Runaway

Product Information

As a post-grad history student I also liked the way you identify that not all Britain was ‘swinging’ in the 1960s and that London could as dangerous as it was exciting for vulnerable, impressionable young teens. And just for a bit of fun, here is one of the out-takes from our attempt to replicate the original photograph.

Runaway by Peter May | Hachette UK Runaway by Peter May | Hachette UK

Both journeys take the form of road-trips, punctuated by accident and disaster, but lifted by a healthy dose of humour. The specifics were what you were holding out for, curious as to exactly what would happen to each of the characters. In Runaway Peter May juxtaposes a coming of age tale set in 1965, and its hope, faith, growing pains and hard lessons, with an end of life tale set in 2015, and its regrets, disappointments, and nostalgia.

Add in a little history of Glasgow and London in the 60's and present day differences and you have a very worthwhile read. My partner had been trying to get me to read John Banville for his very descriptive writing and I finally did read 3 of them.

runaway, by Peter May | Crime Fiction Lover When I was a runaway, by Peter May | Crime Fiction Lover

Where he could have evoked London of fifty years ago through careful description of the mundane and profane, he has instead chosen to slap on a massive sign saying "Look, the Rolling Stones are on the Dancette, it must be the sixties! His very first award was the Fraser Award in 1973 for being the Scottish Young Journalist of the Year. I’ve worked through most of his books now – I have Coffin Road and all except the first of the China Thrillers to catch up on (the list being longer than I’d like) – and I can honestly say I have yet to be disappointed. I was recently invited back to Eastwood (now rebuilt) to speak to the kids as a “famous former pupil”.

But it's also a place where young people can find themselves manipulated and used, and caught up in events they can't control. When he’s expelled from school in Glasgow after a school dance, he decides that running away to London is a good idea.

Peter May Books | Waterstones Peter May Books | Waterstones

I had an absolute ball as a journalist during the seventies, which was an exciting time of huge change and transition in Britain. The strength of the book is in the relationships between the boys as they face up to the realities of life; and later between the men as they come to terms with the events that had such an impact on each of their lives.

It is astonishing how youthful ignorance can put adversity so easily aside to breed baseless optimism. The publicity blurb for the book tells us that parts of the story are based on May's own experiences of running away to London as a teenager.