One Hundred and Fifty-Two Days By Giles Paley-Phillips

‘One Hundred and Fifty-Two Days’ is the latest book by Giles Paley-Phillips.

He will be allowed to visit his mother soon. His mother who is terminally ill, his mother who he has been barred from seeing as he recovers from his own bout of pneumonia. Until then, with the help of his physiotherapist Freya, he must navigate his increasingly empty and isolated existence: his father, who finds solace in the bottom of a glass; his Nana Q, whose betting-slip confetti litters her handbag; his friends, who simply wouldn’t understand. Time passes with the promise of soon, but one hundred and fifty-two days later the boy will come face to face with his grief, and move beyond to a world full of possibility, hope and love.

I consumed this short story in one sitting, told from the narrative of a young boy coming to terms with his mother’s death as well being unable to visit her due to his own sickness.

This story is uniquely written, it’s written in short snappy bursts and speaks honestly and innocently of the boy’s pain at his mother’s sickness. His innocence is quite hard to read at times as he struggles with emotions, from the loss of his mother as well as his hard relationship with his father. He longs to fit into society but with poverty and illness, he stands out to the crowd.

A tender tale about love and loss, ‘One Hundred and Fifty-Two Days’ is a haunting and poignant tale about a child adapting to life whilst struggling with loss and grief, an emotional story that tugs at the hardest of hearts.

You can buy ‘One Hundred and Fifty-Two Days’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.