Double Exposure

Two revelations, each coming to light 20 years apart following the deaths of his father and mother, prompt Brian Johnstone to turn a poet’s eye on his 1950s childhood and explore his parents’ lives before and during World War II. His twin discoveries lead him to encounter relatives both forgotten and unknown, to free an elderly cousin from the burden of a secret kept for a lifetime, and to forge an enduring relationship with the half-sister he never knew he had. In a memoir sure to resonate with baby-boomers and anyone who has lost and found unknown relatives, Brian ponders why he was never trusted with the truth and vividly evokes a post-war upbringing, under whose conventional surface so much was hidden.

Reviews of Double Exposure

Praise for Brian Johnstone: ""A book about memories and secrets and the passing of time."" – Susan Mansfield, Scotsman. ""An economy of language and the sense of times past but not ended."" – Duncan Glen, Lines Review. ""A kaleidoscope of language."" – Sally Evans, Northwords Now. ""Packed with original strengths, delicacies, variety and a vivid awareness of life.."" – Douglas Dunn. ""Full of stilled moments and nicely shaped incidents."" – Robyn Marsack, Scotland on Sunday. ""The fruit of distilled meditation, with a weight of experience and thought behind it."" – Edmund Prestwich, Manchester Review.