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A Thousand Roads Home
Warm, powerful and unforgettable, Irish Times best-selling author Carmel Harrington’s new novel is about second chances, friendship and unlikely heroes.
‘Where is home?’ DJ asked.
‘Wherever the people you love are.’ Ruth replied.
Single mother, Ruth, and her son, DJ, have never truly fitted in, but that didn’t matter, so long as they were together. When their home comes under threat, their quiet life will change forever.
DJ meets Tom, a man who ten years ago walked out of his house and never looked back. Ruth, DJ and Tom have all felt like outsiders. Burdened with grief and insecurities, they are not living their best lives. But together, these three ordinary people will do an extraordinary thing…
448 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2019
719 people are currently reading
1726 people want to read
About the author
Carmel Harrington
21 books472 followersCarmel Harrington is an International bestseller of thirteen novels. She is from Co. Wexford, where she lives with her husband, Roger, children Amelia and Nate, and their beloved rescue dog, George Bailey.
Her latest novel, The Stolen Child, was a Sunday Times best crime fiction of the year selection and was described as ‘Endlessly surprising. This complex novel requires faultless plotting, and Harrington pulls it off with consummate ease.’ Carmel’s debut was a multi-award-winning novel, and several books have been shortlisted for an Irish Book Award. She is a regular on Irish TV screens and radio and has been a guest speaker at Literary events in Ireland, UK and USA. She was also Chair of the Wexford Literary Festival for three years.
Carmel’s emotional and gripping storytelling, with relatable characters, twisting plots and evocative locations, has captured readers' hearts worldwide. Her novels, including The Lighthouse Secret, The Girl From Donegal, A Mother’s Heart, and The Moon Over Kilmore Quay, have been Irish Times, Sunday Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestsellers.
Carmel loves hearing from readers, so please feel free to connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram @HappyMrsH, or join Curl Up With Carmel Book Club, an online book club on Facebook.
Her latest novel, The Stolen Child, was a Sunday Times best crime fiction of the year selection and was described as ‘Endlessly surprising. This complex novel requires faultless plotting, and Harrington pulls it off with consummate ease.’ Carmel’s debut was a multi-award-winning novel, and several books have been shortlisted for an Irish Book Award. She is a regular on Irish TV screens and radio and has been a guest speaker at Literary events in Ireland, UK and USA. She was also Chair of the Wexford Literary Festival for three years.
Carmel’s emotional and gripping storytelling, with relatable characters, twisting plots and evocative locations, has captured readers' hearts worldwide. Her novels, including The Lighthouse Secret, The Girl From Donegal, A Mother’s Heart, and The Moon Over Kilmore Quay, have been Irish Times, Sunday Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestsellers.
Carmel loves hearing from readers, so please feel free to connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram @HappyMrsH, or join Curl Up With Carmel Book Club, an online book club on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 343 reviews
October 4, 2019
Carmel Harrington writes a novel about the precarious nature of life, being marginalised, whilst shining an all too relevant light on the contemporary plight of homelessness, rising not only in Ireland but in Britain too and rampant elsewhere globally. The book begins with Ruth Wilde escaping from Wexford with her baby to Dublin. In the present, Ruth has baked a minecraft birthday cake for her son, DJ, that doesn't come out quite as expected, but DJ doesn't care, he just appreciates his mother's good intentions. Soon after, their landlord, Seamus Kearns, evicts them, leaving them homeless, forced to turn to the council, where they are on the housing list. They are offered temporary emergency housing at the The Silver Sands Hotel, run by Erica, where there are a diverse cast of characters facing similar housing problems.
Tom O'Grady used to be a doctor in Wexford where he encountered a pregnant Ruth, after tragedy hit him, he left his home, and is now homeless in Dublin, a rough sleeper, accompanied by his devoted dog, Bette Davis. Ruth and DJ's life crosses paths with that of Tom, and bonds are forged that grow stronger. It is soon clear that Ruth, who likes routines and things just so, with her obsessions and love of white food is on the Autism spectrum, her current troubles increase her anxieties, but DJ is her focus as she tries to do her best for him. This is a story that takes in Ruth's past, her cruel and unsupportive mother and DJ's father, Dean, with the reader given insights into The SIlver Sands other residents, and the horrors faced by Tom and the homeless.
Harrington writes with humanity, hope and compassion about the invisible and judged communities of the homeless, the unexpected places where support can come from, mental health issues, and being the outsider in society. This is a eye opening story of our times, just this week there are news headlines about the rising death rates amongst the growing tide of the homeless. Highly recommended. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.
