Lean on Pete

Fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson wants a home and some structure to his life. But as the son of a single father working at warehouses across the Pacific Northwest, he's been pretty much on his own for some time. This book opens as he and his father arrive in Portland, Oregon and Charley takes a stables job, illegally, at the local race track.

Described by Mojo as 'one of America's most fundamental artists in words and music' Willy Vlautin is the author of two highly acclaimed novels, The Motel Life (2005) and Northline (2007). He is also the frontman of the band Richmond Fontaine, whose albums include 'Post to Wire' and most recently 'We Used to think the Freeway sounded like a River'. An avid fan of horseracing, he can often be found writing behind a closed circuit monitor at Portland Meadows racetrack.