'Ktieb ghal Amy'

Author: Charles Casha

Publisher: Klabb Kotba Maltin / 1999

Pages: 123

There are no dates but those of us who lived through those days would recognise the signs much more than dates would do.

Those were intensely political years but no clues are offered, yet it's clear we're talking of the 1970s.

One significant clue is a cryptic mention of the raunchy post-midnight show on Italian television, Colpo Grosso, which must have cost thousands of hours of sleep deprivation to many Maltese males.

Those were years of flux, from crowding and parading up and down Republic Street in Valletta to sampling the newer delights of Paceville, the bars and restaurants before the influx of strip clubs and girlie clubs.

Whatever we might think today the development bug had already taken over - people were dabbling in construction and, we add, the rape of Sliema had already begun. People were making big money but some were already losing all.

Again, whatever we might think today, drugs had already come in and the police had already begun to lose one battle after the other. It was still believed, prematurely as it happened, that the forces of law could still win.

People still used the landline and mobile phones were still unheard of. That contributes to narrowing the range of years, somehow.

And people were moving out of the religion of their childhood though the example of their older relatives could still jolt them and one could still find a country chapel with lights on.

All this is the background to a sort of love story with at the centre an unnamed journalist on the staff of what probably was a Maltese language paper harbouring ambitions of becoming a writer of novels.

I said a love story but actually it is a double one. It centres around two beautiful women, Susan and Amy. That is what the core of the story is all about and it would be a shame to spill more details.

The author is more popularly known as the author of the Fra Mudest stories which were very popular with children.

Born in Marsa in 1943, Casha spent his working years as a teacher until he reached pensionable age. He has been honoured by the State of Malta.