I’ve enjoyed everything by Emma Donoghue that I’ve read, so there was no doubting I was going to miss out on this. With the frequency of grandparents taking care of grandkids because the parents are dead or incarcerated, it’s just a slight stretch that a great uncle would get the call.

Noah, a 79 year old professor, gets just that request right before he’s due to visit Nice, his place of birth and a place he hasn’t seen since leaving when he was four. As someone who’s not a natural with kids, I immediately bonded with Noah. Donoghue totally gets that fight to keep some level of communication going and what a struggle it is, especially when things we take for granted (grammar, history) are total unknowns to the youngster. Noah’s efforts to explain an adverb vs. an adjective could have been lifted from my life! And the generational divide overrides every socio-economic difference, especially when it comes to an addiction to electronics.


The kid was looking at his phone again.

“Ah, back to the screen.”

“You talk a lot dude,” Michael murmured without looking up.


There’s a mystery to solve as well. Noah has snapshots his mother took during the war. But they’re such odd photos, he’s not sure what/where/who they involve. While in Nice, he attempts to solve the puzzle.

I loved this book. Between the characters, the mystery and the beautiful writing,I was entranced. I loved how even throw away lines rang so true. “They climbed the steps, Noah’s hip speaking to him. Tourism was such an odd mixture of the tiring and the hedonistic.” And how photography was a constant theme throughout the book.

My thanks to netgalley and Little, Brown for an advance copy of this book.

Donoghue's Room was one of my all time favorites so I was thrilled to learn about, Akin. While drastically different than "Room", Akin since has that psychological aspect we all loved about Room. A beautiful story about unconventional family that everyone should pick up.

Imagine this scenario. You are a 79-year-old widower living alone in a New York City apartment, looking forward to a week’s vacation in Nice, France — where said widower was born, and to which he hasn’t been back to since his childhood. You receive a mystery package of old photographs that your mother took, which may or may not have something to do with family secrets. However, just before you’re set to leave for France, you also get a call from social services noting that you are the last living relation of your great-nephew, whom you’ve never met — at least, the last living close relation who hasn’t been incarcerated. Would you take him in, and take him along with you to France? In this case, said widower — named Noah — does.

That’s the set-up for the latest novel by Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue, Akin. Donoghue is probably most famous for writing the terrifying abduction novel Room, but Akin is a world apart from that work. Basically, the book is a bit of a travelogue as Noah and his great-nephew Michael do a big sightseeing tour of the Mediterranean coastal city. And so we get passages where the duo duck into fancy restaurants (and argue about what to order from the menu) or museums, or visit old friends who might be able to unravel Noah’s mother’s secrets. To that end, Akin is part mystery novel, but a lot of what’s revealed is mostly conjecture because so many years have passed. Still, this marvelous work is at its best where Michael and Noah are interacting, and the generation gap comes into play. The pair essentially hate each other, until Noah becomes impressed with Michael’s keen eye and Michael finds himself growing fond of the old man as he unravels bits of history and fun stuff to Michael’s amusement.

Akin does falter, though, and mostly it does in its opening passages. Before Noah meets Michael, he does a lot of living inside of his head, and we’re introduced to a plethora of characters who have either passed on or never show up again in the rest of the novel. This causes a bit of confusion for the reader, and, to be entirely honest, the first bit of Akin runs a bit slow. Things pick up, however, when the Noah-Michael pair meet up and get the show on the road in France. Even then, some readers (though not me) may have a hard time handling the fact that this novel is two characters’ vacation to a weird and unfamiliar world. However, the bond that develops between the pair makes up for this. In fact, the ending of the novel is more than a bit sentimental, and I had to admit that I was curious about what would happen to these characters. (Opening the door for a sequel, perhaps?)

For a woman author, I was impressed that Donoghue gets men right, right down to their smug bravado. These characters feel real and alive, and I had to admit that I got caught up in this fictional world. It turns out that Noah’s grandfather was something of a famous photographer, and Donoghue deftly draws you into this world — so much so that you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was entirely real. (The acknowledgments section exposes the real inspiration for this shutterbug character.) Even though the novel is by and large a book about wandering into unexpected places, it’s a fun journey — again, made pleasurable by the bond that the old man and young boy come to share. By novel’s end, you’ll have forgiven a lot of Michael’s outbursts (and annoying frequency to take selfies of himself on a cracked cellphone all of the time) and Noah’s penchant for getting a little moody now and then.

By and large, I enjoyed Akin. It was an unexpected pleasure watching these characters grow and mature (yes, even Noah), and learning a little bit about French history. Some of the dialogue is in French (though with a translation of the text immediately following it), and it really added a fresh dimension to work — it’s the little details that Donoghue gets right that only adds to Akin’s sense of realism. In the end, this is an astonishing work that fires on most of its cylinders — once you get past the New York City section of the book, it’s a little of a page-turner. It was also a bit of a poignant book, because — given his age — Noah is facing death not too far down the road, and this glimpse at mortality was a bit sobering to read as my cat recently died. (Which accounts for a bit of a delay in getting this review to you, dear reader. Sorry. I had to grieve.)

