The Long and Winding Road - Lesley Pearse

One of the world’s bestselling storytellers, Lesley Pearse writes brilliantly about survivors. Why? Because she is one herself . . .

Born during the Second World War, Lesley’s innocence came to an abrupt end when a neighbour found her, aged 3, coatless in the snow. The mother she’d been unable to wake had been dead for days. Sent to an orphanage, Lesley soon learned adults couldn’t always be trusted.

As a teenager in the swinging sixties, she took herself to London. Here, the second great tragedy of her life occurred. Falling pregnant, she was sent to a mother and baby home, and watched helplessly as her newborn was taken from her.

But like so many of her generation, Lesley had to carry on. She was, after all, a true survivor. Marriage and children followed – and all the while she nurtured a dream: to be a writer. Yet it wasn’t until at the age of 48 that her stories – of women struggling in a difficult world – found a publisher, and the bestseller lists beckoned.

As heartbreaking as it is heartwarming, Lesley’s story really is A Long and Winding Road with surprises and uplifting hope around every corner . . .

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, The Long and Winding Road by Lesley Pearse is a memoir filled with more drama than a whole series of Eastenders.  No wonder Lesley Pearse has written so many books, she has so much material from her own experiences.

If it didn't have 'My Autobiography' printed on the front cover, you could be forgiven for thinking that this is a work of fiction.  It is a story that is filled with so much warmth and character that it is incredibly easy to read and incredibly difficult to put down.

Lesley Pearse doesn't dwell on life's hurdles and her own heartbreak, she turns them into stories that have captivated readers for decades.  I felt like a sponge as I absorbed all of Lesley's life events and I was so saturated at the end that I shed a few tears...but, in true Lesley Pearse style, they were tears of happiness.

The Long and Winding Road is a truly captivating and inspirational memoir and I couldn't give it a sparkle less than 5 stars.  Very highly recommended.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Jenson Button: Life to the Limit: My Autobiography - Jenson Button

Jenson Button is one of the greatest racing drivers of his generation. His seventeen years in Formula 1 have seen him experience everything the sport has to offer, from nursing underpowered cars around the track to winning World Championships and everything in between.

Here, Jenson tells his full story for the first time in his own honest, intelligent and eloquent style. From growing up as part of a motor-racing-mad family under the guidance of his father, John, to arriving at Williams as a fresh-faced 20 year-old, to being written off by some as a playboy and his fight back to the very pinnacle of his sport. Jenson's World Championship victory for the unsponsored and unfancied Brawn GP team is one of the most extraordinary against-the-odds sports stories of the century.

Jenson's book lifts the lid on the gilded and often hidden world of Formula 1. He reveals his relationships with some of the biggest names in Formula 1- Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso as well some of the most colourful characters like Bernie Ecclestone, Ron Dennis, Frank Williams and serial winner Ross Brawn. Above all, he puts you right inside the cockpit, in the driving seat, travelling at over 200 miles per hour, battling the fear of death, showing you what happens when it goes wrong at high speed and allowing you to experience the euphoria of crossing the line first.

What did I think?

I've followed Formula 1 since 1997 so I'm fortunate to have seen the whole of Jenson Button's F1 career on my TV screen.  As a rookie F1 fan, I took a shining to Williams as Sir Frank is a sanddancer, like myself, and the first F1 t-shirt I ever bought had a fresh-faced young British guy on it (see picture below).  The guy was Jenson Button and I am proud to call myself a fan.

I was so excited to see that JB had written his autobiography and I would have cut my arm off for a signed copy but alas the great man didn't make his way to the chilly North East of England.  Thankfully, Amazon delivered on release day and I had my treasured (unsigned) book in my greedy hands.

What stood out straight away for me was Jenson's amazing sense of humour.  That smile we know so well is woven into each page of this book as we relive the highs and lows of his life so far.  I honestly didn't expect to laugh so much at what is in essence the same joke, namely the many mispronunciations of 'Jenson'.  Hopefully the world champion doesn't have this problem any more!

Key races are replayed through Jenson's eyes, including one of my favourites: Canada 2011.  The writing is so vivid that you can clearly see the race in your mind and I felt my heart racing as the chequered flag approached, even though I knew that JB had won!

The book is also interspersed with photographs of Jenson's life and career, including my favourite, the iconic image of Jenson's first ever Grand Prix win in Hungary 2006:

It's perfectly balanced with the highs and lows.  Wouldn't we all love to forget those awful Honda years?  Only somebody as naturally talented as Jenson Button could bounce back in such style and go on to win a world championship.  Although naturally talented, we know that money talks in F1 and I felt as if JB has had to fight for every race seat.  It saddens me to think that money trumps talent but I am delighted to see that sometimes hard work pays off and dreams can come true.

No review of this book would be complete without talking about Papa Smurf, John Button, who was as much a part of an F1 weekend as the drivers themselves.  His support and love for Jenson is immortalised in print and I finally understood JB's reasons for leaving the sport.

Life to the Limit is an entertaining, candid and emotional account of an outstanding racing career that no F1 fan should miss.   Thank you for sharing your life, memories and special moments with us, Jenson.  On to the next chapter...

My rating:

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Roy Keane - The Second Half review

As a Sunderland fan, I enjoyed it.  Roy clearly had (and still has) great affection for Sunderland.  I felt the emotion when he departed Man United, and was quite surprised at the emotions of what I previously perceived to be a hot headed man.  There are some funny moments in the book, like not signing a player because of his answering machine message and not taking to Ipswich because they played in blue.

Although written with Roddy Doyle, I think Roy has played a big part in writing the book.  I felt his voice coming through and not just with all the swearing!  There are a lot of facts and figures that probably won't be terribly interesting to any non-Sunderland or Ipswich fans.

I always had respect for Roy Keane but this book certainly changed my impression of him.  I thought Roy would have lost his temper more with the players; Sunderland does test you sometimes!   I do think Roy's emotions show on his face, so perhaps one of his scowls would have more effect than a temper tantrum.

A nice insight into the transition from player to manager, written with honesty and integrity.

Just do it! Buy it from The Book Depository with free delivery

What I was reading when I started my blog

I haven't read an autobiography for a while so, being a Sunderland fan, I picked up the new Roy Keane book.  I'm about half way through and had my one and only laugh out loud moment at the expense of Newcastle (sorry Mags fans).  I've found it easy to read but a bit jumbled in the first half, jumping between Man U and Ireland.  Still, I'm enjoying it so far and it's giving a rare insight into the life of a new manager.  I look forward to giving my final thoughts when my reading is done!