When We Were Young
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- £2.99
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
A tender and funny story about wanting to go back - when you know it's time to move on.
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Theo has been living in his parents' shed, nursing a broken heart and a wounded ego, convinced life can't get any worse. Then he gets evicted on his 30th birthday. Theo thinks he's done with the real world - until it shows up on his doorstep...
Joel is a successful TV scriptwriter, still in love with his teenage sweetheart. A proper grown-up - and yet he's falling apart at the seams. He's headed home to reconnect with best friend Theo - except they haven't spoken since the summer they turned 16.
One of them is keeping a secret, and the other is living a lie. But can the promise they once made to walk all 184 miles of the Thames Path help them find their way back to the truth - and to their friendship?
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Your favourite authors have loved reading Richard Roper's uplifting first novel, Something to Live For:
'A magnificent read. Tender, funny, compelling' Lucy Foley
'Funny, moving and thought-provoking - I loved this' Clare Mackintosh
'I adored this! It warmed my heart, broke it a little, then put it back together' Beth O'Leary
'Funny, fresh and achingly tender. Richard's writing hooked me in from the very first page' Cathy Bramley
'A life-affirming novel that simultaneously tweaks your funny-bone and tugs at your heartstrings. Brilliant!' Matt Dunn
'It pulls you in, makes you laugh and breaks your heart' Gill Hornby
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Primarily set along the miles-long Thames Path in London, Roper's delightful sophomore effort (after Something to Live For) charts the reunion of two estranged childhood friends. On the eve of his 30th birthday, Theo is evicted from his parents' backyard shed, where he's been living for several years since losing his job. Meanwhile, his estranged childhood friend Joel, a successful television writer, harbors a hidden dissatisfaction with life. Before a betrayal over a girl when they were 16, both boys had formed a pact that when they turned 30 they would trek all 184 miles of the Thames Path. With that in mind, Joel sets out to mend fences with Theo, who eventually acquiesces. Joel, a recovering alcoholic, is hesitant to expose a secret to Theo concerning his health. The long walk unearths old resentments and childhood traumas, but also reinvigorates the men's friendship, culminating in a tear-jerking sacrifice. Their walk is interspersed with flashbacks that smoothly unfurl Theo's and Joel's inner fears, failures, and secrets. This endearing outing becomes a heartfelt meditation on male companionship, forgiveness, and navigating life's ups and downs. Roper's story shimmers.
