The Madonna of Bolton

by Matt Cain

Charlie Matthews’s love story begins in a pebble-dashed house in suburban Bolton, at a time when most little boys want to grow up to be Michael Jackson, and girls want to be Princess Diana. Remembering the Green Cross Code and getting out of football are the most important things in his life, until… On his ninth birthday, Auntie Jan gives him a gift that will last a a seven-inch single called ‘Lucky Star’. He discovers Madonna – and falls in love. Casting the pop icon in the role of his spirit guide, Charlie draws on Madonna’s audacity and ambition to help him find the courage to overcome his own obstacles and become a success in life. His obsession sees him through some tough times, but in order to be truly happy, he’ll need to find his own inner strength…

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Audiobook, Book Club, Queer, Gay, Contemporary

416 pages, Paperback

Published March 31, 2020

About the author

Matt Cain is a writer, broadcaster, and a leading commentator on LGBTQ+ issues. He was Channel 4’s first Culture Editor, Editor-In-Chief of Attitude magazine, has written for all the national newspapers and appeared on BBC Breakfast, Lorraine, Good Morning Britain, The Today Programme, Front Row and Woman's Hour.

Matt is also an ambassador for Manchester Pride and a patron of LGBT+ History Month. In 2021 he received an honorary doctorate from Bolton University and in 2023 he addressed the Cambridge Union. In the New Year's Honours List 2025 Matt was awarded an MBE for services to LGBTQ+ culture.

Matt's breakthrough work of fiction, The Madonna Of Bolton, became Unbound’s fastest crowdfunded novel ever before it was published in 2018. In 2021, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle was published by Headline, followed by Becoming Ted and One Love. His Quick Read Game On was one of the official short novels of World Book Night 2024.

Born in Bury and brought up in Bolton, Matt now lives in London with his husband, Harry, and their cat, Nelly.

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matt Cain writes a delightfully warm, witty, and an emotional rollercoaster of a homage to Bolton in this story of the life and times of Charlie, gay, obsessed with Madonna ever since his Auntie Jan bought him the single, Lucky Star, on his 9th birthday. Charlie and best friend, Shanaz, are the school outcasts, doomed to fail in all their attempts to try and fit in. None of the school tribes fit, not the Stiffs, Townies or the Indies, and the pair ride out being different, facing anti-gay and racist taunts, pretending it didn't matter, emotionally scarred by the experience. Madonna's songs provide the support to face the trials and tribulations that life brings, the celebrations and triumphs, the rock bottom moments, whatever happens, there's a song for it. There are faint echoes of Billy Elliot as Charlie dances and sings his way through his idol, Madonna's numerous tracks, the tracks of his life.

Charlie feels he is not as good as his brother, Joe, to his parents. For starters, he has no interest in football, he is not popular, he does not support Bolton Wanderers and he is so different from anyone else, making him feel so isolated and alone. He is desperately jealous of Joe, convinced his parents love his brother more. He and Shanaz are the constant targets for bullies at school, with the exception of his English teacher, Mr Beveridge, who supports Charlie in his dreams of becoming a writer and love of literature. So when Charlie leaves to attend Cambridge University, he associates Bolton with a life of misery and a family that refuses to accept him for who he is. Charlie finds himself a group of close friends at University, where for the first time he feels loved and accepted for who he is. Amelia and Tash are the friends that support Charlie through the highs and lows of his life, Nick, Christian, his work as a TV producer through a collection of hilarious jobs he holds at places like The Third Nipple, and more. The death of his father brings Charlie back to Bolton, it precipitates his descent to the lowest point of his life with his endless dangerous sexual encounters, and it is his friends who help to pick him as he makes the decisions to turn his life around, and face his self destructive urges whilst Madonna metaphorically holds his hand.

This is a fantastic read, of music, of Bolton, of what it is to be different, of being gay, of family, of secrets like what happened to Uncle Jim, of how no matter how well you think you know your family, they can still surprise you, of love, of loss, and of the vital support of friendships. I love how Charlie eventually got over his hatred of Bolton as he slowly comes to reconnect with his family, sees how Bolton has changed through the years to become more gay friendly. He finds a sufficiently strong inner voice that he no longer needs the iconic Madonna as much as he did in his personal life, but is still passionate about her music, the tracks that underpin the story of his life as he comes to terms with who he is and more comfortable with his place in the world. I would not be in the least surprised if this novel is made into film! I loved and adored this novel, it is funny, smart, emotionally heartbreaking and an absolute joy to read. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Unbound for an ARC.

