Shuggie Bain is all about characters and atmosphere. A noble, tragic, beautiful, troubled cast is the highlight of this story, set in Glasgow in the 1980’s. An impoverished family tries to stay afloat and survive but they are constantly knocked down by circumstance, addiction, and violence. Agnes and her sons Leek and Shuggie steal the show in this book. The cover photo for the US hardback edition captures the mood and theme of this book perfectly. The highlight of Shuggie Bain is far and away the time that the boys have with their mother while she is sober (spoiler alert: it is not a very long time).
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