Love Lane

Harry Cane #2

by Patrick Gale

'A mesmerising storyteller' The Times

From the Canadian prairies to the streets of 1950s Liverpool - is it ever too late to start life again?

When veteran Canadian wheat farmer, Harry Cane is obliged to sell up and sail home to an England transformed by two world wars, his arrival triggers unwelcome self-examination for the family he abandoned, and for whom he has never been more than a distant myth.

His daughter feels duty bound to take him in but is riven with doubt and ambushed by a long buried anger she has never before expressed. Harry's effect on the next generation is less predictable, and enables his granddaughter to deal with an unspeakable trauma, while her gentle husband feels seen for who he truly is.

Can Harry stay and make a new life before it's too late, or will he find himself cast out again, punished for having witnessed and understood too much?

LOVE LANE is a searing portrayal of escape and entrapment, and a powerful exploration of what home and family can really be.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, Family, Canada, Gay, LGBT

284 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 26, 2026

About the author

Patrick was born on 31 January 1962 on the Isle of Wight, where his father was prison governor at Camp Hill, as his grandfather had been at nearby Parkhurst. He was the youngest of four; one sister, two brothers, spread over ten years. The family moved to London, where his father ran Wandsworth Prison, then to Winchester. At eight Patrick began boarding as a Winchester College Quirister at the cathedral choir school, Pilgrim's. At thirteen he went on to Winchester College. He finished his formal education with an English degree from New College, Oxford in 1983.

He has never had a grown-up job. For three years he lived at a succession of addresses, from a Notting Hill bedsit to a crumbling French chateau. While working on his first novels he eked out his slender income with odd jobs; as a typist, a singing waiter, a designer's secretary, a ghost-writer for an encyclopedia of the musical and, increasingly, as a book reviewer.

His first two novels, The Aerodynamics of Pork and Ease were published by Abacus on the same day in June 1986. The following year he moved to Camelford near the north coast of Cornwall and began a love affair with the county that has fed his work ever since.

He now lives in the far west, on a farm near Land's End with his husband, Aidan Hicks. There they raise beef cattle and grow barley. Patrick is obsessed with the garden they have created in what must be one of England's windiest sites and deeply resents the time his writing makes him spend away from working in it. As well as gardening, he plays both the modern and baroque cello. His chief extravagance in life is opera tickets.

Reviews

[Wendy Greenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a particular warm spot for Patrick Gale and an even warmer spot for A Place Called Winter. Loosely based on his maternal grandfather it tells of Harry, "sent" to Canada by his scandalised Edwardian family.

Love Lane picks up the story of our pioneer in the prairies. It is again beautifully written, atmospheric and with a magnificent sense of place, time and attitudes. I re-entered this magnificently imagined outback world - which has been touched by the impact of both World Wars. Harry has found a way of life that works, or the best he can achieve as a (necessarily for the times) closet gay man. The book gives a real insight (on both sides of the pond) of hypocritical propriety seeping through every layer of the story.

Half of this latest novel is set back in England with the next generations of Harry's family as he meets his daughter for the first time in almost half a century. Expectations are far from the reality. No longer the handsome buck of the long ago photos, he presents as an impoverished withered old man. After the vast skies and open spaces where fortunes are made and lost with the weather, grain harvests and global politics, the contrast with a smog filled Liverpool is germane.

I devoured this book, much like its precursor. Gale's writing drew me into this small, but perfectly formed cast of characters who pop out of the pages. It made me re-consider family stories we inherit that could all be configured differently told from another perspective.

With thanks to #NetGalley and #TinderPress for the opportunity to read and review

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just beautiful. I was totally caught up in Harry's story, and then his daughter's, and then his granddaughters...the characters walk straight off the page and into your head and your heart and it happens in such a gentle, thoughtful way. Nothing is rushed about the story, and whilst there are moments of real darkness, and some very disturbing passages, they serve to deepen the characters, and the overall tone was, I felt, one of hope. I loved it.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really really wanted to love this book but felt it lost its way once Harry returned from Canada. I did love that this was inspired by Patrick’s own family history, using letters and storytelling from his Granny and Aunts but this gave the story a more anecdotal feel rather than a story. I don’t want to give spoilers but I felt so sad for Harry at the end of the book. Some of the lines in this book were legendary though and I’d recommend this for lovers of Mr Gale (which I definitely still am!).

