Always Remember by Charlie Mackesy

Charlie Mackesy’s Always Remember returns readers to the gentle, heartfelt world of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, a place where friendship, courage and vulnerability intertwine with quiet grace. Once again, Mackesy invites us into a landscape of ink, colour and compassion, where small acts of kindness and simple truths speak to the complexities of being human.

The book follows the same beloved quartet as they wander through a world that is both literal and metaphorical, journeying together through uncertainty and storm. There is no linear plot in the conventional sense; rather, the story unfolds through small conversations and shared silences. The boy, curious and searching; the mole, optimistic and cake-obsessed; the fox, wary yet loyal; and the horse, wise and steady. They all continue their dialogue about love, hope and endurance. Their companionship becomes a metaphor for the support we seek and offer in our own lives, reminding readers that connection is often what carries us through hardship.

Visually, Always Remember expands Mackesy’s artistic expression. The illustrations are more vibrant and varied than in his debut, blending loose brushstrokes and expressive lines with washes of colour that mirror the shifting moods of the narrative. The interplay of word and image is crucial to the book’s effect; each drawing feels like a moment of stillness in a noisy world, allowing readers to pause and breathe. The textured paper and ribbon binding enhance the sense that this is not just a book but a keepsake.

Thematically, this sequel centres on resilience and reflection. Where The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse offered comfort in companionship, Always Remember acknowledges the darker, more uncertain paths of life, times when self-belief wavers and the horizon feels unreachable. Mackesy’s insight lies in recognising that courage is not the absence of fear but the choice to continue walking through it. His characters’ musings echo the emotional truths of contemporary readers navigating a world defined by instability and fatigue.

There is a philosophical quality to the text that resists easy categorisation. It functions as parable, poetry, and self-help all at once, while maintaining a humility that prevents it from becoming sentimental. Mackesy’s strength lies in his restraint: his words are spare, his images uncluttered, and yet their combined effect is deeply moving. Beneath its apparent simplicity, Always Remember offers a meditation on healing and how it comes not in grand revelations but in small recognitions of love and persistence.

For those who cherished Mackesy’s first book, this sequel deepens the emotional resonance rather than replicating it. It may not feel as startlingly original, but it achieves something subtler: the comfort of returning to familiar companions and finding that they, like us, have grown. It is a work of sincerity and tenderness, made for quiet reading, reflection, and sharing.

Ultimately, Always Remember is less a story than a companion. It’s a book that reminds us to hold on, to keep walking, and to trust that every step, however small, is an act of courage.

Reviewer: Chris Reed

Penguin