Eleven Days in June by R. P. Gibson Colley: My first book review since my eye surgery!

Welcome to my first book review since my most recent eye surgery! I’m so happy that I can finally use a computer again. Stay tuned, because tomorrow I will be sharing a belated review about a beautiful book I read in the hospital, Dreamy Days and Random Naps by Mawson Bear.

My Review of Eleven Days in June by R.P. Gibson Colley:

My name is Rebecca. I am a visually impaired author and lover of books. I have a plethora of eye problems, and at the end of January, I had my fifteenth eye surgery. Although I am (relatively) used to the discomfort of recovering from surgery, this was by far the most painful procedure I’ve had in my life. I was unable to open my eyes and the pain was so intense that I could barely move. I couldn’t even find solace in sleep, because the pain would jar me awake from a sound slumber.

I was blessed to have a dear friend who is blind. Over the phone, she gave me a quick crash course on how to use my iPhone without a screen. Although I knew the basics of voiceover technology, she helped me learn to use my iPhone to read Kindle books, answer emails, make phone calls, and listen to Audible audiobooks without any visual cues. This was a huge blessing, because I was able to distract myself from the pain by reading.

During that terrible first week of recovery, I spent every day reading endlessly. Eleven Days in June by R. P. Gibson was one of those books. The story takes place in the UK in the 1980s. We meet Dan, somewhat nerdy but good hearted young man who works in a hardware shop. When a beautiful woman walks into the store where he works, Dan is entirely besotted. I expected a basic (but enjoyable) romantic comedy to ensue. Instead, I found something much deeper.

As I was reading, it didn’t take long for me to draw many parallels between Dan and the loved ones that I have in my life with Asperger Syndrome. The tale is told entirely from Dan’s point of view, and his narration helps the reader to see the world from his unique perspective. It quickly becomes apparent that Dan is (through no fault of his own) a bit of an unreliable narrator. He doesn’t see the world as “neurotypical” people do, but he is still incredibly astute. Dan finds himself swept up in helping his new acquaintance, Libby, who is embroiled in a deeply threatening situation. Dan might not fully understand what Libby has gotten into, but he is eager to help her and does not judge her.

Eleven Days in June explores themes of childhood friendship, how we treat people who are different from usb and how our differences make us human. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources. Thank you, Rachel, for providing me with so many free books!

Synopsis from the back cover of Eleven Days in June by R. P. Gibson Colley (The Little Leaf Series, 1).

Devon, 1985. Dan is 20, lives in a sleepy village and works in a small DIY shop. He likes numbers and hero worships Lord Nelson. But he finds ordinary people difficult to understand and he’s certainly never kissed a girl. His mother mocks him, and he misses his father and he pines for Ollie, his only childhood friend who truly understood him.

But, despite it all, Dan thinks he’s happy enough. Until one June day, the beautiful and mysterious Libby walks into his shop – and into Dan’s life.

Libby’s sudden appearance turns Dan’s ordered existence upside down. But Dan soon realises that Libby isn’t who she seems. Who exactly is she? What is she hiding, and, more importantly, who’s that threatening man always looking for her?

In trying to help Libby, Dan comes to realise what’s missing in his own life, and, in turn, appreciates what’s really important…

Get your copy!

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08QLLHH2Y/

US – https://amzn.to/3dklzJ1 (affiliate link)

About R. P. Gibson Colley:

The author writes – I was born one Christmas Day, which means, as a child, I lost out on presents. Nonetheless, looking back on it, I lived a childhood with a “silver spoon in my mouth” – brought up in a rambling manor house in the beautiful Devon countryside. It’s been downhill ever since.

I was a librarian for a long time, a noble profession. Then I started a series called History In An Hour, “history for busy people”, which I sold to HarperCollins UK.

I now live in London with my wife, two children and dog (a fluffy cockapoo) and write historical fiction, mainly 20th-century war and misery, and humorous books set in 1980s England.

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CLICK HERE to find out about my newest book, Hope for the Broken: Using Writing to Find God’s Grace, coming February 23rd from Touch Point Press!