Review - 5/5🌟
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“Do not write off people based on how they present themselves to the world. You should know that better than anyone. Everyone has a story, if you take the time to listen.”
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Single mother Ruth and her ten-year-old son DJ have always struggled to fit in but they have had each other. However, their foundations are rocked when they lose their home in Dublin. Their lives change as they meet Tom, a man who walked away from his house and life ten years ago to sleep on a park bench. These people have all felt marginalised and on the periphery of society, but together they are a force that will effect changes that are positive and meaningful.
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I loved this compelling story, which has so much heart and soul. In particular, it very compassionately clarifies that “homelessness has many faces”. It can be a rough sleeper, a well-dressed woman living in an hostel leaving early for work, or a child fleeing an abusive family. This life-affirming novel also illuminates other equally complex and important themes such as autism, domestic abuse, grief and depression. This is essentially a story about kindness and empathy, with the message of how we should all “stand up for the underdog”. It reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant - but in my opinion this was more powerful and emotional, and has the potential to be as successful (if not even more so).
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A Thousand Roads Home is published today - congratulations to the author @happymrsh and thank you to @harpercollinsire for the review copy.