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Groetjes, Danny
Danny Mulberry’s leven staat stil sinds… nou ja, sinds toen. De meeste avonden zit hij in de kroeg, de rest van de tijd woont hij in het tuinhuis van zijn beste vriend. Als een van zijn dronken stunts de krant haalt en hij geroemd wordt als een moderne filosoof, ontvangt Danny opeens brieven van mensen die denken dat hij daadwerkelijk de wijsheid in pacht heeft.
Wolfie is de tienerdochter van Danny’s zus Lou, de zus die Danny al zestien jaar niet gezien heeft. Lou heeft hulp nodig, dus als Wolfie Danny’s foto in de krant ziet, zoekt ze hem op. Opeens is Danny een grote broer, een oom, en de inspiratie voor een aantal verloren zielen. Kan hij de man worden die zij allemaal willen dat hij is?
Wolfie is de tienerdochter van Danny’s zus Lou, de zus die Danny al zestien jaar niet gezien heeft. Lou heeft hulp nodig, dus als Wolfie Danny’s foto in de krant ziet, zoekt ze hem op. Opeens is Danny een grote broer, een oom, en de inspiratie voor een aantal verloren zielen. Kan hij de man worden die zij allemaal willen dat hij is?
373 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 23, 2023
38 people are currently reading
895 people want to read
About the author
Julietta Henderson
5 books169 followersJulietta Henderson grew up in the rainforests of North Queensland, and developed her passion for the written word producing 'magazines' for school friends and neighbours with her sister. She has worked her way through jobs as diverse as bicycle tour guide in Tuscany, nanny in the Italian Alps and breakfast waitress in the wilds of Scotland. Like many Australians, her love affair with Europe began when she came to London and stayed for more than a decade.
Now a full-time writer, Julietta divides her life between Melbourne, the UK and wherever else she can find winter.
Now a full-time writer, Julietta divides her life between Melbourne, the UK and wherever else she can find winter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
August 24, 2022
I didn’t think Julietta Henderson could top ‘…Norman Foreman’ but I absolutely think she has! Danny Mulberry,39, is Mr CouldDoBetter, his address is his best mate Dom’s garden shed so definitely not a high bar then, although Danny has propped up a few. He’s caught red handed by PC Maria Hanley, paintbrush in hand, beside a large piece of graffiti defacing a pristine footpath in affluent Belsize Park, London. As Danny has partaken of a snifter or three he can’t remember the actual act but he does recognise the paint he used to write ‘A cat may look at a king’. Very wise Danny. As he’s carted off in the back of a police car, nosy neighbour Ray, who Danny does not get on with, snaps a picture of Danny’s two fingered salute which finds its way into the local press. This leads to the reappearance in his life of his sister Lou who he hasn’t seen for sixteen years, his first meeting with niece Wolfie and a whole new career.
This is a wonderful character driven novel which has me laughing and bawling with everything in between. The characters are simply fabulous, Danny is initially a mess but he’s a diamond geezer underneath it all, Dom is a truly magnificent human being and should be canonised for his patient calm kindness especially to Danny but pretty much everyone he meets. Lou is vulnerable but fierce in her love of Wolfie who is una chica increible! As for Dom’s son George he is sooo funny and so so clever for six! Go Buzz! I should also mention the dog ( yes, there’s even a dog) Gentleman who is very, very wise for a canine! The dynamics between all these characters, including Gentleman obviously, are so well done.
This is a multilayered novel, it starts funny (though there are multiple laugh out moments throughout) but it builds in layers as Danny faces truths in the present day and from the past. At times it’s sad, there are several examples of pain, it’s emotional, heartbreaking followed by heartwarming. Danny’s musings become increasingly perceptive as he channels his beloved late father as inside that messed up exterior beats a kind and loving heart.
This is a very touching, beautifully written book with characters I grow to love. I’ll happily adopt George, he’d fit right in here and Gentlemen can come too!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K./Transworld for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
This is a wonderful character driven novel which has me laughing and bawling with everything in between. The characters are simply fabulous, Danny is initially a mess but he’s a diamond geezer underneath it all, Dom is a truly magnificent human being and should be canonised for his patient calm kindness especially to Danny but pretty much everyone he meets. Lou is vulnerable but fierce in her love of Wolfie who is una chica increible! As for Dom’s son George he is sooo funny and so so clever for six! Go Buzz! I should also mention the dog ( yes, there’s even a dog) Gentleman who is very, very wise for a canine! The dynamics between all these characters, including Gentleman obviously, are so well done.
This is a multilayered novel, it starts funny (though there are multiple laugh out moments throughout) but it builds in layers as Danny faces truths in the present day and from the past. At times it’s sad, there are several examples of pain, it’s emotional, heartbreaking followed by heartwarming. Danny’s musings become increasingly perceptive as he channels his beloved late father as inside that messed up exterior beats a kind and loving heart.
This is a very touching, beautifully written book with characters I grow to love. I’ll happily adopt George, he’d fit right in here and Gentlemen can come too!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K./Transworld for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
March 20, 2023
Sincerely, Me by Julietta Henderson
Synopsis /
If you can't be a hero, just be yourself.
Danny Mulberry is the definition of a man who 'could do better'. He hasn't spoken to his sister in sixteen years, spends most of his spare time in the local pub and currently lives in his best friend's garden shed.
But when the consequences of one drunken evening draw the attention of the press, a misleading article appears depicting Danny's less-than-perfect lifestyle as something covetable and wise. People start to think this apparently enlightened man could be the one with all the answers, and letters begin to flood in from strangers seeking his guidance.
Wolfie is the teenage daughter of Danny's estranged sister, Lou. She's never met her uncle. But her mother needs help, so when Wolfie sees Danny's picture in the paper, she sets out to find him.
Within a week, Danny goes from being responsibility-free to a big brother, an uncle and an unwitting existential 'guru' to some very lost souls.
Can he become the man they all need him to be?
My Thoughts /
When I read Julietta Henderson's debut book The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman, it was like cupid's arrow hitting me right in the heart. I loved it, and it now has pride of place residing on my favourites shelf. That was 2021. Fast forward to today, 2023 and Julietta Henderson has penned another beauty, this time titled Sincerely, Me.
Hands down, one of the many things Henderson does brilliantly, are her characterizations and just like her previous novel, Sincerely, Me has a stellar cast.
Danny — Mr CouldDoBetter. That's what 39-year-old, Danny Mulberry calls himself. Now maybe, when you first meet Danny, you might agree. Because at 39, Danny lives with his best friend, Dom. Dom, a doctor, owns a home in the upmarket suburb of Belsize Park. Not all that unusual - friend's living together - but what you come to learn is that Danny, who's currently unemployed, lives in Dom's garden shed - albeit a self-imposed decision - it's a distinction Danny feels should be made. Danny's 'second' home is the bar at the Lamb and Flag Hotel, which may give you some insight into what Danny does with a lot of his time.
After a particularly excessive session at the Lamb & Fig, Danny wakes up on the footpath outside Dom's Belsize home. With no recollection of how he got there or anything at all from the previous night. At his feet is a can of red paint, a brush and some words of wisdom painted on the footpath outside his house. 'A cat may look at a King'. [An old English proverb which basically means, even someone of low status has rights.] While taking a moment to reflect whether he was even capable of knowing such a philosophical statement, let alone painting it on the sidewalk, Danny doesn't notice his neighbour Ray, who's hiding in the bushes next door, take some snapshots of him and his artwork.
Those snapshots make their way into a local newspaper and the story and the ensuing notoriety it creates, sets in motion a chain reaction of events that will forever change Danny's life.
Wolfie — fifteen-year-old Wolfie lives with her mum, Lou. When I say, lives with that's using the term broadly. It's fair to say that Wolfie looks after her mum. Lou suffers from depression. It's just one of the topics that Henderson talks about openly in this story. But all Wolfie knows is that her mum often gets sad, but that the sadness will pass.
And the thing is, it’s not always like this. In the days and weeks and even months between those sofa holidays, there are plenty of times it feels like we could be on the verge of being almost as happy as Larry.
Because my mother’s not depressed, she’s just sad and we’re waiting for it to pass.
— Wolfie
But it seems that lately, there is more and more sadness and Wolfie knows she needs to find help for both her and her mum. By chance, Wolfie sees the article about Danny in the newspaper and recognises him from photos in her mum's photo album at home. She knows that he's Lou's brother and who better to help her with her mum, than her uncle. Uncle Danny.
What follows is a beautifully crafted story filled with wonderfully diverse characters that bring joy and laughter to a story about a broken family and the issues that need to be resolved before healing can begin. There is something immensely satisfying in reading about someone who has had a life of hard knocks, whether by choice or circumstance, decide to take life by the horns and turn it around 180 degrees.
