LISTEN to the original PEACH SOUNDTRACK, written and recorded by actor and musician, Charles Baker (Breaking Bad, The Blacklist). Also available on Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon Music, and Spotify.
WAYNE BARTON is an author and ghostwriter based in Manchester, England. His work as a non-fiction soccer author and historian has seen him described as “the leading writer on Manchester United” by the British broadsheet press. He is the author of the 2018 bestselling titles, “Too Good to Go Down: The Inside Story of Manchester United’s Relegation” and “The Man Who Kept the Red Flag Flying: Jimmy Murphy.” PEACH is Barton’s thirteenth published book, his third work of fiction, and his first foray into literary fiction. A ten-year labor of love, PEACH was, in part, inspired by his work as a ghostwriter for sportspeople, actors and musicians, and the profound impact that fleeting, transient connections can have on our lives. For further information, visit www.waynebartonbooks.com.
ISBN: 978-1-947886-02-5. 320 pages. $16.99 paperback.
PRESS RELEASE
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE |
AVAILABLE IN THE UK FROM GAZELLE BOOK SERVICES
PEACH PLAYLIST from the Largehearted Boy website, featuring Charles Baker, Pete Yorn, Gwen Stefani, The Flaming Lips, New Radicals, Wilco, and more
LISTEN to Wayne in conversation with Alex Green of Stereo Embers Magazine.
AUTHOR Q&A: Read about how Wayne developed the storyline that became PEACH.
“PEACH is not only an instant classic, it’s one of the great rock & roll novels. It’s a book about last chances, second chances, friendship, deception, and grief, but most of all, it’s about what happens when the demolished heart soars again and starts blasting away like a kick drum.” — Alex Green, Stereo Embers Magazine
“There’s a hint of loneliness that hovers above every page of Wayne Barton’s PEACH. The kind that the likes of Denis Johnson and Raymond Carver knew too well. It’s all balanced out by beauty and hope—two things we could use more of in this world.” — Jason Diamond, author, Searching for John Hughes
“A rich meditation on redemption, relationships, and rock & roll, Wayne Barton’s PEACH is a strikingly subtle novel that cleverly illustrates that music is the connective tissue that links us together and blows us all apart.” — Yvonne Prinz, author, The Vinyl Princess
“An intelligent, thought-provoking and profound literary read that immerses the reader in what it is that makes us who we are… a beautifully crafted book. I finished PEACH feeling I had learnt about humanity in general, and myself in particular.” — Linda Hill, award-winning UK book blogger
For fans of Nick Hornby, John Green, David Nicholls, and Rachel Joyce, PEACH is a book with broad appeal to all ages. Reviewed as an “emotional chokehold of dramatic, introspective fiction,” PEACH has been described as Almost Famous meets Lost in Translation meets Before Sunrise.
Following the untimely passing of a close friend, British songwriter and producer, Freddie Ward, arrives in Bliss, Idaho to work on a comeback album with beloved singer-songwriter, Hal Granger. Adrift and bereft, Freddie is looking to gain a sense of perspective after a series of bad decisions—decisions that cost him his relationship and life as he knows it. However, almost as soon as Freddie arrives in Idaho, Hal drops an unexpected and devastating bombshell.
Far from the hustle and bustle of his life in England, out in the stark isolation of the northwestern U.S., with time to think, to reflect, Freddie slowly begins to rebuild his life, haunted both by the events of the recent past and his reactions to them. Through words of wisdom from Hal and a series of meandering, existential, and profound conversations, PEACH explores themes such as love, loss, loyalty, and friendship; second chances and redemption; how to make the most of your time; and, last but not least, the meaning of home.
“From the first pages of Peach, I was hooked. An immensely personal novel that thrums with the beat of an emotional rock ballad, Barton has captured that singular experience of love lost and woven it into a soul-wrenching story of growing older and truly understanding what we mean when we reflect on home. A spectacular debut from a unique writer who has a knack for absorbing his surroundings, in darkness and in light, whomever and wherever they may be.” — Michael A. Ferro, author of TITLE 13: A Novel
“A perfect, delicate balance between sweet and sour; saccharine and gritty. Barton’s characters live and breathe on the page, populating a world and story that will leave you captivated as you traverse through a myriad of emotions that will remind you of both the similarities—and differences—of our shared humanity. A fantastic read.” — R.J. Fox, author, Love & Vodka
“Barton is unique as a writer in that he uses words the way a painter uses colors. Every sentence has meaning and adds to a picture created in the mind of the reader. This is a novel that will own your soul while you absorb it.” — Eyes and Ears
“Sublime and engaging… an emotional chokehold of dramatic introspective fiction” — JorieLovesAStory
“Barton conducts raw notes of human nature and desire into a beautiful melody that mesmerizes at every turn.” — Frank Morelli, author, No Sad Songs