Mike Gayle is such a brilliant writer. The words were filled with so much emotion
The ending of this book will live with me forever.
This book packed a punch

What a lovely read… really gives you another perspective on life. It made me happy, it made me sad, it make me everything in between.
Would highly recommend.

Fabulous writing but with Gayle I wouldn't expect anything less.

I loved the characters & the sense of community established but I was not prepared for that sucker punch 😱

What a beautiful book this is! Herbert Bird has sadly lost his wife and unknown to him is actually a lonely old man that is until he gets a knock on the door one day and meets his new neighbour and her little girl. A lovely story of how a community pull together in an amazing campaign to “end loneliness in Bromley” I think this is probably one of the best books I have read in a while and it will definitely stay in my heart for a long time.

Not my favourite book by this author but I still enjoyed it. I liked the concept of the story and the characterisation.

Mike Gayle has done it again. His books just get better and better. Another beautifully written novel.

All the lonely people, is a book about loneliness. Hurbert Bird is lonely and knows that other people are just as lonely as he is. The book follows his earlier life when he and his wife met, got married and had children, you get an insight in to his past which makes you understand why he is the way he is. This book tugs at your heartstrings. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Beautiful and emotional.

I'm at a loss for words how to describe this wonderful book.

There were rather unexpected moments, some that will make you cry and others that will have you smiling.

And I was hooked on the past sections, learning about Hubert and Joyce's life from when he moves to the UK in the 50s from Jamaica right unto the present.

And in light of recent events after the Euros final its clear the views of some in this country haven't changed since the 1950s which is rather disturbing.

There are so many important topic covered in this story but most key and perhaps even poignant after the last 15 months or so of the pandemic is of loneliness. And raising awareness of it.

Mike Gayle has gone up yet another notch with his superb writing, in this book. I cant do it justice but its definitely worth a read.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Mike Gayle can do no wrong in my eyes. Another beautiful book that makes you really feel for the characters. Loved it.

Such a heart-warming, moving story, very emotional. I used to read Mike Gayle’s books years ago and have only recently re-discovered them – I’m so glad I have!

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

Pensioner Hubert Bird is lonely and isolated since the death of his wife,, but to save his daughter, who lives on the other side of the world, from worrying about him he has created an elaborate social life filled with friends and fun. It’s not until his young neighbour Ashleigh and her baby daughter drag him (reluctantly) out of his self imposed darkness he realises how much he has to give and the power of human contact.
Mike Gayle’s All The Lonely People touches on isolation, immigration and dementia and is a moving, warm and witty story. A timely themed tale of the power of friendship and community.

I’ve enjoyed all of the Mike Gayle novels that I’ve read to date but I think I have to say that All the Lonely People is my new favourite novel by him. I was invested in this novel and the characters from the opening pages and I was enthralled by the story from start to finish! This novel is about Hubert Bird, an older gentleman who has lost his wife and has become increasingly isolated. He speaks to his daughter on the phone every week but she lives in Australia. One day a young woman and her daughter knock at Hubert’s door as they’re looking to make friends as they’re new to the area and this sets in motion this beautiful and moving story. The novel goes back and forth in time between when Hubert first came to the UK and the racial abuse that he suffered. We see him meet and fall in love with his wife and how their lives were; and the present day where Hubert is alone and his world has become very small and he doesn’t know how to change it. The novel covers what it is to be a part of the Windrush Generation, grief, love and more than anything hope! I adored this book so much, it’s an incredible read and a book that we all need in our lives at the moment. I highly recommend this one!

I absolutely loved this book. Mike Gayle just has a talent for creating characters you fall in love with and root for with all of your heart.

I’m not sure if it’s due to the current situation with covid, and more people feeling isolated and alone, that this book really struck a chord and resonated with me.
I intended to read for half an hour.. two and a half hours later, I’m fully absorbed, past half way through the book and finding myself wanting to know ‘just a little bit more’.

I love Mike Gayle’s books, and I think this has to be my favourite of his. It’s emotional, I laughed, I almost cried, I could identify with the feelings of the characters. They felt ‘real’.
I highly recommend this book, if you’ve never picked up a Mike Gayle book before, start with this one, you too will fall in love with the characters, the writing style and flow of the story.