[K.J. Charles]

THIS. IS. GLORIOUS. The story of a Bolton boy growing up gay in the 1980s, and his parallel journeys through uni and work; through internalised homophobia and self-destructive hedonism to self-acceptance; and through Madonna's discography.

It's really lovely. There are some painful scenes especially in Charlie's childhood, being called names at school and feeling his parents's fear and incomprehension, but the main struggle Charlie has is with learning to accept and love himself. That really is enough to cope with, and the overall arc of the book is triumphantly upward, full of promise, hope, and joy. There's plenty of snarky humour, mostly at his own expense, but also of his various milieus (Cambridge, crap TV, life in Bolton), and one of the joys is how the many minor characters move from entertaining stereotypes to rounded deeper personalities as Charlie's own understanding and self obsession change. Amazing minor cast btw. The milieu of indie kids, Cambridge students, and TV idiots are pitch perfect and hilarious.

If I had a criticism, it's that the turning point of Charlie's understanding of himself is a bit plonked on the page (in a self-analytical conversation with his best friends) and his various arcs have maybe one happy ending too many. Which is not to say it doesn't work--I was happy-crying like a baby reading this, in public as well. And given the number of books out there that have denied queer people any happiness at all, why the hell not. Maybe it's all done in bright colours but that's how rainbows should look.

A glorious, warm, affirming, lovely read. Props to the crowdfunded publisher Unbound for existing, and a big WTF to the fact no trad publisher picked this warm, funny, delightful, highly sellable book up. I loved it.

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Infact I adored it!

It is going on my list of 'exquisite books of 2018'. The author has written a story that is creative, gripping, entertaining and heart warming, but also very truthful. It is a story that tells us about family, friends and community, and also about the pain and struggle of life and how these can be overcome in the strangest of ways. In this story Madonna is one of those ways.

Charlie is a peculiar child, at least in his Dad's eyes. Charlie doesn't like football but he adores Madonna. Charlie knows he doesn't fit in and growing up in Bolton is a struggle for him. He survives life in Bolton by sticking close to his friend Shanaz, and by listening to Madonna. Madonna with her dances, costumes, music and the ability to reinvent herself provides Charlie with a guiding light. Her songs inspire and guide him, her attitude strengthens him and she shows him that diversity is a beautiful thing.

Madonna shows Charlie that it is ok to like men.

But nobody else around him feels that way. Charlie goes through his childhood and teens clinging to the hope and inspiration Madonna provides, and hiding aspects of himself, and also just hiding. With Shanaz by his side he negotiates the wilds and the hostility of Bolton and as he does so life changes. Gradually Charlie grows to accept who he is with the help of Madonna, and when the window of opportunity opens Charlie begins to fly.

Freedom and Cambridge University give Charlie the opportunity to find his place in the world and to begin to be who he really is but there are still many lessons to learn about love, family, integrity and knowing who you really are, and self acceptance.

I loved this story. It reminds me of myself growing up as a black child in a white town and realising my difference, and then relocating and spending my teens and early adulthood in my country of origin and still not fitting in. I was surrounded by people who looked like me but I was still very different. Charlie's life is one of recognising this difference and accepting both the joys and the pains of this and Charlie does this so beautifully all to the soundtrack of Madonna.

I particularly enjoyed Charlie's university years and how he finds love, acceptance and life from the people around him, and how his friends have struggles of their own. Life brings challenges for everyone. Charlie goes through his life uncovering truths about himself and also about his family and his friends. He negotiates life, career, love, family and friends so beautifully and as he does so his love brings life to the people around him. There are parts of the story which are joyful but there is also pain, but Charlie is an incredible person and he resists everything that pushes him to be less than he truly is.

I loved the way Charlie finds so much freedom in London. This is my favourite part in the story. It is just a special city and as a Londoner I found this resonated very deeply. (Big shout out to the best city in the world)

Humour is very much a part of Charlie's life and I laughed all my way through as well as clutching my pillow through the heart rending parts. (Yes I read this in bed). This is such a gripping story. I couldn't put it down. I started reading and didn't move from my bed all day, except when necessary. I just immersed myself in Charlie and his life. I emerged from the book really wanting to know Charlie and to have him as a friend.

