What appeared at first to be a story of an old man and a young boy foisted upon each other for a trip abroad for a week, finding they had things to learn from each other in the way of such stories, turned out to be so much more. This element is certainly there and the two characters are spot on, their interaction plays out realistically and I enjoyed their banter, but the author also introduces a little mystery as Noah seeks answers to his mother’s war years in France. The city of Nice is an essential player in this as we come to understand its history during the occupation of the 1940s. Noah’s mother’s experience echoes down the ages to his grand-nephew’s fractured family in 21st century New York. Written with sensitivity and insight, their stories melded in a way that had me hoping for a happy outcome for all concerned. A really satisfying read, I have no hesitation recommending it.

This would have tipped to a 4 star for me, except I didn't enjoy the mystery side of things. Noah is a good character, and I (mostly) liked the interplay between Noah & Michael. It did seem, of course, a little far-fetched that a young boy would be handed over to a geriatric distant relative & immediately allowed on a trip to Nice with him, without any vetting procedures whatsoever, but I suspended belief enough to allow that to pass...
What frustrated me more was Noah's obsession with the photographs, and the leaping to conclusions that seemed to occur. He went on and on about the possibility of his mother being a traitor, to the point where I felt I didn't much care anymore what the truth was! And this was frustrating to me because so much of the book was really, really good. It's written with such seeming ease, and I loved Noah hearing the voice of his dead wife all the time, and the history woven into the present day.
This is a good book, and it is mostly really well written, but it just had those few annoyances for me that took the edge off.

Room is one of my favourite books so I was looking forward to reading Emma's latest novel. Now I have to say that it is nothing like Room but neither is it like anything else I have ever read. Probably not a book I will return too however after a bit of a slow start I warmed to the characters and could really picture myself on holiday with them. A very well written piece.

* spoiler alert ** The relationship that builds between the main characters is rather lovely to read.
Michael may be obnoxious,Noah may be set in his ways and a bit of a bore,but as the trip moves on,you can feel them growing to like each other.
From a historical point of view, I found the story of Nice and it's inhabitants interesting.
I did find the ease with which the characters grasped an idea and believed it to be slightly over the top. With very little to back them up.
Also,the constant food talk got a bit tiresome after a while.
Fully enjoyable,but not her best for me.

Noah is a retired 79 year old looking forward to a gentle trip to Nice, the place of his birth. Two days before he goes a social worker, Rosa, contacts him about the 11 year old great-nephew he has never met. Noah becomes the emergency carer for the child or he goes into care. Noah’s trip to Nice takes on a whole new perspective with Michael in tow.

There are quite a few books on the market about people going to trace the land of their forebears & discovering their parents or grandparents part in a war. Here Noah is searching for answers about his Mother and the reason she had a collection of seemingly unrelated photos. Wound into this is Noah’s own history, the relationship with his parents & the legacy his photographer grandfather Pere-Sonne left behind. This all makes for an interesting story.

However, this book adds the refreshing perspective of a streetwise 11 year old. Michael helps & hinders Noah in his search for answers providing a whole new dimension to his trip to Nice.

I really enjoyed this book. Michael’s inclusion makes this fresh & unusual. Noah’s comparisons of Michael’s previous life in a tough New York neighbourhood against his knowledge of the world & the past are interesting. Noah & Michael come from very different worlds in the same city and each has a lot to learn. There are some humorous moments and some very poignant ones. Noah and Michael both make their own mistakes and struggle to get to know each other. Add into this the emerging story of Noah’s Mother’s past and you have a good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

I really liked this book. Emma Donoghue has written beautifully about the relationship between Noah and Michael. They are good strong characters and their story is a compelling read. Nice and the secrets it holds was a really interesting part of history. The entire story felt so real.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Noah Selvaggio is a retired chemistry professor and widower living on the Upper West Side, but born in the South of France. He is days away from his first visit back to Nice since he was a child, bringing with him a handful of puzzling photos he's discovered from his mother's wartime years. But he receives a call from social services: Noah is the closest available relative of an eleven-year-old great-nephew he's never met, who urgently needs someone to look after him. Out of a feeling of obligation, Noah agrees to take Michael along on his trip. Much has changed in this famously charming seaside mecca, still haunted by memories of the Nazi occupation. 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.

It pains me to have to write this but I did not like this one bit. I am desperate not to draw comparisons with 'Room' but this is miles apart from 'Room' and not a book that I enjoyed. What we have here is a journey to discover family history. Noah, accompanied by Michael, ventures back to Nice where he learns more about his family and even unearths family secrets. This is fine but not a lot happens, now I can enjoy a plot where not a lot happens but I found 'Akin' dull, uninteresting and too slow. I was confused from the beginning which sadly set the tone for the rest of the book, confusion mixed with boredom. 'Akin' simply had nothing to entice me to keep reading.

