Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This book made me cry I is absolutely beautiful and wonderfully written. A whopping 5 star read

This is a beautifully written book about family in all its forms. Mike Gayle’s books have always been good but he seems to have matured into a very fine writer with great characters and strong plots. There are a only few writers whose books are a must read and he is firmly amongst them. Set aside an afternoon to read this, with a cuppa and some chocolate; and tissues, lots of tissues!

I am not usually a fan of male writers, but the description for this book sparked my interest & has definitely changed my view. It was so captivating & once I had read the first chapter, I was hooked & intrigued to know the outcome. It was a gift to get to know Kerry & Noah. I don't want to give the story away, but suffice to say it will melt your heart

I haven't cried so ugly, or so consistently on the #commute for a long time, but @mikegayle #HalfAWorldAway has utterly broken me. A story of family, identity, love lost and found - I've savored every word. Kerry, and her love for Noah, will stay with me for a very long time.

I haven't read a Mike Gayle book in years,and this has left me wondering why.
It pulled me completely out of a book slump I was in.
It's full of believable characters,who are full of humour and warmth..
Kerry is the obvious main star of the book,and she fills the pages with her love for her son and her little brother and for life.
It didn't quite reduce me to tears by the end... but it certainly brought a lump to my throat.
Excellent stuff.

I love all Mike Gayle books and this one is no exception.
I don’t want to give anything away but this book follows Noah and Kerry 2 very different people with 2 very different lives but linked so closely.
Kerry is a single mom and cleaner.
Noah is a barrister with a wife and daughter.
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.

Okay. What you need to do is block out a whole afternoon. Make sure you have a full pot of tea, a plate of biscuits (or cake or fruit, delete as applicable), a cosy reading spot and preferably a pet to cuddle up to. Put your phone on silent and let yourself be immersed in this book. You won't regret it. Oh, you'll need tissues too...
Kerry is a hardworking single mother, who adores her son, Kian, and never bemoans the hand she's been dealt. And it's not an easy hand. Put into care as a child she bounced from foster parent to foster parent, ending up in a home. A few years of reckless living followed, only for her life to change when she got pregnant. Her son will have the loving, stable home she never had and she does everything she can to provide it for him, turning their little flat into a warm, colourful home and building up a cleaning business, keen for him to see her working for every penny. Her only regret is that she has never heard back from her brother, even though she wrote regular letters to him, letters sent to the adoption agency waiting for the day he decides to investigate his birth family. And when it becomes increasingly clear that that day will never come, Kerry takes matters into her own hands.
Noah lives in a gorgeous house in Primrose Hill with his gorgeous wife and gorgeous daughter. His career as a barrister is going well, his life seems perfect. But his wife has had enough. His refusal to open up is ruining their marriage - and although Noah knows this he is incapable of doing the one thing she needs him to do. He also knows everyone is surprised by his lack of interest in his birth family, his lack of angst at being adopted, at growing up as a black child in a white family, but Noah doesn't need to look back. He can't. Until a letter arrives and changes everything. He has a sister. And she wants to meet him. And that means he can't hide from his feelings- or his past - any longer.
This is a beautiful, beautiful book. It's about family, about class, about love, about choices and sacrifice. It's about letting go and learning to hold on. It's optimistic and heartbreaking and funny and emotional. It's the kind of book that will stay with you, long after you finish it. Buy it, read it, love it - and hang on to those tissues, you'll need them.

This is a beautifully written and emotional read. I’ve always loved Mike Gayle and how he manages to give both the male and female perspective in his books. I loved the main characters and was touched by the story. I’d strongly recommend this. If you liked “Me Before You”, you’ll love this book. It’s definitely one of Mike Gayle’s best and worthy of a big fat 5 stars.

A heart-warming story of two siblings pulled apart by circumstances. Kerry's strength, and her love for her brother and son ,shine through and the characters are believable and likeable.