Henderson's writing is so well crafted it makes your heart ache for each and every character in this story. You find yourself longing for Danny to snap out of being a Mr CouldDoBetter. For Lou to stop feeling so achingly depressingly sad, and for Wolfie to get back the mum she knows she had, but for some reason has lost.
This book is not a thrilling roller coaster ride, it's more of a measured, unhurried, languid lake paddle, using long, slow, rhythmical strokes to get you where you want to be.
I'm so glad I took the ride.
Synopsis /
If you can't be a hero, just be yourself.
Danny Mulberry is the definition of a man who 'could do better'. He hasn't spoken to his sister in sixteen years, spends most of his spare time in the local pub and currently lives in his best friend's garden shed.
But when the consequences of one drunken evening draw the attention of the press, a misleading article appears depicting Danny's less-than-perfect lifestyle as something covetable and wise. People start to think this apparently enlightened man could be the one with all the answers, and letters begin to flood in from strangers seeking his guidance.
Wolfie is the teenage daughter of Danny's estranged sister, Lou. She's never met her uncle. But her mother needs help, so when Wolfie sees Danny's picture in the paper, she sets out to find him.
Within a week, Danny goes from being responsibility-free to a big brother, an uncle and an unwitting existential 'guru' to some very lost souls.
Can he become the man they all need him to be?
My Thoughts /
When I read Julietta Henderson's debut book The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman, it was like cupid's arrow hitting me right in the heart. I loved it, and it now has pride of place residing on my favourites shelf. That was 2021. Fast forward to today, 2023 and Julietta Henderson has penned another beauty, this time titled Sincerely, Me.
Hands down, one of the many things Henderson does brilliantly, are her characterizations and just like her previous novel, Sincerely, Me has a stellar cast.
Danny — Mr CouldDoBetter. That's what 39-year-old, Danny Mulberry calls himself. Now maybe, when you first meet Danny, you might agree. Because at 39, Danny lives with his best friend, Dom. Dom, a doctor, owns a home in the upmarket suburb of Belsize Park. Not all that unusual - friend's living together - but what you come to learn is that Danny, who's currently unemployed, lives in Dom's garden shed - albeit a self-imposed decision - it's a distinction Danny feels should be made. Danny's 'second' home is the bar at the Lamb and Flag Hotel, which may give you some insight into what Danny does with a lot of his time.
After a particularly excessive session at the Lamb & Fig, Danny wakes up on the footpath outside Dom's Belsize home. With no recollection of how he got there or anything at all from the previous night. At his feet is a can of red paint, a brush and some words of wisdom painted on the footpath outside his house. 'A cat may look at a King'. [An old English proverb which basically means, even someone of low status has rights.] While taking a moment to reflect whether he was even capable of knowing such a philosophical statement, let alone painting it on the sidewalk, Danny doesn't notice his neighbour Ray, who's hiding in the bushes next door, take some snapshots of him and his artwork.
Those snapshots make their way into a local newspaper and the story and the ensuing notoriety it creates, sets in motion a chain reaction of events that will forever change Danny's life.
Wolfie — fifteen-year-old Wolfie lives with her mum, Lou. When I say, lives with that's using the term broadly. It's fair to say that Wolfie looks after her mum. Lou suffers from depression. It's just one of the topics that Henderson talks about openly in this story. But all Wolfie knows is that her mum often gets sad, but that the sadness will pass.
And the thing is, it’s not always like this. In the days and weeks and even months between those sofa holidays, there are plenty of times it feels like we could be on the verge of being almost as happy as Larry.
Because my mother’s not depressed, she’s just sad and we’re waiting for it to pass.
— Wolfie
But it seems that lately, there is more and more sadness and Wolfie knows she needs to find help for both her and her mum. By chance, Wolfie sees the article about Danny in the newspaper and recognises him from photos in her mum's photo album at home. She knows that he's Lou's brother and who better to help her with her mum, than her uncle. Uncle Danny.
What follows is a beautifully crafted story filled with wonderfully diverse characters that bring joy and laughter to a story about a broken family and the issues that need to be resolved before healing can begin. There is something immensely satisfying in reading about someone who has had a life of hard knocks, whether by choice or circumstance, decide to take life by the horns and turn it around 180 degrees.
Henderson's writing is so well crafted it makes your heart ache for each and every character in this story. You find yourself longing for Danny to snap out of being a Mr CouldDoBetter. For Lou to stop feeling so achingly depressingly sad, and for Wolfie to get back the mum she knows she had, but for some reason has lost.
This book is not a thrilling roller coaster ride, it's more of a measured, unhurried, languid lake paddle, using long, slow, rhythmical strokes to get you where you want to be.
I'm so glad I took the ride.
September 11, 2022
Sincerely Me is the second novel by Australian author, Julietta Henderson. After a night on the turps at the Lamb and Flag, an enigmatic bit of drunken graffiti daubed on the footpath, an arrest and a conditional release, Danny Mulberry thinks that’s the end of it. So he is surprised by the two things that follow in fairly quick succession.
Fifteen-year-old Wolfie Harris has spent her short life watching out for her mum, worrying about her. Lou always insists she’s not depressed, just sad sometimes. But since Lou’s close encounter on her moped with a Tesco delivery van, her injuries have made her even more reclusive.
Seeing the photo of Danny Mulberry in the Double is a complete fluke: Wolfie doesn’t twig straight off that it’s her uncle, but the article with it: could he be the solution to their problems?
Danny Mulberry hasn’t seen his younger sister Lou for sixteen years, four months and three weeks. He’s not proud of why. When he finds her waiting for him in the kitchen of Dom’s house, it’s a shock. Of course, it’s not her, but Wolfie could be Lou’s double. What could she want with him?
Wolfie has her uncle summed up pretty smartly: a jobless binge drinker who is, inexplicably, tolerated by this solid, reliable widower and his totally cute, funny six-year-old son. “Danny Mulberry wouldn’t feel like the adult in the room in a kindergarten finger-painting class.” But despite this, and fairly certain her mum won’t approve, she reveals Lou’s current condition.
Danny has lived for a year in, at his own insistence, the garden shed of Dom’s roomy Belsize Park house. So he shouldn’t be surprised when, following their visit to Lou’s tiny Tottenham flat, he and Dom (hands down the best friend a person could ever wish for) and George come home with two house guests.
Luckily, with judiciously timed visits to the Lamb and sneaking back into the shed, he should be able to avoid, for the time being, a facing the elephant in the room. But probably not forever; he’ll have to work up to it…
Danny’s second surprise is Pete Barker, the journalist from the Double whose imaginative story “a complete fabrication assisted by his unnamed but highly cooperative source, Professor Google” ran with his photo. Pete’s editor has been swamped by correspondence, email and snail, from readers wanting Danny’s advice. But what could possibly qualify Danny, whose own life hasn’t exactly been a huge success so far, to advise anyone?
When Danny reads a few of the letters, though, he can’t resist: he’s always been the sort to help people who need it. Turns out, writing replies has him drawing on his own life experiences, recalling his father’s wise words, and also remembering things that he’d maybe rather not. But his advice is sound, and he both dreads and looks forward to each new batch Pete brings.
Danny and Wolfie are the narrators for this story, while Danny’s replies to letters provide a bit of background. Once again, Henderson writes a cast of characters that easily endear themselves to the reader: Danny, flawed but with a good heart; Wolfie, doing her best to keep her little family together under difficult conditions; George is likely to be a favourite for his irrepressibility; and Dom, like a warm hug.
She gives her characters, even the minor ones, insightful observations, and Ed Mulberry’s theory on birthdays is likely to be popular: “if things didn’t quite go to plan on your birthday, you were allowed another shot at it”. Some of the source of the sibling estrangement gradually becomes apparent as the story progresses, but other aspects, when revealed, are likely to put a lump in the throat and bring a tear to the eye: have the tissues ready.
In a story that touches on alcoholism, depression, loneliness, suicide, coping strategies, and grief, Henderson also demonstrates the vital importance of family and good friends. It's quickly clear that this author is not a victim of second-book syndrome: this one is just as funny, moving, heart-warming and uplifting as her first. Highly recommended.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld.
Fifteen-year-old Wolfie Harris has spent her short life watching out for her mum, worrying about her. Lou always insists she’s not depressed, just sad sometimes. But since Lou’s close encounter on her moped with a Tesco delivery van, her injuries have made her even more reclusive.
Seeing the photo of Danny Mulberry in the Double is a complete fluke: Wolfie doesn’t twig straight off that it’s her uncle, but the article with it: could he be the solution to their problems?
