Broken Windows, Broken Lives

by Adrian Plass

Broken Windows. Broken Lives Plass, Adrian

Genres: Fiction, Christian, Christianity

Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Adrian Plass is a writer and speaker who has produced over thirty books in the last twenty years. The best known of these is probably The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass, a gentle satire on the modern church, which has sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide. This and other books have travelled to other countries and are translated into a number of foreign languages. Other books include biography, novels, short stories, a fictionalised account of the author's experiences as a residential child care worker, and collections of poems and sketches. A bemused Anglican, Adrian lives with his wife and daughter in a small market town near the Sussex South Downs.

Adrian has been in demand as a speaker in venues as varied as prisons, schools, churches, festivals, literary dinners and theatrical settings. His work also includes contribution to national and local radio and television. Live presentations combine humour, poetry, and story telling, largely revolving around his own inadequacies and struggles as a Christian and a human being.

In recent years Adrian has been joined by his wife Bridget in presenting a more varied and dramatic style of performance. Adrian and Bridget met at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and have found particular satisfaction in being allowed to ‘do a bit of acting’. They have also been privileged to work alongside World Vision on several occasions, visiting Bangladesh and Zambia, writing two books and touring both in the UK and abroad with the aim of encouraging people to take up child sponsorship

Their work now takes them as far away as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Africa, while trips to Europe have introduced the added dimension of speaking through interpreters. Not easy when you're trying to be funny!

Adrian's latest books include ‘Jesus Safe Tender and Extreme‘, published by Zondervan, ‘Blind Spots in the Bible’, published by BRF, and most recent of all ‘Bacon Sandwiches and Salvation’ published by Authentic Media. He and Bridget have also collaborated with friends in Canada to produce a CD of his favourite sketches from the last 20 years called ‘Preaching to the Converted’ while ‘A Touch of Plass’, CTA’s documentary video, is now out on DVD.

2008 began with a visit to Bolivia for Bridget and Adrian in collaboration with the charity Toybox to look at projects involving street children. Later on there will be a DVD, a book and a number of presentations promoting their work.

Adrian's central motivation continues to be his love for Jesus, although some may feel he expresses it rather eccentrically. His passion is to communicate the need for reality in faith, and a truth that he learned during a difficult stage in his life: "God is nice and he likes me..." Some have described his work as being ‘one long confessional’. They may well be right!

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of David Harper a young man who wants to help 'maladjusted' children. He is accepted as a worker at a children's boarding school, and the book covers his gradual acceptance by them. The book rings true, perhaps because it's based on the author's own experiences working in a similar home.

Many moving moments in an extremely well-written book that's rather different from Adrian Plass's usual humorous style. Very highly recommended.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has got to be one of my all time favourite books. It's about a man who works at a boarding school for struggling kids with all their idiosyncrasies; I was at a year 9 boarding campus when I read it. I like lending our books, but if you want to read this one you'll have to go get your own. I am not lending out My Precious!

[Talitha Voerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It was a quick read, funny, but also touching. I'd love to read more, also about Anne!
Adrian Plass is a great writer, I love his writing style. This was my second book written by him and I'm definitely gonna read more!

[J. D. Hilde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing vocabulary and impacting as well as touching thorugh te book. Amazing developement of characters! Specially loved Tom's Character and the way the book ends.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this back in 1989. It inspired me to work with troubled children. Such an encouraging story. Still working with children all these years later…

[Ab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely. No major events happened in the book, but Plass did a really great job capturing the emotions, thoughts and weakness of the main character. My favourite part was when Annie asked David if he really tucked one of the boys in at night, and his reply was that it used to be embarrassing but now he just does it.

[Rosa M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful. Any adjectives I think of sound cliche but this is funny, honest, heartbreaking, relatable. Written from personal experience, it's very real and emotional, realistically portraying children and flawed adults. Art.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved this. great mix of humour and reality for anyone who worked in residential childcare 20 years ago( prob somewhat out of date)

[Ben DeVries · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved Adrian Plass' novels for several years now, but this (his first novel, I believe) is one of his very best ... deeply human and moving, but also funny in places.