The author has written a beautiful and engaging book. It has the feel of a future LAMDA award winner. It is just so good!

Thoroughly Enjoyable and Very Highly recommended!

And to my reading buddies, (Sofia and Lena) this one is a must!

And to the author - can we please have a story about Mr Beveridge and Arthur next?

Copy provided by Unbound publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Many, many, many thanks to the author for writing such a lovely story.

[Sandy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book about Charlie growing up in Bolton, loving Madonna, and coming to terms with being bullied for being gay. It is a coming of age story, with 80's and Madonna references, making the book thoroughly relateable and a lovely trip down memory lane. The book gives me, as a Cis white woman, some understanding of the issues faced by Charlie finding self-love and accepting his sexuality. The supporting characters are wonderfully developed and add to the story, from a childhood friend to friends made in Cambridge, boyfriends, and friends made when working in TV they all add something to the narrative. At times, it is too "neat" but this is totally forgiveable. A novel with heart, charming, a tearjerker, and a great book for anyone who feels bullied that there can be light at the end of the tunnel. Fabulous feel-good writing. With thanks to the unbound publisher who publishes via crowd funding, it's normal publishers loss. Ultimately, it's a book about finding your true self. It's simply wonderful.

[Karen Mace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a real blast to read!! Full of so much pop history and retro mentions, I found myself constantly smiling and thinking back as we follow the story of Charlie and his love affair with the Queen of Pop herself - Madonna!

He's a young boy in Bolton, who doesn't like football, much to the disappointment of his Dad and brother, so he has never fitted in but on his 9th birthday his Auntie buys him a 7" single of Lucky Star by Madonna, and he falls in love immediately! Playing the song over and over, he becomes obsessed with her every tv and magazine appearance and her songs and outlook on life help him through various tough times in his life.

It deals with school bullying, friendships, sexuality, family relationships, university, work - and all that life can throw your way when you feel out of place. Charlie is the sort of character who gets on with things in his life, but would just like to be accepted for who he is and is lucky to find some friends along the way who share his passions and outlook. He's also a bit of a dreamer so he wants 'true love' and is often disappointed when new relationships aren't all red roses and walks on the beach!

I loved how the story follows him from childhood through to his adult life and how his attempts to find happiness in his work and personal life are often mirrored by Madonna songs. Each chapter has a different song title and that alone had me singing each song in my head throughout!

From the fun 'True Blue' cover, this is a perfect 'Holiday' read, or even a fab 'Bedtime Story' and it's a story that 'I'll Remember' and 'Cherish' - 'Take A Bow' Matt Cain!!

[Christopher Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely little piece of escapism ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[Karen Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard about The Madonna of Bolton last year when it hit the headlines after being deemed 'too gay' by mainstream publishers. I'm a cis straight woman so presumably those publishers assumed I'd be the sort of person who wouldn't be interested on reading a coming-of-age story about a gay man. I'm so pleased then that thanks to Unbound I was able to read this wonderful semi-autobiographical novel because I thoroughly enjoyed it.
We are first introduced to Charlie Matthews on his ninth birthday. He is delighted to open his presents - felt tip pens and art materials, Star Wars figures and an Ewok Village - though less excited by the Bolton Wanderers football kit, plastic soldiers and Computer Battleship game. His favourite present is the brand new Soda Stream. I remember the 'Get busy with the fizzy - Soda Stream' advert well and was so jealous when my cousins had one so I can easily understand Charlie's excitement. However, his Auntie Jan gives him something which turns out to be far more special and which will ultimately help influence his whole life. Though the rest of his family are less enamoured, Charlie falls in love with Madonna the first time he hears 'Lucky Star.'
The book follows Charlie as he grows up, through his troubled school years when he is taunted and bullied as he realises he is gay but is terrified by the implications. Though I'd never suggest things are easy for young LGBTQIA+ teens these days, it's easy to forget just how much the world has moved on. I still remember the furore over the kiss between Colin and Barry on EastEnders, those frightening iceberg public awareness films about AIDS and the ridiculous stories that went round about celebrities like Marc Almond. The Madonna of Bolton references these darker moments in our history, reminding us too that thanks to Section 28, homosexuality couldn't be discussed in schools which meant that scores of children like Charlie were forced to grow up scared, alone and ashamed.
Charlie though, has Madonna and she becomes his beacon of hope as her championing of gay culture helps him accept who he is. Throughout the years, as he leaves home and goes to university, finds love and experiences heartbreak; through the exciting highs of a career in London to the lows of loss when it seems he may lose himself too, Madonna and her music is there for him to celebrate, to cling to, to be inspired by, to live by. Ultimately though Charlie must learn to find himself - can he move out from Madonna's protective shadow to finally live his own dreams?
There is so much I could relate to in The Madonna of Bolton. I grew up in a council house in the '80s so the cultural references really struck a chord with me but I could also empathise with that feeling of being an outsider. I was never bullied to the extent Charlie is but I was painfully shy, skinny and studious and with my regulation NHS glasses I was regularly reminded that I was a 'four-eyes', 'made the walls jealous' or looked like a Cambodian or Ethiopian (depending on the current Blue Peter appeal). I found solace in my records too, for me it was Wham! and George Michael but Madonna was still an integral part of my formative years - a few bars of Crazy for You is enough to transport me back to those wallflower school disco days.
The Madonna of Bolton is such an emotive novel; there were parts I read where my heart ached and the tears rolled down my face and yet it's often sharply observational and very funny. There's a Bridget Jones-esque quality to a few of Charlie's friendships which gives the book some slightly inappropriate yet irresistible laughs. This is one of those books that touched me deeply, whether I was reading it with a big smile on my face or with a lump in my throat. It's a deeply honest, witty and poignant novel which will resonate with anybody who enjoys engaging and candid writing and I loved every word. Highly recommended.