Danny Mulberry hasn’t seen his younger sister Lou for sixteen years, four months and three weeks. He’s not proud of why. When he finds her waiting for him in the kitchen of Dom’s house, it’s a shock. Of course, it’s not her, but Wolfie could be Lou’s double. What could she want with him?
Wolfie has her uncle summed up pretty smartly: a jobless binge drinker who is, inexplicably, tolerated by this solid, reliable widower and his totally cute, funny six-year-old son. “Danny Mulberry wouldn’t feel like the adult in the room in a kindergarten finger-painting class.” But despite this, and fairly certain her mum won’t approve, she reveals Lou’s current condition.
Danny has lived for a year in, at his own insistence, the garden shed of Dom’s roomy Belsize Park house. So he shouldn’t be surprised when, following their visit to Lou’s tiny Tottenham flat, he and Dom (hands down the best friend a person could ever wish for) and George come home with two house guests.
Luckily, with judiciously timed visits to the Lamb and sneaking back into the shed, he should be able to avoid, for the time being, a facing the elephant in the room. But probably not forever; he’ll have to work up to it…
Danny’s second surprise is Pete Barker, the journalist from the Double whose imaginative story “a complete fabrication assisted by his unnamed but highly cooperative source, Professor Google” ran with his photo. Pete’s editor has been swamped by correspondence, email and snail, from readers wanting Danny’s advice. But what could possibly qualify Danny, whose own life hasn’t exactly been a huge success so far, to advise anyone?
When Danny reads a few of the letters, though, he can’t resist: he’s always been the sort to help people who need it. Turns out, writing replies has him drawing on his own life experiences, recalling his father’s wise words, and also remembering things that he’d maybe rather not. But his advice is sound, and he both dreads and looks forward to each new batch Pete brings.
Danny and Wolfie are the narrators for this story, while Danny’s replies to letters provide a bit of background. Once again, Henderson writes a cast of characters that easily endear themselves to the reader: Danny, flawed but with a good heart; Wolfie, doing her best to keep her little family together under difficult conditions; George is likely to be a favourite for his irrepressibility; and Dom, like a warm hug.
She gives her characters, even the minor ones, insightful observations, and Ed Mulberry’s theory on birthdays is likely to be popular: “if things didn’t quite go to plan on your birthday, you were allowed another shot at it”. Some of the source of the sibling estrangement gradually becomes apparent as the story progresses, but other aspects, when revealed, are likely to put a lump in the throat and bring a tear to the eye: have the tissues ready.
In a story that touches on alcoholism, depression, loneliness, suicide, coping strategies, and grief, Henderson also demonstrates the vital importance of family and good friends. It's quickly clear that this author is not a victim of second-book syndrome: this one is just as funny, moving, heart-warming and uplifting as her first. Highly recommended.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld.
December 27, 2022
Sincerely Me is the second novel by Australian author, Julietta Henderson. The audio version is narrated by Yannick Lawry. After a night on the turps at the Lamb and Flag, an enigmatic bit of drunken graffiti daubed on the footpath, an arrest and a conditional release, Danny Mulberry thinks that’s the end of it. So he is surprised by the two things that follow in fairly quick succession.
Fifteen-year-old Wolfie Harris has spent her short life watching out for her mum, worrying about her. Lou always insists she’s not depressed, just sad sometimes. But since Lou’s close encounter on her moped with a Tesco delivery van, her injuries have made her even more reclusive.
Seeing the photo of Danny Mulberry in the Double is a complete fluke: Wolfie doesn’t twig straight off that it’s her uncle, but the article with it: could he be the solution to their problems?
Danny Mulberry hasn’t seen his younger sister Lou for sixteen years, four months and three weeks. He’s not proud of why. When he finds her waiting for him in the kitchen of Dom’s house, it’s a shock. Of course, it’s not her, but Wolfie could be Lou’s double. What could she want with him?
Wolfie has her uncle summed up pretty smartly: a jobless binge drinker who is, inexplicably, tolerated by this solid, reliable widower and his totally cute, funny six-year-old son. “Danny Mulberry wouldn’t feel like the adult in the room in a kindergarten finger-painting class.” But despite this, and fairly certain her mum won’t approve, she reveals Lou’s current condition.
Danny has lived for a year in, at his own insistence, the garden shed of Dom’s roomy Belsize Park house. So he shouldn’t be surprised when, following their visit to Lou’s tiny Tottenham flat, he and Dom (hands down the best friend a person could ever wish for) and George come home with two house guests.
Luckily, with judiciously timed visits to the Lamb and sneaking back into the shed, he should be able to avoid, for the time being, a facing the elephant in the room. But probably not forever; he’ll have to work up to it…
Danny’s second surprise is Pete Barker, the journalist from the Double whose imaginative story “a complete fabrication assisted by his unnamed but highly cooperative source, Professor Google” ran with his photo. Pete’s editor has been swamped by correspondence, email and snail, from readers wanting Danny’s advice. But what could possibly qualify Danny, whose own life hasn’t exactly been a huge success so far, to advise anyone?
When Danny reads a few of the letters, though, he can’t resist: he’s always been the sort to help people who need it. Turns out, writing replies has him drawing on his own life experiences, recalling his father’s wise words, and also remembering things that he’d maybe rather not. But his advice is sound, and he both dreads and looks forward to each new batch Pete brings.
Danny and Wolfie are the narrators for this story, while Danny’s replies to letters provide a bit of background. Once again, Henderson writes a cast of characters that easily endear themselves to the reader: Danny, flawed but with a good heart; Wolfie, doing her best to keep her little family together under difficult conditions; George is likely to be a favourite for his irrepressibility; and Dom, like a warm hug.
She gives her characters, even the minor ones, insightful observations, and Ed Mulberry’s theory on birthdays is likely to be popular: “if things didn’t quite go to plan on your birthday, you were allowed another shot at it”. Some of the source of the sibling estrangement gradually becomes apparent as the story progresses, but other aspects, when revealed, are likely to put a lump in the throat and bring a tear to the eye: have the tissues ready.
In a story that touches on alcoholism, depression, loneliness, suicide, coping strategies, and grief, Henderson also demonstrates the vital importance of family and good friends. It's quickly clear that this author is not a victim of second-book syndrome: this one is just as funny, moving, heart-warming and uplifting as her first. Highly recommended.
Fifteen-year-old Wolfie Harris has spent her short life watching out for her mum, worrying about her. Lou always insists she’s not depressed, just sad sometimes. But since Lou’s close encounter on her moped with a Tesco delivery van, her injuries have made her even more reclusive.
Seeing the photo of Danny Mulberry in the Double is a complete fluke: Wolfie doesn’t twig straight off that it’s her uncle, but the article with it: could he be the solution to their problems?
Danny Mulberry hasn’t seen his younger sister Lou for sixteen years, four months and three weeks. He’s not proud of why. When he finds her waiting for him in the kitchen of Dom’s house, it’s a shock. Of course, it’s not her, but Wolfie could be Lou’s double. What could she want with him?
Wolfie has her uncle summed up pretty smartly: a jobless binge drinker who is, inexplicably, tolerated by this solid, reliable widower and his totally cute, funny six-year-old son. “Danny Mulberry wouldn’t feel like the adult in the room in a kindergarten finger-painting class.” But despite this, and fairly certain her mum won’t approve, she reveals Lou’s current condition.
Danny has lived for a year in, at his own insistence, the garden shed of Dom’s roomy Belsize Park house. So he shouldn’t be surprised when, following their visit to Lou’s tiny Tottenham flat, he and Dom (hands down the best friend a person could ever wish for) and George come home with two house guests.
Luckily, with judiciously timed visits to the Lamb and sneaking back into the shed, he should be able to avoid, for the time being, a facing the elephant in the room. But probably not forever; he’ll have to work up to it…
Danny’s second surprise is Pete Barker, the journalist from the Double whose imaginative story “a complete fabrication assisted by his unnamed but highly cooperative source, Professor Google” ran with his photo. Pete’s editor has been swamped by correspondence, email and snail, from readers wanting Danny’s advice. But what could possibly qualify Danny, whose own life hasn’t exactly been a huge success so far, to advise anyone?
When Danny reads a few of the letters, though, he can’t resist: he’s always been the sort to help people who need it. Turns out, writing replies has him drawing on his own life experiences, recalling his father’s wise words, and also remembering things that he’d maybe rather not. But his advice is sound, and he both dreads and looks forward to each new batch Pete brings.
Danny and Wolfie are the narrators for this story, while Danny’s replies to letters provide a bit of background. Once again, Henderson writes a cast of characters that easily endear themselves to the reader: Danny, flawed but with a good heart; Wolfie, doing her best to keep her little family together under difficult conditions; George is likely to be a favourite for his irrepressibility; and Dom, like a warm hug.
