MARIA DUARTE, JAMES WALSH and ANDY HEDGECOCK review The Invite, My Father’s Island, Nirvanna: the Band, the Show, the Movie, and Oh My Goodness!
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A memoir of unadorned honesty
Children preparing for evacuation during the Spanish Civil War
[Wikipedia Commons/estate of Olga Brocca Smith]
PAUL DONOVAN is chilled by the contemporary resonance of Harper Lee’s coming of age tale amidst racism and white supremacy in this excellent production
GEOFF BOTTOMS recommends the unashamedly light-hearted escapism on offer in this stage version of the 1963 film
Full of mysterious religious references and radical sound design, the Scottish duo’s new offering is candidate for album of the year, suggests SIMON DUFF
MARY CONWAY revels in a powerful reminder that human lives are not defined by physical perfection
PAUL DONOVAN recommends the fine performances in this account of the pre-war meeting between the US president and the British king
TECLYN AROD relishes an intimate celebration of jazz improvisation that mixes local and national musicians
The Fighter Who Fell in Love – A Spanish Civil War Memoir
By James R Jump
The Clapton Press £9.99
THERE have been numerous books about the Spanish Civil War but Jimmy Jump’s memoir is unique in that it is based on his meticulously kept diaries at the time.
There is no retrospective re-evaluation, imagined heroics or dimly recalled events; his memoir has all the ingredients of a drama unfolding, told with humility and honesty.
Jump was a budding journalist and would-be poet, so writes with a keen eye coupled with deeply held convictions. His memoir is laced with humorous anecdotes, tragic and tear-jerking moments, giving the reader a detailed picture of what life on the ground was like for these courageous men and women who were prepared to sacrifice their lives for the principles of justice and democracy in the struggle against fascism.
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