{"title":"Books by Andrew Porter","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781804442647","title":"Heart on My Sleeve","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2025\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Fascinating - a great read' - Miriam O'Callaghan\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Brilliant, absolutely terrific' - Matt Cooper\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith a foreword by Richie Sadlier\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the heartbreak of losing his mother to breast cancer at just 12 years old, to battling mental health struggles throughout his teens, Andrew Porter's journey is one of extraordinary resilience. In this deeply personal and inspiring account, the Irish rugby star opens up about the challenges that shaped him - on and off the pitch.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith honesty and heart, Andrew shares how rugby became his lifeline, guiding him from the gym floor to the world stage. He reflects on the emotional highs and lows of his career, including earning 75 caps for Ireland, winning three Six Nations titles and becoming one of the sport's most respected figures. This is more than a story of athletic triumph - it's a testament to the power of perseverance, vulnerability, and the human spirit.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55896465572213,"sku":"9781804442647","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781804442647_141896e8-4b29-4f50-a125-dcfa82345a88.jpg?v=1786026834"},{"product_id":"9781787705906","title":"The Imagined Life","description":"\u003cp\u003eA taut, elegiac, and engrossing read, \u003cem\u003eThe Imagined Life\u003c\/em\u003e follows Steven Mills, a man in a struggling marriage who becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth about the father who vanished from his life when he was only twelve.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDriving up the coast of California, Steven seeks out his father’s friends, family, and former colleagues, and is transported back to his 1980s childhood: his parents’ legendary pool parties, black-and-white films on the backyard projector, his father’s male friends in the cabana house… With every revelation his father becomes more difficult to recognise, and, with every insight, Steven must confront truths about his own life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn cinematic prose, Andrew Porter explores the full nexus of male relationships: fathers and sons, husbands and lovers—set achingly against the US AIDS epidemic and the homophobia of the 1980s—and masterfully weaves a tale of trauma, generational secrets, forbidden love, and shame.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55897511461237,"sku":"9781787705906","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781787705906_1e2447a3-64d4-4ef1-a51f-a116ad2c3576.jpg?v=1786025673"},{"product_id":"9780593467411","title":"The Disappeared","description":"\u003cb\u003eA collection of stories that trace the threads of loss and displacement running through all our lives, by the acclaimed, award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eThe Theory of Light and Matter\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“What a beautiful book about the profound mystery of ordinary life.” —Alix Ohlin, author of \u003ci\u003eWe Want What We Want\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA husband and wife hear a mysterious bump in the night. A father mourns the closeness he has lost with his son. A friendship with a married couple turns into a dangerous codependency. With gorgeous sensitivity, assurance, and a propulsive sense of menace, these stories center on disappearances both literal and figurative—lives and loves that are cut short, the vanishing of one's youthful self. From San Antonio to Austin, from the clamor of a crowded restaurant to the cigarette at a lonely kitchen table, Andrew Porter captures each of these relationships mid-flight, every individual life punctuated by loss and beauty and need. \u003ci\u003eThe Disappeared\u003c\/i\u003e reaffirms the undeniable artistry of a contemporary master of the form.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56292511351157,"sku":"9780593467411","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780593467411_ffb2daaa-ba99-46e5-a000-46ba8cbb25d2.jpg?v=1786014532"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-andrew-porter.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}