"It was as if the wool had become all of the strands of his life, and those lifelines, not amounting to much but full of potential, were forming into something much more worthwhile, and much more beautiful, after they had been given a new form with the knitting needles." Inspired by the poems written by his coal miner father, and taking its name and theme from one of them, "The Knitter" is a celebration of one man's wisdom, talent and influence. The book should be considered a "fictionalised" memoir - some parts are literally true, some are a close cousin of real events and some have been imagined from stories told, or from the poems written by the author's father. In trying to remain true to the spirit and feeling of what it describes rather than the bare facts, The Knitter succeeds in getting closer to some real and more lasting truths than many biographies manage to achieve. It shows us the importance of the people around us in helping make sense of our lives and how we can all make a real, lasting difference. It is in the connected strands running through the book that "The Knitter" becomes so much more than the sum of its parts. Funny, sad and wise, the book works as a collection of short stories. However, it's real impact lies in being a memoir that may just leave you wanting to be a better person for having read it.