Singer/songwriter Sam Fender has become a musical phenomenon with his passionate songs about growing up in England’s North-East.Peter White has used those special songs as inspiration to create a collection of heart-warming short stories.Seventeen Going Under is all about the trials and tribulations of growing up, with teenage anger and regret but also hope for the future. In Leave Fast, three young friends have to deal with the tragic death of their best mate and what to do with their lives. A chance meeting with a homeless guy changes one of them forever. Spit of You centres on the complexities of family life, with a difficult father-son relationship contrasting with a wonderfully close bond between nana and her grandson. The Dying Light is the tale of a desperate young man determined to take his own life who finds a reason to live.At the heart of Paradigms are the mental and physical effects of school bullying. Rhys Mackie is a beloved teacher who rails against the bullying he discovers and does something about it. Will We Talk is a quirky tale of two young 20-somethings who meet at a bar but things don’t quite go to plan. In Mantra, Sophie Lyall believes looking out for life-changing windfalls, or trying to impress others, means you can miss the great things happening right now and the gift of life that gets taken for granted. Angel in Lothian begins with the vibrant, imaginary dream sequence of a young schoolboy that continues throughout his life.
Peter White lives on the scenic Bay of Plenty coast of New Zealand. He is an acclaimed sports journalist, and travel and magazine writer, with a double degree in English and History and a diploma in journalism. Peter fell in love with England, its history, sport and music, during four life-changing years in the 1980s and 1990s. Hearing Sam Fender for the first time sparked a renewed belief in music’s inherent ability to change lives and inspired a creative surge of writing. This is Peter’s first published book.
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Sam Fender's special talent as a songwriter to portray what it was like for him growing up in England's North-East has resulted in two quality albums so far.
It was quite ambitious for Peter White to use some of those lyrics to inspire him to write a collection of short stories but he has managed to pull it off exceedingly well.
My favourite stories are "Paradigms", which focuses on school bullying and how one teacher solved the issue at his school; "Leave Fast" is a cracking yarn about dealing with the death of a close friend and looking for answers; "Will We Talk" has two strong characters who have been through adversity; "Spit Of You" is a heartwarming tale; "Seventeen Going Under" is a truly great song and Peter's story does it justice.
I enjoyed all eight stories and heartily recommend this collection.
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I was not aware of Sam Fender's music until very recently but I have always enjoyed heartfelt stories with good characters and strong messages.
This collection from Peter White ticks all those boxes. I found the eight stories all compelling in their own way and enjoyed immensely the activities the characters got up to set in the North-East of England.
There are strong themes that affect young people growing up in particular but each with a positive outcome.
The opening story "Leave Fast" is a compelling read and probably my favourite, with the lovely nana/grandson interaction in "Spit of You" a delight to read, while the backstory between the main characters in "Will We Talk" could potentially fill a much longer piece of work.
This collection of short stories is a great read indeed. I look forward to a second edition of stories based on Sam Fender's wonderful songs sometime in the future.
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