He met Liston's gaze but found it almost impossible to sustain eye contact. Soon it became an exercise in the control of fear. Sonny Liston gave Kid Dynamite the slightest hint of a smile and winked.
In the build-up to a fight, Kid Dynamite's head swirls - with thoughts of his estranged father, his difficult relationship with his stepfather, the time he met his hero, and the sense that his own life is reaching a moment of change. A masterclass in tone, atmosphere and control, 'Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine' pays testimony to Thom Jones's unique talent for the short-story form.
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As soon as the turquoise blue Impala pulled in the driveway, Kid Dynamite was out of the back seat, across the lawn, into the house, and dancing in his wool pants and tie as he vaulted up to his room.
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(@FaberBooks, 3 January 2019, e-book, 29 pages, bought from @AmazonKindle)
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I enjoyed this story a lot. I thought it was well written and engaging. I really liked the language used. The characters come to life and really leap off the page. There's something really enjoyable about the tone of the story. I liked the way the relationship between Sonny and Kid is portrayed.
