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

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Kerry Hayes is single mum, living on a tough south London estate. She provides for her son by cleaning houses she could never afford. Taken into care as a child, Kerry cannot forget her past.

Kerry Hayes knows exactly who she is: a single mum, a cleaner and Mariah Carey's biggest fan. Noah Martineau thinks he knows who he is: a successful barrister, with a wife, daughter and big house in Primrose Hill. Strangers with nothing in common. Strangers living worlds apart. But it wasn't always this way...and Noah and Kerry are about to discover just who they really are....." Two everyday friends whose closeness endures no matter how far apart they are. "If I call Amy really loudly, she'll hear me, won't she?" Louie asked his mom. His mom shook her head. "Amy is half a world away." Amy and Louie are the best of friends. They build towers as high as the sky, they look for magical creatures in clouds, and they always greet one another with their special call: "Coo-ee!" But when Amy's family moves far across the ocean, the color drains out of their lives---until Louie finds a way to restore their special bond. A perfect book for any friends separated by a move, this is the unforgettable story of a friendship lost and found.This is a good story about close friends who are separated by half the world - far too common for military families. The two friends still find a way to stay close, which is a glimmer of hope to young children in the same situation. I also used to live in Manchester — another great city (although technically I lived in Salford which is next door but that’s sort of splitting hairs). 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, the Guardian and Cosmopolitan. There's been many takes on the traditional tale of the different paths those of a certain upbringing are able to take, that it's testament to Mike Gayles strong writing that I was instantly invested in siblings Kerry and Noah reunion after being parted during a traumatic childhood. Before I went to university I wanted to be a social worker — I have no idea why. It didn’t last long.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love Mike Gayle’s writing. I’ve been a huge fan ever since I read his first book in the late 1990s and have eagerly awaited every new release since. Half A World Away his latest book is a warm, beautiful and compelling read which I devoured in two sittings and it did not disappoint. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of Half A World Away in return for an honest review. Families can talk about well-known adoption stories in books and movies ( Oliver!and Annie, for example). How is Jaden's story different from those you've seen or read? Is there anything about Jaden's story that's similar? He mostly wanted to invent anything related to electricity. Atoms were in constant motion, even when you were asleep. When you died, your personal electricity kind of turned off. And yet everything on the earth held constantly moving atoms. So even if your personal electricity died, your body still had a system of vibrations. Jaden hadn’t figured it all out yet, but he would someday—he’d promised himself that.

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This is the first book I have ever read or listened to by Mike Gayle and immediately upon finishing it I used up my Audible credits and bought The Man I Think I Know and All The Lonely People. Where do I begin with this review? Well firstly, I listened to it on Audible and the narrators Kayi Ushe and Joanna Brookes were absolutely incredible and I could see them quite clearly in my mind and to me Kerry was a very young Kathy Burke and Noah a young Adrian Lester! There were six children in the family. I was number three and there wasn't a lot of money. We didn't have television and of course there was no such thing as a computer. When I finished High School I studied at the University of Sydney. I had a great time studying mainly history but also getting involved in lots of things happening at the University and the city. It was the time of the anti-Vietnam war protests and the rise of the Women's Movement. These are people who matter, situations one can believe. Most readers will find themselves caring very much. A life-affirming read.‘ Vine

The differences between Noah and Kerry are stark. He is wealthy, has been privately educated, studied at University and dresses well. She left care at eighteen and went spectacularly off the rails and now cleans large houses owned by wealthy people to put food on the table for her and Kian. Rather than their differences pushing them further apart Mike Gayle uses them to bring Noah and Kerry together. It would have been easy to have Noah pity Kerry, to see her as a project or something he can fix, but in actual fact, he admires her tenacity and slowly, slowly, sees that they have similarities. When I started this book, it was clear from the beginning that I will not be rushing through it. I wanted to cling onto every single word and really take in the message Gayle put out into the world. It took me two weeks to digest this story and I really recommend taking your time when reading this book. I don’t think I’d survived nor appreciated this story half as much as did had I sped through it.This story is raw and beautiful and sad. It puts lots of things into perspective and makes you think about what is important in life. Beautifully written, easy to read and will certainly bring tears to your eyes. A must read.’ Netgalley The baby’s name was Bahytzhan. In his picture he appeared Central Asian, and he had scabs on his forehead—from bugs? That’s how Jaden had gotten scabs on his face when he lived in Romania. Steve, his “dad,” had made three copies of the Bahytzhan picture: one for himself, one for Penni, and one for Jaden. Jaden kept his copy in a drawer in his night table.

I was born in Young, a small town in south western NSW in 1950. After a few years we moved to Glen Innes, on the northern tablelands and then when I was ten we moved out west to Dubbo. We moved because my father was a schoolteacher and each change meant a promotion for him. I kind of wish I hadn’t let Catherine talk me into this dinner date,” Penni was saying. “We’ve got so much to do before we leave.”However, I can't lie, it totally got me. Not only did I find this book relatable in many ways, I found the characters endearing and I found myself really invested in their lives - which was also helped by the writing and the setting, as it really transported me into the story. The characters were drawn well, especially the differences between Noah and Kerry. Broadly, the story was pulled together well - especially in the second half of the book. Very realistic in places - might have been half the problem for me! Amy and Louie are best friends and do everything together. Amy moves across the world and they miss each other. Louie calls Amy with their special call, and Amy has a dream about it. Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide. Get started Close

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