Sufferah

July 3, 2023
Novelist Wheatle (Brixton Rock) considers in this inspiring autobiography how reggae music helped him endure childhood abuse and connect with his heritage. Born in 1963 South London to unmarried Jamaican couple Almira and Alfred, Wheatle was left with his father after his mother opted to return to her husband and children in Jamaica. Unequipped to parent on his own, Alfred put Wheatle in the care of the state before he was two years old, commencing a series of Dickensian stays in abusive children’s homes and social services hostels until he was 18. Wheatle’s primary solace was reggae music—particularly the works of Bob Marley, George Isaacs, and Sugar Minott—which helped him ward off “ever-present” loneliness, even as he remained unaware of his Jamaican parentage. After he was thrown in jail for participating in the 1981 Brixton race riots, Wheatle was encouraged by his cellmate to “know who he is and where he stands in the struggle,” and eventually tracked down his family. His journey from orphan to self-possessed storyteller is by turns gripping and heartbreaking. Photos. Agent: Laura Susjin, Susjin Agency.

June 1, 2023

As a child, award-winning novelist Wheatle (Brixton Rock) was abandoned by his Jamaican immigrant parents and turned over to the British government. Wheatle's memoir of growing up in Brixton, England, shares his story of abuse and racism in the British foster care system, his incarceration after participating in the 1981 Brixton uprising against racial injustice, and his search for family and purpose. Through everything, he found refuge from the biggest names in reggae music. With more than 40 short chapters, the book brings readers along as artists such as Bob Marley, Sister Nancy, Dennis Brown, and others educate a young Black man about racial injustice and provide a lifeline when he felt at his lowest. Wheatle also finds family in his prison cellmate, who guides him towards a greater purpose, and he turns his life around using the music he loves and by tapping into his writing skills. The inspiration for Wheatle's fiction is apparent throughout his memoir, where he vividly and gracefully connects his own experiences to those of his characters. VERDICT Readers will be drawn to Wheatle's exquisite prose, and lovers of music will appreciate how reggae brings light during difficult times.--Rebekah J. Buchanan

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 15, 2023
A memoir showing how reggae music sustained the author as a troubled youth and helped him become a successful author. Wheatle has written numerous novels, including Cane Warriors and Straight Outta Crongton, about sufferahs, those who, born into disadvantaged circumstances, navigate "a hostile environment, often at a terrible personal cost, for a purpose bigger than themself." In this inspiring, often harrowing narrative, the author chronicles how, shortly after he turned 3, he was abandoned by his parents and placed in the care of the government. That led to a childhood of physical and sexual abuse on top of the racism and police brutality he experienced growing up in Brixton, England, in the 1970s and '80s. Wheatle felt like he was alone in the world, failed by the systems that were supposed to support him, but he found solace in reggae. The lyrics from classics from reggae legends like Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, and Lee "Scratch" Perry offered comfort and advice for him during stressful times, especially after he was imprisoned for participating in the 1981 Brixton uprising against racism. The music, especially the bass lines, prompted him to dance, which provided one of the few escapes, albeit temporary ones, from his troubles. As dark as his early memories are, Wheatle describes his reggae memories with glimmers of hope and appreciation. "The resident sound system was the Mighty Observer, operated by a dreadlocked guy named Austin," he recalls. "One of his crew was a bulky brother nicknamed Rhino. When he hit the floor, you had to be careful he didn't take you out with his wild skanking, hence his moniker." It's those flickers of happiness that make a seemingly bleak story bearable. Eventually, Wheatle found purpose from his prison cellmate and was able to start turning his life around. A striking tribute to reggae's ability to protect a fragile soul when seemingly everything else had failed him.

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