Member Reviews
The title of this book immediately made me think of an Oasis song which contained the words Half a World Away.
In a way this book is that it's about two people who have completely different lives; one a barrister who has a wife and child and gorgeous house
The other a single mum who cleans posh people's houses to earn a living again a single parent
What can these two have in common? Well let me tell you a hell of a lot actually and as you read this book ( I did in one night) you will see how two people who appear to have nothing in common suddenly become closer than ever
I loved every page of this book I laughed I shook and I cried but one thing I didn't do was have any regrets ..........read it you will see
A typical Mike Gayle easy read. Not quite as good as his last book but an interesting twist mid way through and well painted characters.
Without giving too much away Kerry and Noah go through a rollercoaster few months covered in the story. Mike Gayle's characters resonate with the reader, for instance Noah's retinance to express his feelings is a common trait in many men! Which in turn leads to consequences in his relationships.
Mike Gayle is in an author who can have you chuckling away one minute, then feeling a tear or two in your eyes. His characters connect with the reader and the story of Kerry and Noah is an uplifting one.
This is the first contemporary fiction novel that I have read by Mike Gayle, and I absolutely loved it, despite the fact that I found myself emotionally wrung out from the experience. Kerry Hayes is in her early 40s, a single mom with young son, Kian, living on a tough and challenging London estate. She is a hardworking cleaner, determined to be a good role model for her son, and given where they live, she has her work cut out in steering Kian along a positive life path. Kian's father is the no hoper, Steve, not interested in his son, Kerry has no illusions where he is concerned, but it means that she and Kian are on their own in life. Her best friend, Jodi, from Milread Children's Home, is now living in the North East with her family, although the two of them remain close. The only other person that Kerry has loved unconditionally was her baby brother, Jason, who she cared for and looked after, before she was separated from him by a uncaring social services when they were taken away from their problematic mother, Mary.
Unable to find him, through the years Kerry has written him letters, sent to the adoption agency, even though she knows he will never get to read them. Jason is now Noah Martineau, adopted into a white middle class family, where he has been loved and given every opportunity in life that has culminated in him becoming a respected criminal barrister. His adopted parents are well off academics, and they and his siblings, support him unconditionally, but Noah has never wanted to find out about the family he originally came from, and he has no memories from that time. He is married to interior decorator, Rosalind, and have a daughter, Millie. Circumstances have finally conspired for Kerry, with her heart in her mouth, to finally contact Noah, with every hope they will get to know each other. Kerry and Noah are from different social and economic strata, will a shell shocked Noah, experiencing marital difficulties because of his closed off emotional nature, and Kerry be able to connect irrespective of all the obstacles they face? For Kerry, the stakes could not be higher.
Gayle writes the narrative from the perspectives of Kerry and Noah, his writing immediately so compulsive that the reader quickly becomes immersed in their lives. I loved both the main protagonists, Kerry, with her love of the sparkle, vibrant colours, and Mariah Carey, and Noah, who finally has his curiosity sparked about his blood family, triggering so many questions about where he came from and his parents. Watching their relationship develop is an absolute joy and simultaneously heartbreaking in all the challenges that life throws at the two of them. This is a brilliant character driven read, that I raced through, so gripping, shot through with hope and light amidst all the darkness. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.
Maybe I should be ashamed to admit this, but Half a World Away is actually my first Mike Gayle book.
And I'm pretty sure it won't be my last.
What a journey I went through, reading this story of Kerry and Noah, two extremely different individuals who are linked in the most basic of ways - by blood.
Life caused these two siblings to be separated,
We have Kerry bumping through life on the low roads, through foster care and children's homes, before finally living an independent life, becoming a mother to Kian, but never forgetting her baby brother, who was separated from her.
Then there is Noah, cruising along the highroads, married, a barrister, a father, and living a life far removed from his real beginnings
The reason that Kerry finally reaches out to her brother is revealed slowly, and in such a manner that it makes the readers heart break.