[Jackie Preston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Patrick Gale’s writing and particularly the pictures of CornwalI he paints. The location in Love Lane was not therefore as familiar. Starting around the start of the 1900s this family story spans the first half of the twentieth century. I read this book not knowing it was a follow up to a previous novel. I wish I had read A Place Called Winter first. This story starts around the 1940s. There are different points of view: of Harry living in rural Canada after settling there as a young man; his daughter Betty; her daughter Pip and her husband, Mike. Essentially it’s a book following Harry Cane and his rural life in the Canadian prairies. It reaches back to his early life and settlement, his middle age. He left England and his wife and small daughter. No doubt the reasons were dealt with in the previous story.

Harry’s equilibrium and routines are shaken when a mother and her son arrive on his land having lost her husband/father in supposedly dramatic circumstances. His close neighbour and brother in law, Paul, takes them in and shortly after announces his marriage to the woman called Dimpy. This disrupts a previously close relationship between the two men. Although Dimpy and Harry become firm friends. The son, Davy, grows up there in the neighbouring farm. He leaves for the city when he is old enough. When Paul suddenly dies Dimpy is left on her own. Davy inherits the farm but doesn’t return until he’s married and then he has plans for the farm which don’t include Harry as neighbour.

In the mean time Harry’s daughter writes to him as an adult and he starts regular letter writing with her. When he sells up he goes to stay with Betty and when she goes away, her daughter. To his English family he isn’t quite what they expected despite having earned the nickname Cowboy Grandpa.

The depression years and post-War in Canada and England are not easy for this family. So this story shows a different insight into history of the period. Living on a single wage, both Betty and her daughter are married to Prison Officers and don’t work outside the home. Harry is another mouth to feed.

I was also mildly surprised at the end to learn it was based on a real life family story. I generally found Love Lane slow going. I wondered at the choice of points of view. A more interesting one might have been Paul’s.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patrick Gale is one of my very favourite authors and his novel A Place Called Winter is one of my all time favourite reads. When I heard he was writing a companion novel, I couldn’t wait to read it. Of course, I loved it.

On the face of it, there’s not really much happens in the book and I want to be careful not to say anything that gives away the plot not only of this book but also of A Place Called Winter. We catch up with Harry when times are hard financially and emotionally for him in Canada. When he sells up and returns to England to the family he left behind, it’s a time of discovery for them all. The book focusses on Harry of course, as well several members of his family: his daughter, his son-in-law, his grand-daughter and her husband.

Patrick Gale’s writing is just wonderful. Within just a few sentences, I was totally immersed in Harry Cane’s world again. What I love about Harry is the quiet way he just sees everyone and connects with them. He seems to intuitively understand what each character is keeping beneath the surface, no doubt because of what he has had to keep hidden about himself all the years.

This book, like A Place Called Winter, is inspired by the author’s own family history. He’s keen to point out that it’s not a biography or memoir but takes inspiration from family stories, letters and memories, and perhaps this is what makes it feel so authentic. I really felt that I got to know all the main players in the book and understood them. I was particularly moved by several of the scenes which took place in the prison where Harry’s son-in-law worked as Governor.

Love Lane is just wonderful and I was captivated by Patrick Gale’s beautiful writing as always. I am going to a book event for Love Lane and can't wait to hear the author talking about his great-grandfather and how he fictionalised him into the memorable character of Harry Cane.

[Lydia Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patrick Gale is one of my all-time favourite authors & several of his books would be coming with me to a desert Island. I was so excited to pick up with Harry again in Love Lane as A Placed Called Winter has stayed in my mind for years.

It didn’t disappoint! My heart broke all over again for Harry, living out a lonely existence on The Prairies where his real loves and life are having to be constantly concealed. He then returns to Liverpool and to an emotional reunion with his daughter. No one writes emotion like PG! I didn’t rush through it as wanted to make it last. Now I want to read it all over again .

A big thank you to Net Galley & the publisher for the ARC.

[James Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patrick Gale is a phenomenal storyteller, and Love Lane is a beautifully written and quietly powerful follow-up to A Place Called Winter.

