The story is told from multiple POVs which is something I really like.
This looks at family dynamics and relationships
I felt that there was a lot of swearing in the book though

Beautifully written. A story about siblings who have grown apart but now need to come together. Thank you to both NetGalley and publishers for gifting me with the book

I really wanted to like this one but sadly I didn't really connect with any of the characters so DNF'd it at 33%

I was lucky to get a copy of this from Netgalley as I really wanted to read more Contemporary Books.

The book starts of with a the Cadogan's Dad Gerry who I would of like to spend more time with as out of the other Cadogan's he was the better one had passed away.

Throughout the book we go back and forwards via each of the Cadogan siblings and to be honest I did like that idea as you saw first hand why they had fallen out.

It is all through the looking back at the past we learn about the missing brother Patrick and it is my view that Jamie could of fleshed this storyline out as for me this was the most interesting part of the story. I really did not care for the other siblings and this kind of spoiled the book for me. For all these reasons I had to give it 3 stars.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

A thoroughly fulfilling big family saga, that manages to be both funny, warm, poignant and a little bit heartbreaking. Loved it!

Lovely book to read. Really stirred up lots of emotions as we followed them in there trip. It was heartwarming. The book was very well written and worth a read

Arh this is a lovely story, sad but lovely. Quite an emotional book, but certainly one to read.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

”The Way Back’ is the latest book by Jamie Fewery.

The Cadogan children haven’t spoken to each other for three years. But their father, Gerry, has a plan to bring them together. To scatter his ashes, they must first drive his old camper van up to Scotland. For the trip, Gerry has provided them with three family photo albums and a bottle of single malt whisky. But will the journey help banish their ghosts and turn them back into a family? Or will it show them exactly why they’ve stayed apart for so long?

A story of sibling rivalry, secrets and new beginnings, ‘The Way Back’ is an enjoyable story to get absorbed in during lockdown.

Seen the perspectives of Kirsty, Jess and Patrick, they fell out many years and their father’s dying wish is that they use their time together to spread his ashes to finally make amends.

With an adventure across Scotland in old camper van with only some photo albums and a bottle of whiskey for company, the trio find themselves confronting old ghosts as well as revealing the truths in their lives.

The characters are an interesting mix of personalities that I found quite relatable and enjoyable to read. Patrick is pretending that everything is great, but behind closed doors his wife has left him and their little girl to continue an affair in America, Kirsty is dealing with being a single parent and Jess is highly strung and unhappy. They all have their struggles and during this tour, they begin to realise the importance of family on this life affirming journey.

With an injection of wit and warmth, this story explores the complexities of siblings and relationships, ‘The Way Back’ is a tender and insightful book that will leave you with a tear in your eye.

You can buy ‘The Way Back’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more into crime/thriller books and even psychological thrillers too so I am extremely pleased and grateful to them for opening up my mind to something totally different.

This was a heartfelt and heartbreaking novel. The siblings were written really well and they were all very interesting to follow. I liked how the premise was vague about what caused the fault out as this made it even more interesting to learn what happened to the siblings. The mystery side achieved all I wanted it to and there were a few moments that really got to me and made me shed a few tears. An excellent contemporary read that reminds us why family is important.

As someone who loved Jamie Fewery’s debut novel Our Life In A Day, I was excited to be given the opportunity to read his second book The Way Back, which I’m very happy to say did not disappoint! Everything I loved about the author’s debut work was here in abundance, taking me on a heartwarming journey of love, loss, family and second chances.

Even in death, Gerry Cadogan has a plan to bring his estranged children together. His final wish is for them to scatter his ashes in Scotland, but to get there they must travel together in his old camper van. For the trip, Gerry has provided them with three photograph albums and a bottle of single malt whisky. Patrick, Kirsty and Jessica are appalled at what their father has done, but know they can’t deny him his last dying wish.

What follows is a heartwarmingly poignant story that explores the complex issues of grief, loss, love and sibling relationships. It’s an insightful and often humorous tale that made me laugh out loud one moment and then brought a lump to my throat the next. Jamie Fewery is an author who writes with such warmth that I felt as though I’d known these bickering siblings all my life. Beautifully written, The Way Back is an honest, sometimes uncomfortable, often moving book that brings these flawed characters vividly to life.

I loved this book and can’t wait to read whatever Jamie Fewery comes up with next.

Highly recommended.

Making a trip with your brothers/sisters could be something amazing or horrible, depending on the terms you are with them. Jessica, Kirsty and Patrick have not been talking with each other for the last 3 years, now they will have to take a trip together… The ending will only depend on them… ready?
This had been a very interesting read, full of real problems and touching situations that will make any reader re-think the relations with their loved ones. Possibly that’s why I couldn’t stop reading this book, how many times have you had an argument with someone you love and never cleared totally the air? Maybe the trick of Gerry to lock all his children in a van is not the best way, but I think it’s not a bad one! Sometimes I would like to be able to do the same with my family, maybe this way some things would be cleared out at least…
The Way Back is a trip, but not only for the main characters who have to face their past ghosts and decide what to do now, it is also a way to show to the reader that no matter which is the problem the best way to make peace is always to talk about it. Maybe the “result” is not perfect, but you won’t have bad feelings about it ever again.
I really liked this book; deep, touching and human, something we always need to remember sometimes, we are not alone in this world!
Ready for “The Way Back”?

