My Policeman

A Novel

By: Bethan Roberts

Narrated by: Piers Hampton, Emma Powell

Now a motion picture starring Harry Styles, Emma Corrin, and David Dawson, an exquisitely told, tragic tale of thwarted love.

“Stunning...fraught and honest.” (New York Times Book Review)

It is in 1950s Brighton that Marion first catches sight of Tom. He teaches her to swim, gently guiding her through the water in the shadow of the city's famous pier, and Marion is smitten - determined her love alone will be enough for them both. A few years later, near the Brighton Museum, Patrick meets Tom. Patrick is besotted, and opens Tom's eyes to a glamorous, sophisticated new world of art, travel, and beauty. Tom is their policeman, and in this age it is safer for him to marry Marion and meet Patrick in secret. The two lovers must share him, until one of them breaks and three lives are destroyed.

In this evocative portrait of midcentury England, Bethan Roberts reimagines the real-life relationship the novelist E. M. Forster had with a policeman, Bob Buckingham, and his wife. My Policeman is a deeply heartfelt story of love's passionate endurance, and the devastation wrought by a repressive society.

©2014 Bethan Roberts (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

An Irish Times Book of the Year

“Stunning...overdue in becoming a sensation...Roberts’s messy collision of desires and drives leads to thwarted dreams, heartbreak, betrayal and a prison sentence. It’s a story as old as time, but, to my mind, it’s never been told so effectively, principally because Roberts invests us emotionally in both sides of the tug-of-war.... It’s not a happy story. It’s better than that, fraught and honest.”—New York Times Book Review

"A powerful story of forbidden love, regret, and living as your true self."—Vanity Fair

“Roberts beautifully captures the devastation of being unable or unwilling to live in one’s truth…A melancholy story about love, loss, and unnecessary suffering.”—Kirkus Reviews

Tragic story but one that had to be told

As much as I hate the lying and deception i it was a story of great significance that had to be told I read this book by and 2012 but I forgot about it until the movie came out and I’m sorry the movie while I was an amazing movie it just didn’t have the same feeling as reading the book and while I bought the 2021 version of the book cause Harry was on the cover (sorry not sorry I’m an OG OT5 directioner) I just felt it violated the book a bit but then again I might be biased as I read the book again before seeing the movie and I had to go and had to go an hr put of my way to watch it on the big screen but the book I 100000% recommend

Best book this year.

This book had it all. The story was gripping from the very beginning. The performance was right on pitch. You could feel what they were feeling. I did not want this book to end.

Good LGBTQ+ British History

This novel centers around the relations between three English people in the late 1950’s onwards: Patrick the museum curator, his male lover Tom the policeman, and the schoolteacher Marion who Tom marries to maintain public face. Bethan Roberts bases his tale on the real-life relationship between the author E.M. Forster had with a policeman and the policeman’s wife. It is representative of what a repressive, homophobic society subjects its LGBTQ+ community to. This epistolary book told from Marion and Patrick’s diaries reminds me of “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, in that the subjects of the novels (Tom and Gatsby, respectively) do not get their own perspectives represented.

I am very impressed with the immersion this historical novel accomplishes with placing readers in the narrative setting and sociopolitical expectations of the time without any passages that seem only to be there for expositionary purposes. Marion is an unlikeable character, but as heteronormativity is imposed upon the LGBTQ+ community, so is her perspective thrust upon the narrative. Additionally, her sections serve narrative purpose in the latter temporal sections when Tom and Patrick are emotionally and physically unable to communicate with one another, respectively. And so, though at times a slog to get through, I understand why Marion’s perspective is there.

The novel’s 4/5-star rating, IMHO, is more deserved by the fact that Tom is not a very good spouse to Patrick, not a nice guy, and Patrick and Marion in turn only seem to be attracted to Tom physically. Are we not supposed to like Tom? We like Patrick, and Patrick lives more bravely and puts more effort into their relationship than Tom does. Tom is put under substantial societal pressure, but there isn’t much to admire beyond his idolized Greco-Roman physique.

There’s a lot I can rant and analyze about this book, but overall, I think it’s a good one and I’m glad I read it. I read this before seeing the movie, which I am still interested in watching. I wonder how the creative team has interpreted these characters?

Incredible! Beautiful story!

I highly recommend this book. The story was deeply moving and beautiful and the performance from both actors was superb.

honestly

took some time to get interesting, wish tom’s perspective was thrown in there to answer all the questions I have

the best parts of this story for me were these very specific intimate moments

I understand that things are pretty surface because of the perspectives but it left me wanting more from these characters

overall I’m glad I listened to it

best line: ..long legs and a chunky little arse.

Heartbreaking

This story was infuriating at times, and heartbreaking due to the frustrating lack of understanding of people/society in general. Unfortunately, I can’t say we’ve finished the work of opening closed minds and hearts. How different the story would be if the characters were able to speak their truths and live their lives without the all of the guilt and regrets!

Brutal but a great listen…

The voice actors give a superb performance of a book that’s brutal but a great listen.

Not my cup of tea

It seems like a good book but it isn’t my cup of tea. I thought it was but it isn’t

Completely captivating!

Never found a book more relatable in all my years of reading. A book I keep finding myself going back to again and again.

Wonderful

Wonderful story! Well narrated.very touching and yet disturbing. Throughly enjoyed it and will recommend to others.