Eleven Days in June (The
Little Leaf Series, 1) by R P Gibson Colley
Devon,
1985. Dan is 20, lives in a sleepy village and works in a small DIY
shop. He likes numbers and hero worships Lord Nelson. But he finds
ordinary people difficult to understand and he’s certainly never
kissed a girl. His mother mocks him, and he misses his father and he
pines for Ollie, his only childhood friend who truly understood him.
But,
despite it all, Dan thinks he’s happy enough. Until one June day,
the beautiful and mysterious Libby walks into his shop - and into
Dan's life.
Libby’s
sudden appearance turns Dan’s ordered existence upside down. But
Dan soon realises that Libby isn’t who she seems. Who exactly is
she? What is she hiding, and, more importantly, who’s that
threatening man always looking for her?
In
trying to help Libby, Dan comes to realise what’s missing in his
own life, and, in turn, appreciates what’s really important…
A
gentle story about a young man going about his life and the
challenges he has to deal with.
Twenty-year-old
Dan works at a local DIY shop. However, he's not like other young men
of his age. He's single and doesn't have a girlfriend. He lives with
his mum and enjoys model-making and anything connected with Horatio
Nelson. He lives a simple life, but it isn't without drama. Eleven
Days in June highlights a short time in Dan's life when Libby walked
into his place of work and asked for help.
Intelligent,
Dan is both knowledgeable and clueless.
'Dad
says I've got an encyclopaedic memory.'
...'Really?'
said Ollie's dad. 'Boy, I wish you were old enough for the pub. We
could do with someone like you on our quiz team.'
Lacking
social antennas Dan is unable to pick up and interpret other peoples
meanings. Therefore, is often seen as gullible and often exploited.
It's heartbreaking to know he understands people are laughing at him
and doesn't know why?
Set
in June 1985 and as someone only a couple of years younger than Dan
during the setting, I enjoyed the many references to the popular
music of the time. Little Leaf, a small Devon village is a contrast
to my own city upbringing, so I enjoyed the author's view of life for
young adults at that time.
This
is a delightful short novel with some unexpected intrigue and set in
the not too distant past. It highlights challenges faced by youths
back then which are as relevant to young and new adults of
today.
***arc
generously received courtesy of the publisher via Rachel's Random
Resources***
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I
was born one Christmas Day, which means, as a child, I lost out on
presents. Nonetheless, looking back on it, I lived a childhood with a
"silver spoon in my mouth" - brought up in a rambling manor
house in the beautiful Devon countryside. It's been downhill ever
since.
I
was a librarian for a long time, a noble profession. Then I started a
series called History In An Hour, "history for busy people",
which I sold to HarperCollins UK.
I
now live in London with my wife, two children and dog (a fluffy
cockapoo) and write historical fiction, mainly 20th-century war and
misery, and humorous books set in 1980s England.
