The Way Home

by Amanda Prowse

From the multimillion-copy bestselling author of Waiting to Begin and Ever After comes an evocative, tender story about belonging, community, and the relationships that hold us together.

What if a stranger threatened to take away a lifetime of cherished memories?

Lilly-Bob loves her home by the River Thames in the heart of London. Throughout her childhood, it echoed with music and her father’s love, and for seventy years it’s been her sanctuary through a life well lived. These days, the familiar walls and treasured memories keep loneliness at bay.

But for months she’s been ignoring letters from a building developer, and now a compulsory purchase scheme threatens to take her home by force. Seventeen-year-old Lilly-Bob didn’t fear change, but present-day Lilly refuses to let go.

As the pressure builds, Lilly feels increasingly alone. But as her neighbours rally together, she finds herself drawn into the fold—making new friends, finding purpose, and glimpsing the possibility of something new.

Torn between the comfort of the past and the call of progress, Lilly-Bob must is home made of bricks and mortar, or is it a place inside ourselves?

361 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication July 28, 2026

About the author

Welcome to my Goodrerads page. If you love relatable, emotionally driven, character lead fiction that shines a light on family life and the trials and tribulations that affect us all, then you’re in the right place!

My name is Amanda Prowse, now nearly sixty, I started writing in my mid-forties. I divide my time between London where I live by the river and our farm in the West Country.

I’m passionate about the representation of women. My characters range in age from six to ninety-six and come from all walks of life.

The women in my stories face adversity head on, they grab opportunity by the handful and run towards the horizon, often doing so with a large dollop of humour.

My stories sometimes punch you in the gut with their realism but also leave you with a glimmer of hope – and the feeling that you are not alone. Tales that will make you ugly cry and laugh out loud – sometimes on the same page!

I’ve sold millions of books, translated into dozens of languages all around the world. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ my novels have won awards, including the coveted Sainsbury's eBook of the year Award and I’ve had two books selected as World Book Night titles; 'Perfect Daughter' in 2016 and 'The Boy Between' (co-written with my son Josiah Hartley) in 2022.

I’m a huge supporter of libraries and am a proud ambassador for The Reading Agency. My ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can't possibly read another book until the memory fades...

I’m a passionate advocate of ageing naturally and gratefully, and see every wrinkle, every line, every blemish on my face as a badge of honour – remembering always what a gift ageing is. This part of my wider belief that when women support women, magical things can happen.

When the time comes – this is what I’d like written on my headstone:

‘Wrote great stories, made a cracking roast potato…’ – what more could I ask for?
Praise for Amanda Prowse:

‘Amanda Prowse is “The Queen of Family Drama”’ – Daily Mail

'You'll fall in love with this...' – Cosmopolitan

'Powerful and emotional drama that packs a real punch' – Heat

‘Heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure’ – The Lady

'Deeply moving and emotional’ – Red

‘Amanda Prowse handles her explosive subjects with delicate skill’ – Daily Mail

‘Captivating, heartbreaking and superbly written’ – Closer

‘Amanda Prowse is the new Amanda Prowse’ – Mr Prowse

‘Uplifting and positive but you will still need a box of tissues’ – Hello!

List of Amanda Prowse works in order (oldest at top, newest at the bottom)

NOVELS

Poppy Day
What Have I Done
Clover’s Child
A Little Love
Will You Remember Me?
Christmas for One
A Mother’s Story
Perfect Daughter
The Second Chance Café (was 'The Christmas Café')
Three and a Half Heartbeats
Another Love
My Husband’s Wife
I Won’t be Home for Christmas
The Food of Love
The Idea of You
The Art of Hiding
Anna
Theo
Kitty (was ‘How to Fall in Love Again; Kitty’s Story’)
The Coordinates of Loss
The Girl in the Corner
The Things I Know
The Light in the Hallway
The Day She Came Back.
An Ordinary Life
Waiting to Begin
To Love and Be Loved
Picking Up the Pieces
All Good Things
Swimming to Lundy
This One Life
Ever After
Life as Planned
The Way Home (publishing August 2026)
Holding On Tight (publishing January 2027)

MEMOIRS

The Boy Between
Women Like Us

NOVELLAS

The Game
Something Quite Beautiful
A Christmas Wish
The Ten Pound Ticket
Imogen's Baby
Miss Potterton's Birthday Tea
Mr Portobello's Morning Paper
I Wish…
A Whole Heap of Wishes
A Wish for Forgiveness
Fifteen Minutes

COMPILATION OF FIRST SEVEN NOVELLAS
Something Quite Beautiful

Notes on Books.

All books are standalone stories, but some do share characters who pop up for cameo appeara

Reviews

[Jeanniehay64 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really cherish my home and feel safe and happy when I spend time there so I could relate to Lilly-bob who is having to give up the security of the only home she has lived in, as a property developer intends to knock down the block of flats she lives in to make a new development.

Lily Bobs home has a spectacular view of the Thames and it’s the backdrop to her life. Having spent many hours painting by the riverbank it has been the such an enormous part of her own personal life story.

I know personally how difficult it is to move from a home which holds special memories and as we read about lily's life, we understand how important her home is to her.

So many life stages, decisions, regrets and misunderstandings are unraveled on the pages. Her relationship with her mother finally being resolved was one I loved. This book will resonate with anyone who loves a multi layered family drama. Full of wonderful characters which will have you cheering for the wonderful 70 year old main character.

[booksbydorothea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strongly recommend
4.5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a huge fan of Amanda Prowse's books. They are the perfect escapism for me and the craziness in this world.

Amanda's writing and character development were strong in this book! The plot took me a little longer to get into, but once I did, it was so good!

If you like contemporary fiction with strong writing and character development about realistic family dynamics, then this is the book for you!

For a more detailed review, check out my blog - booksbydorothea: https://bit.ly/4uZGDIW

[Karen Farrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet again this wonderful author has written a book to get lost in. It is basically the story of Lilly (Elizabeth-Roberta) and it tells her life story through a mixture of the present and past. We get to see Lilly grow from a young girl, navigating her way through a life that has its fair share of ups and downs which shape the woman she becomes.

The writing is fabulously descriptive and you almost feel that you are one of the characters, looking at Lilly’s life.

Lilly shows herself to be a bright, strong independent woman and Amanda Prowse has a knack of bringing these amazing women into our lives.

Wonderful story

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible read! For me I felt connected to similar situations and the writing made me feel involved with the characters.
I welled up with the main character when others died and re felt the memory of first love and the excitement and butterflies that it brings!
From going back and forth to her childhood through to Lilly- Bob in her 70’s, so much life and expertly crafted to be so relatable. Stunning.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lilly a seventy year old has lived in the same apartment since she was a child.
She has many happy memories of her childhood and her father.
When a property developer plans to demolished her home and build a new apartment block she is determined to fight the compulsory purchase order and not to move out of her beloved home.
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any and all books are on automatic read by Amanda Prowse. The Way Home is her latest fabulous novel about 70 year old, Lilly-Bob’s life over the years. Taken place in London, Lilly-Bob goes through all her hardships she has faced and as always, I could not put this book down. Amanda is one of the best story tellers out there and this is my 7th book I’ve read by her. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartwarming story with an engaging plot. A story of love more than a love story. A moving declaration of love for that wonder that is London and its amazing river, that is described so vividly you can hear it flowing.
I utterly loved it.

With many thanks to Lake Union, NetGalley snd the author for an early copy.