🤝

Alan, well done, Sir.

....and now apparently I need 15 words to create a review, so here they are.

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2 people found this helpful

Unexpected. Brilliant. Compelling

I bought this because I love the author, without really investigating what it was about. I'd not normally read this kind of thing as I feel life has enough hardships without reading about them in your free time, but this is so brilliantly written and so utterly compelling that I'm glad I clicked without thinking.
The author manages to tell a truly distressing story without any hint of bleak or dismal, and even manages frequent nods to quiet humour. The performance consistently mirrors the quietly powerful prose.
I don't know if I could really say that I enjoyed this book. Having gone to a school just a mile or two away from Bancrofts, I enjoyed the descriptions of Loughton and Woodford in the 80s, though the story is far more grim than I would usually choose for the afternoon dog walk. Given my preference for the light and fluffy end of the bookshelf, that I instantly knew this had to be a five star rating is testament to the truly fabulous writing and performance that lift a depressing story into an un-pausable listen.

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1 person found this helpful

Challengingly wonderful

An amazing love letter to his mum and a gripping confrontation of awful personal experiences. It will bring a tear to your eye but not in the way you would expect.

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The pain the suffering that Alan has had to carry around

I couldn't stop reading this book . A brilliant read , I was so concerned about this little boy

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Stays with you

Binge listened over 2 nights. Honest, sad, evocative of the 70s. You come away thankful the author now has his own family, felt able to tell his story and had that crucial 6 year foundation. I'm a serial audible listener - this one will stay in my thoughts.

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Harrowing yet wonderful

This is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time. I have a massively renewed respect and admiration for Alan Davies.

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A challenging read...

I bought this book thinking it would be a great way to find out more about Alan Davies as I hadn't really read his books or watched many of his television series, but enjoy his wit in QI programmes. From the very first chapter he suprised and grabbed my attention as he unfolded the story of his father's magazines and the implications that arose. I have generally "enjoyed" this autobiography (about half way through now) despite Alan's monotone voice leaving the listener a bit flat. When I got to the chapter about his Mother's death and the hospital situation with his relatives "not talking" about the fact that she was dying, it broke me up. My own Mother's death was shrouded in a very similar secretive "not talking about it". My father was instrumental in keeping us all quiet and not allowing us to be involved in any discussion despite myself and my two sisters being adults with children of our own. I literally put the book down for several weeks until I had processed the thoughts that were emerging and challenging me. So far, it has been half enjoyable and half very saddening for me personally. I will listen to the end as I hope that Alan will explain how he has come to terms with his childhood "demons" for want of a better term. I recommend this book for anyone that has had similar childhood memories that sometimes haunt us. Well done Alan for having the courage to put it all out there, I hope it brings you some closure. UPDATE. I've now finished the book and realise just how much courage it has taken Alan to write, edit and publish this story.. I feel so sad for him and for all the other children that have and possible will, endure the experiences he has. I take my hat off to him as a daughter of a father that was very controlling and in some ways, similar to Alan's, he is very brave and I really hope it has been the cathartic and healing process he hoped for.

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Fascinating, heartbreaking and brave.

Thank you for having the courage to write this book. I found it touching, heartbreaking and brave. The account of a troubled and flawed human and the pain caused by your experience will stay with me.

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A must-read

Beautifully written, this was simultaneously heart breaking and heart warming. Frank, funny and wonderfully narrated. A really important book.

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Beautifully written and absolutely heartbreaking

Incredibly talented author and narrator. A strong and important piece of writing. It will make you cry and it will make you angry. You will cry about the boy who lost his mom and now finds himself alone surrounded by people. You will feel angry about the injustice done towards him by the person who should have protected him and by the people who looked the other way.

This is one of the best reads I have had in a long time. It has a message which truly should be heard by a boy who should have been seen.

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