Wrapped into Oskar and Andrzej's stories are elements of shame and rejection based on xenophobia and class, despite the fact that (like a lot of immigrants in real life) they are incredibly intelligent, skilled and warm people. There is plenty of internal dialogue and angst between the pages and it helps us get into the mind of each character.

Emotional abuse, infidelity, friendships, marriage breakdowns and parental pressure, along with the issue of how sadly homophobia is still prevalent in some countries, play huge roles within Ted’s story. The book also focuses on acceptance in other ways, and I thought Oskar and Andrzej's stories were depicted incredibly well in this regard, though they are of course very sad. It's addressed that Oskar has internalised homophobia, but his actions because of it don't feel consistent. If they are each to find happiness, they must both make changes to their lives and put themselves first.

Will this destroy him, or will this be an opportunity for him to grab life by the horns and be the person. In this respect I was in a similar position to Oskar, a young Polish man, who is on his own personal journey.

Even though the main story is about Ted realising who he really is inside and his journey to achieving his dream, there are some very important side stories too. The fact it’s definitely not an easy ride, with ups and downs, movements forwards and back and how no matter how much you might love someone and want what’s best for them, they need to come to terms with themselves first and truly appreciate they are who they are.A charmingly joyful, surprising story about love, acceptance, and self-expression from the acclaimed author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle . When his husband confesses he’s been having an affair and wants to split up, Ted cannot see anything good coming his way… but how wrong he was. So it wasn’t quite a five star read but it was very enjoyable and if you’re looking for something sweet to read as a palette cleanser, this is a great option.