The Secret Collector
A Charming, Moving Novel about Friendship and Hope
by Abigail Johnson
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Pub Date 10 Apr 2025 | Archive Date 24 Apr 2025
Pan Macmillan | Pan
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Description
**Publishing April 2025 – available to pre-order now!**An uplifting and warm story about friendship across generations, the power of community and finding hope where it had been lost. Perfect for fans of Sally Page’s The Keeper of Stories and Evie Woods's The Lost Bookshop.
When an elderly eccentric collector and a troubled teen become each other's only hope of getting their lives back on track, what can possibly go wrong?
Alfred is an elderly widower who uses antiques and collectibles to fill the hole in his heart left by his late wife. Kian is a lost teen who has been let down by the care system and finds it difficult staying on the straight and narrow.
After Kian throws a brick through Alfred's window, the shock sends Alfred to hospital and a social worker to his home, where his hoarding becomes impossible to ignore.
Begrudgingly, and at the request of the authorities, they both agree to enrol Kian on a restorative justice programme, helping to make Alfred’s home liveable again. The only problem: Alfred doesn't want to throw any of his treasures away, and he certainly doesn’t want Kian for company.
What unfolds is a surprising and delightful journey of two characters who help each other more than they ever could have anticipated and, along the way, form the unlikeliest of friendships.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781035057757 |
| PRICE | £9.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 304 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Tracy S, Librarian
When Kian throws a brick through Alfreds window, he has no idea how the old man will change his life.
Part of Kian punishment is that he has to help Alfred clear his house of the hoardingAlfred has accumualted since his wife died.
This is a novel of pure joy. I loved how the relationship developed between the two men and even the generation gap did not make a difference in the end.
There are some emotional moments and I loved it ..
Educator 1135319
I loved this book so much. It brings together the lives of two very different people in an unexpected way and the friendship they form. Alfred is an elderly widower who uses antiques and collectables to fill the hole left by the death of his beloved wife. Kian is about to become an adult, let down by the care system, and not make the right choices. Kian throws a brick through Alfred's window, which causes Alfred to end up in hospital. He ends up with a social worker, who finds out his secret. He is a hoarder. Kian is placed on a rehabilitation programme, which means he must help Alfred clear out his house so that Alfred can live a normal life. As the story unfolds, a beautiful friendship develops, and the two change each others lives for the better.
