Winner of Edinburgh International Book Festival First Book Award 2015.

A truly original and enthralling novel. Ivor Punch is a magnificent creation and his story is mischievous, sad, funny and truthful -- Stephen Kelman, BOOKER-SHORTLISTED author of PIGEON ENGLISH Beguiling tales built on secrets and sadness, each of them with a keen sense of place INDEPENDENT Witty, shocking, curious and wry, it is a multi-faceted novel that delights at every turn... A thing of genius and wonder. WE LOVE THIS BOOK MacIntyre is a storyteller with a unique imagination and has created a genuinely heartfelt novel with some standout elements of dark comedy THE LIST As a songwriter, Colin MacIntyre seems always to have been a natural storyteller. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before he turned his abilities to the longer form of the novel. It is fitting that the man best known as Mull Historical Society has crafted a story to which he has put his own name, yet it is a novel which owes so much to his roots on the island of Mull. Such powerful storytelling resonated strongly with readers at the Book Festival, making Colin a runaway winner in voting for the First Book Award -- Nick Barley, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival He writes with a clarity of style THE SCOTSMAN We meet a pioneering female writer, two fatherless boys, a man who fell from the sky and, of course, the prolific letter writer Ivor Punch THE BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH The Punch family history is both fascinating and sad. The book is interesting, funny, has a famous cameo and keeps you reading, and it's only when you reach the end of the final chapter that the Punch family history falls into place... The characters are original, well-written, and it's one of those books you want to re-read after you've finished it -- Judith Griffin New Books I raced through this clever, poignant, beautiful book in one sitting. It's peopled by a cast of brilliantly off-the-wall characters, and full of keen-eyed observations about life on a remote Scottish island - and, by extension, everywhere. A must-read. -- Laura Barnett, author of THE VERSIONS OF US

Colin MacIntyre is an award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer who has released seven albums to date, most notably under the name Mull Historical Society, so far achieving two Top 20 albums and four Top 40 singles. He has been voted Scotland's Top Creative Talent and has toured worldwide, including with The Strokes, Elbow and REM, and has played all the major festivals. He has performed live on BBC Radio 1, Radio 2, 6 Music, Radio 4, Later with Jools Holland and The Jonathan Ross Show, among many others. Born into a family of writers and storytellers, Colin grew up on the isle of Mull in the Hebrides but now lives in London.