A poignant, well-rendered, entertaining account of an ex-convict’s journey to success… An ex-convict becomes a celebrated chef, against all the odds, in this astonishing narrative. Marcus-Rotman was only eight-years-old when his mother died, and he was sent to live with his indifferent father and stepmother. His older brothers were well on their way to becoming young men, and his mother’s family, with whom he was very close, was barred from keeping contact....
Intimate, charismatic, and soul-stirring… The vibrant latest collection from Gutteridge is for “Anne who made love her gift to the world,” the ADDENDUM notes before taking readers on a journey across pages full of old memories and poignant emotions. The collection starts on a lighter note, “I don’t recall the number/ of times I fell in love/ (or out of it), but I must’ve/ been all of ten when Nancy/ swam into my cunning ken.” Gutteridge’s voice is intimate and urging, full of ardent longing and lingering pain, especially when he talks about his wife, Anne, “Odd, isn’t it?...