Akin, by Emma Donoghue

At 79 widower Noah lives alone in his Manhattan apartment with only his much-loved wife Joan’s voice in his head for company. They were childless by choice and following the death of his younger sister Noah has no family. He is about to embark on a trip to his home town, Nice, in the south of France, for the first time since leaving at the age of four, during World War II. Noah suddenly finds himself thrust into the role of temporary guardian to an 11-year-old boy, his sister’s grandson Michael, whom he has never met and whose existence he was barely aware of. Discovery of some strange old photographs of his mother’s has impelled Noah to investigate the circumstance of her staying in Nice until the end of the war after sending Noah to his father in New York. Michael’s company both helps and hinders the investigation as Noah comes to terms with history and starts to see a different future. Donoghue evokes a strong sense of place as Noah moves between several different worlds. Her characters are believable and sympathetic, despite their flaws and with few false notes in the developing relationship between an old academic and a troubled child. At the end of the day it’s all about family over everything.