Former HOLBY CITY actor Jack Ryder has written his first children’s book ‘Jack’s Secret Summer’ – an unforgettable magical adventure, full of humour and heart – for fans of The Famous Five and Roald Dahl.
Jack has been dreading the summer holidays – his dad works long hours, and so all he has to look forward to is an empty house. But when his boisterous neighbours, Bruno and Rocco, make it their mission to pull him into an adventure, his life will never be the same again.
Together they decide to explore the strange old house at the top of the hill, long abandoned and overgrown with ivy. But they soon discover the ivy hides more than just walls… the house is full of magical secrets, including a strange girl with no memory, who may hold the key to it all, if only she can remember…
Jack, who is famed for his role in Eastenders as well as his recent role as Evan in HOLBY CITY is currently preparing for the birth of his child with partner Ella . Talking of his book, Jack said he was inspired by his own childhood “The main inspiration behind it was the happy memories I had growing up as a kid with my mates in south east London”.
Jack’s Secret Summer touches on separated parents, something Ryder experienced as a child. His parents separated when he was a baby and his mother’s second marriage also didn’t work out. For a while Ryder lived with his stepfather, a graphic designer, but regularly visited his mother, a driving instructor, and kept in touch with his father, Nick Hues, frontman of 1980s band Wang Chung.
“It had a big impact on me. There was isolation at points but through that came a lot of freedom to be with myself and my imagination and my friends. I was about 12 when it happened. There were times when it was very lonely and upsetting and times when having that freedom was exhilarating.”
