Becoming Ted
The joyful and uplifting novel from the author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle
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4.0 • 4 Ratings
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Best book I've read in years'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I loved every second of this book'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Matt's books should be available on prescription'
Becoming Ted will steal your heart - a charming, joyful and surprising story about love, friendship and learning to be true to yourself, from the author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle.
Ted Ainsworth has always worked at his family's ice-cream business in the quiet Lancashire town of St Luke's-on-Sea.
But the truth is, he's never wanted to work for the family firm - he doesn't even like ice-cream, though he's never told his parents that.
When Ted's husband suddenly leaves him, the bottom falls out of his world. However, what if from is heartbreak could come an opportunity for Ted to build something new? And to finally put what he wants first.
Because Ted has always had another dream. A secret dream. Since childhood he has always wanted to be a Drag Queen.
As he starts on his path of self-discovery, he will soon be faced with a choice. Will he take on the responsibilities that others have laid out for him, or will he choose to pursue his lifelong dream?
Readers love Matt Cain:
'Full of warmth, humour and courage and I absolutely loved it!' Ruth Hogan
'One of the best uplifting books of the year' Independent
'Wonderful . . . an utter treat' Kate Mosse
'A great big hug of a book' Michael Ball
'A heart-warming, joyous love story' Adele Parks
'I cannot recommend this book highly enough' Lorraine Kelly
'This novel is just a bucket of joy' Glamour
'So uplifting, original and funny' Daily Mail
'Utterly joyful, you will smile your way through this' Sun
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
British journalist Cain (The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle) serves up a breezy second-act story that traces a 40-something gay man's unlikely journey to drag stardom. After nearly 20 years spent with the snobbish Giles in the quaint English town of St. Luke's-on-Sea, Ted Ainsworth discovers one morning that his husband has been cheating on him. They break up in a flash, and Ted is left reeling—he dodges messages from his best friend Denise and sulks through shifts at one of his family's ice cream parlors. When he regains his footing, he decides to pursue his long-dormant dream of becoming a drag queen. It's a big leap from his previous life (Giles discouraged him from dancing or dressing up), but with Denise's help, Ted constructs the leggy, foul-mouthed alter-ego Gail Force. Meanwhile, he frets about his disinterest in running the family business, and is further troubled by a series of threatening anonymous letters. After he falls for secretly gay Polish construction worker Oskar, Ted wonders if his new flame will support his drag ambitions. There's too much padding—Ted's angst about his lifelong distaste for ice cream is especially overplayed—but Cain constructs a soothing if familiar tale of self-empowerment. This sticky-sweet confection goes down smooth enough.
