'A master of both his period and of the English language'

'A swashbuckling yarn...If Errol Flynn was still alive, there'd be a movie here'

For readers more at home with awkward reality than sentimentality, Solace of the Road has a lot to offer. Siobhan Dowd meets every challenge with the authority of a born writer

Real, touching, at times gritty, but laced with humour throughout it will delight teenage and adult readers alike

This gritty, realistic novel which deploys Dowd's talent for humour, will appeal to the older teenage reader

This page-turner invests mundane experience and every-day language with the resonance of poetry

Solace of the Road has it all really: grit, pathos, humour, sharp observation, and a central character who catches your heart and doesn't let it go . . . Moments of intense pathos combine with humour to create a book of tremendous quality. Highly recommended

The life-affirming ending is especially moving for having been written while the author was terminally ill. Excellent for teenage stockings

A wise and compassionate picturesque novel

A finely constructed novel, beautifully written by a master storyteller

An amazing book for those who love a road trip story with gritty drama and great laughs woven in