[Jane Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a recent visit to London, on a sunny day, I saw a young couple walking hand in hand, grinning happily at each other and looking so totally in love that everyone passing by couldn’t help looking at them and smiling, their happiness was so infectious. It made me think, though, of a time only a few decades ago when, had a similar couple done the same, they would have been met by frowns and tuts of disapproval and possibly even torrents of abuse – simply because the two people so in love were male.

This book is the story of Charlie Matthews, from his childhood in early 1980s Bolton to the present day, and how his struggles with his sexuality and society’s attitude to it have defined the pattern of his whole life. His icon, right from childhood, is Madonna and his relationship with her and her music is a thread which follows him right through the story.

Hounded and persecuted throughout school for being “different”, Charlie and his Indian friend Shanaz support each other and find comfort in their friendship, until they head to different universities and start to move in different circles. At Cambridge, Charlie is more easily able to be himself and finds that he has a talent in theatrical production that eventually leads him to a career as a TV producer.

But his search for love leads to a series of disappointments and he eventually decided it is never going to happen to him, and slips into a lifestyle of drink, drugs and casual promiscuity. One particularly sordid experience causes him to end up at a Special Clinic, which is the push he needs to clean up his act. Soon after this, he bumps into the other person involved in that experience – in the toilet roll section of the supermarket – and despite the way they originally met, they strike up a firm and lasting friendship.

Despite Charlie’s social and emotional struggles, this is a warm and witty story. I particularly liked Charlie’s family, the sort of down-to-earth Northerners I remember from my own childhood, yet with their own skeletons in the closet. The loyalty of Charlie’s friends was at times very moving, and made me want to read more about them and their own lives and struggles. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this moving, heartwarming story and if the friends have their own stories to tell, I’ll be looking out for them!

[Aussie54 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4.

I wanted to read this after seeing a very positive, glowing review from K.J. Charles here on Goodreads.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

It was good; in fact I got through it in two days, as it was so easy to read. I felt sorry for Charlie for the bullying he suffered at school, and was happy when he finally arrived at Cambridge, where he fitted in much better.

There were things that bothered me ... the fact that towards the end of the story Charlie found out that his uncle was gay, and no-one had ever told Charlie about him, even after Charlie had come out to his parents. I found that very annoying. Charlie finding that out after his father died, with his Mum telling him that his Dad was so protective of him, hoping he’d never end up like his Uncle Jim, seemed a contrived, tacked on excuse for getting Charlie to forgive his Dad for the way he treated him.

I also didn’t like Charlie succumbing to smoking, drugs and drinking and unprotected sex. Yes, he did have a terrible time when he was young, but he managed to get through university life without giving in to that.

This did read like a memoir but after doing some research on the author, I found that his life isn't like Charlie's. There may be similarities, but at the time of this review, Matt Cain still has a dad, but doesn't have a husband.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4 ⭐️

Another fabulous read from Matt Cain, it didn’t take me long to get INTO THE GROOVE.