She gives her characters, even the minor ones, insightful observations, and Ed Mulberry’s theory on birthdays is likely to be popular: “if things didn’t quite go to plan on your birthday, you were allowed another shot at it”. Some of the source of the sibling estrangement gradually becomes apparent as the story progresses, but other aspects, when revealed, are likely to put a lump in the throat and bring a tear to the eye: have the tissues ready.
In a story that touches on alcoholism, depression, loneliness, suicide, coping strategies, and grief, Henderson also demonstrates the vital importance of family and good friends. It's quickly clear that this author is not a victim of second-book syndrome: this one is just as funny, moving, heart-warming and uplifting as her first. Highly recommended.
August 25, 2024
Danny Mulberry leidt niet zijn allerbeste leven: hij woont in het tuinhuisje van zijn beste vriend Dom en diens zoontje George en verdrinkt de meeste avonden zijn zorgen in de kroeg. Als hij wordt opgepakt na een dronken stunt en er een (grotendeels verzonnen) verhaal over hem in de krant wordt geplaatst, hebben mensen ineens het gevoel dat ze op zijn oordeel kunnen vertrouwen, ontvangt hij brieven waarin om zijn goede raad wordt gevraagd en zoekt zijn nichtje Wolfie, de tienerdochter van zijn zus Lou, die hij al 16 jaar niet meer heeft gezien, hem op omdat ze zijn hulp nodig heeft. Is dit dé kans om zijn leven om te gooien?
In haar geheel eigen stijl vol subtiele humor en warmte neemt de auteur je mee in de levens van Danny en Wolfie en dit is een verhaal dat je echt even de tijd moet geven om tot bloei te komen. Je wilt Wolfie direct een knuffel geven omdat ze door omstandigheden al veel te vroeg volwassen moest worden, Dom is een echte goedzak en de kleine George is een heerlijk en ontwapenend personage dat alles zegt wat in hem opkomt, maar in het begin is Danny helemaal niet zo sympathiek.
Hij onttrekt zich aan zijn verantwoordelijkheden, neemt slechte beslissingen, maakt overal een grap van en denkt alleen maar aan zichzelf, maar zodra er steeds meer puzzelstukjes op hun plek vallen, het verleden wordt verklaard en je door de ogen van de andere personages de goede eigenschappen van Danny leert kennen, komt er een omslag en sluit je ook hem in je hart. Hij verandert zijn prioriteiten, luistert naar een stem die hij al lang verloren dacht te zijn en zijn zoektocht naar een nieuw begin zorgt voor verrassingen, ontroerende momenten, open gesprekken en aangrijpende gebeurtenissen. Soms moeten anderen eerst in je geloven voordat je je eigen kracht kunt zien…
Ook Wolfie maakt een ontwikkeling door en als ingrijpende openbaringen haar leven opnieuw op zijn kop zetten, is het maar goed dat er een nieuw vangnet is om haar te ondersteunen. Langzamerhand begint deze gebroken familie weer te helen, alle levensechte personages krijgen hun eigen glansrol en vullen het grotere geheel verder in en dit gelaagde, originele, hartverwarmende en liefdevolle verhaal over familie, hechte vriendschap, verlies, rouw en depressie, je staande houden, hulp uit onverwachte hoek en wijze lessen zal je raken!
3.5-4⭐
In haar geheel eigen stijl vol subtiele humor en warmte neemt de auteur je mee in de levens van Danny en Wolfie en dit is een verhaal dat je echt even de tijd moet geven om tot bloei te komen. Je wilt Wolfie direct een knuffel geven omdat ze door omstandigheden al veel te vroeg volwassen moest worden, Dom is een echte goedzak en de kleine George is een heerlijk en ontwapenend personage dat alles zegt wat in hem opkomt, maar in het begin is Danny helemaal niet zo sympathiek.
Hij onttrekt zich aan zijn verantwoordelijkheden, neemt slechte beslissingen, maakt overal een grap van en denkt alleen maar aan zichzelf, maar zodra er steeds meer puzzelstukjes op hun plek vallen, het verleden wordt verklaard en je door de ogen van de andere personages de goede eigenschappen van Danny leert kennen, komt er een omslag en sluit je ook hem in je hart. Hij verandert zijn prioriteiten, luistert naar een stem die hij al lang verloren dacht te zijn en zijn zoektocht naar een nieuw begin zorgt voor verrassingen, ontroerende momenten, open gesprekken en aangrijpende gebeurtenissen. Soms moeten anderen eerst in je geloven voordat je je eigen kracht kunt zien…
Ook Wolfie maakt een ontwikkeling door en als ingrijpende openbaringen haar leven opnieuw op zijn kop zetten, is het maar goed dat er een nieuw vangnet is om haar te ondersteunen. Langzamerhand begint deze gebroken familie weer te helen, alle levensechte personages krijgen hun eigen glansrol en vullen het grotere geheel verder in en dit gelaagde, originele, hartverwarmende en liefdevolle verhaal over familie, hechte vriendschap, verlies, rouw en depressie, je staande houden, hulp uit onverwachte hoek en wijze lessen zal je raken!
3.5-4⭐
February 24, 2023
Sincerely Me is a contemporary dramedy set in London by an Australian author who is new to me, about finding yourself, your lost family, and your new family. I’m trying to find more books in this UpLit genre, about friendship and non-romantic love, so had requested this after seeing some very positive reviews. At 25% in, I put it aside to read something else, as I really didn’t like the main character, selfish man child Danny and his mopy sister, Lou, but when I picked it up again was just when the characters start to evolve and I got more into the story the further I went, so I’m glad I gave it a second chance.
Danny has just been arrested for drunkenly daubing the pavement outside the smart Belsize Park house, where he lodges in his best friend Dom’s garden shed, with graffiti that only he thought was clever. When a photo finds its way into the local paper alongside an article describing him as a modern guru, leading to a new role as the paper’s agony uncle. Then his teenage niece Wolfie recognises the unusual name and tracks down the uncle she has never met, due to him falling out with her mother years before. Lou has just broken her leg, so kindhearted widower Dom invites them to move in with him, his exuberant six year old George and a very reluctant Danny. As the new housemates learn more about each other, secrets emerge to test their fragile new bonds. Can Danny grow up enough to be the brother and uncle his new family need?
This is told from Danny and Wolfie’s first person POVs, Danny in past tense and Wolfie in present tense (ugh.) As mentioned, it took me quite a while to warm to Danny who’s a self-indulgent @rse and I couldn’t understand why Dom puts up with him, whereas Wolfie made a likeable teen heroine, forced into adulthood by her mother’s fragility and selfishness. Six year old George was a hilarious comic character and there’s also a charming dog and a curmudgeonly neighbour. Everything turns out much as you’d expect, but I liked the way it ended especially as romance was hinted at but kept out of the epilogue and left unresolved. My favourite part was the letters Danny receives from strangers who write to the paper asking for his help, and his surprisingly perceptive replies. Heartwarming and nicely written, this is recommended for those looking for a touching read about second chances.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily. Sincerely Me is published today.
Danny has just been arrested for drunkenly daubing the pavement outside the smart Belsize Park house, where he lodges in his best friend Dom’s garden shed, with graffiti that only he thought was clever. When a photo finds its way into the local paper alongside an article describing him as a modern guru, leading to a new role as the paper’s agony uncle. Then his teenage niece Wolfie recognises the unusual name and tracks down the uncle she has never met, due to him falling out with her mother years before. Lou has just broken her leg, so kindhearted widower Dom invites them to move in with him, his exuberant six year old George and a very reluctant Danny. As the new housemates learn more about each other, secrets emerge to test their fragile new bonds. Can Danny grow up enough to be the brother and uncle his new family need?
This is told from Danny and Wolfie’s first person POVs, Danny in past tense and Wolfie in present tense (ugh.) As mentioned, it took me quite a while to warm to Danny who’s a self-indulgent @rse and I couldn’t understand why Dom puts up with him, whereas Wolfie made a likeable teen heroine, forced into adulthood by her mother’s fragility and selfishness. Six year old George was a hilarious comic character and there’s also a charming dog and a curmudgeonly neighbour. Everything turns out much as you’d expect, but I liked the way it ended especially as romance was hinted at but kept out of the epilogue and left unresolved. My favourite part was the letters Danny receives from strangers who write to the paper asking for his help, and his surprisingly perceptive replies. Heartwarming and nicely written, this is recommended for those looking for a touching read about second chances.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily. Sincerely Me is published today.
