This story from Anita has long been one of my favourites, about a huge bear of a man called Simple. He loves to be in the forest at home among all the towering trees, away from all the people who torment him because of his size, his slowness, and his stutter.
I thought I would print an excerpt to introduce him to you properly…
Gran stormed across the clearing, bending to pick up a stick from the ground without breaking her stride. Simple, sitting against the wood pile, was in for another of her beatings. I yelled for him to run, but he didn’t hear me. Lost in one of his daydreams I guessed.
I watched in silence as Gran repeatedly swung the stick hard against the side of her son’s head. There were no words to describe Simple’s pain, or the pain of watching. He probably didn’t even know what it was for and I hated her for making me feel all the things he couldn’t say. He didn’t move or look her in the face, not until she let the stick drop from her bony fingers did he feel safe enough to close his eyes. He slowly put his hands to his battered head, blood pushing its way through the gaps in his dirty fingers…
I know I edited this book, so you could say I am a bit biased, but I don’t think so. I really love the story, even though it has savagely cruel elements involving hatred and violence. But all of these elements are finely balanced with so much emotional determination and caring by Simple’s sister, Leanne, that you get torn every which way as you read it.
This book is a roller coaster of a read but one that has been very hard to categorise. Mainstream publishers really couldn’t figure out what to do with it. They loved it but…
There always seems to be a but, doesn’t there?
I would love to hear if you could love it as much as I do…
Here is the latest review for Simple…
Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes 
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