Perhaps the author should have stuck to what he does best - acting. Doubtless, Tom Courtenay's fans will cherish the recollections of his humble days growing up in Hull. For the rest of us, this somewhat meandering memoir deals with his relationship with his parents, especially his mother, and a plethora of instantly forgettable relatives. Thankfully, the story picks up when Courtenay leaves home for university, and later when he follows his star by joining RADA.
Here we are offered the occasional, though hardly riveting, anecdote about his theatre "darlings". But the ostensible purpose of this book is to convey the (unhealthy?) bond he had with his mother, mainly through the weekly letters she sent him. Though he writes poignantly of her dying, the story resolutely refuses to hold our attention. We are given the occasional spark of humour, but this memoir needs much more pizzazz to ignite a tiresome tale into a worthwhile read.