I found this book very hard to read as I have suffered from panic attacks and agrophobia at points in my life. Saying that I ploughed on and about a third of the way through I had become totally engrossed in the story. The relapses and the reasons why are totally compelling. The human spirit triumphs through love, support and family. Read every page and absorb the fragility and resilience of the characters. I must say I was proud of myself for finishing the book and that I did enjoy it.

The world at My Feet is an interesting, moving and beautiful story of love, family and self discovery.
Ellie has agoraphobia. She is living in her parents annex and has everything she needs at home. Her loving and supportive parents just next door, a close friendship with her sister, her dog and she can pretty much order anything from the internet. She is a gardener and had became a successful Instagram blogger which earns a wage.
In 1990 Harriet (Ellie’s:Mother) was a successful journalist and we also have her story of when she was a journalist in Romania reporting on the orphanages in Romania.
I loved this captivating novel. I don’t want to give away too much, the story unfolds as you read it. It is well written and the characters are very likeable. I loved the friendships Ellie made and reading her story of how she dealt with her agoraphobia and the tragic reason she suffers from it.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for this ARC

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
This book wasn’t what I expected at all! Although I have read another one of Catherine Isaac’s and that left me in tears so maybe I should have known!
This book covers some really sensitive subjects but Catherine does it beautifully. I loved the relationships between the characters, in particular with 5 year old Oscar, he helped to give Ellie a focus and teaching him has the same therapeutic benefits as when her Grandma taught her. I enjoyed following Ellie’s journey whilst also learning about her history and her Mums history and how it all links.
A powerful read with a beautiful ending.

This story was amazing with the topics covering emotional and mental health. It was good to see Ellie's issues and how she manages to survive. It pulled my heart strings in many places had me in tears in some parts. Was nice that she had people to support her.

Well written, thought provoking and makes you think about the life others have with no fault of their own

something I would read again and again

Goodness me, there is a lot going on in this novel, far too much in fact. There are storylines about: Romanian orphanages, the use and abuse of social media, agoraphobia, not one but two romances, a mother’s backstory, a relationship with a second orphan, an old school friend and even the dog seems to have its own little narrative going on. Furthermore, many of these storylines seem to assume top billing which begs the questions what is this novel about and what is it trying to say? I think it's about mental health, but I'd be reluctant to put more than 50p on that.

Someone at some point during the writing of this should have said ENOUGH. Pick a side and stay there. Do one or two things well and get rid of the rest.

The main problem created by all this is the uneven tone, it's a mess. Whilst there are important points being made about the effect of childhood trauma this sits uneasily with the broadsides of flippant humour which were a characteristic of the author’s first novels as Jane Costello.

There is no doubt that there are important points trying to be made here, but they are lost and I'm afraid this novelist isn't the one with the skills to be making them either.

This book gripped me for a day or two. It was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster that I didn’t know I needed... an education in agoraphobia and the Romanian orphanages of the early 90’s.

I really enjoyed it but I did struggle to bond with the main character. Maybe that was the point... because she had been alone for so long she was detached. But she didn’t have the same vibrancy as other characters had - it didn’t make me want to become her ‘friend’ and know more about her story. If anything, I read it to find out what happened to the love interest!

I would recommend it as a quick read but it isn’t something I’d personally buy for family and friends to discuss with them.

The World at My Feet is a dual-timeline story split between the present day, and the late 1980s and early 1990s. Harriet, a foreign correspondent in the mould of Kate Adie, had travelled the world and reported on conflict and suffering, but was deeply affected on a personal level by the conditions inside the orphanages in Romania.
Ellie, an instagram influencer, posting about her garden as @EnglishCountryGardenista, is living in the granny annexe of her parent’s house, but suffers from agoraphobia and has not been outside the gate for a couple of years. Her parents are very supportive, but also worried about her mental health and her future. A new relationship makes her want to try again to overcome her fears.
Told from the alternating viewpoints of Harriet and Ellie, the past is gradually revealed, and we learn why Ellie is so troubled. The mental health issues and emotional problems are handled with great sensitivity and thoughtfulness. Ellie comes to understand that, with professional help and the love of her friends and family, she can move forward and try to lead a normal life.
I have read and enjoyed lots of other books by Catherine Isaac, and in my opinion The World at My Feet is her best yet. It is well researched, beautifully written and the characters are completely believable. I particularly liked her relationship with five-year-old Oscar, and how they were really helping each other.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

Having read Catherine's first novel, I was looking forward to reading this. But I did not read anything about the book before I started to read it, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

The story tells of Ellie and her Mum Harriet. Ellie is an Instagrammer who posts about her gardening hobby. As the book progresses, we discover that Ellie struggles with anxiety and leaving her home surroundings.

Harriet's story tells how she was a foreign correspondent in the 80's and we learn that she and her husband Colin adopted Ellie after meeting her at a Romanian orphanage.

