Half a World Away: The heart-warming, heart-breaking Richard and Judy Book Club selection

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This is a great book to read if you’re talking about moving, as well as talking about friendships. You can take some time to look for magical creatures in clouds, like Amy and Louis did, or use cotton wool to create your own cloud creatures. You can use maps to look at some of the wonderful places in the world where people live or, if you’re feeling arty, create neutral art works with just a little bit of colour. This is the first contemporary fiction novel that I have read by Mike Gayle, and I absolutely loved it, despite the fact that I found myself emotionally wrung out from the experience. Kerry Hayes is in her early 40s, a single mom with young son, Kian, living on a tough and challenging London estate. She is a hardworking cleaner, determined to be a good role model for her son, and given where they live, she has her work cut out in steering Kian along a positive life path. Kian's father is the no hoper, Steve, not interested in his son, Kerry has no illusions where he is concerned, but it means that she and Kian are on their own in life. Her best friend, Jodi, from Milread Children's Home, is now living in the North East with her family, although the two of them remain close. The only other person that Kerry has loved unconditionally was her baby brother, Jason, who she cared for and looked after, before she was separated from him by a uncaring social services when they were taken away from their problematic mother, Mary. Eleven-year-old Jaden is adopted, and he knows he’s an “epic fail.” That’s why his family is traveling to Kazakhstan to adopt a new baby—to replace him, he’s sure. And he gets it. He is incapable of stopping his stealing, hoarding, lighting fires, aggressive running, and obsession with electricity. He knows his parents love him, but he feels...nothing.

Steve had just gotten home from work, so he was wearing a suit and tie. His suits were all slightly too small because he’d gained weight recently. “I hear you didn’t go to school. Whatcha been up to all day?” Steve asked Jaden. I am an adoptive mom who thinks this book should be required for any parent wanting to adopt internationally, because the challenges Jaden faces are not rare, but quite normal, and any adoption agency that claims it's rare is full of crap. I also think this book would an excellent addition to 3rd-6th grade reading lists alongside The Great Gilly Hopkins by katherine Patterson, as it gives a real glimpse into the heart of kids who've lost family and have to deal with the trauma of a new family on top of losing the first one. The incredibly moving and uplifting novel "Half a World Away" is an acute observation of human nature and is written by Mike Gayle, bestselling author of "The Man I Think I Know". Half a Word away is a heartbreaking and beautiful story. An uplifting tale that is relatable and well written. This is a wonderful book about family, unconditional love and hope. It is joyful, tearful, emotional, moving and heart-warming and heart-breaking in equal measures. I made the mistake of listening to the book whilst shopping in Tesco’s and started sobbing in the pasta aisle!

Toys

Twelve-year old Jaden hails from Romania. Adopted at eight, his adopted mother loved him immediately. Throughout the four years of being with his mother and father, he is angry at his biological mother who left him, and he strikes out at any and all who try to understand him.

Plus - to qualify for an I-600 visa (visa for an adopted child)to be admitted to the United States all children need a physical exam by someone at a US embassy. (That there isn't a doctor in the area doesn't matter.) There are strict guidelines for visas ... and one or more of these children would certainly not be admitted. (One will "die soon.") Now in her early 40’s Kerry is a single mum to a young son, living on a rough estate, she has her own small business cleaning the houses of the rich and entitled. Having been put into the care system at a young age and separated from her younger brother Jason when he was 18 months old, she has spent her life determined to provide for her own child and give him the stability and direction she never had. This is a beautiful, beautiful book. It’s about family, about class, about love, about choices and sacrifice. It’s about letting go and learning to hold on. It’s optimistic and heartbreaking and funny and emotional. It’s the kind of book that will stay with you, long after you finish it. Buy it, read it, love it – and hang on to those tissues, you’ll need them.’ Netgalley

I do need to warn readers that this is an intensely emotional book, although beautifully written and uplifting in parts, it does give cause to have tissues close by but I did enjoy it and I would definitely read more by this author again. A tug at the heartstrings but funny, endearing and uplifting and a story I won't forget. An absolute must read! Jaden sat on the floor, holding on to a half loaf of unsliced bread. He switched his lamp on and off, the bedroom lighting up and darkening over and over. Electricity had always relaxed him. For sure it was the most amazing thing about America. He bit off the biggest chunk of bread that could fit in his mouth. It was sourdough, which he liked because it was so chewy.