Now in his late 70s, Brian Chaucer was born in London just after the end of World War 2. He had a chaotic childhood and left school aged sixteen. He had a wholly dysfunctional family and grew up in a house filled with family criminals, domestic violence and child abuse. Despite that, this engagingly chaotic and empathetic autobiography chronicles his unusual life. A mix of text, Facebook messages and e-mails it revolves around his move to Latvia in 2020 and all of the problems this created ranging from bureaucracy and diet to managing movement around snow covered cobbled streets and developing a social community in the time of covid. It records his hugely varied working life in some thirty jobs ranging from postman to guest house owner and his love of travel from Southend Pier to Bangkok. This is a truly unusual but enjoyable book sharing a difficult but energetic and quite remarkable life and demonstrating that even in old age there is a whole world to be explored.

Brian is a gay man in his late seventies who moves to Latvia to live. He knows almost no one, has limited funds and doesn't speak the language. He has an interesting take on the world after a life that has clearly at times been difficult. This book seems to have been made from Facebook posts and it's frustrating as, although you get some back story, there are lots of things about his life that I'd like to understand better but don't know the facts. ( )

Great life journey told by Brian ( )

Whenever I see a Hawkwood Books offering up for grabs on the Early Reviewers section of Librarything I always go for it. I love the quirky and different nature of the books they publish. I’ve had some absolute gems, and this is no exception.
Brian Chaucer is one of those rare people - a true free spirit. Burdened by a past that he doesn’t go into too much detail about, although there are enough clues for us to discern much of the abuse he must have endured, he blasts his way through life – not in a bombastic or precocious way - embracing experiences and people with humanity and affection. And he is able to turn all of it into anecdotal offerings many of which apparently appeared on Facebook. (I can’t check as I do not subscribe to that platform) but the collation of all his reminiscences makes for a joyous and entertaining book. Yes, it meanders around at times with zig zag chronology but that really doesn’t matter. Brian is an astute observer of people and situations, a patient and resilient man, a bold and courageous man who ism undaunted by the obstacles that ageing can throw in our paths. At 75 he relocated to Latvia! His getting to grips with being an expat in a foreign land where not everyone necessarily speaks English is a joy to read. I heartily recommend this book. ( )