I’m not supposed to be taking on new blog tours but when Anne Cater of Random Things Tours told me about Together by Luke Adam Hawker, with words by Marianne Laidlaw I knew I had to be involved. My thanks to Anne for including me in the tour and to Kyle Books for sending me a copy of Together in return for an honest review. I’m delighted to share that review today.

You’ll find buy links for Together here and via Kyle Books here.

Together

A beautiful book to connect us after such a challenging time.

‘Dark clouds were looming in the distance. We watched them gather, and we wondered… When will it come? How long will it last?’

A monumental storm brings huge and sudden change. We follow a man and his dog through the uncertainty that it brings to their lives. Through their eyes, we see the difficulties of being apart, the rollercoaster of emotions that we can all relate to, and the realisation that by pulling together we can move through difficult times with new perspective, hope and an appreciation of what matters most in life.

My Review of Together

A pictorial account of a difficult time.

In Together I had expected a quick read that I could race through. I had not expected a profoundly moving, beautifully illustrated, and emotionally annotated, account of the past year or so that, whilst it doesn’t mention Covid 19 directly, references it in ways that make reading Together cause the reader to feel part of a much bigger scenario.

Together was by no means a quick read, not least because part way through its relevance hit me and I burst into tears that took a considerable while to stem. Reading Together was complete catharsis. Here was a visual narrative that understood me completely so that Together has helped me feel healed from the trials of the last year.

Together also took much longer to ‘read’ than anticipated because it deserves complete attention. I read it for the sparse and beautiful words by Marianne Laidlaw that articulated my thoughts so sensitively and perceptively. I read it for the wonderful, wonderful drawings that transported me, held me spellbound and helped me to put my own life into perspective. I looked at the pitch perfect balance of text to image that made me feel a balance returning to my own life. I scrutinised every illustration to find the man (based on Luke Adam Hawker’s grandad) and his dog who reminded me so much of Captain Sir Tom Moore and rekindled the positivity I had felt at his efforts.

Magnificent, moving and memorable, Together is a very special book and I cannot thank Luke Adam Hawker enough for creating it. I won’t be parting with my copy of Together because just knowing it is in the house gives me a strength I didn’t realise I needed. It’s a wonderful book that I think the whole nation needs. I urge you to buy it and press it into the hands of those you love.

About Luke Adam Hawker

Luke Adam Hawker worked as an architectural designer before becoming a full-time artist in 2015. Since then he has focussed on drawing on location, fascinated with the world around him and how drawing can help us connect with both places and people.

He lives just outside of London with his partner Lizzie and dog Robin. Luke ships his prints and originals to buyers all over the world and has been commissioned by brands such as Soho House Hotel Group, Annabel’s Club, and Eventbrite. 

You can find out more about Luke and his work on Instagram and his website. You can follow Luke on Twitter @lukeadamhawker and there’s more with these other bloggers too: