Tag: Hope

Categories
Fiction

Walking on Sunshine, Giovanna Fletcher

Trigger warning: Cancer, Death

Mike has lost his partner of seventeen years Pia, and alongside their own grief and supporting Mike, Pia’s best friends Vicky and Zaza have issues of their own- Vicky has lost sight of herself as she has caught in the day-to-day of being a wife and a mum and Zaza, who is newly engaged, fears commitment.

Before her death Pia prepared a list for the trio to help them deal with their grief, and ever the adventurer and optimist this list sends Mike, Vicky and Zaza on a trek to Peru. Whilst they find it bizarre they allow their faith in Pia to guide them but will they learn for themselves that anything is possible when you’re walking on sunshine?

Walking on Sunshine, whilst sad, is above all a story of hope. The story follows the three main characters as they deal with their grief following Pia’s death, as well as how they support each other in their life after loss.

I haven’t read any of Giovanna Fletcher’s work before, but I really did enjoy this. I thought the book was well structured with chapters being told from the different characters so that we could really delve into each of their perspectives. I also thought the characters were extremely believable and their feelings relatable to everyday life.

Themes in the book include friendship, grief, life after loss, identity, and family life. You could tell that these themes were well researched- Giovanna has done a lot of work for the charity CoppaFeel and talks a lot about the highs and lows of family life and this came across authentically. I thought the subject of grief was dealt with in an honest way- touching upon some of the feelings which people don’t talk about as much. An example of this is when one of the characters who talks about guilt – ‘‘any time I’m not consumed by dark and tragic grief I feel guilty’’. As someone who has experienced a difficult bereavement just over a year ago, I really emphasised with a lot of what was said and felt by the characters in the book.

Overall, Walking on Sunshine is fully worthy of five stars. Please do not be put off by this book because of some of the sadder themes in the book, be encouraged for above all it is a story of hope- and with that I will leave you with the following quote which left me with chills down my spine…

‘‘Years ago I found myself wondering, ‘Is this it?, but now I realise that no one moment is ever it. The world keeps turning, life keeps going, deaths occur, babies are born, hearts are broken and mended again. Life happens and there’s nothing you can do to stop it rolling once it starts. In your whole lifetime it only stops once, when you reach the end. Until then you have to be prepared for the lows and highs, the struggle and joy, the hurt and love- whatever you land on, you will keep moving. You will keep going. Because that is the difference between life and death.’’

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK for a free e-copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Categories
Non Fiction Self help

The Book of Hope, Jonny Benjamin & Britt Pflüger

TW: Some people may find some of the themes discussed in this book upsetting.

The Book of Hope shares the stories of 101 individuals, including the likes of Dame Kelly Holmes, Joe Tracini and Martin Seager. All the stories have one thing in common: hope.

The contributors to this book vary from athletes, to psychologists, to actors and musicians. Some are very famous, others not so much, but the value of each story is limitless.

The Book of Hope is broken down into the following chapters Always Hope, Acceptance, Peace, Tool Kit, Compassion, Courage, The Right Words, Inspiration, Resilience, Kindness and Connection. This is really helpful as if you need something specific you can easily jump in and out.

Within each chapter you will find a number of stories. Some of the themes which appear in the contributor’s stories include, but are not limited to, mental health illnesses, loss, homophobia, racism, suicide, violence and sexual assault. Each individual tells us of the dark places they have been to. The stories are very raw (hence the trigger warning) however they also tell us how through these adversities they found hope, which in turn can provide hope for those struggling.

There are three important things I took away from this book. 1. You really are not alone. By just reading this book you will realise that there are at least 101 other people who have been to the dark side of life. 2. Even famous people struggle. In a world infatuated by the mass media and Instagram, not everyone’s lives are as they seem. 3. Nothing lasts forever and hope is the most important thing. I wish I had this book as a teen and even more so wish I was able to gift this book to my sister before she gave in to her demons.

Overall, this is just another example of how Jonny Benjamin continues to break the stigma around mental health, and I would like to thank all the contributors, including Jonny and Britt themselves, for being open and honest, and for trying to do just that. We all need a little hope from time to time, so I would recommend all to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan who kindly gave me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Categories
Fiction

Everything is Beautiful, Eleanor Ray

11 years ago Amy Ashton’s best friend and boyfriend disappeared without a trace. They must have run away together is the obvious conclusion. At first Amy is not convinced, but with it being 11 years later and still no answers, there is little else left for Amy to believe.

Over the years Amy begins to collect things. It started with things related to the case and things which reminded her of her past and better times. However, now her house is full of lots of things; things which people would consider junk, but which Amy finds meaning in and uses to fill the gaps her losses have left her with.

It isn’t until a new family move in next door that an incident occurs in Amy’s garden which leads her to discovering a clue. Is it enough to lead Amy to finally uncover the truth about the past?


Everything is Beautiful is a fantastically written novel. Structured with chapters which switch between the past and the present- this was particularly helpful to understand who the main protagonist Amy was and how she got to where she is now. As the past helps us to understand what she once had and why she is drawn to certain things.

I felt very drawn to Amy and thought that her character was well thought out. At the beginning she comes across as someone who is a bit of a recluse and very lonely, perfectly happy in her own company with her many belongings. However, as the book moves on you begin to realise that is not the true Amy.  It is difficult for Amy to move on when she is holding on to the past and has not ever had closure. At first it is almost unimaginable to think Amy can change and live the life she deserves, however, this is where Eleanor Ray gets it so wonderfully perfect, as with all situations in life, not everything is black and white or is it always linear. As we move through the book, we see that Amy still has so much to give and experience.

Themes in this book include but are not limited to love, loss, hope, healing and hoarding. I particularly loved that Eleanor Ray delved into the topic of hoarding. I think sometimes those who hoard can be really judged. Those who do not understand may see it as a choice or as simply lazy and therefore it can be seen as a taboo. However, as we see in the novel, hoarding is normally a sign of a deeper problem, which for Amy was her past and all the sadness she had experienced. I thought Eleanor Ray got this message across in a very sensitive way and I would hope it would have brought a greater understanding to many readers.

Overall, this is a story of hope. It truly felt like a hug in a book and without a doubt it deserves 5 stars.