Neil is a fiction author of some note whose last book, Always the Sun, was longlisted for the Man Booker and while writing it he was inspired to turn to his own tortured childhood, of which this is the result so it has the feel of fiction but because it is true, it of course is inconclusive. One is left wondering what happened next but that, to me, is its only fault, if indeed one can call it a fault for this is a genuinely compelling and heartrending story of a confused young life.

When he was five, Neil's mother walked out of the family home. Two years later she returned with a new man; Derek Cross. His new stepfather prided himself on being an exemplary parent, kind, patient, never too tired to read him stories. Neil loved him. Yet underneath lurked another Derek Cross - a monster: conman, adulterer, liar, racist and a cold-hearted manipulator.
| Primary Genre | Biographies & Autobiographies |
| Recommendations: |
When he was five, Neil's mother walked out of the family home. Two years later she returned with a new man; Derek Cross.
Heartland features in the following genres: Biographies & Autobiographies, Non-Fiction Books of the Month, eBooks of the Month, Biography, Literature and Literary studies, Recommendations
Ebook, Paperback. Not Available.
Heartland was written by Neil Cross and published by Simon & Schuster Ltd