The Journey of Leaves
Description
The Journey of Leaves is a fictional story based upon the real-life experiences of Ian Boyd and his family over the first six months after his diagnosis of advanced metastatic prostate cancer.
Aged fifty-two, Liam King's world is shattered by a diagnosis of advanced, aggressive, incurable prostate cancer, the same disease which killed his father. Knowing very little of the scientific or emotional facts surrounding his father's battle, Liam discovers the realities of prostate cancer survival and modern treatments through his own journey.
When Liam and his wife, Aimz, inform their closest friends of his diagnosis, they are shocked by their lack of empathy and understanding. Further conflict ensues when Aimz decides to postpone a baking event she planned in the hope of carving a new career in the food industry. Complete betrayal ensues when their friendship group decides to seize control of the event from Aimz, backed by a large council funding grant linked to corrupt kickbacks.
While Aimz fights to hold onto her career dreams, Liam makes the decision to distract himself from his fear of death by reinventing himself as a children's author. Fighting with and against each other, they must rediscover love under the cloud of Liam's possible death, his loss of sexual function, his daily challenges as a chemo patient, the betrayal of their closest friends, and the grinding wait for their daughters to find a way home through the impenetrable travel restrictions imposed by Covid.
Having fallen through the safety net of the only life they have ever known, Liam and Aimz learn to cherish each moment of life, following its constantly changing winds like the journey of leaves.
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Person
Ian Boyd, author of The Frog Bridge, is an active member of the South Australian children's literature community, having served in 2022-23 as Vice President of the Children's Book Council of Australia SA Branch. Prior to his pursuits in the middle grade fiction artform, writing had always been an integral part of Ian's existence, from poetry and songwriting to a brief stint as a journalist for a tourist magazine. He also produces StorySnorts, an improvised children's theatre show based upon the principles of story creation. Ian was born in Melbourne, Victoria, before moving to South Australia where he spent his childhood years in the once small town of Mount Barker, and his adult years in the city of Adelaide. His career has included several small businesses, the most notable being 20 years in landscape gardening and 2 years as a children's entertainer. He is married with three adult daughters, enjoys playing his acoustic guitar or piano while singing along, and has lived with advanced prostate cancer since being diagnosed early in 2020.