July 16, 2023
Really enjoyed this book on 2nd chances and rediscovering yourself. Funny in parts
February 26, 2023
I always feel nervous for an author when it comes to following up a smash-hit debut. So full marks to Julietta Henderson for hitting it out of the park with Sincerely, Me; a superb, wholly engrossing story about what it means to be family. With a fabulously flawed cast of unforgettable characters, it made my heart swell and my soul sing.
Meet 39 year-old dropout, Danny Mulberry, who lives in his best friend Dom’s garden shed. His life is a directionless and bogged down in emotional baggage. With zero self-esteem, he drifts from one day to the next, propped up by pints at his local.
Meet Wolfie, the 15 year-old niece Danny doesn’t know he has. Wolfie is carrying her own burdens, an old head on young shoulders, overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for her struggling mother, Lou.
Meet single mum Lou, Danny’s estranged sister. Emotionally vulnerable and and prone to regular ‘sofa vacations’, Lou hasn’t spoken to Danny for 16 years.
Then serendipity strikes. And following a drunken prank that sees Danny splashed all over the local paper and hailed a life guru, the siblings are reluctantly reunited. What ensues as they try to find their way back to each other, and shake off the hurt and resentment they’ve carried around for years, is a multilayered tale of tragedy, forgiveness and second chances.
Just like Norman Foreman, this is an all-the-feels book. Henderson has a rare gift for crafting characters that rise from the pages fully formed, complex and inexorably human. I cared for them all. I felt their pain, their sadness, their tentative desire to build bridges. They made me laugh, cry and everything in between. And as for the unsolicited agony aunt letters and Danny’s replies — just genius!
An absolute joy of a novel.
Meet 39 year-old dropout, Danny Mulberry, who lives in his best friend Dom’s garden shed. His life is a directionless and bogged down in emotional baggage. With zero self-esteem, he drifts from one day to the next, propped up by pints at his local.
Meet Wolfie, the 15 year-old niece Danny doesn’t know he has. Wolfie is carrying her own burdens, an old head on young shoulders, overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for her struggling mother, Lou.
Meet single mum Lou, Danny’s estranged sister. Emotionally vulnerable and and prone to regular ‘sofa vacations’, Lou hasn’t spoken to Danny for 16 years.
Then serendipity strikes. And following a drunken prank that sees Danny splashed all over the local paper and hailed a life guru, the siblings are reluctantly reunited. What ensues as they try to find their way back to each other, and shake off the hurt and resentment they’ve carried around for years, is a multilayered tale of tragedy, forgiveness and second chances.
Just like Norman Foreman, this is an all-the-feels book. Henderson has a rare gift for crafting characters that rise from the pages fully formed, complex and inexorably human. I cared for them all. I felt their pain, their sadness, their tentative desire to build bridges. They made me laugh, cry and everything in between. And as for the unsolicited agony aunt letters and Danny’s replies — just genius!
An absolute joy of a novel.
August 23, 2023
⭐️ 5 ⭐️
The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman was one of my favourite reads in 2021 (if you haven’t read it yet, why not?!), so I was over the moon to get my hands on a copy of Julietta Henderson’s second novel, Sincerely, Me.
The character-driven story is beautifully written. Julietta always creates the most realistic, relatable, and credible characters, characters so real they almost jump from the page. I fell in love with Danny, Wolfie, George, Gentleman (the dog), and the rest of the motley crew from the start and was totally immersed in their story right until the end.
I particularly enjoyed reading the letters that Danny received and his brilliant replies to them, which had me laughing out loud one minute and in floods of snotty tears the next.
Sincerely, Me is a story of love — a story of friendship, family, and forgiveness — it’s a wonderful, heartwarming, uplifting read.
I loved it!
Many thanks to the publisher for my proof copy, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman was one of my favourite reads in 2021 (if you haven’t read it yet, why not?!), so I was over the moon to get my hands on a copy of Julietta Henderson’s second novel, Sincerely, Me.
The character-driven story is beautifully written. Julietta always creates the most realistic, relatable, and credible characters, characters so real they almost jump from the page. I fell in love with Danny, Wolfie, George, Gentleman (the dog), and the rest of the motley crew from the start and was totally immersed in their story right until the end.
I particularly enjoyed reading the letters that Danny received and his brilliant replies to them, which had me laughing out loud one minute and in floods of snotty tears the next.
Sincerely, Me is a story of love — a story of friendship, family, and forgiveness — it’s a wonderful, heartwarming, uplifting read.
I loved it!
Many thanks to the publisher for my proof copy, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
April 11, 2023
Absolutely beautiful.
I loved this book and its life lessons.
Talk about tugging the corners of my mouth up and down! Plenty to smile and laugh at whilst also being incredibly moving and emotional.
Danny is a bloody diamond geezer (thanks George) and every character felt important, pivotal and special. Wolfie, Lou, Dom, Ray, Jaz and William Bonheur, besides Danny and George, thanks to your creator Julieta Henderson, for bringing you into my life. You may well be fictional but it felt like I was living every moment with you.
Highly, highly, highly recommended.
I loved this book and its life lessons.
Talk about tugging the corners of my mouth up and down! Plenty to smile and laugh at whilst also being incredibly moving and emotional.
Danny is a bloody diamond geezer (thanks George) and every character felt important, pivotal and special. Wolfie, Lou, Dom, Ray, Jaz and William Bonheur, besides Danny and George, thanks to your creator Julieta Henderson, for bringing you into my life. You may well be fictional but it felt like I was living every moment with you.
Highly, highly, highly recommended.
September 30, 2022
Norman Foreman was a hard act to follow and, for me, this book doesn't quite make it. It tries too hard and although the premise is a good one it was very repetitive. Wolfie is a great character and I did feel for her and her resilience shone through. The rest of them were almost ghostlike despite being mentioned often. Not as uplifting as I hoped for but an entertaining read, if a bit annoying with the over-frequent attempts at humour which never sit well with me. With thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the e-ARC of this book to read and review.
January 12, 2023
This is a funny, emotional and just overall heart-warming story about family, healing and making amends no matter how much time has passed.
I enjoyed every bit of it, the characters are not the most complex in the universe, but you find yourself attached to them pretty quickly, the story itself isn't too complicated either, but it traps you in it, rooting for these people. I specially loved the whole advice through the newspaper plot line, in my opinion it gave the character of Danny more depth and made him a lot more interesting.
A quick, heart-warming read that you will recommend to your friends.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for an e-ARC!
I enjoyed every bit of it, the characters are not the most complex in the universe, but you find yourself attached to them pretty quickly, the story itself isn't too complicated either, but it traps you in it, rooting for these people. I specially loved the whole advice through the newspaper plot line, in my opinion it gave the character of Danny more depth and made him a lot more interesting.
A quick, heart-warming read that you will recommend to your friends.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for an e-ARC!
July 3, 2024
Boring. Put me in a reading slump. Didn’t DNF though so 2 stars.
April 26, 2024
A tragic but touching and uplifting story of loss, forgiveness and family.
Some language throughout. Ending felt a tad short.
Some language throughout. Ending felt a tad short.
February 14, 2023
Danny Mulberry isn’t big on responsibility, maturity and commitment. Bouncing from one dead end job to the next, he and his dog Gentleman are living in his best friend Dom’s garden shed, and spending every night getting drunk in the pub. Even 6 year old George, Dom’s son, seems to have more of a handle on adulting than Danny.
After being arrested for an act of drunken graffiti, a photo and a misleading story about Danny appears in the newspaper, and suddenly letters begin to flood in from strangers seeking his guidance, thinking that he is enlightened and has all the answers to life’s problems.
Wolfie is the teenage daughter of Danny's estranged sister, Lou. She's never met her uncle. But her mother needs help, and so, when Wolfie sees Danny's picture in the paper, she sets out to find him.
Within a week, Danny goes from being responsibility-free to a big brother, an uncle and an unwitting existential 'guru' to some very lost souls, but can he become the man they all need him to be?
This is Julietta Henderson’s second novel, and the first one of hers that I have read, although I will be reading her first one as soon as possible after this! It is moving and touching, and perfectly blends really serious issues like grief, loss, depression, loneliness and attempted suicide, with humour and comedy. It is all done with the lightest of touches and is sensitively handled.
The story alternates between the viewpoints of Danny and Wolfie - a technique which simultaneously allows the reader to be right inside their heads, knowing their thoughts and getting to know them intimately, whilst allowing the story to be revealed piece by piece, a layer at a time, until you finally have the complete picture. As the various pieces of the story are revealed and you learn about the events of the past, you find a context for and an explanation of the whys and wherefores of the characters’ behaviour so far, and then moving forward you also see how they develop and change.
