• Age: 15 to 18
• Grade: 10 to 12

A story for every misfit who ever thought they were the only ones without all the answers.

Robert O’Brien loves cars. Growing up in Dublin, they provided a welcome refuge from the human interaction he found so difficult. His father’s race car, a BMW E30 M3 Sport Evolution he named the Beast, became his alter ego—powerful, admired, confident—and Robert began a quest to become a worthy owner. He completed a university degree, took courses to conquer his stutter and tried to come to terms with his sexuality. But still he remained more comfortable in the fantasy worlds of video games and television.

Escaping Ireland to pursue acting in Vancouver, Robert quickly realized there was one thing he could not run from. Himself. Refusing to give up, he delved into self-help courses and counseling and began journaling to pinpoint where things went wrong but continued to struggle with self-worth. During a particularly difficult trip home, it was the Beast that saved his life.

Just One More Drive explores dark themes—bullying, depression, suicide, loneliness, anxiety—with honesty, self-deprecating humour and hope. After years of struggle, Robert is proud of the man he is, no longer believes he needs to be fixed and is passionate about normalizing frank discussions of men’s mental health.

Robert O'Brien emigrated from Ireland to Canada in the 1990s and is a teacher and actor based in Vancouver. The publication of his memoir, Just One More Drive, was preceded by The MINI: A Strategic Relaunch of a Dormant Brand (Lambert Academic Publishing, 2016).

Robert James O'Brien's profile page

"An emotionally honest and moving account of the author’s quest to shake off stuttering, embrace his sexuality and be the driver his BMW M3 deserves." PAUL BLEZARD, Love Reading UK

"From a childhood of bullying and colossal self-doubt in “a culture that maintained being gay was a death sentence” to an epilogue titled “Where is My Fairytale Ending?” Just One More Drive discloses four decades of undermined potential. O’Brien counterbalances a thick catalogue of miseries with a forthright writing voice that’s welcome because it’s unexpectedly buoyant and intermittently lighthearted." BRETT JOSEPH GRUBISIC, The British Columbia Review