What this means is that Akin may not be a perfect book, and it doesn’t have the imposing feeling of claustrophobia that Room had. Yet, this is a very different book, and a difficult one to pull off as well as it does. You can tell that a great deal of research went into the telling of this tale right down to a little detail such as a cannon being fired off every day at noontime (a bit of a running joke in this work). For those who are looking to read up on France, Akin is a little like taking a trip to the country without needing to leave your own bedroom, or wherever you read. This is a novel that you can savour (some of the food that Noah eats may even get you drooling a little) and perversely enjoy as a bit of a trip without needing to board an airplane for. This may be a book about tourists, but, in the end, Noah and Michael are no longer tourists to each other — and that might just be this book’s greatest feat. All the more reason to discover Akin in all of its dazzling glory for yourself.

I loved ROOM. I couldn't wait to dive into Akin and I wasn't disappointed. History tied in with relationships, family, deep dives into all the feels, once I got into it it was hard to put down.
There were times when I felt a little overwhelmed at the historical "facts" and wanted to get back to Michael and Noah, but all in all it was a well balanced tale that left me wanting more.
Thank you for the ARC!

Emma Donoghue-yes! Thrilled to be approved for this read.

The setting: Widowed and retired about-to-turn 80-professor Noah Selvaggio, days away from his first visit to Nice since he was a child, ends up taking his 11-year old great-nephew, Michael, with him. Michael's' mother is in prison. His father is dead. His grandmother, with whom he lived, has just died. There is no one else. Rosa, from social services, contacts Noah days before his departure, and the plot is set in motion. P.S, Noah has never met Michael, and has never had his own children.

Purpose of Noah's trip to France? To uncover his mother's wartime secrets [Nazis? collaboration? Great unknown.] He takes with him a packet of photographs taken by his mother, hoping they will provide some clues/answers.

"The unlikely duo, suffering from jet lag and culture shock, bicker about everything from steak frites to screen time. But Noah gradually comes to appreciate the boy's truculent wit, and Michael's ease with tech and sharp eye help Noah unearth troubling details about their family's past. Both come to grasp the risks people in all eras have run for their loved ones, and find they are more "akin" than they knew.""

BUT. Disappointing. I often slogged through this tender story.

What I liked:

the discrepancies between the generations--particularly where technology and phraseology involved.

The voice of Joan--Noah's deceased wife---who throughout the book chimes in with her advice on a variety of topics.

Slight and infrequent humor.

The writing:

"When he'd been young, your seventies counted as old, but not these days. [totally identify!!]"

"long, spatulate finger"--what a great description!

"salmon in goo"-airline food!

"sun stabbed him in the pupils"

"two men of Noah's vintage"--and so on.

The "mystery" didn't do it for me. I was never really engaged. And somehow, the arc of the book seemed foretold.

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and Little Brown for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for review.

What a fun and heartfelt read! The story starts out telling us about Noah Selvaggio, a 79 year old widower living in NYC. His wife, Joan, died of cancer and he's been living alone for several years. His parents have passed, his sister has passed. He's alone in the world. Suddenly, a great-nephew, 11-year-old Michael surfaces because his mother has landed herself in prison. Michael's father is Noah's sister's grandson and he has never had a relationship with the boy due to the father (Noah's nephew) being an addict and having next to no relationship with his family. Suddenly, Michael needs someone to take him in. And Noah does just that; just in time for a big trip he's taking back home to Nice, France, where he and his parents are from. He could cancel his trip, but he decides to take Michael with him.

The characters in this book developed perfectly. Some, like Michael and Rosa (the social worker) took a few chapters to draw me in. I loved Noah from the beginning. He is a totally cool old guy, but he doesn't know much about children. He has all these amazing plans to visit his home country at almost 80 years old and still takes in this young boy and gives him the trip of a lifetime, though neither Noah or Michael see it that way from the beginning. Rosa grated on my nerves big time - she was just so... annoying. But she also was handling over twenty cases and was extremely stressed out so I have to give her props on that. Michael took a little while to gain my affection. He is a rude, self-absorbed, totally normal rebellious kid that takes complete advantage of Noah and pushes all of the limits with him. Of course, as the story went on, he became so likable and I was completely rooting for him and Noah by the end of the book. The only thing that really bothered me was Michael's excessive cursing. I have the mouth of a sailor, don't get me wrong, but I also have a 12 and 13 year old kids and the amount of cursing just really seemed out of character for a kid that age. However, this kid lives a life of poverty in the rougher areas of New York, so my opinion could be skewed there.

