The number of straight people who say to me: ‘Oh, it’s fine to be gay these days! I don’t mind at all!’ They have no idea what it’s really like. Somebody said to me the other day that they were going on holiday to Jamaica, and they said, ‘Oh you must go sometime!’ and I said to them, ‘It’s not safe for someone like me to go to Jamaica.’ That had never even crossed their minds.” I took both Ted and Oskar to my heart. Both are fabulous characters, quite different in temperament with Ted trying to find the courage to make changes to follow his life’s dream and also finding his self worth after being made to feel a support act in an apparently rather toxic relationship. Supporting characters were just wonderful, including nonagenarian Stanley, feeling ostracised in his care home but opening up to Ted and reminiscing about his younger life when being gay was illegal and the sacrifices that were made. Ted’s best friend Denise with her support and encouragement. There is drama elsewhere too which all adds to Ted feeling conflicted and angry. Matt Cain really knows how to dish out the feel good vibes with love at factor 1000 to leave a reader glowing with happiness and romance.

I had so much – an education, a healthy sense of self, a deep arsenal of ambition – and I was wise enough to credit my mother with instilling it in me.’ Photograph: Courtesy of the Obama-Robinson Family Archives He said: “I got married on Sunday, December 18 and the ceremony happened in London but there was a big Bolton presence. And he realizes that Denise is right—the breakup of his marriage has given him an opportunity to make some changes. This really is his chance to live a life that doesn’t revolve around other people. I was totally captivated by Ted’s story and slowly savoured the last few chapters because I genuinely didn’t want the journey to end. Becoming Ted is a glorious read, a story of identity and belonging, of friendship and love — it’s a touching, joyous, heartwarming hug-in-a-book.

However, this isn’t just Ted’s story…

Ted Ainsworth has always worked at his family’s ice cream business in the quiet Lancashire town of St Luke’s-on-Sea. I’d like to thank Joe Thomas from Headline for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and for sending me a proof copy. I was a huge fan of Matt Cain’s book, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle, and could not wait to read his latest creation. Please do! Just let us know how you've heard about this person, and why you think they should speak at TED.

The book also focuses on acceptance in other ways, and I thought Oskar and Andrzej's stories were depicted incredibly well in this regard, though they are of course very sad. It’s not long before the reader learns the nature of Ted’s dream but although the destination may be clear, it’s the journey that Ted goes on to reach it that is at the heart of the book. It’s a journey the author makes us want to accompany Ted on as he battles with the low self-esteem resulting from being dumped, quite out of the blue, by Giles, his partner of twenty years, and the responsibility he feels towards his parents to be part of the family business, famous for its ice cream. It’s a feeling partly born out of gratitude for his parents’ wholehearted acceptance of his sexuality. It truly is never too late to chase your dreams and if Ted's lifelong dream has never been one to continue in his family's ice-cream business, but to be a drag queen, instead - then he's going to see it through head-on and head-strong - even if the path to fame is not without its troubles. 'He’s determined to make the most of it' and with a lot of helpful guidance and brave encouragement he ventures out into that bold and daring and colorful start to his new life. And along the way as he reflects on the moments in his life that led him here, to the good and bad times that he shared with Giles, he also is rewarded with the hopeful flair that perhaps, it may be never too late to find love again, either.I thoroughly enjoyed Becoming Ted and have a feeling that it could be a defining narrative for 2023 because it embodies change and the challenges of life, whilst presenting an ultimately uplifting resolution. In het begin komt Ted soms nog wat zwaarmoedig over, vult hij veel voor anderen in en mag hij best meer vertrouwen hebben in de steun van zijn dierbaren, maar uiteindelijk wordt zijn groei goed neergezet, gaat hij stralen, bevrijdt hij zich van de verwachtingen van anderen en volgt hij zijn hart. Zijn reis naar geluk is verrassend, hij blijkt vol grote dromen en verlangens te zitten, hij krijgt hier en daar een liefdevol duwtje in de goede richting, hij wordt aangemoedigd, beseft steeds beter dat hij er mag zijn en hij durft zich verder open te stellen zodra hij zijn zelfvertrouwen hervindt. My considerable blessings in life were now causing a kind of psychic whiplash. I’d been raised to be confident and see no limits, to believe I could go after and get absolutely anything I wanted. And I wanted everything. I wanted to live with the hat-tossing, independent-career-woman zest of Mary Tyler Moore, and at the same time I gravitated toward the stabilizing, self-sacrificing, seemingly bland normalcy of being a wife and mother. I wanted to have a work life and a home life, but with some promise that one would never fully squelch the other. I hoped to be exactly like my own mother and at the same time nothing like her at all. It was an odd and confounding thing to ponder. Could I have everything? Would I have everything? I had no idea. Thankfully Ted is able to help Stanley feel more accepted in his home at Memory House, and Stanley is so proud of Ted for embracing his own wants in life, even at an older age, as it is a fitting tribute to all the LGBTQIA+ people who came before, and who couldn't live a life free to be who they were.

No. Read more about partnering with TED. Sponsoring TED has many benefits, but a guaranteed speaking slot is not one of them. Becoming Ted will steal your heart - a charming, joyful and surprising story about love, friendship and learning to be true to yourself, from the author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle. I loved meeting Oskar and found his sexuality and his sense of otherness was sensitively handled. There’s also a mystery in the narrative about what has happened to Oskar in the past and about Ted’s family that adds an extra layer of interest to hook the reader further. In sixth grade, our English teacher, Mr. David taught us the many different options we could use in place of the word, 'said'. I would be remiss if I didn't say that I applied the various terms into my own creative writing, as well. But, it was while reading this, that I have never appreciated the word 'said' more. And it's not that I didn't mind the different ways it was not used, it's just that some alternative choices were so poorly applied, it completely took me out of the actual scene! Becoming Ted is the story of an ordinary man's journey to fulfil his extraordinary dream. It's full of warmth, humour and courage and I absolutely loved it! Loud, proud and ruddy marvellous!You get to this age and if decline isn’t setting in with you personally, it is with your peers, and you do start to think, a lot of things are going to get worse with no hope of them getting better – eyesight being one of them.”

As he talks, Cain pops his reading glasses on and then takes them off again and squints. He only started wearing glasses a year or so ago and wears them to read but not watch TV. The exchange is typical of what unfolds over the next 45 minutes or so – it’s like chatting to an old friend down the pub. The discussion leads to talk of getting older. Cain has just turned 48. Honestly, what was there not to enjoy with this book?! I delighted in the becoming of Ted, it was a true feel good story, courageous and heartwarming and although at times my heart broke for him, rest assured it repaired itself by the end of the book! When life suddenly takes an unexpected turn, Ted is forced to re-evaluate his priorities and make some changes. Will he be brave , or will he cave in to family pressures? I feel like this setting fit Ted and his character perfectly, though I'm not going to give any spoilers!

You can give someone all your love, and make yourself small in their presence, and yet it still won't be enough. You can be the ripest peach on the tree, yet there will still be some people who don't like peaches. Another special ability Matt Cain has is to bring the secondary characters into the story and let them steal a small piece of your heart. Whether it’s Stanley and his words of encouragement to Ted or Oskar and his troubling past, trying to find his place in the world, there is a lot of heart to be found. The story is heartwarming, touching, funny, sassy, fiery, romantic, emotional, dramatic, delightful and eye-opening, and I recommend it highly! It is a great book, which is really uplifting and warm, and it will bring joy to your heart!