Boyhood

by David Keenan

Boyhood opens in 1979 with the abduction of a young boy outside a Glasgow football ground. Nine years later, the boy's brother, Aaron Murray, is on the cusp of that moment when adolescence becomes adulthood. His own journey of grief and recovery has been guided by an angel, 'The Precious Gift' - perhaps imagined, perhaps real - who has blessed Aaron with redemptive, messianic powers. These have enabled him to see through the past and present, joining the dots between a vast array of characters; ballerinas, soldiers, poets, burlesque dancers, East End gangsters and the Vampire of Derry over five decades, all tied up in each other's fate.

As Aaron's visions span cities and decades, from wartime Paris to the Troubles in the 1970s, Mexico City in the 1980s to - of course - Glasgow, Boyhood builds to an extraordinary, intense, climactic moment of redemption.

A book of great joy, of laughter in the face of horror and delight in storytelling by the beloved and critically acclaimed author of This Is Memorial Device, Boyhood is a hymn to the resilience of youth, to the brave dreams of artists and lovers and a love letter to Glasgow - a city where magic happens.

Genres: Fiction

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 9, 2026

About the author

David Keenan is an author and critic based in Glasgow, Scotland. He has been a regular contributor to The Wire magazine for the past twenty years. His debut novel, This Is Memorial Device, was published by Faber in 2017.

Reviews

[Don McKinlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Keenan’s books leave me exhausted
Which is a VERY GOOD THING
Boyhood is a deeply wonderful book with so many threads that it’s hard to imagine one brain pulling it all together, and it leaves me with the feeling that I might’ve missed a few connections along the way so I feel that one day I’ll need to go back and check all over again

[David Peat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable book - lots of threads - some loosely (and other closely) related. Amazing stories wrapped into an a starburst of ideas and a unique world view. Loved every word!

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won't read a better novel this year.