Erudite and sensitive, author Michel Robin has earned the wisdom that worldly experience of six decades confers on a reflective man. But in Sixty Years Young, he goes back through time to confront the child that he was and to embrace the ways in which that boy is still who he is now. In the tradition of philosophers' and poets' courageous childhood confessionals, yet with an honesty and clarity all his own, he gives us a real narrative of childhood seen through un-tinted glasses. Revisiting his boyhood becomes a quest for truth. The truth of the man he has become. The wider truth of the world as the boy saw it, the world that grew up around him. The tales of his truths make for episodes at times delightful, at times embarrassing, and always incisive. This is no safe stroll down Memory Lane. The author relives the beauty and tyranny of being a child. Young Michel commands fairness into his universe with toy soldiers shared with the neighbor boy across the fence of social divide. He lights matches to the housecat's whiskers. He pursues his first love with a barrage of letters, and gets punished by the school priest. He parries adult intervention with subterfuge or flashes of contrition. Older Michel dissects his world - our world - with the keen intransigence of the boy. It's a dialogue between two selves. A protest against malice and hypocrisy. A hand held out for love. An ode to life. It's also an evocation of Belgium in the post-war years. There are tensions among family members around issues of class and religion. Puritanism contends with fascination for movies, fast cars, beautiful girls. People, events, beliefs all loom into the lens, held in the same lucid gaze, by the boy and by the man that boy has become. As if yesterday was still today.
About the Author: Michel Robin is an international nomad and author of true story-based fiction. He was born in Charleroi, Belgium on February 2nd, 1946, and, due to his extensive travels and wealth of experience, can easily be considered a true citizen of the world. At 16, Michel bought his first 50cc motor bike and, with no prior experience, took part in the Belgian Juniors Motorcycle Racing Championship placing second behind Jacky Ickx (who went on to become a celebrated Formula One racer). At this time he discovered a love for writing when he submitted his first article for Les Sports magazine's supplement Les Sports Moteurs. He quickly became a regular contributor to the publication. Michel continued to race throughout his young adulthood, winning awards and making a name for himself on the competitive circuit in Belgium. He took part in several races, most notably the 84 Hour Nürburgring in Germany driving for Mazda along with a fellow Japanese racer. This constituted the first race pairing of Japanese and Belgian nationalities in Europe. Although Michel studied business in University during that time, he tended to spend more time on the racetrack than in the classroom. Throughout his early adult life, Michel, traveled the world writing and reporting on a plethora of subjects including news, opinion, economics, car and motorcycle racing, and more. Journalism turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg for Michel as he quickly embraced the role of a life-long-learner and ventured confidently into the European business sector. Michel went on to self-fund and found Customer Relationship Management agencies in several countries as well as a number of other start-up companies. He has also been a consultant for multi-national corporations and auto-manufacturers who refer to him as their 'favorite irritant' due to his unique gift of always asking the right questions. Michel now lives in Portugal with his soul-mate and spends the days writing and planning how to make the world a better place. Sixty Years Young is Michel Robin's first novel.