A Strange Boy
by
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Leslie ran down the avenue towards his sister. ‘What are you doing with that man? Look at your hands! I can see they just let you run around like a stray dog. Daddy was right; you need me to look after you after all!’ Before Leslie had had a chance to explain, Paul appeared. ‘There you are, I thought you had gone to bed’ he said with a cheeky grin on his face. ‘No, I was…’ Mary cut him mid-sentence, ‘are you supposed to be looking after my little brother? You are not doing a very good job of it. His hands are dirty, there’s mud on his shoes and I bet he hasn’t combed his hair all day’ she said, running her fingers through his locks. Paul stood mouth agape, opening and closing without a sound, trying to get a word in, but prevented by this “firebrand in pigtails” it was the only way he could describe her. Mary gave her brother a push towards Paul ‘an don’t let him go talking to strangers.’ In just a few short seconds, Mary had reprimanded her brother and left a boy, a head boy nonetheless, speechless and shell shocked. Mary turned on her heels and flounced into Epping House, the two boys stood in the road nonplussed… ‘That is my sister Mary’ said Leslie in a state of embarrassment, ‘I am so, so sorry for you’ replied Paul. They ran around the side of Roding House and entered through the kitchen backdoor, giggling all the while.
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About the Book
This is the story of Leslie's journey from a small boy to his midteens; it reveals tragedies, cruelties, and the losses he suffers, but as he grows, he acquires special skills and uses them to fight his many demons. The skills lead him to important discoveries, some dreadful and others joyful. His sister, Mary, aids his journey whilst concealing her own skills from him, until a serious brain operation forces them to trust in each other and open up. He constantly searches for answers, in particular, the truth regarding his father's disappearance in the 1950s, and thanks to their combined skills, he enlists the help of a local newspaper editor and one of his reporters who eventually discover the truth for him.
About the Author
After a lifelong career in catering, where he began as a trainee cook in the midsixties, he ascended to the level of contract manager. He gave it up to care for his wife when she became ill, and when she passed from this life, he was at odds with the world and himself. Lost and heartbroken, he searched for purpose in his life. Then John began writing at the age of sixty-two. This is his first venture into the world of literature, and it demonstrates his active imagination. His style is descriptive and somewhat romantic; he sees the story in real time as he writes and conveys those images to the reader. Authors such as Jo Nesbo (The Snowman), Kate Mosse (The Labyrinth), and Steig Larsen’s Millennium trilogy gave him inspiration and the courage to activate his own imagination in word form. He is a new and exciting writer who grips the reader and takes them on a journey through life, pain, grief and sorrow, joy and discovery; have a tissue ready if you are of the sentimental kind, he can excite you and bring tears to your eyes with his words.