We see Harry Cane leave the vast Canadian prairies behind to return to England, drawn back to a family shaped by absence, private pain and long-held secrets. Gale unfolds this journey with real care, allowing the past to surface in a way that feels both intimate and deeply human.

It’s a story about identity, belonging and the weight of what’s left unsaid — handled with a sensitivity that lingers long after the final page.

[Claire Grove]

Just didn’t get into this book. Lots of characters I couldn’t keep on top of and nothing to want me to keep reading. Didn’t want to give negative feedback when it could just be me!

[Fern · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you enjoy reading Kristin Hannah you will enjoy this book.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gale Project # 20

Having just done a reread of the first Harry Cane novel, A Place Called Winter and finding it just as good the second go-round, this sequel came as a huge letdown, for several reasons. In order to explicate WHY, some spoiler-ish material ensues - so proceed with caution!

It picks up pretty much where the first book ends, but the bliss of Harry and Paul is short-lived, with an unexpected split coming after a decade of contentment. Despite that, the first third of the book remains interesting and involving, focusing on how Harry adjusts and how he is forced to leave Canada and head back to the UK, for much the same reasons he emigrated in the first place (i.e., blackmail over his sexuality).

This is where the book fell apart for me - the remaining 2/3rds of the book focusses more on those relatives in England, and each gets a chapter or two of backstory, while Harry recedes further and further into the background for the most part. To put it bluntly, much of this is dull and boring - like a maiden aunt sitting one down and telling interminable tales about relatives you don't know or care about - and worse, most of these characters are unlikeable. And if ever a book cried out for a genealogical chart, it's this one; this is one convoluted family tree!!!

The author is basing all this largely on his own family, so whereas in the first book he could extrapolate freely due to a dearth of material to draw upon in the more distant history, here he is constrained to stick to the known facts. (And I'm curious if his father is still alive, since he 'outs' him as bisexual!).

The final chapters contain two incidents that nearly made me put the book down for good. First off, a beloved pet is euthanized due to the family's inability to afford to feed it - this was triggering for me as my very first early trauma was of my parents doing the same to my first cat.

Once through that, the author resorts to the oldest cliche in the gay canon - namely suicide as the conventional method of ending one's shame - but backs off, thank g-d. The last two chapters return Harry to Canada, and things are OK for awhile, but then ends on a rather dispiriting and sad note anyway.

Although the prose here is as good as in any of the author's works, I was hoping this would finally garner him a Booker nod. That MIGHT happen still, but since usually only one gay-themed book is included in the longlist, Gale has formidable competition from Douglas Stuart's John of John, which is the far better novel.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had missed Harry Cane. I hadn’t realised quite how much until now.
I can’t tell you how excited I was to learn that Patrick Gale was releasing Love Lane! I was absolutely blown away by A Place Called Winter when I read it back in February 2021. I could not resist requesting an advance copy via NetGalley. I was SO happy when the publisher approved my request and I can confirm that I have absolutely loved this book!
It was so lovely to catch up with Harry, and Paul, again at the beginning of this story. My heart did break for Harry when their relationship ends abruptly. Reasons being understandable for the time though. It’s awful to think how many people were unable to live their lives as their absolute true selves back then.
This is far from the end of the heartbreak for Harry too, and I found myself really disliking certain characters when Harry has no choice but to give in to blackmail which results in him sacrificing everything he’s built for himself.
It does however leave him free to finally make the journey back to England to see his long-lost daughter who had been in touch more recently, and other family he had yet to meet. Their reunion is awkward, as expected, at first. They are essentially strangers and are very much used to their lives as they are. They’re not quite sure how to integrate this old man into their daily lives.
You can’t help but be drawn to these characters. I felt for them all for different reasons. Set in a time when there was less tolerance, certain expectations of women and of men to take a wife. To have families and lead ‘normal’ lives. No mobile phones and/or video calling to help with staying in touch wherever one is in the world. It must have made things impossible to maintain relationships with anyone not living in the same town as yourself.
The fact that this story is based on real people makes it even more moving. It’s such a captivating story, beautifully written as I’ve come to expect from Patrick Gale. His books are so difficult to review because I always feel like nothing I can say will ever do it the justice it deserves. He’s just so eloquent.
The ending is devastatingly inevitable.
An unforgettable tale.
Harry Cane will always have a special place in my heart.

