Novel addresses teen suicide
Businessman writes book to encourage young people not to surrender
A report about a teenager's suicide caught Raymond Wong Fook-lam's attention two years ago. The businessman couldn't fathom why young people would give up on their lives, especially when they had many more opportunities than when he was growing up in the 1960s.
"I wondered why he wanted to end his life when everyone is trying to live a better life," says Wong, managing director at SOCAM Development, a subsidiary of the Shui On Group.
His son was 12 at the time, and the tragedy set Wong thinking about what he could do to encourage young people not to surrender in the face of adversity. He decided on a novel idea - he would write a story about how a teenager overcomes his personal demons.
The result is , a book about a gifted 13-year-old named Cedric whose family is injured in a car accident while they are on holiday in the US.
Cedric wakes up in hospital to find he has lost both parents, and the tale takes readers on his emotional journey as he is buffeted by feelings of grief, anger and survivor's guilt.
Sent to boarding school in Britain, the musically talented teen struggles to cope as trauma causes him to turn mute. But with the help of newfound friends and the power of music, he regains his voice - along with hope in life.
