The Tightrope Walkers
Book - 2015
Coming of age in the shadow of northern England's shipyards, young Dominic is torn between the extremes of his shipbuilder family's lifestyle, a complex bully to whom he finds himself irresistibly drawn, and the tightrope-walking girl he loves.
Publisher:
Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2015.
Edition:
First U.S. edition.
Copyright Date:
©2014.
ISBN:
9780763673109
0763673102
9780763691042
0763691046
0763673102
9780763691042
0763691046
Characteristics:
326 pages ; 24 cm


Opinion
From Library Staff
Fiction; coming of age in 1960s, working class neighborhood, England. Excellent pairing with photos by Nick Hedges.
From the critics

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cinnamonkitty14
Aug 16, 2015
"Is each of us precarious? Does each of us teeter in the space between the artist and the killer in ourselves? Or do some live their whole lives in innocence...?"

Comment
Add a Commentthe photos in this exhibition by Nick Hedges go well with the novel: http://www.shelterscotland.org/lifeworthliving
Domic struggles to find his place as a young man, befriending a tightwalking family, a rough bully and the contradictions of his own writing talent.
First and foremost, I really liked this. Almond's writing is lyrical and descriptive without being too long-winded or snooty. The characters and setting are extremely memorable. In fact, I found myself thinking about both at random times. I loved his use of the local, working-class dialect. It made me feel more rooted in the story. With all of this being said, I do not think this should have been marketed as a teen book. Yes, it is a coming-of-age story, and we start following Dominic in childhood and see him through to young adulthood. However, The Tightrope Walkers has a decidedly grown-up feel about it. Regardless- very good.