Gold Synopsis
The spectacular new novel by the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of the reader and bookseller favourite, Little Bee.In the tradition of his beloved previous novel, Little Bee, Chris Cleave again gives us an elegant, funny, passionate story about friendship, marriage, parenthood, tragedy, and redemption. This time, the setting is the upcoming London Olympics. Gold is the story of two women, Zoe and Kate, world-class cyclists who have been friends and rivals since their first day of elite training years ago. They have loved, fought, betrayed, forgiven, lost, consoled, triumphed, and grown up together. Now, on the eve of London 2012, their last Olympics, the two must compete for the one remaining spot on their team. In doing so, the women will be tested to their physical, mental and emotional limits. They will confront each other and their own mortality, and be asked to decide: What will you sacrifice for the people you love?
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Chris Cleave Press Reviews
'Sport is so packed with tension and surprise that when authors or scriptwriters use it as the basis for fictional drama I always end up thinking the real thing is preferable by far. Gold is the exception. Set in the world of elite track cycling Chris Cleave's novel follows the ambitions of three very different cyclists with Olympic dreams. He captures the intensity of the sport with aplomb and if you have doubts about whether romance could flourish with the ferocity it does here then, well, look at Laura Trott and Jason Kenny, Team GB gold medalists, who made the front pages with that kiss' - Times Book Club
'A thrilling and quite literally heart-pounding story... You'll never look at an Olympic champion in quite the same way again.' - Richard Madeley, Richard And Judy Book Club Spring 2013
'Cleave is an acutely intelligent wordsmith. Some of the sentences cut so deep you want to scream out in pain and recognition . . . This is an inspirational and moving novel in so many ways, and everyone should read it.' - The Times
'The wait has been worth it . . . As with all Cleave's work, GOLD probes the limit of what its protagonists will do to identify and protect what they really cherish. And that, in Cleave's confident hands, truly is exhilarating.' - Independent
'GOLD is a very good novel . . . strikingly well written . . . it has that rare gift of getting past the urban sneer to move and gratify, to stir us because it does, indeed, matter. It is bold and brave and, when you're on your way to the games this summer, and the person opposite you on the train is sobbing hot tears on to their Kindle, you'll have a pretty good idea what they're reading.' - Observer
About Chris Cleave
Chris Cleave was born in 1973 and graduated from Balliol College, Oxford with a First in Experimental Psychology. After trying out various career paths, including sailing in the Mediterranean and bar work in Melbourne, he worked at the Daily Telegraph for three years, and then for Martha Lane Fox at lastminute.com. He left there in 2003 to concentrate on writing full time. He lives in Paris with his wife and son.
Photo credit: James Emmett
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