I don't want to go into the details, but I was hooked. it didn't take me long to become fully immersed in Kerry and Noah's story, and accompanied by tissues, snacks and copious cups of tea, I finished the book in a haze of emotions.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
As a longtime reader of Mike Gayle I know i am guaranteed a wonderful read , full of warm characters, and a storyline that you get totally emerged in , and Half A World Away doesn’t disappoint.
Mike Gayle has a way of developing his characters, male or female, which not all male authors seem able to do..
Without giving too much away We are warned that this is a tale of heartbreak ,so we should be prepared for that,, but you can’t help but hope that the story doesn’t play out that way.
I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this .
My thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for a copy to review
Really enjoyed this, great characters, interesting plot. There's no real surprises but there's plenty of depth. Nicely structured with dual narratives that switch between Noah and Kerry.
Best read with a big box of tissues, perfect for that rainy day when you just want to curl up with an easy read.
Siblings adopted by different families and the impact that upbringing has on their futures. One is a much loved third child, the other grows up in the care system.
An insightful look at the effects of adaption, children in care and what happens to them and their families when they meet.
Although fiction there is a lot to think about in this story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this gorgeous book. It’s about family; it’s about class differences; but most of all, it’s about love. Glittery, sequin-loving, deeply kind Kerry is a no-mess single mum who has never given up hope of tracking down her baby brother - even though the siblings were split up decades ago. While Kerry was taken into care and passed from foster home to foster home, Noah was more fortunate, being adopted by a well-to-do, quirky couple with two biological children of their own. Now, Kerry and Noah’s worlds are about to collide and although they have absolutely nothing in common on paper, their relationship turns into something very special indeed. This book made me smile, made me chin-wobbly teary. With loveable, relatable characters, I couldn’t put it down. For one awful moment in the last two chapters, I was convinced Mike Gayle was going to lead us into cliche-led territory, but phew - I was so relieved that he didn’t. I loved every minute that I spent with this book - joyous, upsetting, but mostly uplifting, what a cathartic experience it was.
Another absolute stunner by Mike Gayle.
This book was filled with the most adorable characters and the most traumatic situations yet the overall feeling it left me with was warmth.
Everyone knows a Kerry and Kian, and everyone wishes for a Noah
This book is just wonderful! I am a huge fan of Mike Gayle and this book is just sublime!
Kerry has lived in care for most of her life, now she is a single mother to her 10 year old son. She is determined to find her younger brother who was adopted at the age of two. Noah is a successful barrister with no idea that he has a sister. His wife Rosalind is unhappy with their marriage though, and a further wedge is driven between them when Noah finds out about his sister.
This book is so sad at times, it really is heartbreaking. Mike Gayle has the ability to write credible characters that you really believe in. Kerry's love for her son really shone through, she was determined he wouldn't have the life she had as a child. Rosalind annoyed me, she was really selfish at times and I felt she didn't have much empathy for Noah's problems. Noah was just adorable, I fell in love with him!
I would urge everyone to read this book, in fact go back and read all of Mike's books!
Half a World Away by Mike Gayle a five-star read that will stop the world from spinning for the time you read it. I must start this by saying you need to drop everything before you start to read this one, take the day and hide away, go to your comfy place and prepare not to leave until you have finished this one. I didn’t, and spent half a day in a daze, wanting to get back to reading and ignoring everything I could just to get back. Mike Gayle always writes a compelling story, about interesting characters but this one just blew me away with its beauty, he writes about honest characters that show us the reality of life, not the glossy version we usually read about. This novel will appeal to any reader as everyone will be able to get something from it.
"Strangers living worlds apart.
Strangers with nothing in common.
But it wasn't always that way..."
Parallel worlds running alongside each other, one successfully in his career and the other a single mum who has had her struggles.
The characters are well developed and totally relatable. This story is heartwarming and unforgettable
My full review can be seen on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/p/BxU8M8OnDrE/
The body of my review is as follows:
Mike Gayle is a phenomenal author, and this book is no exception. He creates such tangible characters you feel like you know them, inside and out, and are left thinking about them long after you have read the last page.