Matt has such a gift for creating wonderful, fully rounded, totally realistic characters; characters brimming with personality, characters you just want to pull from the page and give the hugest hug to; characters like Charlie Matthews (and his amazing supporting cast) who you just want to CHERISH.

It’s the early 1980s when we’re first properly introduced to Charlie. I particularly enjoyed this part of the story; so much attention to detail, the MUSIC of the decade, memories that transported me magically back to my own childhood and teenage years - a wonderful taste of nostalgia, FROZEN in time.

Matt Cain really knows how to push all those emotion buttons too. There’s a sprinkling of gentle humour throughout, and some truly hilarious, laugh-out-loud moments, together with some heartbreaking, heart-wrenching ones too; it made me happy and at times I felt TRUE BLUE.

The Madonna of Bolton is an uplifting, RAY OF LIGHT. A story about the importance of family, friendship and love; I certainly don’t need to JUSTIFY MY LOVE for this book.

This would be the perfect book to take with you on HOLIDAY (possibly to HOLLYWOOD? Hopefully it won’t RAIN), you might even meet a BEAUTIFUL STRANGER.

YOU’LL SEE that I’m not CAUSING A COMMOTION, the SECRET is to EXPRESS YOURSELF, don’t get HUNG UP.

NOTHING REALLY MATTERS, just OPEN YOUR HEART!

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a belter

A great book for everyone (even if you don't like Madonna). Maybe I'm biased because I'm Northern but this is a warm funny story & if you've ever felt like an outcast, and found solace in something you love this book will speak to you

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off well, I could relate being a massive Madonna fan from an early age, but I found the writing a bit young adulty. Although I loved the positivity of it, it started to grate a bit by the end...

[Claire (Book Blog Bird) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty good, but it reminded me that anyone who says the eighties were great is a liar. The eighties were rubbish, especially if you were gay. And, going by this book, the worst place to be gay in the eighties was Bolton. It sounds like the epitome of the whole gay=AIDS mentality. People listen to eighties music and watch Back To The Future and think the eighties were great, but there were an awful lot of people having a really terrible time. As far as I can tell, the only person having a good time in the eighties was George Michael, all that Club Tropicana stuff, Last Christmas snowball fights ...

Oh no, wait. George Michael spent the whole of the eighties pretending to be straight so that his career didn't go down the toilet.

Yeah, the eighties were shit.

[Helen Costello · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Charlie Matthews, growing up in Bolton and realising he is gay.
Pure nostalgia for anyone who grew up in the North in the 1980’s.

[Rebecca Albrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a lovely book, a coming of age story about a young lad, growing up in a world of prejudice, but finds himself surrounded by characters that are loyal and true. I love that part of it is set in Bolton, as know the landmarks and street names well, and whilst set initially in the 80s, these places still remain.

The parts where Charlie is with his family and closet friends are those that I wanted to read more of, so felt part 3 was difficult to engage with. I know it was a necessary part of the book, but felt it wasn't as strong as the other sections.

Overall, I really did enjoy this novel and look forward to exploring more of Matt Cain's work, a Boltonian author that we're proud to call ours. 3.5 🌟

[James Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read - June 2023:
How do I review this book? I really don’t know. It’s not perfect and it does have flaws but oh my did it make me feel. If I was forced to give a single word summery, that would have to be ‘bittersweet’ because… I don’t know what I was gonna say. What Cain does best is his exploration of this notion of ‘queer shame’ which spoke to me majorly and whilst Charlie (the protagonist) and I have a multitude of differences, I could wholeheartedly understand him. It’s a first person pov so you’re there with him going through a large ish chunk of his life (9 to 30-something - not that long but it’s a time of immense growth in a person that shapes us severely) and I felt his fear, his embarrassment, his shame and hurt, his jealousy, his wanting, his anger, his love and freedom, his sadness… his everything. This book perfectly encapsulates this notion of ‘it gets better’ and whilst is convoluted, it’s an experience to read. My eyes glazed over many times and these sometimes led to floods of ugly crying too. So no, this book doesn’t hit the mark with all the literary stuff but it hit me slap bang in the middle of my heart in terms of emotion. Read this book to understand the queer experience… please read this book.

Second read - September 2023:
Once again I absolutely adored this book, reading it audibly was a slightly different experience and added to the realisation of these cherished characters in my mind. Definitely secured it’s place as a top tier favourite read of mine. Amazing! - and yes I did cry again.

