This book is Historical Fiction, meant to celebrate the life of a much-loved friend and relative. During this process, it also draws us into a society and teaches us the ethics and feelings of its people.

The strength of the writing is the way it reaches into the heart and mind of the main character, Penrose. Especially in the early part of the book, the action has to be fictional, but it rings true. The people’s actions and feelings reach out to us and we are engrossed in their struggles from the beginning.

In some places the action slows down and stretches out in order to heighten suspense. This is a touchy technique, because if it slows too much it loses power. A bit of tightening up would be in order.

But basically, the first two parts of the book flow nicely along, with interspersed patterns of peace and conflict and the suspense rising and falling as it should. The author does a great job of downplaying the actual passage of time, because it is not important. The development of the main character’s soul is what counts.

However, there is a basic problem with the concept of the book: the desire to encompass the whole life of the main character. Once he settles down in the 1980s, the even tenor of his life continues, and the author is forced to condense years into single pages, which reduces the immediacy of the action. The main conflict and thematic material — the issue of both official and inner identification — does not sustain the suspense over the length of the book. Around page 275 the writing becomes more factually narrative, telling us what is happening, but without the emotional connection with the characters. For a while the suspense fades, the action gets repetitive, and the story wanders.

Then, around page 300, the final action sequence starts, and everything is back on the rails again for a bang-up climax and a moving finish to the life of a wonderful man.

Recommended for fans of coming-of-age stories in their broadest sense.

Four stars.