Boy in the Book

When Nathan discovered a job lot of the first 106 adventures for sale on eBay, there was never any question that he would place a bid. When the books arrived, he lost himself in the old adventures.

Yet, as he flicked through the pages, there was another story being written. In the margins of each book were the scribblings of the little boy who had once owned them, a little boy by the name of Terence John Prendergast. Terence wrote jokes and hints for adventurers following the same stories as him. More troubling, among the notes were intimations of a tormented childhood: of the boys and teachers who bullied him; of the things he hated about himself and had to improve; of his thoughts of suicide and his desperate need to find friends, be liked, and find somebody - anybody - to confide in.

THE BOY IN THE BOOK is Nathan's poignant recreation of the discovery of the fragments of Terence Prendergast's diary, his quest to find the lost boy, and the friendship that resulted from their first meeting. In doing so, Nathan is forced to examine his own childhood - and, as his relationship with Terence deepens, he begins to believe that the two men are not so different, and to reflect on the darkness that can exist in childhood.

“A charming read, a lot of which will no doubt have you nodding along in reminiscent agreement. Particularly if you were born in the 80s.”

judgingcovers.co.uk
If you have a love of books and the escape they can give you, its an absolute must Liz Loves Books
An incredibly moving book which reflects the way many of us feel during childhood and demonstrates that things do get better. Mrs Holpepper: Bookworm
An epic journey full of charm and wit, Books with bunny
A complete charmer . . . A touching and intriguing story of books and how the teen years can make or break the man. ted-reader

Nathan Penlington is a writer and performer who has appeared on BBC Radio 1, Radio 3, Radio 4, 6 Music, and Australia's ABC. His last show, Uri & Me, toured the United Kingdom to fantastic reviews in 2011, and he is currently touring Choose Your Own Documentary, a show that shares the discoveries of THE BOY IN THE BOOK. The show won a Fringe First award at Edinburgh in August 2013, and in 2014 it was nominated for the innovation award at Sheffield's Doc/Fest, and was an official selection at New York's Tribeca Film Festival.

When Nathan discovered a job lot of the first 106 adventures for sale on eBay, there was never any question that he would place a bid. When the books arrived, he lost himself in the old adventures.Yet, as he flicked through the pages, there was another story being written. In the margins of each book were the scribblings of the little boy who had once owned them, a little boy by the name of Terence John Prendergast. Terence wrote jokes and hints for adventurers following the same stories as him. More troubling, among the notes were intimations of a tormented childhood: of the boys and teachers who bullied him; of the things he hated about himself and had to improve; of his thoughts of suicide and his desperate need to find friends, be liked, and find somebody - anybody - to confide in. THE BOY IN THE BOOK is Nathan's poignant recreation of the discovery of the fragments of Terence Prendergast's diary, his quest to find the lost boy, and the friendship that resulted from their first meeting. In doing so, Nathan is forced to examine his own childhood - and, as his relationship with Terence deepens, he begins to believe that the two men are not so different, and to reflect on the darkness that can exist in childhood.

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