What a book! I thoroughly enjoyed this book even if it had me ugly sobbing at one point!
The story follows the journey of two half siblings as they meet again after half a lifetime of living very different lives following their separation and subsequent adoption. Kerry and Noah and both beautifully developed characters with the story from each of their perspectives.
A brilliant book and highly recommended

What a fabulous book. I was hooked from the very story. Kerry’s story is heartbreaking - and although it’s fictional you can tell it’s woven from fact. Let down by the care system, Kerry finds herself in her own flat with her young son and her family - handpicked from her days in care and her life beyond . She has been looking for her brother Jason since they were separated when he was 2 and she was 10. Kerry’s letters to Jason form the core of this book and provide context and a common thread to bring the various strands together.

I won’t tell you what happens but I will say that this author is a consummate story teller. I haven’t read one of his books for ages (my error, clearly) but his turn of phrase, his ability to get to the nun of the problem and his unflowery eloquence combine for a spectacular book.

A book that moved me in many ways - and had me in tears on the tube!

An unreserved 5🌟, a really great read!

I’ve been a long time reader of Mike Gayle, all the way from My Legendary Girlfriend, so was delighted to receive his latest from Net Galley.
I love the way Mike writes for both female and male characters. His writing flows and his characterisation makes you really feel for the characters and what they are going through.
The second half of this book made me cry my eyes out, so be warned!
Thank you for a thought provoking, thoroughly enjoyable read.

Heart wrenching. This dealt with the topic in a sensitive way & absorbs you. I would recommend this to anyone.

A brilliant read.

Well written, heart wrenching and absorbing - I’ve read a lot of Gayle’s books and this is one of the best. The characters are real and the storyline will stay with me for a long time.

Five Stars - Half A World Away by Mike Gayle.

How have I not read a Mike Gayle book before?

I want to give this book all of the stars in the universe. I cried my eyes out at the end. It is touching, heart-wrenching and thought-provoking to just name a few. I really, truly loved this book and I fell in love with every single one of the characters (except maybe Rosalind, who, I thought was a bit unthoughtful and self-centred for most of the book).

A major theme of the book is opportunities and how two people born from the very same womb can have totally, juxtaposing experiences in life, all from the different opportunities life threw at them. The harsh reality of being an older child in the care system compared to blissful innocence of being a baby primed and ready for adoption.

The story is told from the alternate narration of the two main characters, Kerry and Noah (or Jason if you will) and the way you read the same experiences from each of their point of view is so carefully executed. The visual imagery is so clever and I have such a clear picture in my head of how each character looks, especially Kian and Millie - I loved the later descriptions of these two from Noah's perspective, Millie the rockstar and Kian with the super gelled hair that he didn't do anything to!

One thing I would have liked to see in the book is perhaps interjections of narratives from Kian and Millie (and possibly even Rosalind) towards the end of the book, I think this would have really supported the development of the story and I would have loved to know Kian's thoughts and feelings.

A fantastic read. A big thank you to Mike Gayle for the conversation we had on Twitter about the opportunities of life.

Publication Date: 13 June 2019. Make sure you add this book to your TBR.

This is my first Mike Gayle book therefore I have zero expectations on this book. You meet Kerry who is a single mum who is doing her absolute best for her son Kain and she is always thinking of her brother Jason who was taken into care when he was two years old. Jason who is now known as Noah is highly successful however his marriage is facing hard times. Then Kerry and Jason finally meet.


I became very invested in Kerry and Jason plus their family members very quickly, it was a very sensitive subject that was written well. In the end I was in tears. Such a good book and one that I am still thinking about the morning after.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review this lovely story in exchange for a honest review.

This book is beautiful, absolutely beautiful. I love Milk Gayle and he's really outdone himself on this one. I loved Kerry immediately (nothing to do with us having the same name) her personality shone through each page and I loved her parenting values. I don't want to go into details incase I give anything away but I will say I laughed (lots) and out loud, I cried, I had my heartstrings tugged more than once and I loved everything about this beautiful story. I feel truly privileged to have been given the opportunity to read it before its release and it's a book I will definitely read again and I'd recommend it to anyone

I wasn’t sure if this book would be a let down after adoring ‘The man I used to know’ and although I found it slow to get into, I am pleased to say the novel didn’t disappoint once it got going. I particularly liked the way the book flips between Kerry and Noah’s perspective. This book is a really great read. It is heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measures. If you’re already a fan of Mike Gayle, you won’t want to miss this and if you’re new to his work, this wouldn’t be a bad place to start.