** Many thanks to the publisher for my ARC via NetGalley **

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2026/03/0...

[François · Rating 2 out of 5]

Biography Seems to Override Character:

I expected Love Lane to show a continuation of Harry Cane’s hard-won growth after A Place Called Winter. Instead, the novel reverses his arc back to a slow death of isolation, without justifying it.
In “Winter” Harry repeatedly moved from his setbacks toward survival and better circumstances, away from the dour atmosphere and homophobia he lived with in London and Saskatchewan.
In the epilogue, he can finally relax, having found acceptance in his rooming house’s queer community. He feels dignity and belonging, different from being rejected by his English family. However, the novelist has him choose to abandon this idyll and return to isolation in Saskatchewan, a choice he himself describes as a “slow death.”
For that decision to feel believable, the story needs to show why—e.g. exhaustion, depression, fear, internalized homophobia or low self-worth. In other words, self-abnegation strong enough to override making choices in his own best interest. The novel doesn’t do this, and the result is a break between character and this inconsistent action.
What makes this disconnect more jarring is the sense that Harry’s fate is shaped less by his own psychology than by authorial design. Patrick Gale describes how Harry was inspired by his own grandfather, who emigrated to Saskatchewan and died in it’s rural north. He seems to link Harry’s story to his grandfather’s, and the ending reads as if it is driven by that connection rather than narrative logic. Authors must “kill their darlings”. This means removing sections that don’t fit the narrative even if they are true to real-life, or sound clever or profound. It was inconsistent for Harry to move back to that slow death, simply because that’s what happened to the novelist’s grandfather.

The novel ultimately sidelines its protagonist, reducing him from a survivor to a figure who seems to be moved into place by the author. A minority of the prose focuses on Harry. The narrative's energy focuses on Harry's daughter, granddaughters and sons-in-law’s backstory, and the mundane details of their work and domestic life.

I found this a disappointing outcome for a character who once felt fully alive.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘is he not a little light on his feet?”

Love Lane picks up a story started in A Place Called Winter - one of my favourites by the author- featuring a character named Harry. You don’t have to have read Winter, but I would suggest you do as it is an exceptional novel. We are back on Harry’s remote farm in Saskatchewan, many years later. No-one questions Harry’s close relationship with his neighbour Paul, but everything changes when Paul surprises him by getting married and Harry is later forced off his farm. Harry’s daughter Betty, real name Phyllis, has reached out across the years and miles to reconnect with her father and Harry ceases the opportunity to return to the land of his birth and meet his daughter.

Patrick Gale is one of my faithfuls; I will pick up any book by a faithful and almost never check the blurb. As I reached further and further into the novel I was struck by how real this story felt; how beautifully sculptured the characters as though they once had lived. This story had a life of its own, coaxed and shaped gently by Gale into a narrative. In his acknowledgements, whilst stressing that this is a novel and not a memoir, Gale tells us that he has drawn on memories, stories and letters passed to him by his family.

Reflecting back on my read, I am struck by all the little stories within this beautiful novel. I think of Mike’s dog; of two men spending their last night in Mike’s jail; of two men who have set up a tailors’ shop; of Whistle. I think especially of Harry who is sent back to Canada by his family. And this novel is in part an exploration of why he finds himself on that return journey.

It is almost impossible to capture exactly what sets a writer apart and when describing Gale’s unique talent I have referred to his beautiful writing, incredible scenery and sense of place, his emotional intuition, his ability to capture the unique psychology of families and individuals and his ability to amplify the ordinary, to create stories from the every day. Readers like comparisons and I would say that, reading this book, I was particularly reminded of Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers.

Do check out Gale’s website for wonderful photos relating to the characters in Love Lane.

I received an early proof copy of this beautiful novel - all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Val Robson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Lane is a masterpiece in story telling with wonderfully evocative writing bringing the characters and locations to life. It follows on from the author's A Place Called Winter book which I also enjoyed but Love Lane would be fine to readers who have not read the first book as the main points are quickly explained.

