The Long Way Home: the perfect staycation summer read
Jan 2021 · Simon and Schuster
3.7star
3 reviewsreport
Ebook
400
Pages
family_home
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About this ebook
‘Thoroughly enjoyable, with endearing, believable characters and long-held secrets’ Katie Fforde
'The perfect summer read' Ruth Hogan
A family secret, a mysterious legacy, and a journey that will change everything…
When Isla, a 65-year-old grandmother, is left nothing but an old painting in her mother’s will, while her sisters and aunt inherit the estate, she is devastated. Close to retirement, getting ready to live on her own terms, the last thing she expects at this time of her life is such turmoil. So, to find an explanation for her mother’s rejection, she embarks on a road-trip.
But, right at the last moment, she’s forced to take her sullen – and, in her view, impossible – 14-year-old granddaughter Charlie with her. Cramped together in Isla’s car with her smelly old dog, these ill-assorted travelling companions set off to uncover some shattering and life-changing family truths at the same time as learning to love each other…
The Long Way Home is set in the UK and 1950s Paris where the story really begins, spanning four generations of women and the secrets that get passed down through them.
Praise for Fanny Blake and The Long Way Home:
‘Fanny Blake knows how to pinpoint what goes on in families. She is warm but never sentimental and her stories take a grip on the reader’ Elizabeth Buchan
‘No-one does family and friendship better than Fanny . . . Warm, funny, wise and relatable’ Veronica Henry
‘Loved it . . . a beautiful story of coming back to life in middle age, full of love, joy and hope’ Liz Fenwick
‘A hopeful, warm, generous-hearted novel about how love transcends difference’ Julie Cohen
'A warm, uplifting read' Rosanna Ley
'The plot reels you in until you have no choice but to devour every word' heat
'Absorbing, intelligent and an absolute joy to read' Daily Express
'A fantastic read from one of our favourite authors' Bella
'Fanny Blake is a master at leading us gently through the complexities of life' Woman & Home
'Blake writes fantastically about families and anyone who has ever despaired of a screen-addict teen will especially love this warm-hearted novel' Daily Mail
'Fanny Blake leads us gently and reassuringly through the complexities of everyday family life' Woman’s Weekly
‘Just perfect – as a grandmother myself it made me smile’ Dinah Jefferies
'Seamlessly moving from past to the present, this is a heart-warming read' Heat
'A heart-warming story of the importance of family bonds' People’s Friend
'The perfect summer read' Ruth Hogan
A family secret, a mysterious legacy, and a journey that will change everything…
When Isla, a 65-year-old grandmother, is left nothing but an old painting in her mother’s will, while her sisters and aunt inherit the estate, she is devastated. Close to retirement, getting ready to live on her own terms, the last thing she expects at this time of her life is such turmoil. So, to find an explanation for her mother’s rejection, she embarks on a road-trip.
But, right at the last moment, she’s forced to take her sullen – and, in her view, impossible – 14-year-old granddaughter Charlie with her. Cramped together in Isla’s car with her smelly old dog, these ill-assorted travelling companions set off to uncover some shattering and life-changing family truths at the same time as learning to love each other…
The Long Way Home is set in the UK and 1950s Paris where the story really begins, spanning four generations of women and the secrets that get passed down through them.
Praise for Fanny Blake and The Long Way Home:
‘Fanny Blake knows how to pinpoint what goes on in families. She is warm but never sentimental and her stories take a grip on the reader’ Elizabeth Buchan
‘No-one does family and friendship better than Fanny . . . Warm, funny, wise and relatable’ Veronica Henry
‘Loved it . . . a beautiful story of coming back to life in middle age, full of love, joy and hope’ Liz Fenwick
‘A hopeful, warm, generous-hearted novel about how love transcends difference’ Julie Cohen
'A warm, uplifting read' Rosanna Ley
'The plot reels you in until you have no choice but to devour every word' heat
'Absorbing, intelligent and an absolute joy to read' Daily Express
'A fantastic read from one of our favourite authors' Bella
'Fanny Blake is a master at leading us gently through the complexities of life' Woman & Home
'Blake writes fantastically about families and anyone who has ever despaired of a screen-addict teen will especially love this warm-hearted novel' Daily Mail
'Fanny Blake leads us gently and reassuringly through the complexities of everyday family life' Woman’s Weekly
‘Just perfect – as a grandmother myself it made me smile’ Dinah Jefferies
'Seamlessly moving from past to the present, this is a heart-warming read' Heat
'A heart-warming story of the importance of family bonds' People’s Friend
Ratings and reviews
3.7
3 reviews
Claire McPartlin
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August 5, 2021
An enjoyable read about family and secrets. Isla is a 65 year old grandmother who, along with her two sisters, has just been left something in her Mother's will. But it turns out the two sisters and her aunt get the property and Isla just gets a painting. So Isla sets off to figure out why she has been left out of the main will and just got a painting, with links to Paris. There are lots of family issues going on in this book, the sisters are arguing because of the property, one wanting to sell and one not wanting to sell. The aunt is lovely, but keeping quiet initially about why Isla has just got a painting. We also have Isla's granddaughter who ends up going on a road trip with her (reluctantly), because her parents are busy with work. The book flipped back and forth to when Isla's mum was in Paris when she was younger, and the reasons for the painting slowly come out as the story goes on and secrets are revealed. I did find Isla far too trusting with her 'boyfriend' and she did seem to be the only one making an effort with anyone in the family, trying to sort out the rift, but I enjoyed the interactions with most of the characters.
About the author
Fanny Blake was a publisher for many years, editing both fiction and non-fiction before becoming a freelance journalist and writer. She has written various non-fiction titles, acted as ghost writer for a number of celebrities, and is a former books editor of Woman & Home magazine. She has been a judge of a number of literary prizes, including the Costa First Novel award, the Desmond Elliott Award, the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year award and the British Book Awards. She is also the commissioning editor for Quick Reads and a book reviewer.
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