The whole premise of the trip changes when Noah discovers some old, mysterious photos that belonged to his mother. He decides to stay at the hotel picture in of the the photographs and retrace her steps to find out what kind of secrets his mother was hiding. It was so heartwarming watching Michael and Noah's relationship grow throughout the story. An old man and a young boy becoming friends by these new circumstances. Michael took a while to grow on me but by the end of the story I loved him and was rooting for him all the way. The same thing happened for Noah, I believe. He doesn't seem to be very fond of Michael's behavior and language, or his obsession with his phone. But Noah's heart begins to feel a love toward the boy that is so heartwarming for the reader. As the story continues, and the bond grows stronger, Noah begins to question what will become of him and Michael when they go back to the USA and his mother is eventually freed.

This book pulled at all my heart strings. It contained all of the things I love in a book: great characters, a little mystery, and a cherry of happiness on top. This was such a great read for me.

I will be posting my review on my blog, instagram, and Goodreads on pub day (09/10/19).

I really enjoyed this book. Normally, I think World War II is a subject that has been done a lot, but this offered a new take on the generations discovering information about a close relative in the war, while forging their own bonds. I liked the take on the sites of France, while also getting a historical picture of the city of Nice and the characters were well written and likeable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book but honestly, I can't tell you why. I have a lot of reasons why I shouldn't have liked it - the relationship between Noah and Michael seemed far-fetched and unrealistic. The storyline was also far-fetched and not believable. I struggled to keep track of who was who. The attempt to intertwine past and present didn't work for me. And yet, this was a great read. Noah and Michael may have been unrealistic, but they were entertaining and endearing. The past and present storylines didn't flow well for me, but I really enjoyed each of them separately. I didn't care for Michael's character much, but I had a lot of empathy for him. So overall, this book was a bit of an oxymoron - bad but good. It's entirely possible I just had too high of expectations, after "Room." But I can't deny that I enjoyed it, and I mean really enjoyed it. And that's really the bottom line. So 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars, and I would recommend this to friends!

A poignant look at the friendship that blossoms between an elderly man and a boy as the former tries to solve the mystery which shadows both their lives. Emma Donoghue once again delivers superbly crafted characters and a story which seems to be quiet and contained...until it turns into an emotional vortex.

A great author that will sure to please fans, but for me personally I struggled to get in to the story.

This book is about Noah an almost 80 year old man who is about to take a trip overseas to visit the place in France where he spent his childhood before being sent to the US during the war.
He is suddenly asked to care for his great nephew Michael, while Michael’s mother finishes out her prison sentence.
While this isn’t normally the type of novel I gravitate toward I found myself looking forward to reading it each night. It’s part odd couple, part mystery. There are lots of interesting bits about Nice, France, and Noah’s memories of his short years there growing up.
I thought it was a sweet story that I really enjoyed reading.

Beautiful tale of an unlikely friendship that blossoms between an old man and his young great-nephew. Nice is portrayed so vividly by Emma Donoghue.

I’m five minutes into reading this novel and I’m once again reminded that Emma Donoghue is a wonderful wordsmith. And 26% in, I’m greedy as I read....two people living together, one 89, one 11, both living with their life histories and learning from each other. A 5 star performance from Ms Donoghue. A story about family, a story about love, a story about history, a story about planting olive trees, not for this generation, or the next, but for generations to come. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Fantastic and touching story. I foundthe portrayal of Michael extremely accurate of a boy of his age and circumstances and loved how Noah found renewed reason at the end of his life throuyrhe boy.

For those of us that have read ROOM, there is no doubt that Donoghue can write beautifully about the relationship between a mother and child, but this book takes her writing to a new and beautiful level, exploring the relationship between an elderly man and his great nephew. The two are thrown together when a desperate social worker searches for someone to serve as a guardian for the 11 year old rather than placing him in the foster care system.

Noah, a lonely, childless widower has been looking forward to spending his 80th birthday in Nice, where he was born, and trying to understand his own history. Despite his doubts, he rises admirably to the challenge and takes Michael with him on his journey.

This remarkable pair don’t find. It easy to travel together, since they essentially are connected only by Michael’s dead father, the troubled son of Noah’s sister. The writing is so vivid that I felt as if I knew the two, and chuckled as they made their way around Nice and each other.

Within their story is Noah’s search for the truth about his mother, some mysterious photos and her role in WW II. Despite their difference in age, background and culture, they are a delightful team of sleuths.

Their struggles during this trip are fine fodder for a remarkable and beautiful love story. As the grandmother of a child Michael’s age, I felt that Donoghue captured this difficult and eccentric pre-adolescent period very well.

I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to delight in this book and urge all my book clubs to read it. It is also an excellent book for my students who are going into teaching.. it is a rich and warm story, which reminds us of the role of older adults in the lives of children.

Emma Donaghue is one of my favorites, but this just didn't work for me. I set it aside after reading 30%. The set-up seemed more like a "buddy comedy," and the characters just did not work for me.