Cam

by Sue Phillips

Cam is a literary novel written for adults about childhood and adulthood and what it means to struggle to save one’s integrity, humanity and sense of self. It is a tale of intense friendship, a star-struck romance set in 1970s rural South Wales and narrated by Charlie, a precocious and strong-headed 7 year-old girl. The book charts the friendships and enmities of the children’s world and the increasingly fraught adult world as they are refracted through the prism of her developing consciousness. When Cam (who is half Chinese and half Welsh) arrives in the village, there is an instant bond between them. The book explores their shared sense of not belonging – of being other and/or unloved – and traces the rivalry, racism and vicissitudes of daily life within their village. By examining the crucible of family life, the novel describes and therefore questions what we accept as normal behaviour where violence is often a matter of degree. But it is also about love (albeit love often obscured by ego) and with it, the possibility for transformation and redemption.

365 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 26, 2020