The first half is based in Winter, Saskatchewan, Canada where Harry Cane had emigrated in the early 1900s after he was discovered to be having a scandalous affair with a man in England. He was married to Winnie and had a daughter, Phyllis, at the time. He lost touch with them after leaving the UK and Winnie divorced him. He sent birthday cards every year to Phyllis but never got a response.

He settled in Canada and married again to Petra and had another daughter, Grace. Petra and Grace died in 1918 of Spanish flu. Harry then became very close to Paul, Petra's brother, who owned the neighbouring farm. There is a recurrent theme of gay affairs throughout the book all during times when it was illegal and being found out could have serious consequences including imprisonment as well as being shunned socially.

The second half of the book is based in England where Harry travels to reunite with his daughter there after she contacted him once she was an adult and married.

I enjoyed the characters, locations and plot immensely and love Patrick Gale's writing style. There were a couple of parts of the book that I did not enjoy and would prefer to have been left out. One was a tale involving Susie, a dog, which was upsetting and I cannot see why it was included. There was also a few pages of details about the mechanics of capital punishment which I skimmed over as it felt quite upsetting and unnecessary. So my five stars was almost four but the overall writing and plot was excellent and I hope to read more by Patrick Gale.

With thanks to NetGalley and Headline Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the eagerly awaited sequel to the wonderful "A Place Called Winter" which I recommend you read first to really get to grips with Harry and what has already happened with and to him before we catch up to him here.
So... Harry is now firmly ensconced in the farming life in Canada. Until circumstances dictate that he once again has to flee. Selling up and travelling back to the UK where he has only just reconnected with his estranged daughter. In flashback we learn more about her and her husband and children, and even, eventually grandchildren. Initially Harry stays with Betty and her husband Terry, arriving with the minimum of things, all in a pretty shabby state. He is a bit embarrassed but they try their hardest to welcome him. We also follow Harry and Betty as they get to know each other and each learn that the other's absence in their life wasn't always all their own making.
It's a wonderful story all told. Based loosely I believe on the author's own family. And always just under the surface, as with the previous book, is Harry's homosexuality and the way that attitudes to such a thing has both changed and stayed the same since he was exiled. Especially the inclusion of Terry being a prison governor, which added a whole other rich layer.
But it's more than the sum of its parts. It's a wonderful generational family drama chock full of emotion and heartbreak and peppered throughout with humour and tender moments. So much that I was really sad to have to say goodbye to the characters when the book was over. I hope to revisit them in Audiobook once it has been released, in much the same way as I revisited the first book prior to diving into this one.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book

[Anne Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first experience of Patrick Gale's wonderful writing was A Place Called Winter - it left a profound impression, and I've always wanted to read more of his work. I was delighted to find that this book was a sequel, at first rejoining Harry Cane at his Saskatchewan homestead. Life throws its slings and arrows, and - having reconnected with his daughter in England - he finds himself selling his farm, under difficult circumstances, and returning home. This isn't only Harry's story, although he's always at its centre as the family force changes and try to organise his life - the book is also told from the perspectives of daughter Betty and her prison governor husband, then from that of his granddaughter Pip and her husband, also a prison officer. But Harry has his own insights into every situation he encounters, seeing the many secrets so deeply hidden.

