Good Reads Review: You Can't Stop The Sun From Shining by Sonny Bill Williams & Alan Duff

Sonny Bill is a fascinating figure, whether you love him or hate him. His story of his sporting career, as well as overcoming his personal troubles and his often turbulent relationship in the public eye has been well documented in the public eye, but under the guidance of Alan Duff the boxer, rugby league and rugby union player shows himself to have undergone much maturity and change.

This is a well written story, particularly if you are someone who is familiar with the Polynesian experience and the troubles Sonny talks about. Even if you aren't, SBW does a great job at putting you in his shoes, and showcases why so many players like him struggle with the sudden impact of fame that being a sports star brings.

SBW doesn't shy away from his early, controversial antics, but there is a real sense in this book of how hard it is to revisit these memories it is for him. These sections of the book can sometimes feel distant and vague, not because SBW is trying to hide details, more that he really struggles to reconnect with that time in his life. Fortunately, he goes into great detail about the things that helped him out of that period, including rugby mentors, boxing, his conversion to Islam, his wife and family, and more. It's very clear the bloke has changed a lot.

There are plenty of surprises in this book, such when SBW recounts his toughest boxing bouts against the Rhino as the hardest challenge of his incredible sporting career, but there is a lot more personal stuff that will certainly make you view the man in the public eye in a new light, and definitely view the many controversies around his past in new ways. A really strong biography.

*Book provided courtesy of Hachette Australia.

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