THE EARLY YEARS

In his Early Years, John is walking down a road with his German grandfather in post-war Berlin. At six years old, he moves to the UK, goes to school and finds himself challenged in various ways. When he is almost eighteen, he runs away from what purports to be home. Education eludes him for a long time. As adulthood takes over, relationships come and go. John moves overseas. He does quite well in his working life; less so personally. Depression comes and goes, as does determination and self-help. But the ultimate support comes from a surprising source, which starts a whole new story: his later years! The book, which conveys three stages to John’s life, is an attempt to understand the external forces that buffeted this being. How he responded impacted himself, and inevitably others, most of whom were innocent participants in this particular journey. The fundamental assertion, however, is that the past bears heavily on the future.