I was so drawn into the plight of the battered husband, Gregg, and how he tried to cover up his shame at this treatment from his wife that I could not put this book down. His wife, Peggy, was an evil woman, but at the same time, I felt she deserved some sympathy over the fact that she’d never received help for her mood swings, which were caused by PMT and later by early menopause. When they have a child together there are some truly awful moments that caused me to gasp out loud with shock and dismay. The title is very clever, referring to the shed that Gregg takes refuge in, but the ending, which takes part in his shed, is bittersweet but extremely shocking. In all, this tale is gritty, brutal and violent, but also poignant and heartbreaking.
The novel is written in Scottish dialect, and O’Neill has tackled the subject of domestic violence in a refreshingly new style. She has even managed to inject moments of humour, which help to alleviate the horrors that her story tells. ( )