What do you think?
Rate this book
Precious Things
Iris has spent 30 years filling her house with things. Her hoarding has left her isolated, and is damaging her relationship with her daughter, Julia. Now the council is threatening her with eviction if she doesn’t clear the house.
Julia thinks the solution is they just need to get rid of all the things. But she doesn’t know the secrets they hide, and she doesn’t understand that they are what is holding Iris together. Her attempts to help only add to the friction between them, and with problems of her own to deal with, Julia leaves Iris to her fate. Iris’s friend Lenny is more sympathetic, but now he has disappeared too.
What will it take for Iris to realise that the most precious things in her life are not the belongings that fill her house? And left alone, how can she possibly clear the house in time?
Precious Things is a story about secrets and the damage they can cause. Follow Iris as she is forced to look back and face her past in order to move forward.
Julia thinks the solution is they just need to get rid of all the things. But she doesn’t know the secrets they hide, and she doesn’t understand that they are what is holding Iris together. Her attempts to help only add to the friction between them, and with problems of her own to deal with, Julia leaves Iris to her fate. Iris’s friend Lenny is more sympathetic, but now he has disappeared too.
What will it take for Iris to realise that the most precious things in her life are not the belongings that fill her house? And left alone, how can she possibly clear the house in time?
Precious Things is a story about secrets and the damage they can cause. Follow Iris as she is forced to look back and face her past in order to move forward.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 11, 2026
About the author
Melanie Ann Gilbert
3 books3 followersMelanie grew up in England but has lived more than half her life in the Mediterranean region of Türkiye. She loves the scenery, culture and history of her adopted country and sets most of her writing there.
She has run a hotel and taught English to locals and Turkish to expats. These days, she gets to spend more time writing. She also loves to go out hiking in the mountains and exploring ancient ruins. Luckily, there are plenty of these in Türkiye!
She has run a hotel and taught English to locals and Turkish to expats. These days, she gets to spend more time writing. She also loves to go out hiking in the mountains and exploring ancient ruins. Luckily, there are plenty of these in Türkiye!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
September 13, 2026
This is the third book of Melanie’s that I have read and I was lucky enough to receive a copy for free in advance of it being published. And what a delight it was. A really uplifting yet touching novel from start to end. You can’t help but fall in love with the characters and become invested from the first chapter. The book touches on some serious topics but never feels depressing or melodramatic. For anyone who enjoys the books of authors like Mike Gayle, which focus on human relationships and triumph over adversity, you will love this. A real heartwarming read. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review