Scrabble Babble Rabble – Bruno Beaches ★★★★
Blurb; Four prison inmates are thrown randomly together during recreation time, to play scrabble, with the added zing of occasionally telling stories about a word on the board. The stories reveal their characters and histories, but the scrabble itself is a mere transient remission from the vagaries and harshness of prison life, which continues unabated around them and through them. We are party to a voyage through calm settled waters of support, camaraderie and story-telling, to storms of violence, abuse and abject despair in a rigid, alien and unforgiving environment. We feel the emotions of the highs and lows of prison life through the victimisation, determination and hope of our players, who ultimately all show resilience in one way or another. It is a fable about humanity, garnered with wit, insight and encouragement, with a little whodunnit? thrown in for good measure.
My review; I was kindly given a copy by the author. If you’ve followed me for a while you will know I have an interest in anything prisons (no, doesn’t mean I want to be in one), I just find them really interesting including the people inside. This story is set in a prison with the focus on four guys who end up being scrabble buddies. These are… Kevin. Liam. Terry. Denis. Every evening, they come together to play Scrabble and tell stories from the words on the board. I found myself totally immersed in the stories that were told throughout the games and forgetting they were even in prison. I found myself learning more about who these four guys were and slowly saw them all bonding, ignoring the surroundings (prison). Just over half way through the story turns violent when a riot breaks out, and an inmate ends up dead, leading to an investigation and lockdown. It’s a very clever story. So much more than just games of scrabble. It’s a hopeful story. Rehabilitation included. I really enjoyed reading this one. Never judge a book by the cover. I would recommend. A well-deserved four stars from me.
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