Ruth Hogan always writes wonderful books, but I think that this may be her best yet. The Light a Candle Society is a powerful novel about people, the kindness of strangers & ultimately, love.

The premise of the story is that there are people who die totally alone & so have no one to attend their funeral. George, a widower who works part time at a library, is horrified that this happens & decides to do something about it.

The characters in this story felt real to me, so much so that I wish I could join the Society & get to know them properly. Each person, including the ones who only make brief appearances, are written so compassionately that you grieve for what you know is coming.

Wonderful, I’d give it 10 stars if I could.

I loved Ruth Hogans last book The Phoenix Ballroom so I was very happy to be given a chance to read this book for an honest review.
The Light a Candle Society should be a sad story but I found it uplifting and heartwarming. A lovely read which I read in two sittings.

‘All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle‘.

George McGlory - recent widower, part-time librarian, pub quiz enthusiast and lover of loud shirts - witnesses a public health funeral and is deeply moved by the sight of the lonely coffin with no flowers and no mourners in attendance.
George is upset that some people die alone and with the help of his colleague The Light a Candle Society is born.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Comfy, cosy and heartwarming - just what Ruth Hogan is brilliant at.

This is the story of George, an elderly widower who takes it upon himself to brighten up public health funerals - to give a name and a presence to those anonymous lonely ceremonies, and who before long finds he has inadvertently founded the 'Light a Candle' society, and has a whole bunch of new friends dedicated to doing the same.

A lovely warm read.

This is a truly lovely book. At its heart it’s about people, kindness and love. Highly recommended to anyone wanting a feel good read.

I appreciate how much research and how many experiences led Ruth Hogan to writing "The Light a Candle Society". It's a very authentic story, filled with full-bodied, complex characters (most of whom are either approaching their mid-life or are past this point, which still feels rare in contemporary stories) and an uplifting message, despite the core subject that is fearsome to some - dying alone.

In "The Light a Candle Society" the author presents a unique talent to write scenes that despite very few details really fuel the imagination and represent the mood well, especially considering the chapters that include the stories of those who died.

It's a very atmospheric novel that was such an enjoyable read.

What a beautiful read. I was so emotional reading this book dying is not a subject most people like to talk about but it was so beautifully written that I found it uplifting and inspiring. When George was visiting his late wife at the cemetery he came across a funeral which was arranged by the council and where there were no family or friends to say goodbye and found this so sad he decided to attend the next one as he didn't think anyone should go out of this world alone and from there he along with some friends came up with the idea of the Light a Candle society. It was a pleasure to read this book full of warmth and charm, wonderful characters and learning the stories of people who without George and his friends would have gone on their final journey alone I found it uplifting and not at all morbid a 5🌟read and I highly recommend it.

Ruth Hogan’s latest novel is a very enjoyable read. A range of characters are introduced who either become members of the light a candle society or who are in need of their help. I found the story to be heartwarming although sad at times as many of the people who had died and required a funeral to be provided by the council had suffered during their lifetimes either through mental illness, the loss of other loved ones or similar circumstances.
I have read several of Ruth Hogan’s books and would recommend them all, including The Light a Candle Society. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review

A poignant, heartwarming story written with sensitivity and compassion.
Ruth Hogan does it again and delivers a powerful and touching read with a set of delightful characters, each with their own interesting past.
A book that celebrates life more than death and gives you good food for thought.
Most recommended.
Thank you to Atlantic Books- Corvus, NetGalley and the author for an early copy.

This is an emotive and thought provoking read about what happens to those with nobody after they have died. Widower George is concerned when he observes a funeral with no mourners and discovers that it was a public health funeral organised by the council as the deceased had no family to arrange it, the thought of this echoes in his head until he decides that he could attend the next one himself and when he mentions this to his acquaintances they support him and form the Light a Candle Society.

This is a wonderful character read which centres around George and his increasing number of friends as they commemorate the lives of those whose funerals they attend whilst building on their own relationships too. There’s some interesting glimpses into the lives of these strangers and a hint at how they died, some cases more despairing than others but throughout all of that is the love and caring that the Light a Candle Society gives. This is a joyful book about life more than death, about reaching out to people and also the impact we can have on others.

This book does a great job of making the characters seem very real, I don't just mean George, Roxy and all the others.
I mean the ones we meet briefly, it fleshes them out and gives them a back story, before the end comes, and they are being buried.
A great cast of characters anyway, that share some heart warming moments, and give you lots to ponder upon.
A nice addition to the Ruth Hogan catalogue.

I loved this book - an emotional heartwarming book.

George McGlory - recently widowed, part-time librarian and pub quiz enthusiast - witnesses a public health funeral and is saddened by the sight of no flowers or mourners in attendance. He is determined to ensure that such people are remembered and their lives celebrated.

He joins up with Elena, a florist, Edwin, an undertaker, Sid, who clears houses, Roxy, his librarian colleague and Niall from the local council. They form the Light a Candle Society to honour the dead.

As he investigates those whose funerals they arrange he learns more about himself and is forced to face his own secrets and fractured relationships.

One to be recommended.

What a beautiful and touching story. Everyone has experienced loss or knows someone that has and it’s heartbreaking to know that some people have no one to mourn them or remember them by is absolutely devastating. Such a powerful read. It will stay with me forever

What a fantastic story. I read in one sitting. Gosh how lives can change so quickly. I loved the characters . Too many to name but Captain and Smile. I knew nothing about public health funerals and you would have never known it could lead to such an amazing story. Some very sad moments and some very happy ones. The story just grips you. Read it. Ruth Hogan is a great writer. Definitely one of my books of 2025 .

Ruth Hogan does it again, another brilliant book packed to the brim with honest humanity. This time she turns her thoughts to Public Health funerals in "The Light a Candle Society". These are very basic funerals without much ceremony, run by the council when there is no-one else to organise it for them. George witnesses one of these and is shocked at how different this is to his wife's funeral that was well-attended and full of love. With an unlikely mix of a florist, fellow librarian, junior reporter, bric-a-brac man, undertaker and others, they form the Light a Candle Society that give company and respect to local Public Health funerals. There is humour, there is sadness, there might be the odd teary moment but what is most poignant are the stories that accompany that end up with no-one to attend their funeral. Definitely a book to get you thinking.

Wow..... this book is so emotional, uplifting and powerful.

George a widower works part-time in the library with Roxy - a soon to be 40 year old who never seems to find the right man.

While putting flowers on Audrey's grave he notices a hearse turns up... no flowers on the coffin and just one lady attending.... he meets up with the undertaker Edwin who informs him that the funeral is a Public Health one... that is no known relatives/ friends and the Local Authority carries out the funeral.

George is shocked, and decides there must be something he can do.... The Light a Candle Society is born..... some heart wrenching stories of people dying on their own, George tries to find out something about each of them and in turns finds friends etc. to make the funeral service one to be remembered.

Thanks to Corvus and Netgalley for a ERC.