Pigtopia by Kitty Fitzgerald

Pigtopia

Kitty Fitzgerald

A book suffused with sadness and punctuated with shocking scenes, yet the insightful innocence and gentleness of Jack is what stays with me. The very individual voices of the two narrators and the poetic originality of the language set this novel apart others I have read. There's almost a strange fairy-tale beauty which transcends a world of prejudice, cruelty and pain. The end result is both powerful and very moving.

Extract
The boxy room is as a stranger.... There is clothes, shoes, books, music, and between place, even the old writing book of dad's time.... I sniff at the book and plop it inside my pocket, warm dad words inside me. I make plans to ask Holly Lock to read from it when I am strong within my emotions. This scent of dad makes a sadglad thing for me. I do not want to be within it much long. Below of the creaky bed I find a woody box with jewels and beyond, the grassy patterns of Scrapbook is underlying. I will see all with Holly and the pigs close in to keep me safe from the frights.
Parallels
  • The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe
  • The Elephant Man - the film
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo