Portrait of a prisoner (Paperback)

David Cuthbertson grows up in Manchester, southside, but quickly learns the shame of his father's violence against his mother. His father disappears after an event in the kitchen, and at sixteen, David is forced to leave school to take up work on the docks. There his life is irrevocably changed when a student dies in a pub brawl. In prison he becomes leader of the power group, a role in which he must use all his skills of mental and physical agility. Framed for child abduction, he is brought face-to-face with Ann Thomas, a Wizard of Deception Detection. She takes up David's cause, eventually proving the duplicity of those who would rather he remain incarcerated. The book contains elements of the TV series 'Porridge', the Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont), A Beautiful Mind (Sylvia Nasar) and Watership Down (Richard Adams). Some of the characters are shared with another book, 'A diary with a difference', though each book is self-contained. This is a lovely book written in Martin's very masculine style, a book about conquering odds, finding love and the unique twists that can change an ordinary person into someone special. Those who've read 'A Diary with a Difference' will enjoy the link to that book. Jill Smith, Gold Coast Writers Association.