A heartwarming story of Herbert Bird who at 84 years old has isolated himself from all of his friends. This story shifts between present day and his past when he leaves Jamaica to start a new life in London. He endures racial abuse whilst working but continues to rise above it and keep working to make a home for his wife and family. I enjoyed meeting Herbert both in his younger years and as he was older, this is a beautifully written story packed full of empathy. A wonderful 5* read that I loved from cover to cover.

To be fair this read was inspired by the wonderful Miranda Dickinson who mentioned how wonderful this read was and it was at a time i needed it most. It simply was just brilliant.

Hubert Bird is lonely, but his daughter doesn't know that because everytime he speaks to her he has created a vast array of characters that are his friends and tells her tales of fun days out, hilarious relations and so much but this is not true, he simply has a notebook to keep track of what he has told her. However, his life is about to change when his daughter announces she is coming to visit and Hubert reliases instead of coming clean, he must make some friends. Yet - making friends isn't as simple as it seems.

Fate throws people into his path though and along his journey to find real friends similar to fictional friends he makes some charming new ones, has some adventures and looks to renew old friendships but life isn;t that simple and Hubert has more secrets of his own. Told in the past and present we follow his life as it was and as it is and let me tell - you find a space for Hubert in your heart very very quickly.

The last time i read a Mike Gayle book was a long long time ago and i am so frustrated at myself for leaving it this long. This had a wonderful cast of intriguing characters they were all so unique and had such personalities, they were all well rounded and so in depth that as a reader you really got to know them, even the smaller side characters just passing through.

The book was vivid and honest, it was heart warming and heart breaking in equal measure. It tackled some issues that we often don't think about and handled situations in such a realistic way, things were not glossed over instead presented face on to you as a reader for you to acknowledge and understand.

I simply adored this read, i loved getting to know Hubert - he is a character that will stick with you long after you have read the book and have you thinking about his life and friendships. Such a wonderful read.

It's heartwarming to see Mike Gayle go a little deeper and explore more emotional territory with his most recent books - The Man I Used to Know, Half a World Away, and now All the Lonely People. All of these new books are riskier and more satisfying than his earlier romances and lad-lit, but have the same warmth and heart; I was also very fond of his 'List' book where he writes warmly about family, and while I'd like to see more non-fiction from him, All the Lonely People has more reality than most commercial novels out there. Mike Gayle's new novel looks unflinchingly at loneliness in today's Britain, as well as the disgusting treatment meted out to the Windrush Generation on their arrival in Britain, which is now very much on everyone's minds, with no reparations in sight. The interracial love story at the heart of the book is one of Gayle's strongest pieces of writing, as a young couple make it work despite the odds and are eventually separated by illness and death. Without his beloved wife, Hubert Bird has to move on - and step out of his immaculate flat into a world of new and unknown people. Another goal in his recent winning streak.

Mike Gayle writes so beautifully draws me right in.This was a gorgeous read a book with so much emotion so many topics.Friendship ,prejudice dementia love to name a few.A terrific read,#netgalley #Hodderstoughton

An emotional, powerful read that really gets under your skin and captivates you. Brilliant characters, a plot line hat grasps your attention and a story that, as it unfolds, really pulls on your heartstrings. I adored this book!

Well this one got me right where it tingles... isolation, racism , immigration, dementia and the loneliness inherent in the neglected elderly were the perfect combination to hit me at all my emotional access points!

Fun without being farcical, touching without being cloying . This book was a delight from start to end!

I really loved Mike Gayle's previous book, Half A World Away, it was the first book that I had read of his and it was emotive and set the idea of his writing to me. The first third of this book I was HOOKED, I loved the characters and the flick from the 1970s storyline to contemporary life where our protagonists life differs completely. I was getting major A Man Called I've vibes and I could feel myself being drawn further in by the heartstrings. Unfortunately, I felt the level of emotion through the middle of the book dropped a little and I found myself a little bored and impatient with the storyline. I still love how Mike develops his characters and he can interweave many aspects, such as elderly loneliness, societal racism and expectations into the plotline, providing dimensional characterisations. I enjoyed parts of it but for me it didn't quite hit that brilliant Mike Hayle note for me!