All of the characters are well-drawn and leap off the page, which adds real impact to this character-driven story. They are all flawed, they all have weaknesses, they are all extremely human, they have all experienced great love and great loss…and I loved them all. I loved Danny and Wolfie and Lou who are the 3 main characters, but I also loved Gentleman the Dog, and Dom who is the bestest of best mates, and adorable George. I loved Jaz the Taxi Driver (and I have hopes that one day she and Danny might get together!), and I even loved Ray who is clearly more lonely than malevolent.
The letters which Danny receives and is tasked with replying to, is another very clever technique. These letters reflect many of the same problems and issues which Danny, Lou and Wolfie have experienced, and it is only because of Danny’s personal growth that he is able to reply to them with the benefit of hindsight and newfound clarity and understanding, as well as the wisdom handed down by his father.
As I mentioned there are some very deep themes connected with sadness and loss explored within the story, but it is, above all, a story about the importance of love and forgiveness, about second chances, and about family and friendship.
This is a book with immense heart and humanity, and it is extremely heart-warming. It has the power to make you laugh and cry, but ultimately it leaves you feeling truly uplifted, valuing the time you have spent with these wonderful characters. A really wonderful read!
With thanks to NetGalley and Bantam/Random House for the e-Arc in return for an honest review.
After being arrested for an act of drunken graffiti, a photo and a misleading story about Danny appears in the newspaper, and suddenly letters begin to flood in from strangers seeking his guidance, thinking that he is enlightened and has all the answers to life’s problems.
Wolfie is the teenage daughter of Danny's estranged sister, Lou. She's never met her uncle. But her mother needs help, and so, when Wolfie sees Danny's picture in the paper, she sets out to find him.
Within a week, Danny goes from being responsibility-free to a big brother, an uncle and an unwitting existential 'guru' to some very lost souls, but can he become the man they all need him to be?
This is Julietta Henderson’s second novel, and the first one of hers that I have read, although I will be reading her first one as soon as possible after this! It is moving and touching, and perfectly blends really serious issues like grief, loss, depression, loneliness and attempted suicide, with humour and comedy. It is all done with the lightest of touches and is sensitively handled.
The story alternates between the viewpoints of Danny and Wolfie - a technique which simultaneously allows the reader to be right inside their heads, knowing their thoughts and getting to know them intimately, whilst allowing the story to be revealed piece by piece, a layer at a time, until you finally have the complete picture. As the various pieces of the story are revealed and you learn about the events of the past, you find a context for and an explanation of the whys and wherefores of the characters’ behaviour so far, and then moving forward you also see how they develop and change.
All of the characters are well-drawn and leap off the page, which adds real impact to this character-driven story. They are all flawed, they all have weaknesses, they are all extremely human, they have all experienced great love and great loss…and I loved them all. I loved Danny and Wolfie and Lou who are the 3 main characters, but I also loved Gentleman the Dog, and Dom who is the bestest of best mates, and adorable George. I loved Jaz the Taxi Driver (and I have hopes that one day she and Danny might get together!), and I even loved Ray who is clearly more lonely than malevolent.
The letters which Danny receives and is tasked with replying to, is another very clever technique. These letters reflect many of the same problems and issues which Danny, Lou and Wolfie have experienced, and it is only because of Danny’s personal growth that he is able to reply to them with the benefit of hindsight and newfound clarity and understanding, as well as the wisdom handed down by his father.
As I mentioned there are some very deep themes connected with sadness and loss explored within the story, but it is, above all, a story about the importance of love and forgiveness, about second chances, and about family and friendship.
This is a book with immense heart and humanity, and it is extremely heart-warming. It has the power to make you laugh and cry, but ultimately it leaves you feeling truly uplifted, valuing the time you have spent with these wonderful characters. A really wonderful read!
With thanks to NetGalley and Bantam/Random House for the e-Arc in return for an honest review.
August 16, 2024
Aangezien ik haar vorige boek De goede grap van Norman Foreman ook erg goed vond, kijk ik erg uit naar deze nieuwe roman van Julietta Henderson. Van haar vorige boek weet ik dat ze een hele eigen manier heeft van schrijven, met heel unieke en uitgesproken humor. Hierdoor was haar vorige boek een bijzondere roman. Ik hoop dat opnieuw in deze roman terug te zien.
Danny is een sullige man en haalt met een dronken stunt de krant. Hierdoor weten verschillende lezers en zijn tienernichtje Wolfie, die hij nog nooit ontmoet had, hem te vinden. Kan hij de man worden die zij voor ogen hebben?Danny Mullberry's leven staat al lange tijd stil. De meeste avonden hangt hij in de kroeg en hij woont in het tuinhuisje van zijn beste vriend. Maar door de ontdekking van de krant, wordt Danny gezien als een moderne filosoof. Hij krijgt brieven van lezers waarin ze hem de meest uiteenlopende vragen stellen. Wolfie, de tienerdochter van Lou, Danny's zus. Lou en Danny hebben al zestien jaar geen contact meer gehad. Maar nu heeft Lou hulp nodig en wanneer Wolfie Danny in de krant ziet, besluit ze hem op te zoeken. Opeens is Danny weer broer, oom en een inspiratie voor velen. Kan hij zijn leven beteren?
Wederom is dit weer een hele unieke, originele en bijzondere roman van Julietta Henderson. Julietta Henderson heeft een levendige, vlotte en unieke schrijfstijl met een scherp en soms cynisch gevoel voor humor. Daarbij bestaat haar verhaal enkel uit unieke, excentrieke en scherpzinnige personages, waardoor het verhaal bijzonder wordt.
We lezen het verhaal van Danny Mullberry, het unieke, excentrieke en chaotische personage met een filosofisch tintje is een aparte persoonlijkheid. Ook nichtje Wolfie en zus Lou en George, de beste vriend van Danny, zijn stuk voor stuk unieke personages die een mooie aanvulling op elkaar vormen. We lezen het verhaal niet enkel alleen vanuit het perspectief van Danny, maar ook vanuit de andere personages. Wanneer we vanuit een perspectief lezen, weet Julietta Henderson erg goed de gedachten van die persoon, met name de gedachten die door hun hoofd razen, te verwoorden.
Het verhaal heeft een mooie opbouw en begint met een dronken en sullige Danny die zijn leven niet op orde heeft en in beschonken toestand met een artikel in de krant komt. Deze gebeurtenis zorgt voor een nieuwe wending in zijn leven waarop Danny niet is voorbereid. Dit zorgt voor een tal van hilarische, verrassende, originele, aangrijpende maar ook mooie wendingen in het verhaal. Aangezien deze nieuwe wending in het leven van Danny niet van een leien dakje gaat, weet Julietta Henderson de ups en downs en het vallen en opstaan van Danny prachtig te verwoorden.
Groetjes, Danny is een komische, originele en scherpzinnige romcom. We volgen het leven van de sullige Danny die zijn leven niet op orde heeft. Wanneer hij in beschonken toestand de krant bereikt, krijgt zijn leven een wending waarop hij totaal niet voorbereid was. Julietta Henderson weet de zoektocht van Danny naar zijn nieuwe leven op een prachtige en unieke wijze te beschrijven.
Danny is een sullige man en haalt met een dronken stunt de krant. Hierdoor weten verschillende lezers en zijn tienernichtje Wolfie, die hij nog nooit ontmoet had, hem te vinden. Kan hij de man worden die zij voor ogen hebben?Danny Mullberry's leven staat al lange tijd stil. De meeste avonden hangt hij in de kroeg en hij woont in het tuinhuisje van zijn beste vriend. Maar door de ontdekking van de krant, wordt Danny gezien als een moderne filosoof. Hij krijgt brieven van lezers waarin ze hem de meest uiteenlopende vragen stellen. Wolfie, de tienerdochter van Lou, Danny's zus. Lou en Danny hebben al zestien jaar geen contact meer gehad. Maar nu heeft Lou hulp nodig en wanneer Wolfie Danny in de krant ziet, besluit ze hem op te zoeken. Opeens is Danny weer broer, oom en een inspiratie voor velen. Kan hij zijn leven beteren?
Wederom is dit weer een hele unieke, originele en bijzondere roman van Julietta Henderson. Julietta Henderson heeft een levendige, vlotte en unieke schrijfstijl met een scherp en soms cynisch gevoel voor humor. Daarbij bestaat haar verhaal enkel uit unieke, excentrieke en scherpzinnige personages, waardoor het verhaal bijzonder wordt.
