Murdo
I loved "Dirt Road" by James Kelman. It is a quirky novel, crafted with a rare understanding of the human condition. There are no murders, no detectives, no particular mysteries. Just a Scottish widower called Tom and his teenage son - Murdo. They are in The Deep south of America to catch up with Uncle John and Auntie Maureen who reside in rural Alabama. Tom and Murdo arrived there by bus after a mix up that saw them stopping off in Allentown, Mississippi. We see everything from Murdo's point of view. It is as if we are in his head, living his confusion and self-doubt with him. He is a gentle soul, not academically gifted but he has a talent for playing the accordion and in Allentown he experiences the Zydeco playing of Queen Monzee-ay and is enchanted: What a sound! That was special. That was so special. And the girl scrubbed it along facing the old lady who nodded her head on that two-three beat rhythm, glancing around at the folk watching, smiling a little but ...