The P45 Diaries

Ben Hatch

First impressions of Jay - a work-shy, wannabe writer with a limited grasp of reality. But beneath the banter and explosive comic moments there is a lost boy, caught up in the fallout following the death of his mother who was the lynch-pin of her family. The dynamic between successful father and disappointing son is both hilarious and poignant as they struggle to connect - each grieving in their own way. Sensitive but definitely not soppy.

Extract

Before Sarah left she read me an article on New York novelist Jay McInerney, which pissed me off as well. She'd saved it specially and seemed to think it was funny. ' "The young Jay" ' said Sarah, emphasising our common name, and smiling at Dad ' "who would later become the Brat Pack leader of the new literary scene, couldn't settle into a job. He was a misfit, permanently the outsider, drawn to writing through failure." ' Sarah laughed and looked up at me. 'Misfit, failure. It's you little brother,' she said, laughing, and Dad put his arm round her and reminded me about the shoes again. Sarah and Dad never miss a chance to belittle me, which will be a shame for them when my autobiography comes out.

Parallels