Romany And Tom

Since writing his first autobiographical book Patient in 1996, Everything But The Girl musician Ben Watt has become known for his soaring, lyrical prose.

And now, almost two decades on, Watt is back with Romany And Tom, a beautifully tender portrait of his parents’ lives.

Taking us through their polar backgrounds, Romany’s Methodist upbringing and her luminous acting career, crafted at RADA, and Tommy’s working class Glaswegian roots, Watt glides effortlessly through the years with a perceptive, sweet and at times humorous look at the people who raised him.

Particularly poignant are Watt’s depictions of Dad Tommy’s career. A talented band leader and jazz musician, the change in musical tastes in the Sixties meant Tommy’s time at the top was shorter than he would have hoped.

With heartbreaking detail, Watt describes his parents’ descent into old age and the decision to put them into a care home. In telling the story of his parents’ sometimes tumultuous relationship, Watt also sheds light on his own life and reflects on the issues that have affected him.

Romany And Tom is an impressive read that wears its heart firmly on its sleeve.