It was a book I entirely inhaled, read in two long and thoroughly enjoyable sittings - immersed in the family drama, living through the time of rationing, the continuing illegality of homosexuality, of capital punishment, of clearly defined roles for men and women, and so much more. The individuals who carry the story - morally complex at times - are so wonderfully drawn, real and multi-faceted, and the author's fine emotional touch was every bit as perfect as I remembered. There were moments that brought a tear to my eye, some scenes that were acutely difficult to read, but the book still has its moments of lightness, joy and - ultimately - hope for the future. The writing is quite beautiful. I really didn't want the book to end - and, when it really had to, that was sheer perfection too. An extraordinarily powerful read - and one I really loved beyond measure.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful new novel from exceptional writer Patrick Gale follows the story of Harry Cane, who fled his life, wife and child in Edwardian England to make a new life as a farmer on the Canadian plains. Now alone in the world, he returns to England to meet his now grown-up daughter, his granddaughters and great-granddaughter. The impact he has on them may change their lives and outlook. But what does the future hold for elderly Harry himself?
Told with compassion and gentle humour, this is a lovely exploration of love and loss in all its forms - familial, romantic and forbidden. Loosley based on his own grandfather's life, Patrick Gale has brought sensitivity and compassion to the story of men torn between convention and their authentic selves, in an age when homosexuality was punishable by prison, and of the women who may or not suspect their husbands' true nature.
Told from varying points of view, the narrative rolls along a defined timeline, taking us to 1953 just before the coronation. There's a real sense of time and place in Gale's descriptive writing. Whether we're with Harry on his farm, his daughter Betty in her prison governor home, or his granddaughter Pip, married with a small baby and settled on Love Lane, we're immersed in each of their worlds.
All the characters are complex, but deeply empathetic. Harry himself is a joy to meet. A deep thinker, he says little, but what he does say counts.
What I really loved about this book was the lack of judgment between the characters. Society may judge harshly - as is evidenced by certain heartbreaking episodes in the story - but love is what counts and it wins out in the end.
A book that will keep you immersed and leve you thinking long after the final page.

[Helen Haythornthwaite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books like this remind me why I love literary and historical fiction so much.

It’s a character-driven novel, set in 1952, and tells the story of Harry Cane and his extended family. It begins in Canada where Harry has been living since he was a young man. Events beyond his control mean that he travels back to England to meet the daughter he left behind, together with her children and grandchild. He’s looking for a new home at this late stage of his life, but will he find one?

The narrative is told from five POVs so an in-depth look into the lives of Harry and his relatives is revealed. We read about their day-to-day lives, their doubts and anxieties, their hopes and dreams, their relationships with each other and the way they have adapted at each stage of their lives dependent upon what fortune has put in their path.

The book also focuses on love, and the complexities of ‘forbidden’ love in the 1950’s; the hardships of war and its aftermath; life as a prison governor and life as a housewife looking after her family. There are a couple of incidents which really pulled at my heart-strings, but I thoroughly enjoyed being invited into this family’s life, and felt that it had been written about with compassion and empathy.

I love that this piece of historical fiction was not only impeccably researched, but it was also inspired by true events. It’s a poignant, thought-provoking read with the true relevance of the title only being revealed at the very end in the author’s acknowledgements.


I was sent a proof copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Janette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Lane is the story of Harry Cane who left England many years ago to become a farmer in Canada. After being forced to sell his farm, he returns to England to visit his daughter Betty who he has never known.
The story is really a slice of life and doesn’t have a plot as such. We see Harry’s life first in Canada and then in England as he wonders if he can find a place in his home country. The story is told in various POV chapters and we see how Harry’s family react to having him living in their midst.
It’s very much a social history too with the reader being given a evocative look into the lives of people in the 1950s especially married women and the historic attitudes towards homosexual men which was illegal at the time. I loved how important letter writing was with a lot of the story being carried by letters especially those written by Betty.
This was a gentle story with characters that have stayed in my mind despite the fact that there was not really anything exciting in their lives. I found myself immersed in the character’s lives and was a little disappointed by the ending as I would have liked more resolution to Harry’s story rather than it being given in the author’s note at the end.
There is nothing in the blurb for this book to suggest that it is a sequel which is a shame as the earlier events are frequently referenced and I think I would have enjoyed the earlier part more if I had read the first book.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers, Headline, for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Chris Scotland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last time we read Harry Cane's story, he was heading to Canada to become a wheat farmer. Now, a joyous return not just to Harry but the family he left behind in England, as well as discovering how life faired in his new and unexpected environs. Patrick Gale gives us a poignant account of Harry the wheat farmer, his life lived through such a small window, whilst also delving deeply into the various strands of family he was forced to abandon; this fascinating, multi level portrayal of all the individuals is executed so perfectly, with their quirks, secrets and more.

Especially so, what happens when Harry finds himself sailing eastbound, back to England, in his later years and as a grandparent: to a daughter who can scarcely remember him and is so desperate to do the right thing, and to a new generation who just call him Cowboy Grandfather, because that's where he is now from, surely?

I so enjoyed feelings emotions play out, both Harry's as he discovers what he has missed out on, while the perspective of those who never knew why he really left was achingly sad. And, throughout, the realisation that for Harry, nothing could changed if he's never left in the first place.