[Jay Bracknell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much reads like a memoir rather than a novel. The episodic, pretty much all tell no show narrative can sometimes be confusing (we suddenly arrive at a funeral, the death preceding which happens off page, jump from a kind of meet cute to nine months later oh by the way he’s my boyfriend) and there were parts I really wish had been given more page space to really flourish, but there’s undeniably something quite healing about watching Charlie go all the way from a scared gay kid at school to acceptance, even if the school bully does get the Draco epilogue treatment.

[ladylassitude · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, maybe 4. I listened to the audiobook, which was awful. The sound quality and narration were absolutely dreadful, so that interfered with my enjoyment. I had to keep trying to look beyond that and listen to the story. Initially I didn’t like the way it was written, the style isn’t really right for a novel, but once I reframed it in my mind as a memoir I really enjoyed it. Not a great novel, but a very good memoir.

[Ann T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Unvound amd Netgalley for an ARC in return for my honest review.

I’m so glad I have been given the opportunity to read this wonderful book.
It was a fun, engaging read and I hope to hear more from this author.

[Ian Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute joy, if you have a passing interest in the Queen Of Pop, the Eighties & Victoria Wood is your bag then this is for you... you’ll laugh... you’ll cry

[sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

i rlly rlly liked this tbh

[James Hewkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.

[Nicolas Chinardet · Rating 3 out of 5]

With its structure underpinned by Madonna's discography, that lends it an ounce of originality, this endearing coming-of-age/coming-out story covers some very familiar ground. Gay boy grows up miserable in an unsympathetic small town, runs away to the big city to find freedom, acceptance and himself.

I'm assuming, from the little I know of the author whom I've met a couple of times, that a large part of this is autobiographical, and I have to admit that I recognised many elements of my own experience, even if the circumstances described are technically different.

This is a reasonably entertaining, warm novel, that doesn't take itself too seriously. Sometimes the taste of Hallmark saccharin sprinkled with pub psychology gets almost overwhelming but on the whole Cain manages to keep it light and fun most of time. Some of it is quite moving too.

[Laurence Alder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolute DELIGHT to read! A friend of my leant me this saying that it’s very similar to his upbringing, which is so touching and now I totally understand why. A wonderful coming of age story of how a young man grows with his idol. I found so many similarities with Charlie’s story to my own story, however mine is with Gaga and his is with Madonna.

Each chapter felt so poignant and well written and I was really rooting for Charlie right up until the end. I even choked up a little in some parts too.

And absolutely fantastic read, and a great insight of growing up as Gay int he U.K.

Thank you! Incredible!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book which was recommended to me on here by a friend, after I enjoyed the Secret Life Of Albert Entwhistle.
It's basically Matt Cain's autobiography.
Lots of angst, fear and self loathing because he grew up in Bolton and was scared because he knew from a young age that he didn't fancy girls.
Thankfully, despite his fears, he was surrounded by family and friends who loved him.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so I'm rounding this rating up. I admit I knew little about Madonna's recent songs, and nothing about Bolton. I loved how the songs proved something to me I've always believed, the power of music to help us get through daily living. Charlie's life ups and downs made for an interesting read. I liked the other characters even more. But it did seem to me that almost every issue he faced had a happy ending, some a bit of a stretch.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Madonna of Bolton by Matt Cain is our book club read for this month, and we have a Zoom call with the author on Monday which I’m looking forward to. It’s a very camp novel about a boy growing up in Bolton, trying to accept himself, while guided by his love of Madonna. Really enjoyed it actually, especially all the references to Bolton (my adopted hometown) as it all felt really familiar. A lovely read about friendship, family and love.

[Andrew Chidzey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book in Soho, London on a whim and glad I did as I found it a thoroughly engaging story. The writing is refreshing and honest and, although corny in some parts with a Hollywood ending, it nevertheless made me both laugh and cry. A great read.

[Alyce King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original ideas and a heartbreaking storyline, that I know is true for so so many. Tough subjects covered with heart, sensitivity but truth too. Always the honest writer, Matt Cain brings joy and inspiration.

[Dennis Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A “Ray of Light!” Just “Like a Prayer,” this “Material Girl” promises you will get “Into the Groove” as ‘The Madonna of Bolton’ “Vogue”s into your life and you “Open Your Heart” to him.