We lezen het verhaal van Danny Mullberry, het unieke, excentrieke en chaotische personage met een filosofisch tintje is een aparte persoonlijkheid. Ook nichtje Wolfie en zus Lou en George, de beste vriend van Danny, zijn stuk voor stuk unieke personages die een mooie aanvulling op elkaar vormen. We lezen het verhaal niet enkel alleen vanuit het perspectief van Danny, maar ook vanuit de andere personages. Wanneer we vanuit een perspectief lezen, weet Julietta Henderson erg goed de gedachten van die persoon, met name de gedachten die door hun hoofd razen, te verwoorden.
Het verhaal heeft een mooie opbouw en begint met een dronken en sullige Danny die zijn leven niet op orde heeft en in beschonken toestand met een artikel in de krant komt. Deze gebeurtenis zorgt voor een nieuwe wending in zijn leven waarop Danny niet is voorbereid. Dit zorgt voor een tal van hilarische, verrassende, originele, aangrijpende maar ook mooie wendingen in het verhaal. Aangezien deze nieuwe wending in het leven van Danny niet van een leien dakje gaat, weet Julietta Henderson de ups en downs en het vallen en opstaan van Danny prachtig te verwoorden.
Groetjes, Danny is een komische, originele en scherpzinnige romcom. We volgen het leven van de sullige Danny die zijn leven niet op orde heeft. Wanneer hij in beschonken toestand de krant bereikt, krijgt zijn leven een wending waarop hij totaal niet voorbereid was. Julietta Henderson weet de zoektocht van Danny naar zijn nieuwe leven op een prachtige en unieke wijze te beschrijven.
February 27, 2023
*I received a free DRC of this book, with thanks to the author, Transworld Books and Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
I really enjoyed having my heart broken and mended by Norman Foreman, so jumped at the chance to destroy myself again (but in a good way!) with this latest novel from Julietta Henderson.
And I will admit that it took me until about a third of the way through to really settle into the story and characters in this book. The story is told in alternating chapters from the point of view of Danny – drinking himself to death in his best friend’s shed – and Wolfie – struggling to breathe under the weight of caring for her mum. So, at first, both of the main narrating characters felt quite similar in their individual states of despair and isolation.
But approximately 33% into the book, the main characters are brought together under one roof (or, at least, at the same address) and local journalist Pete turns up to persuade Danny to start answering letters to the local paper, agony-aunt style, and the story just took off and completely carried me with it!
The letters and Danny’s answers to them are brilliant – heartbreakingly touching and hilariously funny, and sometimes both at the same time. Wolfie’s struggles felt so very real to me, and while I despaired of Danny’s apparent hopeless avoidance of life in the early pages, I ended up loving his chapters and following the gentle trajectory of his redemption arc.
On the way though, things do go to some dark places, so you should expect triggers for content related to substance abuse/addiction, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and actions. Throughout it all though, there is a sense of hope and resilience and a strong pull towards second (and third, and more…) chances which kept me reading as I believed in the characters and believed they could make it through.
This is the first story I have read that feels like a found-family feelgood tale whilst actually being about blood family, and it is a good reminder of how small actions can create big ripples and how small kindnesses can save or change lives.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
I really enjoyed having my heart broken and mended by Norman Foreman, so jumped at the chance to destroy myself again (but in a good way!) with this latest novel from Julietta Henderson.
And I will admit that it took me until about a third of the way through to really settle into the story and characters in this book. The story is told in alternating chapters from the point of view of Danny – drinking himself to death in his best friend’s shed – and Wolfie – struggling to breathe under the weight of caring for her mum. So, at first, both of the main narrating characters felt quite similar in their individual states of despair and isolation.
But approximately 33% into the book, the main characters are brought together under one roof (or, at least, at the same address) and local journalist Pete turns up to persuade Danny to start answering letters to the local paper, agony-aunt style, and the story just took off and completely carried me with it!
The letters and Danny’s answers to them are brilliant – heartbreakingly touching and hilariously funny, and sometimes both at the same time. Wolfie’s struggles felt so very real to me, and while I despaired of Danny’s apparent hopeless avoidance of life in the early pages, I ended up loving his chapters and following the gentle trajectory of his redemption arc.
On the way though, things do go to some dark places, so you should expect triggers for content related to substance abuse/addiction, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and actions. Throughout it all though, there is a sense of hope and resilience and a strong pull towards second (and third, and more…) chances which kept me reading as I believed in the characters and believed they could make it through.
This is the first story I have read that feels like a found-family feelgood tale whilst actually being about blood family, and it is a good reminder of how small actions can create big ripples and how small kindnesses can save or change lives.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
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March 17, 2023
I really enjoyed having my heart broken and mended by Norman Foreman, so jumped at the chance to destroy myself again (but in a good way!) with this latest novel from Julietta Henderson.
And I will admit that it took me until about a third of the way through to really settle into the story and characters in this book. The story is told in alternating chapters from the point of view of Danny – drinking himself to death in his best friend’s shed – and Wolfie – struggling to breathe under the weight of caring for her mum. So, at first, both of the main narrating characters felt quite similar in their individual states of despair and isolation.
But approximately 33% into the book, the main characters are brought together under one roof (or, at least, at the same address) and local journalist Pete turns up to persuade Danny to start answering letters to the local paper, agony-aunt style, and the story just took off and completely carried me with it!
The letters and Danny’s answers to them are brilliant – heartbreakingly touching and hilariously funny, and sometimes both at the same time. Wolfie’s struggles felt so very real to me, and while I despaired of Danny’s apparent hopeless avoidance of life in the early pages, I ended up loving his chapters and following the gentle trajectory of his redemption arc.
On the way though, things do go to some dark places, so you should expect triggers for content related to substance abuse/addiction, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and actions. Throughout it all though, there is a sense of hope and resilience and a strong pull towards second (and third, and more…) chances which kept me reading as I believed in the characters and believed they could make it through.
This is the first story I have read that feels like a found-family feelgood tale whilst actually being about blood family, and it is a good reminder of how small actions can create big ripples and how small kindnesses can save or change lives.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
And I will admit that it took me until about a third of the way through to really settle into the story and characters in this book. The story is told in alternating chapters from the point of view of Danny – drinking himself to death in his best friend’s shed – and Wolfie – struggling to breathe under the weight of caring for her mum. So, at first, both of the main narrating characters felt quite similar in their individual states of despair and isolation.
But approximately 33% into the book, the main characters are brought together under one roof (or, at least, at the same address) and local journalist Pete turns up to persuade Danny to start answering letters to the local paper, agony-aunt style, and the story just took off and completely carried me with it!
The letters and Danny’s answers to them are brilliant – heartbreakingly touching and hilariously funny, and sometimes both at the same time. Wolfie’s struggles felt so very real to me, and while I despaired of Danny’s apparent hopeless avoidance of life in the early pages, I ended up loving his chapters and following the gentle trajectory of his redemption arc.
On the way though, things do go to some dark places, so you should expect triggers for content related to substance abuse/addiction, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and actions. Throughout it all though, there is a sense of hope and resilience and a strong pull towards second (and third, and more…) chances which kept me reading as I believed in the characters and believed they could make it through.
This is the first story I have read that feels like a found-family feelgood tale whilst actually being about blood family, and it is a good reminder of how small actions can create big ripples and how small kindnesses can save or change lives.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
February 10, 2023
This was my first book by this author, and to be totally honest I was excited to start reading it but as soon as it started I felt like I’d missed something, like I should know these characters and the back story. I even went and checked that it wasn’t a second book in a series. I decided to plough through and I’m so pleased I did, the back story came and the characters built. Danny was an amazing character, we really get a sense of his struggles and I loved being right by his side through his journey of self discovery. His friendship with Dom and before her death Kath really cemented him in Dons heart and life and even though Dom is portrayed as the one who has it together, there is still a loss and sadness within him that we slowly see fade as Danny and his family slowly become more entwined in his home and life.
The second main character is Wolfie, a 15 year old girl who’s had a tough life and in many ways wise beyond her years. At the start, she is more adult than her mum and her uncle. Seeing her learn to live more than her mum, and accept that having a team of family behind you makes you stronger was a touching moment, as was the scene Danny pulls the taxi over and hugs her hard. More than once I had to stop reading as I couldn’t see through the tears.
After a shaking start I’m so pleased I read this book, it really touched my heart and made me think of all the memories within my family that really need to be shared again with a big family get together.
The second main character is Wolfie, a 15 year old girl who’s had a tough life and in many ways wise beyond her years. At the start, she is more adult than her mum and her uncle. Seeing her learn to live more than her mum, and accept that having a team of family behind you makes you stronger was a touching moment, as was the scene Danny pulls the taxi over and hugs her hard. More than once I had to stop reading as I couldn’t see through the tears.
After a shaking start I’m so pleased I read this book, it really touched my heart and made me think of all the memories within my family that really need to be shared again with a big family get together.
