Stephen Thompson's brave story centres on the plight of Gabriel Powers, a man who finds himself in a hostel for addicts after the most frightening flight from Hackney and the world of crime he grew up in. For Gabriel to come to terms with his addiction, he must first confront his demons, and although his hostel worker and lover Marcia is there to help him, the journey to back to the wastelands of West London is harrowingly and brilliantly recreated. Painful, acutely honest and based on the author's own experiences, "Toy Soldiers" is a fine and brave debut by a brilliant new voice.
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'Assured, speedy and tersely convincing. His characters are effectively drawn without fuss or sentiment, and he contrives to paint a picture of a desperate world that is both honest and convincing' Eldon King, Observer 'Thompson's compelling tale of the rise, fall and return to normality of a London crack addict called Gabriel is satisfying, unsentimental and fiercely honest ... Thompson's description of life on the front-line is eye-opening. He reveals Gabriel as a troubled man who knows there is something beyond the thug's life, yet despairs of finding it' Steve Jelbert, The Times 'A compelling, urban tale. Gritty, yet filled with inspired prose...' -- Courttia Newland 'Beautifully written, painfully honest and deeply affecting. Stephen Thompson's debut novel is terrific' -- Hanif Kureshi 'A sensitive, subtle and fascinating account of a young black man's fight against crack addiction...Thompson's writing is compelling' -- The Times
About the Author
Stephen Thompson was born and brought up in Hackney. He left school without an qualifications but, after several wasted years, went on to study journalism at Harlow College. He lectures in journalism and creative writing at Birkbeck.
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