JUST ONE MORE DRIVE
The true story of a stuttering homosexual and his race car
Author: James Robert O’Brien
NEW EDITION September 2021
A story for every misfit who ever thought they were the only ones without all the answers.
Robert O’Brien loves cars. Growing up in Dublin, they provided a welcome refuge from the human interaction he found so difficult. His father’s race car, a BMW E30 M3 Sport Evolution he named the Beast, became his alter-ego—powerful, admired, confident—and Robert began a quest to become a worthy owner. He completed a university degree, took courses to conquer his stutter and tried to come to terms with his sexuality. But still he remained more comfortable in the fantasy worlds of video games and television.
Escaping Ireland to pursue acting in Vancouver, Robert quickly realized there was one thing he could not run from. Himself. Refusing to give up, he delved into self-help courses and counseling and began journaling to pinpoint where things went wrong but continued to struggle with self-worth. During a particularly difficult trip home, it was the Beast that saved his life.
Just One More Drive explores dark themes—bullying, depression, suicide, loneliness, anxiety—with honesty, self-deprecating humour and hope. After years of struggle, Robert is proud of the man he is, no longer believes he needs to be fixed and is passionate about normalizing frank discussions of men’s mental health.
- Non-fiction
- ISBN 978-1-990160-02-8 (paperback)
- ISBN 978-1-990160-03-5 (ebook)
- 244 pp, 5.5″ x 8.5″
- New edition to be published September 2021
- CAD $21.95
I believe a good autobiography should be searingly honest. Just One More Drive, Robert O’Brien’s intimate narrative has this quality in spades. He brings the reader on a journey through the trials of childhood stuttering that lingers into adulthood with stifling results. We feel his bewilderment when his sexual orientation dawns and his journey towards embracing his sexuality takes up much of the book. The author’s assertion that being gay may not have been his choice but how he relates to it is, was uplifting. I highly recommend it.