Michael Brown was 18 when he forged his mother’s signature to marry Cynthia. It was bold, romantic, and illegal. The fallout – arrest, job loss, and a forced return to Christchurch – was just the beginning. Set against the backdrop of the Muldoon era, Mike’s story of dazzling highs and sobering lows takes us through careers in the fire service, real estate, and business. It takes us through the life cycle of a loving marriage, the growth of a family, and several attempts to run away from it all. This second memoir is a raw, darkly funny reckoning with love, legacy, and the cost of chasing redemption. It’s about splinters and smoke, and the stubborn belief that maybe, just maybe, he could still get it right”
Michael Brown was 18 when he forged his mother’s signature to marry Cynthia. It was bold, romantic, and illegal. The fallout – arrest, job loss, and a forced return to Christchurch – was just the beginning. Set against the backdrop of the Muldoon era, Mike’s story of dazzling highs and sobering lows takes us through careers in the fire service, real estate, and business. It takes us through the life cycle of a loving marriage, the growth of a family, and several attempts to run away from it all. This second memoir is a raw, darkly funny reckoning with love, legacy, and the cost of chasing redemption. It’s about splinters and smoke, and the stubborn belief that maybe, just maybe, he could still get it right”