This Bright Life cover art

This Bright Life

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

This Bright Life

By: Karen Campbell
Narrated by: Caroline Guthrie
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £13.99

Buy Now for £13.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

Gerard is 12. He hates his name, but loves flying round the streets of Glasgow on his bike, or mucking about with his gang, the Broncos. He’s a bright kid, but trouble seems to follow him. No one really knows what it’s like at home for Gerard; he’s used to carrying a lot on his small shoulders.

Gerard doesn’t always make good decisions. And on one April morning, in the blink of an eye, he makes a very bad one – one that will upend his whole world.

Now, he faces a bewildering stream of concerned adults clutching files, unfamiliar streets to navigate, a strange bed to sleep in, and the very real chance he won’t see his wee brother and sister again.

©2025 Karen Campbell (P)2025 Bolinda Publishing Genre Fiction Literary Fiction World Literature

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Paper Cup cover art
The Sound of the Hours cover art
The River Is Waiting (Oprah's Book Club) cover art
Slum Boy cover art
The Lost Past of Billy McQueen cover art
The Fathers cover art
Leonard and Hungry Paul cover art
The Woman Downstairs cover art
The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up cover art
A Tomb With a View – The Stories & Glories of Graveyards cover art
Ashes to Admin cover art
A Knock at the Door: A homeless man, a lawyer . . . and a family changed forever cover art
All stars
Most relevant
I listened to this emotional story over two days and instantly fell in love with the very misunderstood Gerald. This book was so well written and the narration was spot on. These things do go on in our society and it’s very easy to draw a blind eye to it. I felt this story allowed the listener to hear it without having a guilt trip throughout and really helping one understand why a person is made the way they are through circumstance. The best book I’ve listened to for ages.

Voices! too afraid to speak.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I like Karen Campbell so was delighted she had a new book out.. Maybe I’m biased as a Glaswegian but it’s my favourite book in a long time from any author. It has teeth, it’s emotional and just really bittersweet.
I’d have given it six stars if I could ❤️
(And the narrator is pitch perfect)

Fantastically good

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved Gerard's voice. He was a great character. His life was tough yet his insight was funny and poignant. Read it

Echos of Shuggie Bain

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This the second book I have read by this author, beautifully written, the last chapter had me bawling!! From a social workers perspective, this was very raw and very real! A little glimpse into those little lives. Wonderful book and amazing narrator

Language

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.