About the Book
England footballer, Sammy Hatchington, has never considered
sexuality before. As a teenager, Sammy broke the mould of his
youthful peers with his desire to open the door to life’s endless
possibilities. He escaped a deprived estate and, with the help of Old
Thomas, his surrogate father, Davey, his soul-mate, and Gran, the
connoisseur of footballer’s bottoms, launched himself on a path toward
his personal and professional goals. Now, several years later, he must
make a decision that could destroy everything he has fought for, and
create a furious media frenzy………
David Kerby-Kendall’s joyous and witty novel challenges preconceptions
about professional sportsmen and love, and is also a delightful and
moving story of a young man’s journey to self-knowledge.
About the Author :
David's first play was 'Save Your Kisses For Me', written from an idea that he had spawned by the first ever single that he purchased by The Brotherhood Of Man. From the success of that play, David became the "In-House" writer for Heartbreak Productions. In this role he wrote plays and adapted novels for national tours, including adapting 3 David Walliam's children's novels; 'Mr Stink', 'Ratburger' and 'Billionaire Boy'. David's second play was called 'The Moon is Halfway to Heaven'. This was produced at Jermyn Street Theatre, in the West End, London. He has also written 2 further plays 'Gay Pride And No Prejudice' and '20:40' (a play about depression). These are being staged in London in 2018.
Having written several plays, David began to write novels. He said "I'd always wanted to write a story about a gay footballer, both to help create discussion about the subject and also to write about the human being behind the icon, so that people could empathise with the real person, not just the photo on the back pages of the newspapers."
Book was initially released as 'The Last Taboo', and was then re-launched in June 2017 as 'The Rainbow Player'. As The Rainbow Player, the story has attracted a lot of support and attention, and David has been featured on a BBC radio show, giving a reading of the book. An incredibly moving story, David really captures the reader's imagination, bringing a deep empathy to the main character and the problems that his personal life brings to his professional position as a footballer.
Review :
5.0 out of 5 stars: Uplifting story, beautifully told. By: Paul Smith on 6 January 2018: A wonderfully warm, Uplifting, funny and moving story. Beautifully written. Would make a great film. Hope the main storyline will one day come true! Highly recommended. 5.0 out of 5 stars: A book you won't want to put down. By: Paul on 4 March 2018: From the first to the last page of this book, I was in love with the characters. They are so well written and rounded. This book has the laugh out loud, the OMG and the being a tear to your eye moments a good story needs this is a book that is so well written with such warmth and compassion, that I snuggled up on my favourite chair and read in one sitting. I would recommend this book 100 %. I know it is a book i will read again very soon. 5.0 out of 5 stars: Truly wonderful. Even if you aren’t a fan of football ... By Amazon Customer: 20 February 2018: Truly wonderful. Even if you aren’t a fan of football I would recommend this novel to you. Such a brilliant story with great characters, touching on a subject many might still find to be taboo. 5.0 out of 5 stars: Emotional and witty. By: Chris123 on 30 July 2017: Part finding-oneself drama, part romance, part life, with dashings of sport, this is a wonderful book about loyalty, love, and acceptance.Sammy Hutchington, England footballer, finds himself facing a dilemma that could rip apart everything he has ever worked to achieve, with a wonderful host of characters to see him through … or drag him down. With wit and emotion permeating every page, this was a wonderful read. The plot was strong, the writing hilarious and poignant in equal measure, and the characterisation dripping in realism. This is a book about acceptance, finding yourself, and being true to your values. It is funny, it is sad, and it is wonderful. Highly, highly recommended! 4.0 out of 5 stars: I found a story that moved me to my very core. By: Ali - The Dragon Slayer on 17 July 2017. I thought I knew what to expect from this book based on the pre-conception of football (yuck) and the rainbow symbolism. Instead I found a story that moved me to my very core. It has a tremendous amount of depth and sensitivity, the characters are all slightly defective in their own way which makes them incredibly human and natural. The strength of loyalty among friends in contrast to the utter disinterest shown by some members of the family, the blunt ignorant stigma involved creates a well rounded observation. There are some fantastically humorous parts to counter balance the poignant moments.Sam grows up in a deprived area, has zero support from his father .. but thankfully his Gran and friend Thomas the bookseller, who takes on the role of surrogate parent to a degree have some very wise advice. I absolutely adored Gran! This is a tale of exploration, coming of age, learning to be true to oneself as well as others and above all else love. While it definitely has an LGBT dominance don’t let that sway your decision to read it (if it’s not your genre) because the amount of pleasure gained from reading The Rainbow Player and the thought-provoking text makes it so worthwhile. It’s an ambassador for love, kindness and acceptance of our fellow humans no matter what their sexuality, race or status is.And just to reiterate I can’t abide football (more of an NFL fan!) but that doesn’t hinder the flow of the story it is all relevant and after all it’s only a game but has a significant role.
