John Simmons

Leaves John Simmons

No Life ordinary. There's always mystery . . .

Ophelia Street, 1970. A street like any other, a community that lives and breathes together as people struggle with their commitments and pursue their dreams. It is a world we recognise, a world where class and gender divide, where set roles are acknowledged. But what happens when individuals step outside those roles? An observer amid Ophelia Street watches, writes, imagines, remembers, charting the lives and loves of his neighbours over the course of four seasons, revealing the flimsily disguised underbelly of urban life in all its challenging glory. As the leaves turn from vibrant green to vivid gold, so lives turn and change too, laying bare the truth of the community. Perhaps, ultimately, we all exist on Ophelia Street.

Praise for Leaves:
"Provides a trip down memory lane to 1970's London."

"A beautifully written book."

"A story of humanity and community."

"Beautifully written, lyrical, but what it depicts and explores is often poignant, and sometimes horrifically violent."