Broken Play

by Nicholas Sheppard

Wearing an All Black jersey is still the dream of many a Kiwi boy but in Nicholas Sheppard's new novel Broken Play, a talented young player's sexuality might derail his career. These days homosexuality may not be illegal, but it's seldom discussed much in male-dominated sports like rugby. In Broken Play, 23 year old Alec has the skills and determination to be a top All Black. But he's conflicted because he feels he has to suppress - even deny - his sexuality.

340 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[George Fenwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was beautifully written; some of the prose in here was insanely well thought out and very emotionally impactful. A lovely story that managed to be topical in a very clever way, it was never too on-the-nose. I found the development of the central relationship to be a little unbelievable - it accelerated very fast which seemed to contrast Alec’s character. But didn’t affect the story overall. Probably the only time I’ll ever read a book about rugby lol

[Karen Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was published in 2018, I hadn't heard of New Zealand writer Sheppard before and this is not his only book. I listened to a review and followed it up.

The timeframe is over ther period of a month or two and is a beautiful read. Sentively written, without drama it's a situation we can all see playing out and we all wish we,and society will respond better to.

Why this book has not got more press or acknowledged more widely I don't know but I highly recommend it.