Author Alex Wheatle had a rough start to life. The product of a brief extramarital affair between two immigrants living in England, his fate would find him winding up in state orphanage. It wasn’t a pleasant experience for the child, naturally, and as he writes, the lingering pain is palpable; at one point, he says it’s too much to recall. As he got older, his run-ins with authority added another dimension of problems to his life. His newest book, Sufferah: The Memoir of a Brixton Reggae-Head, tells the harrowing tale of his youth. 

Yet through this time, he took refuge in the burgeoning reggae scene around him. Sufferah is loaded with music; whether it be from visiting the record store, turning on the radio, walking down the street, or attending a block party, page upon page is littered with the sound of the era. Wheatle makes sure to name the music that’s playing; it’s impossible to resist putting down the book and heading to YouTube to check out these songs that are clearly important to the story. He also tells readers when a person or event inspired him in his fictional work, which makes his stories even more edifying for those familiar with his other writing. 

At the lowest point in his life, when he is in jail, he meets an older Rastafarian named Simeon. This man quickly becomes his mentor, teaching him about the Rasta beliefs and introducing him to the great Black thinkers and philosophers. He imparts with him the wisdom of age, and when he leaves prison, he is determined to seek out a personal mission that will help him come to terms with his past and help to steady his future by closing a chapter of his early life. What happens next is a touching story of redemption and forgiveness that makes Sufferah a worthwhile read. 

Purchase Sufferah: https://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/sufferah/