Half a World Away is written from two perspectives. They may be brother and sister, but they have experienced very different lives.
Kerry is a single mum, scraping by through her own determination to give her son a life and upbringing as different from her own as she can manage. They live in a run down London council estate where, despite the grim exterior, she has worked hard to provide a warm, respectable home for her and her son.
Noah lives in a beautiful home, in a desirable part of London, with his wife and daughter. He is the son of two loving parents, and a sibling to his sister and brother. Noah doesn't know Kerry - he doesn't even realise she exists. Kerry has thought about Noah every day of his life.
Despite living in the same city, both Kerry and Noah may as well live worlds apart, and neither live a complication free life. They both have their own unfinished story to tell and their day to day lives are about to be changed in substantial ways - ones that neither of them saw coming.
An absolutely heartwrenching story about two siblings separated when taken into care. The story follows their reunion years later amidst their own individual trials and tribulations. Delightful characters and an emotive plot.
Hardworking single mother Kerry is bringing up her much loved son singlehandedly on a council estate. She grew up in care and lost touch with her much younger brother Jason. She's written affectionate letters to him via an adoption agency from the age of eighteen in the hope that he'll make contact and receive then. Suddenly though she makes a determined and successful attempt to find him. Why? How will Jason react?
A very well written, funny, yet heartrending novel
Wow what a fantastic read! Having read all mike gayles books, I started this one with trepidation as I felt nothing could surpass his previous book, the hope family calendar! I was wrong! Half a world away entertains you from the first page! The sensitivity and compassion exhibited by the main characters of kelly, Noah and kian, demonstrates the positivity of family values even when you have been separated from each other since childhood and then have to suffer a terminal illness. The narrative is from the two main characters point of view which is done seamlessly , tactfully and with hope despite what they are both going through.
This book kept me entertained from start to finish and only induced a few tears! I would definetly recommend this read to all. Thank you NetGalley for this advance copy, it was devoured in two sittings and thoroughly enjoyed! So looking forward to the next one.
In Half a World Away we meet Kerry, a single mum to Kian who is living in social housing and working hard to keep their heads above water. She is an instantly likeable character with a lot of heart.
We also meet Noah criminal barrister, who lives with his wife and child on the other side of London.
Kerry and Noah are so different but their shared history is about to bring them together in this fast paced, funny, yet heartbreaking story of love, loss and family.
I have been a fan of Mike Gayle for a long time but this book is my new favourite. It’s a story with so much heart and soul in it- you can’t help but be swept along. I couldn’t put it down and I found it very emotional.
This book will stay with me for a long time, and I wholeheartedly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this truly exceptional book.
Before reading this book please arm yourself with a big box of Kleenex, you are going to need them.
Half a World Away is the story of hard working single mother Kerry. Kerry is mum to Kian, she works very hard as a cleaner to provide him with a happy and stable home life, something she didn't have whilst growing up herself. Kerry grew up in care but had never forgotten her little brother who she was separated from in childhood. Kerry's brother Noah is a successful barrister and has had a completely different upbringing to Kerry. Noah was adopted by a loving family who experienced a stable and loving upbringing with his adoptive family. Kerry is desperate to reconnect with her long lost little brother and as the story progresses we find out the reason why. I am a long time fan of Gayle' s writing and I love the direction his writing has taken since The Hope Family Calendar. There needs to be an option to give this book more than 5 stars, it was an absolutely stunning read.
Whilst I’ve noticed Mike Gayle’s book in the past they’ve not really jumped out at me however the blurb of Half a World Away really appealed to me and having read it I must admit I’ll be giving his other books further consideration. The story is told from the perspective of brother and sister, separated by adoption and now living worlds apart in terms of social standing. On the surface appears to be a simple story but Mike Gayle feeds you just enough breadcrumbs to realise that just getting to know each other is only the start of the tale. This is a heartfelt story that manages to stop short of being over emotional. Slightly far fetched perhaps but a cracking read.