Graceland

(Paperback)

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A new novel from Bethan Roberts - a brilliant recreation of the early life of Elvis Presley, the making of 'the King', and a heartbreaking portrait of the very intense love between him and his mother, Gladys What if your son was the King of Rock 'n' Roll From the moment she first holds him, Gladys Presley loves her son Elvis ferociously. She is the one by his side when his father is in the jailhouse; as they move from place to place skirting poverty; as Elvis's obsession with music grows and he begins his whirlwind rise to never-before-seen success. But while he brings audiences across the land to their knees and achieves unimagined wealth and fame, there is another story - of drinking and diet pills, loneliness and loss - and at the height of his power Elvis finds that even kings must go on alone. 'Roberts is an exceptionally tender and empathetic writer, and the story of Elvis Presley and his relationship with his mother is one ripe for her skills... both epic and intimate' Grazia

Reviews

An immediately convincing evocation of time and place, as well as character, colour, sultry heat and complex emotions... Moving effortlessly between the late 1950s and Elvis's straitened upbringing, it vividly conveys his world * Sunday Times *
This is an impressive, deceptively gentle novel, full of quiet music and even quieter tragedy -- Claire Allfree * Daily Telegraph *
One of the best books about a rock star I've ever read
Bethan Roberts grew up in a house filled with Elviss music and pored over her mothers Elvis annuals and scrapbooks as a child its emotional range rings true and its fidelity to a certain strain of wistful melancholy might go deeper than facts... an understated, thoughtful novel about a man who wore suits fashioned from gold leaf on stage, which occasionally prompts the reader to burst into song. -- Susie Boyt * Financial Times *
Graceland is an astonishing literary achievement. Bethan Roberts somehow manages to unlock the mystery to that beautiful sadness in the voice of Elvis. Utterly heartbreaking. -- Jake Arnott

Author Bio

Bethan Roberts has published five novels and writes stories and drama for BBC Radio 4. Her books include The Good Plain Cook (Serpent's Tail, 2008), which was a Radio 4 Book at Bedtime; My Policeman (Chatto & Windus, 2012), the story of a 1950s policeman, his wife, and his male lover (soon to be a major Amazon Original movie starring Harry Styles and Emma Corrin); and Mother Island (Chatto, 2014), which received a Jerwood Fiction Uncovered prize. Her latest novel, Graceland, tells the story of Elvis Presley and his mother, Gladys. She also writes short fiction, for which she has won the Society of Authors' Olive Cook Prize and the RA Pin Drop Award. Bethan has taught Creative Writing at Chichester University and Goldsmiths College, London. She lives in Brighton with her family.