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 ..

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.

Perfect for fans of Sally Pages ‘Book of Beginnings’
I loved the unlikely friendship that blossomed between these two very different characters. The book was charming! Touching on friendships and the deep understanding of people from all walks of life. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC

Where do I begin? I loved it doesn't quite cover my feeling on this story. I cared about the main characters straight away - their growing friendship touched me and I connected so much with a man in a generation older than me - I usually read books with female leads and so this was a new direction for me and wow did it blow me away.

I loved the concept of his collections and I felt protective of thenm on his behalf - this is a man who has been so deeply impacted by what he has lost, whether through wrongly places self blame, or just through the weight of the loss. I wanted to h0ld on to his collections tightly for him - I found the invasive nature of the social worker to be very real - there was no attempt to really get to know him or connect with her, he felt backed into a corner and afraid. Then we have the other main character who is so much younger and has had such a difficult start in life - both share the experience of a hard start in life and lack of family, but what they don't realise is that they will be family to each other.

It ends so well also - a really nice way of staying true to the characters and who they are as people. I may have seen the loft incident coming, but I did not predict the ending and I felt it wrapped up really nicely. I really wanted to stay within the pages of this book for longer, I miss them both now I have cone to the end and wish I were settling down with them again tonight!

A rare 5 stars from me!

Brilliant book about coming together. Meet Alfred an elderly gentleman who having lost his wife has got into a rut of hoarding things he sees as his treasures.
Kian a wayward teenager throws a brick through Alfred’s window starting a chain of events involving social worker and parole officers.
The two become friends and end up helping each other in ways they never expected.
Heartwarming read.

This is a very easy to read, feel good book with some lovely characters. It gave me the same sort of vibe as the very successful book A Man Called Ove. Well paced, no great surprises but a book that many will enjoy. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the review copy.

In this book we meet Alfred who fought in WW2 at the tender age of 17. He has been widow for 5 yrs and estranged from his only daughter. Alfred is a collector of things,,anything. His house is so full he can hardly move. When he ends up in hospital he is assigned a social worker who is making it her business for Alfred to get his house emptied.

Kian is 17yrs old and has been in care since he was eight. He and his younger brother have been separated and Kian's greatest wish is to have his brother live with him. If only Kian could find a job, stop drinking, stop smoking, have enough money to feed himself. Things have escalated and Kian is on the cusp of going to prison and if that happens he will never get custody of his brother.

Oh my goodness I can't tell you how much I loved this book. I wanted the best for everyone but everytime Alfred or Kuan made a mistake and did something stupid my heart plummeted.
If there was a moral to this story I think it would be , " It only takes one person who believes in you to change your life"
It would be lovely to have a follow up to this book I would love to know how it works out for them all.
One more thing, Brilliant ending!