One again, another beautifully told tale that lives on when the book is closed.

[Maddie Grigg · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading A Place Called Winter several years ago, I wondered what might have happened to the central character, Harry Cane. He was the young man shunned by his family and exiled to the Canadian prairies in Edwardian England to make a new life for himself.
Love Lane revisits Harry as an older man, who has to leave the prairies and head back home after a lifetime in Canada and now, in effect, exiled to England.
You don't need to have read the first book to enjoy this sequel but I think it probably helps.
Harry is now older and wiser and, back in England, meets his daughter, her husband and grandchildren. Through their stories, we get to know more about life before and after the Second World War and the social hardships faced by the characters. Theirs are ordinary lives, but there is no such thing as 'ordinary', everyone has a story to tell, secrets to keep or confide in others.
Patrick Gale writes beautifully and Love Lane does not disappoint. This is a gentle story of heartbreak, horror, love and the bonds that bind families together.
What makes this book even more remarkable is that it is inspired by the author's own ancestor.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance review copy of this novel.

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Lane is the second part of Harry Cane's story, which was begun in A Place Called Winter. Someone advised me to read Winter before reading this and I'm so glad I did. You probably could read it as a stand alone novel but knowing Harry's story up to this point made for a much richer experience.

In this second part Harry again finds himself subject to the prejudices and blackmail of someone close to him. He finds himself having to leave Winter to throw himself on the mercy of his family - now reduced to daughter, Betty, her husband and two grown girls - one of which is married with a child of her own.

As the visit progresses it becomes clear that Harry is not the affluent cowboy Betty expected but the family still take him to their hearts and help where they can. Harry,'s gentle nature means he connects with all his family in very different ways.

I have to admit I was desperate for Harry to find some happiness after A Place Called Winter. He is such an endearing character. In fact nearly all the characters Patrick Gale brings to life are likeable and sympathetic.

There are some difficult themes explored including homosexuality at a time when it was illegal, capital punishment and death. Patrick Gale deals with all sensitively.

I would highly recommend Love Lane. Patrick Gale has brought his maternal grandfather's story to life but then he is a master storyteller. If you haven't read A Place Called Winter I would recommend you do so before reading Love Lane. It is definitely worth it.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Headline for the digital review copy.

[Jamad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love Lane by Patrick Gale picks up the story after A Place Called Winter, returning to Harry Cane some years on. Now in Canada, Harry finds himself forced to sell his farm and leave Winter behind, eventually making his way back to the UK and settling into a very different life.

The opening third, set in Canada, is the strongest part for me. It has the same sense of place and quiet emotional pull that made A Place Called Winter so engaging. Harry feels present and grounded, and the story has a clear through-line. I was very happy there.

Once the novel shifts to the UK, it becomes more diffuse. Harry recedes somewhat, and the focus spreads across a growing cast of new characters, many with their own distinct quirks and backstories. Individually they’re interesting enough, but together it starts to feel crowded, and the narrative loses some of its cohesion. I found it harder to stay oriented, and the emotional thread weakened as a result.

There’s still a lot to admire in the writing and the ambition, but it didn’t quite come together as a whole. A pity, as the early chapters suggested something more focused and affecting.

[Jackie Murrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harry Cane, the central character in Gale’s novel “A Place Called Winter,” is now in his later years, struggling to make a living and keep his Canadian farm going while finding the work increasingly hard. Out of the blue he receives a letter from the daughter he left behind in England, and so when he is forced into selling the farm, he decides to return home on a visit. Although there are many differences to overcome, he is able to make a connection with this unknown family, and in small but significant ways “cowboy Grandpa” is able to make a difference in the lives of his grandchildren. Often quite sweet and gently amusing, this is a warm-hearted novel, although I found it a bit too episodic, probably because it is based on Gale’s own family history and so reads more like a series of anecdotes rather than a story with developed, fleshed-out characters. Gale is effective at illustrating how difficult it was to be homosexual and to live an authentic life as such, although perhaps there are rather too many “lavender marriages” taking place as cover, leaving disappointed wives galore. What I found most interesting was Harry’s son-in-law Terry’s experiences working in prisons, especially those dealing with executions, which had included fascinating, if rather gruesome, details. Not my favourite Gale book but obviously one with particular meaning for him.

