Half a World Away: The heart-warming, heart-breaking Richard and Judy Book Club selection

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I really liked this incredibly moving story and although tremendously sad, the author knows how to convey very powerful emotions without depressing the reader. I loved Kerry and Noah/Jason, in fact all the characters were exceedingly well developed and a pleasure to engage with. Readers will learn about the adoption process and how being abandoned by one's birth mother can have lasting psychological repercussions. Several interesting facts about Thomas Edison and electrons are discussed.

Half a World Away is honest, raw and moving story about finding one’s self, about family and about unconditional love and sacrifice. It’ll go on the “read again” shelf for when I feel I need the warm hug of a family when I’m unable to be with my own. These are people who matter, situations one can believe. Most readers will find themselves caring very much. A life-affirming read.' Vine These are people who matter, situations one can believe. Most readers will find themselves caring very much. A life-affirming read.‘ Vine I write picture books, novels for young kids and also novels for slightly older readers. I've done a book about writing and also a small amount of writing for television: Bananas in Pyjamas and Magic Mountain. The incredibly moving and uplifting novel "Half a World Away" is an acute observation of human nature and is written by Mike Gayle, bestselling author of "The Man I Think I Know".Kerry Hayes is a single mother trying to earn a living house cleaning for people, because the job fits around her having a child at nursery school.

I enjoyed this story and the escapism of it, it is a little repetitive and predictable in places but overall a nice cozy story. I listened to this one on audible and the narrators were excellent. What I particularly liked was how Gayle didn’t choose to make the narrative fluffy. There were so many opportunities for him to make it a story with a happy ending, but he chose to keep it real and I appreciate it so much. It took me a while to warm up to Kerry and Noah and the rest of the crew, but once I did it felt like they were part of my own family. Personally I think it’s a skill to be able to write a cast of characters that become so dear to the reader. One pinballs from placement to placement before finally growing up in a care home. A rough start in life, a need to fend for herself and eventually, a determination to ‘make good’. Kerry lives a humble but happy life as the single mother of her son, Kian, in a west London council estate, working hard as a cleaner. I do need to warn readers that this is an intensely emotional book, although beautifully written and uplifting in parts, it does give cause to have tissues close by but I did enjoy it and I would definitely read more by this author again. A tug at the heartstrings but funny, endearing and uplifting and a story I won't forget. An absolute must read! Heartbreaking and wonderful, a beautiful book about the power of love to surmount almost anything. -- Julie CohenI can't believe how much a star rating can jump! Rereading this book just made me realise just how beautifully written this book is. It focuses heavily on long lost families and rekindling relationships. I did tear up at the ending at how well Mike Gayle was able to capture the raw emotion of grieving and losing a loved one, it really hit home but think it was done beautifully.