Following the death of their farther, three siblings come together to fulfill one last wish from their dad. Take a road trip to Scotland in his camper van to scatter his ashes. Only, there's one slight problem, the siblings haven't spoken to each other for 3 years prior to their dad passing.

A story of love, loss, grief, family, relationships and siblings. Such a beautiful story with plenty of spanners thrown in the works. I read this in one sitting as I couldn't put it down.

This is the second novel from Jamie that I've really enjoyed and I'll definitely be picking more up from him in the future.

Jamie Fewery’s new book The Way Back, published by Orion, explores the rather complex subject of family.

The Cadogans, his protagonists, open the novel as estranged siblings brought together by the demise of their father.

Gerry Cadogan, directing his children even from beyond the grave, forces Patrick, Kirsty and Jessica on a road trip to Scotland to dispose of his ashes. What follows is an insightful, poignant and, at times, funny dissection of how a family deals with the extraordinary rawness of grief, and also guilt and love, in all its guises.

Fewery writes fluidly and cohesively about family issues, creating characters who most of us, at times, will relate to, the siblings’ pettiness, unresolved conflicts and honesty feeling uncomfortably authentic.

It’s well-written and highly readable.

Recommended.

The Way Back is a story of a family torn apart. It is packed with memories and stories full of love and loss.

We join the three Cadogan siblings, as they travel the length of Britain in a clapped out camper van to fulfill their father's wishes. We are told the story from the perspective of each sibling. And, it's perfectly clear that they have lost the bond they used to have as children. But, what has happened in the family, for this once close knit unit to be so negative?

Jamie Fewery has a splendid way of weaving this tale and allowing us the reader to uncover the mysteries of what has happened. And, I must say well done for the little family revelation that I didn't see coming at all. Very clever.

I must admit that Jessica was a character that I didn't like. She was very materialistic and thought too highly of herself. Did I feel differently towards the end? Well, I guess that would spoil the story slightly.

Fewery has written characters that I'm sure each of us can find one to relate to. And, it's at times like this when I read stories of sibling drama. I'm glad that I am an only child.

I really enjoyed this story, it was so easy to dip in and out. Yes, there's a poignant tale behind The Way Back, but Fewery has injected enough humour into the story to give it a nice balance.

The Way Back is an emotional family drama perfect for fans of David Nicholls, Beth O'Leary, Mike Gayle and Caroline Hulse.

Following his debut novel, Our Life in a Day, Fewery again looks at the close knit relationships this time on familial binds not of the romantic notion. He has a good ear for dialogue between people and how siblings in this instance co-exist or alter their normal persona when in the presence of loved ones; the challenge of writing three headstrong individuals as opposed to the debut with two is well done and successful.

A writer that writes with great fluidity and care for his characters, this is a likeable novelist who will garner great attention with another lovely read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I fear I don't have enough words to describe how this book made me feel. Jamie Fewery writes a thought provoking, painful story about family, ghosts of the past and what it means to reconcile with the ones you're meant to love the most.

The Cadogans haven't always had an easy life. After their mother's passing, the three children Kirsty, Jessica and Patrick had a falling out so huge that they didn't speak at all after it. Now upon facing the death of their father, they are forced together one last time in order to arrange funeral plans and empty their family home. But Gerry Cadogan, the father, had other plans for their children and left very specific instructions of what he wanted them to do with their ashes. Now the three siblings are forced to go to Scotland on their father's old camper van to scatter his ashes along the Isle of Islay.

Spending days on end trapped in a camper van with family members you don't get along with, especially because no one has buried the hatchet of their old arguments yet, can be the most taunting and challenging experience. Kirsty seems to think that the only reason Gerry has sent them on this trip is because he was hoping they would make amends, but Patrick and Jessica start to think that the real reason is hidden in an old unresolved ghost.

Jamie Fewery's writing is beautiful and thought penetrating and the fact that we are constantly swapping between the POVs of the three children allows for a much more in-depth knowledge of the story. The intertwining of several flashbacks within the main story also create a clearer image of these people's lives and everything they've had to go through to get here.

The fact that a big part of this story is based in Brighton and Hove reached a really soft spot in my heart and I think now whenever I'll walk around Hove or the Brighton Laines I'll keep saying the Cadogans somewhere on the street.

The Way Back is a beautiful story about family, love, self-preservation, and fear and anxieties. It perfectly represents the ugliest parts of ourselves and of our families that we sometimes don't know how to deal with and puts a hopeful spin on it.

The way back appealed to me as I have a camper van and have always wanted to tour the NC500 route in Scotland so was keen to read this book.Jamie Fewery is not an author I have heard of before but one I would definetly read again!
Gerry cadogan is dying but is keen to ensure his three remaining children unite together and don’t remain estranged from each other,he devises a plan for them to follow after his death this involves an elderly camper van,photo albums, whisky and the three siblings! What follows is a journey of up and downs where the siblings reconnect with each other,reminisce, forgive and ultimately move on as friends as well as family.A beautiful read that highlights the importance of family, the power of forgiveness and the bonds that tie us to each other!
Thank you net galley for this early read.

Oh this was so sad! Very emotional. A bit too emotional for me right now I’m afraid. A lovely story of redemption and doing what’s right, mending families and respecting last wishes. I loved the idea of driving to Scotland in a campervan and going through old family photos. I think you might need tissues aplenty with this one!