[Christine Rennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Lane by Patrick Gale is the story of Harry Cane, a veteran wheat farmer, it is a story that eases into a family saga, with it’s devastating secrets and observations on family life, that creeps up on the reader. The time period is from the 1930’s until the 1950’s from Canada to Liverpool, England.
Harry is forced to sell his Canadian wheat farm and return to post war Britain, to a family that he abandoned. His daughter, who doesn’t remember him, is obliged to take him in, the next generation of his family are even more perplexed by his arrival. Harry is able to spend time with each family member and see them for who they really are, which is a very rare ability.
He then has to return to Canada because he doesn’t have enough money to live in England and his English family don’t have the money for him to stay..
Love Lane is a searing portrayal of escape and entrapment, and a powerful portrayal of what family life and home can be.
Highly recommended

[Karen Mace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this despite not having read the previous book - A Place Called Winter - but I will be going back to read that as I found this to be such an emotional read. Following on from APCW, we see Paul and Harry as the years have rolled on, and heartbreak and prejudice still follow them around. They do their best to keep to themselves, farming life gives them that isolation but tough times aren't far away.

I immediately felt drawn into their world and plight through the wonderful writing of the author, and we then follow Harry as he travels back to England to reconnect with family, some of whom he never knew about. There's a variety of characters introduced, all with varying viewpoints and outlooks on life so there's lots of stories to tell but each character is given time to share and you get a real sense of the time and how society played its' part in forming peoples' opinions and outlook.

This was such a beautiful read

[Sharyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I realised that this book was a sequel to A Place Called Winter I got a copy and read that first. I am so glad did as it really does set the scene and explain more of the background to the situation on this book. It could be read as a standalone but reading them in order certainly enhances the experience of this wonderful book.

We get back together with Harry Kane who is not having the best of times in Winter, Canada. He ends up travelling to England and meeting family memebers that he hasn't had anything to do with for decades. Its a sad story about a lonely old man and it is beautifully written. The fact that it's biofiction about a fmaily member makes it all the more meaningful for me. I loved the two books together but this would be a good read on its own.

With thanks for the e-ARC to read and review.

[Ann Dewar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t know that this was effectively a sequel in the central characters life so clearly it can be read as a standalone novel, since I really enjoyed it.

The author handles the compassion we feel for Harry with a distance via tone of voice that refuses to allow us to become sentimental. Somehow, that makes his story all the more touching.

Having grown-up in a society where homosexuality is legal and loudly proclaimed, it is easy to forget how recently the law was quite different. We know it, and are aware that it is not the experience of many other parts of the world, but Gayle manages to help us understand the experience.

Touching and clearly very personal Book to the author, since it is based on a novelisation of his family’s own story. With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an arc of this novel.

[Helen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

A continuation many years later of A Place Called Winter following the life of Harry Cane. Harry has been living a quiet life in Canada on his farmstead, enjoying the quiet companionship of his neighbour Paul. His life changes direction however with a letter from his daughter Betty, reconnecting after he left her as a child, leading to a visit to England to meet her.

Harry is a quiet, thoughtful, likeable character which makes him the perfect balance for many miscommunications, secrets or unsaid feelings. His rediscovered family all assume his persona which he never quite meets, making them uncertain how to deal with him. I always like this subtle blend of Patrick Gale's to write the most throwaway sentences that reveal complete turmoil.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

[Heather Howarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

had not read the first Harry Cane book but that did not stop me immensely enjoying this book.

Harry has built himself a life on the Canadian prairies alongside his brother-in-law, Paul, as a wheat farmer. He has survived the war and Great Depression but is forced out by rumours about his sexuality.

His daughter, Betty, and he have corresponded since her marriage and she invites him to visit her in Liverpool. Both have preconceived views of the other and unresolved feelings to deal with.

As well as meeting his daughter after 50 years, Harry meets his granddaughters - both of whom are struggling but with whom he forms special bonds. Harry sees people as they really are but secrets from the past make it difficult for him to remain.

Harry finds himself in a dark place but ultimately is seen for who he is.

A hard read at times but ultimately hopeful.