I do recall seeing and reading about the devastating conditions in the orphanages and Catherine definitely did her research in order to tell the story of Ellie and Harriet. A beautifully written story that I will be recommending to friends.

With thanks to NetGalley for a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

And, wow, what a book it was. I could have raced through this in a couple of days but it was so sumptuous and so sensual that I wanted to make it last. A simple, ordinary love story made unforgettable with incredibly sensitive and intuitive insight into mental health symptoms and their causes. I can only imagine that the author has had some kind of personal experience with mental illness to be able to portray Ellie so well. I savoured every word and phrase, and I know that I will reread this many times over. Pure understanding and gentle, realistic hope, this novel is right up on top of my greatest reads.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I couldn’t put this down.

A really moving book which dealt with traumatic events.

I felt it was beautifully written with how hard/sad issues were mixed with romance and fun.

I vaguely recall the news of Romania's orphanages and how children and babies were treated.

As I said at the start, I couldn’t put it down, a fabulous book and I would definitely recommend it.

When I started this book I had not realised that it was about a young woman who had been adopted from a Romanian orphanage. As the implications of her past unravelled throughout the novel, I became more and more drawn in. You see my son in law was one of those orphans and for my grand daughters, this is part of their family story. I found the whole read so moving but not maudlin. To me it felt both realistic and hopeful. Thank you for dealing with such a sensitive issue with grace and tact.

For the first 30ish pages I did wonder if this was for me. But I am SO glad I carried on as I can honestly say it will be in my top 10 of the year. ( already read 23 so that’s a big compliment ). Ellie is just the perfect character, she’s very likeable and as her story unfolds, you’ll fall in love with her and wish you could give her a big cuddle. Harriets story is well detailed and keeps you wanting more. This book covers powerful subjects and I felt the author wrote these very well and you can tell a lot of research went into this. Tears were rolling down my face as I finished it. Heartfelt, uplifting and thought provoking. Highly recommended

This started as a slow burn, as we get to know Ellie, an Instagram influencer in the world of horticulture. Ellie is also agoraphobic and has not left her home or garden in two years.

At first I struggled with Ellie’s refusal to go out but it soon becomes apparent about why she has the problems she has, and as the book progresses it becomes more and more unputdownable as she deals with the uncomfortable truths of her past.

I thoroughly enjoyed it as it reached its conclusion. Well worth a read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The World at my feet is an incredibly moving story. Harriet is a journalist in the 1990s when one of her assignments is to visit and report on one of the state orphanages in Romania. Ellie, is an Instagram star, she suffers from agoraphobia and loves gardening. How are the two women linked? Is it time for Ellie to go outside and overcome her fears? This is well written and sensitive although the heart of this story is sometimes a challenge to read. It is both beautiful and powerful. This multilayered read will keep you turning the pages and will stay thoughtfully with you for a while.

An amazingly addictive read that had me gripped from page one. Two stories, two women, two paths that are very similar. A fabulous uplifting feel good read.

Amazing, just amazing!
I loved this book from the first page and had to force myself to not read in one sitting so I could enjoy it for longer - the characters were interesting, the plot veered from the norm (in a good way) and I just thought the whole book was exceptionally well crafted.

The struggles of older Ellie were very well perceived and gave the story a real heart.
5 stars from me! It may well go in my read again pile.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I picked it up having no idea what it was about and I spent my days looking forward to picking up up again in the evening.

A fairly easy read, flows well and good story line.

Ellie is agoraphobic. She is a gardening influencer on Instagram and this is her contact with the outside world. She was adopted by her parents from an orphanage in Romania. She needs to face her demons to be able to live her life and allow herself to love.
Enjoyable characters who all help Ellie in their own ways manage the rollercoaster of her mental health challenges.

I would recommend.

This sounded a really interesting read, I like books set in two times, this one set in the late 1980s in Romania and the present day in England.

The two main characters are Harriet and Ellie and, although I found their link a bit confusing at first, it soon became clear that they were mother and daughter.

Harriet had been a war correspondent and Ellie is an agoraphobic living in an annexe on her parents property and blogging about the gardening she does, having quite a following. But Ellie has lots of issues, mainly stemming from her traumatic younger life in a Romanian orphanage, and so most of the book is quite emotional with her trying to get past this, but really struggling with it.

I did start off reading with a lot of interest, but really couldn’t gel with Ellie’s character, I just found her a bit irritating. The back story was very sad, it must have been horrendous for the poor children in that situation.

Eventually Ellie started getting more of a life, through lots of ups and downs, and started to work through her issues, with probably her main issue regarding an unsolved mystery being resolved. Her family and friends were very, very supportive and patient with her, I'm not sure what would have happened to her without them.

An interesting read.

Wow what a book ! The story is about Ellie who is an instagrammer and who lives in an annexe connected to her parents house. She hasn't left her garden in 2 years. As the book unfolds you find out about her past and her family - There are some powerful subjects and its an emotional read - I don't want to say anymore as you need to read the book to see the story unfold.