Review | The Inconvenient Need to Belong by Paula Smedley

Blurb

In the summer of 1953, twenty-year-old Alfie steals away from his troubled childhood home in London to start a new life in Exeter. His own life.

And at first it’s everything he ever dreamed it would be. For the first time in his life Alfie feels like he belongs.

Today, in a care home in the Midlands, eighty-six-year-old Alfie is struggling to come to terms with his dark past.

Alfie’s story is one of regret, the mistakes we make, and the secrets even the most unassuming of us can hold. But it is also a story about family, friendship, the things we should treasure and protect, and how the choices we make can shape our lives and the lives of others.

Review

An uplifting, beautifully written tale!

I really enjoyed how Smedley wove together Alfie's present-day and his past, she reels you in so seamlessly I sat and read the whole book in one sitting.

It just missed out on 5⭐the ending felt very abrupt to me and I wanted more Alfie, hopefully, we hear from him again soon!

Overall, a moving debut with engaging characters that are hard to leave behind. Perfect for fans of The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared.

A huge thanks to Anne Cater & SilverWood Books for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