Tin Man: A Novel

In her emotional novel Tin Man, Sarah Winman explores desire, loss, and regret in the lives of two childhood friends. Michael, an orphaned twelve-year-old boy who is sent to Oxford to live with his grandmother, quickly befriends Ellis, a boy who shares his deep appreciation of art. Ellis’s mother, Dora, also an art enthusiast, encourages the young men to embrace their fondness for creativity. When Dora dies, Ellis’s father, Leonard, forces him to abandon his dreams of becoming an artist by having him quit school and begin work at the Car Plant. Meanwhile, his friendship with Michael slowly evolves into something more, and together they take a trip to France as lovers. However, upon their return, Ellis meets Annie; they fall in love and are married. The three create an unusually close bond until Michael leaves for London following the death of his grandmother.

Winman’s novel is divided into two parts; the first is a third-person narration of Ellis’s life, and the second is Michael’s journal of the time he spent in London away from Ellis and Annie. Winman writes of the ordinary with an alluring sparkle, yet her beautifully understated prose is never showy. Though this novel is slim, Tin Man offers ample insight into the human heart. Winman’s characters will leave a lasting impression on her readers.