Mama's Little Prince

My brother Mårten, who is an author, has written a novel about Elvis' childhood called Mama's Little Prince (Mammas lilla prins in Swedish). 

As I have mentioned from time to time here on my blog, I am lucky to have a brother - Mårten - who is just as huge an Elvis fan as I am.  What I haven't told is that he is also an author who has published over a hundred books for children and teenagers that have been translated into various languages and won him several prestigious awards here in Sweden.  

The reason I bring this up now is that he has written what is probably the first novel about Elvis' childhood, called Mama's Little Prince. This is how the book is presented on the publisher's website (translated into English):

Tupelo, Mississippi, 1945. Elvis is ten years old and loves to sing. His mother encourages and believes in him, but at the same time she wants to protect him from all evil. They have been very close since Elvis' twin brother died.

At school, Elvis is pretty lonely. He gets teased for being a mama's boy and for bursting into song as soon as he gets the chance. But there is a girl in the class who likes to hear him sing. Her name is Eloise. To her, Elvis dares to tell about his secret dream: that he one day will sing in front of thousands of people.

In Mamma's Little Prince, Mårten Melin shows evidence of a new side when he in a tenderly portrayed portrait brings to life the childhood idol Elvis Presley. The boy, who before the breakthrough, lived in poor conditions in a city marked by class divisions and segregation. This is a story about school, exclusion and your firs loves. And above all: the love of music.

Since the book is coming out tomorrow, I thought it appropriate to dedicate the next couple of posts to it. The first will include a chapter in English, translated by the author as the novel is written in Swedish. The second will feature an interview I did with my brother a couple of days ago where he talks about, among other things, why he decided to write a book about Elvis' childhood, how he did his research and what the biggest challenges were. 

And yes, I have had the honor of reading Mama's Little Prince in advance, and it's great. So stay tuned.