I did find enjoyment through the relationship between Noah and Michael, it was interesting seeing them getting to know each other and there are moments of hilarity as the divide between young and old becomes clear. They were an intriguing duo whom I did enjoy getting to know and following them through their discoveries but I think they deserve a better plot.

'Akin' is set in Nice so at least I got to travel afar to a beautiful setting. Nice is both a stunning and emotional backdrop for 'Akin' with the history, both past and present, leaving memories of torment and despair.

Quite simply, 'Akin' was not for me and was not a book I enjoyed. Donoghue has done a good job creating Noah and Michael but that is as far as my compliments can go.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy.

Akin is essentially about two unlikely travel companions - an old man and his great nephew who travel to Nice and find out that they are not too disimilar after all. It’s a story that is both unexpected and unique and both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Touching in many ways too.


Noah is a a retired professor who is about to head back to Nice for his 80th birthday. He was born there you see and he wants to find out about his past, the photos he has found which were taken by his mother. Michael is the 11 year old great nephew who is in need of a temporary guardian. The two worlds join - or collide - and their story becomes an interwoven one of past, present and future.

The novel is set in the present day but it also looks at the way in which Noah’s life in the past has turned him into the man he is today. This generational gap showcases a lot of the worries we have today -such as how old and young see and use the internet, how older people may not see the way it can help them to discover the past and see the past come to life. We see how Noah has become the man he is today and it’s a fascinating and complex image which becomes clear.

Michael too is seen through this old/young premise and you have to feel sorry for him needing a temporary guardian and being stuck with this old man at first. The development of the relationship really is something special and lovely to watch. The perfect way to see how past and present, old and young can live in harmony and help us to understand the world and each other.

Two very different people who travel to a neutral setting, albeit one that the old man has links to, is the ideal way for a story about belonging, family and humanity to unfold. What we have in common with each other is so much more than what separates us.

This really is a journey of discovery in every sense of the word and it was a thought-provoking and captivating journey to go on.

79 year-old Noah is about to go on a long deserved trip to Nice when the gets an unexpected phone call. His junkie nephew has overdosed, leaving behind Michael, a disgruntled 11 year old Noah has never met. The very stroppy Michael must now travel to Nice with Noah, They have to get to know one another under the oddest of circumstances, solving a mystery based on some wartime photographs. Akin is a thoroughly charming novel. Four stars.

Akin is a novel about unlikely travel companions looking for answers and for similarities and compromises that will get them through the present. Noah is a retired professor in New York, about to take a trip to Nice—where he was born—for his eightieth birthday. Just before he leaves, he gets a phone call that will change everything: his eleven year old great-nephew who he's never met needs a temporary guardian, and Noah is the closest kin to Michael who is available. Suddenly Noah and Michael find themselves together in France, clashing over everything, but Noah ends up on a quest to work out the mysteries behind some old photos taken by his mother and Michael might be able to help point him in the right directions.

Donoghue takes a short space of time—the trip to Nice—and fills it with the present and past in a way that works well, as Noah thinks about family across generations and the history of Nice during the Second World War but the narrative stays firmly in the present day. There are a lot of details that make it thoroughly modern—from the realities of what children see on the internet to how technology can help solve old mysteries—but it also has a sense of the past and how people are shaped by it. The mirroring of this not only through Noah's family history but through Michael's—with his mother in prison and questions around his dead father—shows that family and history can be varying categories, but still with similar connections and dangers. The writing style makes the novel very easy to get into and it is more gripping than expected as the trip unfurls.

Akin is often very much about the personal—about specific relatives and about two people trying to compromise being forced together—but also tries to keep an eye on larger issues at stake. There perhaps could have been more made of the class issues that are important undercurrents to the novel, but as it is through Noah's perspective, it seems purposeful at times that he often doesn't realise how different his and Michael's lives are not from an age perspective, but a class one. It is a book that ultimately tries to be uplifting and to show that people can have more in common or find more ways to relate than might be expected, and one that you could imagine being made into a film.

A beautiful story of 80 year old Noah who gets saddled with his eleven year old great-nephew Michael after his father dies and his mother is imprisoned.
As they tour the city of Nice in France, their shared and surprising family history is uncovered, beginning with a set of mysterious photos.
I’ve read all of Donoghue’s novels and have found each well-crafted but completely unique.
This works beautifully. Our hearts go out to Noah and Michael and we really care about their burgeoning relationship.
It’s one of those books that’s a wrench to stop reading.
I would really recommend it. It’s beautifully written and almost unbearably poignant.

A beautiful tale of an inter generational odd couple. Poignantly drawn, without cliche or cheap shots. The characters are textured, genuine and compelling. Loved this book.