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Title: Abide with Me
Author: Ian Ayris
Narrator: Karl Jenkinson
Format: Unabridged
Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
Language: English
Release date: 12-02-14
Publisher: Caffeine Nights Publishing
Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary
Publisher's Summary:
Two boys. John and Kenny. One streetwise and football mad, the other cold and unfathomable.
It's 1975. The heart of London's East End. As John celebrates the Hammers beating Fulham in the Cup Final, Kenny tumbles out the door of the new people's house across the street having taken a beating of a different kind.
When the new school year begins, John befriends Kenny, defending him from the ridicule of his classmates. But when you become mates with someone as odd, as downright terrifying as Kenny, nothing is ever straightforward. Amidst the turbulent years of late seventies London, the lives of John and Kenny spiral out of control. They meet again, years later, and local villain, Ronnie Swordfish, is after Kenny's head. All John can do is watch. Kenny, he ain't saying a word. He never does.
So when Ronnie gives the order to fetch his three foot Samurai sword, John thinks the game's all but up. Thing is, he don't know the half of it...
Abide With Me is a story of football, friendship, and hope. And gangsters.
A story of how two boys walked blind into the darkness... and emerged as men.
Members Reviews:
Excellent
What made the experience of listening to Abide with Me the most enjoyable?
I read the book in print and its so specific to it's time and setting I kept hearing the words in the accent already, though through my American filter. Now I could hear the world of this fascinating book told as it was meant. It really enhanced the experience of an already superb book.
What did you like best about this story?
It's poignant, gritty, unexpectedly emotional at times. It's a coming of age tale, a crime story, a snapshot of London at a specific point in time. It all comes together in a fully realized world that transported me the way great books are meant to.
Have you listened to any of Karl Jenkinsons other performances before? How does this one compare?
I had not. He nailed the tone and attitude of this book perfectly.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
It would probably do well in one sitting. I gave it 3-4 days, but it's a compact story you could knock out in one afternoon or long car ride.
Any additional comments?
A great book made even better by a stellar read.
A good listen to a British book set in East London
If you could sum up Abide with Me in three words, what would they be?
East London, kids, gangsters
What other book might you compare Abide with Me to, and why?
No idea!
Have you listened to any of Karl Jenkinsons other performances? How does this one compare?
I believe this is one of Karl's first, and is a very solid performance.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Without giving the game away - what happens to Kenny at the end of a difficult life, is very moving.
Any additional comments?
The first part of the book takes you through the life of a young boy, and it took me a little while to adjust to hearing an older man's voice. However, as the story unfolded, and the coarse language which punctuates the book continued, I think this made a lot of sense, and added to the retrospective feel of the book. Karl's voice was comfortable to listen to, with a wonderful gravelly tone to it.
The story was moving and I was sucked in to discovering more about these two boys lives, always hoping for a better future for them.