February 18, 2023
2🌟
Thank you very much to Net Gallery for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was one of my most highly anticipated reads of 2023, and unfortunately, I did not enjoy it.
My biggest gripe with this novel is its voice. The tones of the two protagonists are extremely similar, considering they have never met before and have a thirty year age gap. This complicates ease of reading as both perspectives are portrayed in eerily similar voices.
Additionally, during their first interaction, 40 year old Danny accidentally makes lurid and inappropriate comments towards Wolfie, his thirteen year old niece, and although this is intended as a humorous and awkward introduction, it's hard to feel uncomfortable reading about a grown man accidentally making advances on his pre-teen niece.
I was so excited about the premise of this novel, I think it's a hilarious and brilliant idea, but we don't even witness Wolfie informing her mother that she's discovered her long lost family member. For how heart-wrenching the cause of the sibling's separation is supposed to be, and for how long it has drawn out for, Lou accepts her brother's sudden appearance in her life without complaint or nervousness.
Additionally, lots of the humour is so intentional that it is almost in your face and the majority of it comes from George, Danny's friend's six year old son, whose core role is to embarrass Danny by revealing all his private information to whoever is around.
In short, the idea of this novel is brilliant, and I was really intrigued by the premise, but in my opinion, it was poorly executed and needed more refined editing.
Thank you very much to Net Gallery for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was one of my most highly anticipated reads of 2023, and unfortunately, I did not enjoy it.
My biggest gripe with this novel is its voice. The tones of the two protagonists are extremely similar, considering they have never met before and have a thirty year age gap. This complicates ease of reading as both perspectives are portrayed in eerily similar voices.
Additionally, during their first interaction, 40 year old Danny accidentally makes lurid and inappropriate comments towards Wolfie, his thirteen year old niece, and although this is intended as a humorous and awkward introduction, it's hard to feel uncomfortable reading about a grown man accidentally making advances on his pre-teen niece.
I was so excited about the premise of this novel, I think it's a hilarious and brilliant idea, but we don't even witness Wolfie informing her mother that she's discovered her long lost family member. For how heart-wrenching the cause of the sibling's separation is supposed to be, and for how long it has drawn out for, Lou accepts her brother's sudden appearance in her life without complaint or nervousness.
Additionally, lots of the humour is so intentional that it is almost in your face and the majority of it comes from George, Danny's friend's six year old son, whose core role is to embarrass Danny by revealing all his private information to whoever is around.
In short, the idea of this novel is brilliant, and I was really intrigued by the premise, but in my opinion, it was poorly executed and needed more refined editing.
October 22, 2025
Wat was dit een positieve verrassing! Ik dacht gewoon een grappig, vrolijk boek te gaan lezen dat leuk is, maar je vrij vlot weer vergeet. Het was echter een leuk, grappig, mooi, ontroerend, lief, verdrietig, hartverwarmend boek dat je aan het denken zet, vol thema's als eenzaamheid, rouw, depressie, suicide, vriendschap, complexe familiebanden, de weg kwijt zijn en het leven. Een verhaal over vijf bijzondere mensen en een hond. Het is alweer een tijd geleden dat ik fictieve personages zo heb gemist na het uitlezen van een boek.
In het dankwoord noemt de auteur het een verhaal over eenzaamheid en de schoonheid van het mens-zijn en dat beschrijft het perfect. Haar andere boek heb ik nog niet gelezen, maar daar heb ik nu hoge verwachtingen van.
In het dankwoord noemt de auteur het een verhaal over eenzaamheid en de schoonheid van het mens-zijn en dat beschrijft het perfect. Haar andere boek heb ik nog niet gelezen, maar daar heb ik nu hoge verwachtingen van.
October 9, 2022
The second book from Julietta Henderson, SINCERELY, ME is a multi-layered, touching and mostly character driven story.
Drunk, jobless, and living in his best friend’s shed, Danny Mulberry is an unlikely hero and a character who won’t soon be forgotten. I loved the way his story unfolded.
There’s a whole load of of heart in this story that slowly builds as the back lately and history of the characters is revealed.
A story that will give you all the warm & fuzzy feelings!
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy of this book.
Drunk, jobless, and living in his best friend’s shed, Danny Mulberry is an unlikely hero and a character who won’t soon be forgotten. I loved the way his story unfolded.
There’s a whole load of of heart in this story that slowly builds as the back lately and history of the characters is revealed.
A story that will give you all the warm & fuzzy feelings!
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy of this book.
December 15, 2022
Having enjoyed Julietta’s first novel, The funny thing about Norman Foreman, I was eager to read her new book and have to say that it is a wonderful read.
We find Danny Mulberry re-united with his long lost sister of 16 years via his 15 year old niece, Wolfe, who he has never met. He lives in his best friend’s shed and has a dog called Gentleman. The story is as quirky as it sounds but at the heart of it is a very well written, character based story that is as funny as it is moving as you meander through Danny’s days.
The book covers many different emotional subjects in a clever way that educates as it entertains. Danny’s situation forces him to drag up some painful memories from his past that somehow become his strength going forward. The underlying love vs hardship of family life tested to the limit is done in a most wonderfully written story that builds as you read into a satisfying conclusion. You will enjoy this feel-good book in it’s own right, but especially if you are a fan of ‘Norman Foreman’.
The author’s writing style is very easy to read and so enjoyable, drawing you in to a group of people you feel you want to be a part of.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.
We find Danny Mulberry re-united with his long lost sister of 16 years via his 15 year old niece, Wolfe, who he has never met. He lives in his best friend’s shed and has a dog called Gentleman. The story is as quirky as it sounds but at the heart of it is a very well written, character based story that is as funny as it is moving as you meander through Danny’s days.
The book covers many different emotional subjects in a clever way that educates as it entertains. Danny’s situation forces him to drag up some painful memories from his past that somehow become his strength going forward. The underlying love vs hardship of family life tested to the limit is done in a most wonderfully written story that builds as you read into a satisfying conclusion. You will enjoy this feel-good book in it’s own right, but especially if you are a fan of ‘Norman Foreman’.
The author’s writing style is very easy to read and so enjoyable, drawing you in to a group of people you feel you want to be a part of.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.
March 4, 2023
30 something Danny lives in the shed at the bottom of his best friend Dom's garden. He spends his days drunk, staggering to.and from the pub and only has a few possessions
Dom is a single dad to 6 year old George and tolerates his friends antics as his companionship is a comfort following the death of his wife Beth.
When a photo of Danny being arrested (after drunkenly graffiting the path outside his home) makes it into the paper it attracts the attention of a 16 year old girl called Wolfie. Recognising his name she wonders if he could be her estranged uncle Danny...
An uplifting story of family, friendship and navigating grief. I really enjoyed this book.
Dom is a single dad to 6 year old George and tolerates his friends antics as his companionship is a comfort following the death of his wife Beth.
When a photo of Danny being arrested (after drunkenly graffiting the path outside his home) makes it into the paper it attracts the attention of a 16 year old girl called Wolfie. Recognising his name she wonders if he could be her estranged uncle Danny...
An uplifting story of family, friendship and navigating grief. I really enjoyed this book.
January 6, 2023
An absolutely perfect read. I completely loved Danny and Wolfe, I completely loved the storyline told by their two points of view..I completely have made so many screenshots of the wisdom of Danny’s dad x and gentleman; he is completely up there as a dog. I loved every line in this delightful novel ‘about the loneliness and loveliness of being human’
October 25, 2022
Julietta Henderson made me cry again. A feel-good character-driven warm hug of a book.
November 13, 2023
An easy five stars for a heartwarming read with a memorable cast of characters. I hope to see this one on the big screen! The perfect read as we get into the cosy holiday season.
September 13, 2024
Wat een heeeeerlijk boek!
January 25, 2023
Original, unique and thoughtful.
Danny is jobless, living in his bestie’s shed.
At the start, he gets arrested. Obsessed with the police officer if you make it past that it does get better as I didn’t appreciate the descriptions at the start.
This novel goes back and forth between the past and present.
The plot was very well thought out and it was consistent throughout. The characters felt very real too which I look for in a novel.
Overall, beautiful story about family and second chances.
Review: https://clife.blog/2023/02/02/book-re...
Danny is jobless, living in his bestie’s shed.
At the start, he gets arrested. Obsessed with the police officer if you make it past that it does get better as I didn’t appreciate the descriptions at the start.
This novel goes back and forth between the past and present.
The plot was very well thought out and it was consistent throughout. The characters felt very real too which I look for in a novel.
Overall, beautiful story about family and second chances.
Review: https://clife.blog/2023/02/02/book-re...
July 14, 2023
“…the loneliness and loveliness of being human”
Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews