Charlie Laidlaw’s book The Days of Our Birth has been republished by Rampart books and I’m delighted to be able to share my original review of the book…
Sarah and Peter lived next door to each other throughout their growing up years. They walked to school together and also shared the same birthday. From the age of six, they each celebrated their birthdays in their own back gardens (boys party for Peter, girls party for Sarah) although the parties didn’t always go to plan. But still Sarah and Peter became firm friends, walking to school together every day and spending time together after school. Sarah is autistic, extremely bright and often wonders why everybody, except Peter (who accepts Sarah as she is) dislikes and makes fun of her.
The Days of Our Birth is a coming of age story, chronicling Peter and Sarah’s lives over twenty years, Peter’s told from his own perspective, Sarah’s in the third person. Along with their strong friendship, they have a mutual respect for each other. Sarah admires, without quite understanding, how it is that Peter doesn’t have to plan things down to the last detail, as she does, and is happy to go with the flow. For his part, Peter has a high opinion of Sarah’s intelligence, but even as he used it to his own advantage sometimes when it came to school work, he was always Sarah’s support.
Peter’s transition into adulthood was pretty smooth whereas Sarah’s wasn’t without its issues. Their easy friendship was tested when Sarah’s grandmother became ill and Sarah and her mother had to move down to Brighton where Sarah was enrolled in boarding school for autistic children. No-one made fun of her or called her names there and she felt more integrated and comfortable being herself. They kept in touch but Sarah missed Peter horribly and after a rash decision on her part their friendship was put on hold.
I’ve read several books by Charlie Laidlaw and loved them. He writes intriguing and perceptive stories driven by well devised, believable and sympathetic characters who are easy to become invested in. The Days of Our Birth is no exception. Peter is a typical lad, lusting after the best looking girl in school even though he believes he hasn’t got a chance with her. When the unbelievable happens, he begins to realise looks aren’t everything, especially when they’re the only thing. Sarah’s character is explored sensitively – what’s it’s like to be completely different from everyone around you, generally not being accepted for who you are, methods of coping, wondering whether it would be easier just to try and conform.
She supposed it was something to do with how her brain was wired, although she mostly thought of herself as normal. Others needed the reassurance of scribbled notes to confirm they were making all the right points and had prepared answers for the difficult questions. Instead, she could visualise what needed to be said, and the likely and unlikely questions that might be asked, just as she could perceive the lives of others simply by looking at them.
Despite what’s gone before Peter and Sarah have to decide how they really feel about each other and what they’re willing to do about it. The Days of Our Birth is all about love, friendship, growing up and into your adult self, with all the emotions, misunderstandings and realisations that involves. A lovely, and very insightful story.
[Theirs was the most important relationship of Peter and Sarah’s life. The perfect relationship until time pulled them apart. A beautiful story sensitively told about how love and friendship can conquer everything, including time. “The Days of Our Birth” delves into the intricate bond between Peter and Sarah as they navigate their formative years. Spanning from their sixth birthday through two decades, the narrative unfolds against the backdrop of Sarah’s placement on the autism spectrum. With a blend of humour and poignancy, the book intricately weaves together themes of love and friendship, unravelling the tale of two individuals who grapple with their emotions for each other, even though they remain unacknowledged. She wanted a career… He wanted a family… He broke his promise...]
