Music Book Review: Broken Greek by Pete Paphides

Journalist Pete Paphides spends his days writing and talking about music, so it’s no surprise that his memoir takes us back to his very first record. Exploring his budding relationship with pop music, Broken Greek dives into Paphides’ childhood, beginning with his selective muteness from age four to seven.
He details the songs in which he sought refuge, and which made massive cultural waves during his formative years. He immerses readers in vivid and intimate depictions of his early life, as the son of fish-and-chip shop owners who had emigrated from Cyprus to Birmingham.

Over a lengthy 582 pages, Paphides approaches these memories with an honesty that’s alternately devastating and hilarious.
While you may need to brush up on your pop history if you didn’t come of age during the ’70s, this memoir beautifully highlights the inspiration music can offer to even the youngest listeners.