All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle
About the author
Mike Gayle was born and raised in Birmingham. After graduating from Salford University with a degree in Sociology, he moved to London to pursue a career in journalism and worked as a Features Editor and Agony Uncle. He has written for a variety of publications including The Sunday Times, Guardian and Cosmopolitan.
Mike became a full time novelist in 1997 following the publication My Legendary Girlfriend. Since then he has written thirteen novels and his books have been translated into more than thirty languages.
Blurb
Hubert Bird is not alone in being alone.
He just needs to realise it.
In weekly phone calls to his daughter in Australia, widower Hubert Bird paints a picture of the perfect retirement, packed with fun, friendship and fulfilment.
But Hubert Bird is lying.
The truth is day after day drags by without him seeing a single soul.
Until, that is, he receives some good news – good news that in one way turns out to be the worst news ever, news that will force him out again, into a world he has long since turned his back on.
Now Hubert faces a seemingly impossible task: to make his real life resemble his fake life before the truth comes out.
Along the way Hubert stumbles across a second chance at love, renews a cherished friendship and finds himself roped into an audacious community scheme that seeks to end loneliness once and for all . . .
Life is certainly beginning to happen to Hubert Bird. But with the origin of his earlier isolation always lurking in the shadows will he ever get to live the life he’s pretended to have for so long?
Review
I was so excited to start this book and it did not disappoint although I did struggle to get into it to begin with. This book was an emotional rollercoaster that also had some surprises thrown into the mix that had me very surprised.
The character of Hubert Bird is a wonderful one, you just can’t help but love him and also feel dreadfully sorry for him at times. Hubert came to England from Jamaica to find a better life and instead he found low paid work and racism. However, he also found Joyce. Joyce and Hubert loved each other through all the odds and their love remained strong, even when it meant Joyce’s family throwing her out and never allowing her back.
This story finds Hubert who has had one too many knocks in his life and so has chosen to isolate himself from everyone including his best friend Gus. Now Hubert spends his days with Puss the cat and a weekly phone call from his daughter Rose who lives in Australia but Hubert tells Rose he is never home and always out with friends so when she says she is coming home for a visit Hubert has to find friends quick so Rose doesn’t find him out.
In walks my next favourite character Ashleigh and her young daughter Layla. Ashleigh is a young single mother who goes knocking on Hubert’s door and she doesn’t give in till she has made Hubert her friend.
This story is so endearing and very true in so many respects, there are many lonely people in this world and because of the speed everyone lives their lives these people often get forgotten and left behind. This book highlights that things can be done to help these lonely people if people take the time to help.
Gayle’s writing in this book is beautiful and how he moves from the past to present is flawless. I highly recommend this book to everyone who is looking for a beautiful story with a wonderfully poignant meaning. I really enjoyed this book but it did take a while to hook me in, although once I was hooked I could not put it down. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons. Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC.
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