love when he’s struggling to even feed himself?

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Banjo is trying to settle into his new foster family, finish high school and is also desperate to hold down his job. However his anger and fear keep boiling over, threatening his already uncerntaindfuture.

The novel explores two timelines – the present day and three years earlier, when Finlay and Banjo lived in a group care home together. Once upon a time, the pair were as close as brothers – but now they no longer speak.

Throughout the novel, we are given insights into the ways their friendship, and their fall-out, have impacted on their lives.

While the story is often emotional, it never strays into melodrama. Finlay and Banjo are both beautifully drawn characters who have clearly been created and crafted with love.

In this stunning novel, Mcdonald gives a genuine voice to the working class, exploring what it’s like to grow up in the care system and how far-reaching the aftermath can be.

“Banjo’s anger and fear keep over boiling ”