As a boy, Nathan Penlington had loved Choose Your Own Adventures, the literary phenomenon of the 1980s which thrust the reader into the role of main character and compelled them to make decisions and direct the flow of the story. So, when he discovered a job lot of the first 106 adventures for sale on eBay, there was never any question that he would place a bid. When the books arrived, he lost himself in the old adventures.
Yet, as he flicked through the pages, there was another story being written - for, in the margins of each book, were the scribblings of the little boy who had once owned them, a little boy by the name of Terence John Prendergast. In the margins of the books, Terence wrote jokes, hints for adventurers following the same stories as him - and, more troubling still, intimations of a tormented childhood: of the boys and teachers who had bullied him; of the things he hated about himself and had to improve; of his thoughts of suicide and his desperate need to find friends, be liked, and find somebody - anybody - to confide in.
THE BOY IN THE BOOK is Nathan's poignant recreation of the discovery of the fragments of Terence Prendergast's diary, his quest to find the lost boy, and the friendship that resulted from their first meeting. In doing so, Nathan is forced to examine his own childhood - and, as his relationship with Terence deepens, he begins to believe that the two men are not so different, and to reflect on the darkness that can exist in childhood.
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As a boy, Nathan Penlington had loved Choose Your Own Adventures, the literary phenomenon of the 1980s which thrust the reader into the role of main character and compelled them to make decisions and direct the flow of the story. So, when he discovered a job lot of the first 106 adventures for sale on eBay, there was never any question that he would place a bid. When the books arrived, he lost himself in the old adventures.
Yet, as he flicked through the pages, there was another story being written - for, in the margins of each book, were the scribblings of the little boy who had once owned them, a little boy by the name of Terence John Prendergast. In the margins of the books, Terence wrote jokes, hints for adventurers following the same stories as him - and, more troubling still, intimations of a tormented childhood: of the boys and teachers who had bullied him; of the things he hated about himself and had to improve; of his thoughts of suicide and his desperate need to find friends, be liked, and find somebody - anybody - to confide in.
THE BOY IN THE BOOK is Nathan's poignant recreation of the discovery of the fragments of Terence Prendergast's diary, his quest to find the lost boy, and the friendship that resulted from their first meeting. In doing so, Nathan is forced to examine his own childhood - and, as his relationship with Terence deepens, he begins to believe that the two men are not so different, and to reflect on the darkness that can exist in childhood.
ROMAINE WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY by Judith Tschann, read by Alejandra Reynoso - audiobook extract
Headline Books
5 minutes 3 seconds
2 years ago
ROMAINE WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY by Judith Tschann, read by Alejandra Reynoso - audiobook extract
A surprising and hilarious history of the language of food. Perfect for readers of Susie Dent and Mark Forsyth, and fans of QI.
All food has a story, reaching as far back into history as language itself. As languages followed and reflected the tides of civilizations, food language came to represent some of the highs and lows of how humans communicate: from the highbrow 'Chateauneuf du Pape: (the Pope's new castle)' to the 'nun's farts' of Jamaica (also known as 'beignets').
Chock full of food puns, linguistic did-you-knows and delectable trivia, Romaine Wasn't Built in A Day is your go-to gift for your trivia nerds, your history buffs, your crossword fiends, and your Scrabble diehards. This is the surprising and hilarious history of food, told through the lens of the fascinating evolution of language.
Headline Books
As a boy, Nathan Penlington had loved Choose Your Own Adventures, the literary phenomenon of the 1980s which thrust the reader into the role of main character and compelled them to make decisions and direct the flow of the story. So, when he discovered a job lot of the first 106 adventures for sale on eBay, there was never any question that he would place a bid. When the books arrived, he lost himself in the old adventures.
Yet, as he flicked through the pages, there was another story being written - for, in the margins of each book, were the scribblings of the little boy who had once owned them, a little boy by the name of Terence John Prendergast. In the margins of the books, Terence wrote jokes, hints for adventurers following the same stories as him - and, more troubling still, intimations of a tormented childhood: of the boys and teachers who had bullied him; of the things he hated about himself and had to improve; of his thoughts of suicide and his desperate need to find friends, be liked, and find somebody - anybody - to confide in.
THE BOY IN THE BOOK is Nathan's poignant recreation of the discovery of the fragments of Terence Prendergast's diary, his quest to find the lost boy, and the friendship that resulted from their first meeting. In doing so, Nathan is forced to examine his own childhood - and, as his relationship with Terence deepens, he begins to believe that the two men are not so different, and to reflect on the darkness that can exist in childhood.
