Back Road

by Chris Gill

Pete used to live a humdrum, nine to five existence before escaping into a world of travel, beer, study, sex and cigarette smoke. Searching for enlightenment, he instead began toiling with his ego, obsessing about gaining recognition and glory for himself. Glory on a nationwide scale, a worldwide scale! Now he teaches vulnerable adults at 14, Back Road, where he thought he had at last started to overcome the egotist inside him: Instead of thinking of himself, he found he was genuinely caring about the well being of others. Then the selfish, manipulative Deborah Styles joins the teaching staff. Gradually, Pete finds he is being dragged back into a battle against his own ego, only this time with potentially tragic results. Will tragedy be averted? Which side of his character will defeat the other? The altruist or the egotist?

170 pages, Paperback

First published January 24, 2013

Reviews

[C.J. Harter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pete wants to be a better man and he thinks working in the service of others will help him to that end. He soon learns that not everyone working in the caring professions is caring, and this story revolves around how he will respond to this realisation. Pete is good, humorous company, and not always reliable as a narrator, which makes this my kind of novel. It is, by turns, funny, thought-provoking, philosophical (egotism versus altruism), frustrating (I wanted to give Pete a good slap at times to bring him out of his soliptic spirals) and throughout beautifully, sometimes lyrically, written. One tiny criticism: though I loved the poised ending, I really wanted to know what happened right after it.

[Mary Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

thoroughly enjoyed this book, just couldn't put it down - the ending was quite sudden and not what I anticipated - good read