The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle is an amazing journey of lost love. Our title character sixty-four-year-old Postman Albert Entwistle and his friend George Atkinson fell in love as young boys in a time when gay men were not generally accepted in society, some fifty-plus years ago.

I loved the honest reflection of how life was back in the 1970s and the emotions looking back on those times really hit me hard.

My favourite character has got to be Albert, he had a determination that shone and after years of hiding and being alone was ready to fully embrace life. I also loved the young George. I could vividly imagine his flamboyant ways, singing, and dancing when the two met at the bunker.

The story kept me enthralled and I just loved the details and description of Albert’s life, the way he became more open about himself, the sadness of his past but the happiness he found in his new friends Nicole and Edith, along with his work colleagues.

This was a definite page-turner as I couldn’t get enough of Albert. I also found it infuriating and so sad reading how narrow-minded some people were in the past and glad that things have improved from the way they were, although we still have a long way to go in the fight for full acceptance from everyone.

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle is a love story and a brilliantly written one too, well done Matt Cain. It felt uplifting and heart-warming. It was beautiful to watch Albert as he stopped hiding his sexuality from people and embraced it. I will certainly be recommending this book to all my family and friends.