Tom O'Grady used to be a doctor in Wexford where he encountered a pregnant Ruth, after tragedy hit him, he left his home, and is now homeless in Dublin, a rough sleeper, accompanied by his devoted dog, Bette Davis. Ruth and DJ's life crosses paths with that of Tom, and bonds are forged that grow stronger. It is soon clear that Ruth, who likes routines and things just so, with her obsessions and love of white food is on the Autism spectrum, her current troubles increase her anxieties, but DJ is her focus as she tries to do her best for him. This is a story that takes in Ruth's past, her cruel and unsupportive mother and DJ's father, Dean, with the reader given insights into The SIlver Sands other residents, and the horrors faced by Tom and the homeless.
Harrington writes with humanity, hope and compassion about the invisible and judged communities of the homeless, the unexpected places where support can come from, mental health issues, and being the outsider in society. This is a eye opening story of our times, just this week there are news headlines about the rising death rates amongst the growing tide of the homeless. Highly recommended. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.
October 16, 2018
I was bewitched and bedazzled by the characters in this book. You know the saying ‘be kind because you never know what battle someone is fighting’, well that is so true for every single person in this book.
Tackling themes of homelessness, food poverty and vividly portraying just how easily your life can derail, this isn’t a light read. But it is a read that can make a difference. And on top of that, I feel it’s such an important book, with such a powerful message that it should be compulsory reading.
If you want to fall in love with quirky characters, a cute dog, and feel moved to tears by *events*, then this is the book for you.
Highly recommended to fans of Maeve Binchy, Sheila O’Flannagan and Sinead Moriarty.
Thanks to HarperCollins Ireland for giving me a copy of this book for review consideration. As always, no matter what the source of the book, you get my honest, unbiased opinion.
Tackling themes of homelessness, food poverty and vividly portraying just how easily your life can derail, this isn’t a light read. But it is a read that can make a difference. And on top of that, I feel it’s such an important book, with such a powerful message that it should be compulsory reading.
If you want to fall in love with quirky characters, a cute dog, and feel moved to tears by *events*, then this is the book for you.
Highly recommended to fans of Maeve Binchy, Sheila O’Flannagan and Sinead Moriarty.
Thanks to HarperCollins Ireland for giving me a copy of this book for review consideration. As always, no matter what the source of the book, you get my honest, unbiased opinion.
December 25, 2018
Sometimes we are numbed by social issues and government failures to create systems to protect the weakest of society, because the issues and failures are constant and mind-numbingly repetitive. And so it takes a book like A Thousand Roads Home to put human faces on the plight, to make us see that this could happen to us, to our families, friends, people we assume have life sorted. Nobody has life sorted. It swings us around, whips up our complacency, turns us upside down at times, takes loved ones from us without notice. Carmel deals with life's left field shots through believable characters, puts our hearts in theirs, makes us care, makes us think twice about everyday things we ignore because it's too much trouble to acknowledge, busy as we are.
I loved this book for a number of reasons but mostly because it's so real, the problems are here in front of us every day, the fount of human kindness is always there, no matter how hidden, and we all need to try to change a negative to a positive, one person at a time. Thank you, Carmel.
I loved this book for a number of reasons but mostly because it's so real, the problems are here in front of us every day, the fount of human kindness is always there, no matter how hidden, and we all need to try to change a negative to a positive, one person at a time. Thank you, Carmel.
October 3, 2019
I just finished “A Thousand Roads Home” and I can honestly say that this book has changed me. My thought process and perspective altered on many important issues. My heart softened and broke open. This was so beautifully written and was an very easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ for me, (which I do not give out easily). Thank God for amazing authors like Carmel Harrington. I am in awe of your talent and grateful that God has placed people like you on this earth. ❤️ Also a shout out to “Once Upon a Bookclub” for having this book in the September Adult Subscription Box! Bravo!
October 12, 2018
‘Everyone has felt like an outsider at some point in their lives.
This is the book that will make you feel you belong.’
A Thousand Roads Home is the latest novel from Irish Times bestselling author Carmel Harrington and is described as ‘warm, powerful and unforgettable – a novel about second chances, friendship and unlikely heroes.'
Hazel Gaynor says ‘It belongs on everyone’s shelf, and in everyone’s hearts’
Liz Nugent says it’s ‘brave and original’
Read on for my thoughts…
Carmel Harrington has tackled many issues in her latest release A Thousand Roads Home.
We all want a roof over our heads, we all want to be accepted by others and ultimately we all want to be loved. Nobody wants to be treated differently because of the way we are born or due to the path we have taken, by choice or otherwise. In A Thousand Roads Home, Carmel Harrington introduces us to three ordinary people with a very extraordinary story to tell.
Ruth is a single mother, originally from Wexford. Growing up with a mother who never understood her, Ruth has been challenged for most of her life. As a child, she was picked on and bullied, left with no friends and a dreadful longing to be part of something. Ruth liked things to be done in a very specific manner, her clothes to be worn a certain way and her food to be white. There were no expectations that Ruth would ever meet anyone, no hope of a happy-ever-after for Ruth, forever ridiculed, in a home where there was no real love.
But then Dean came along. Dean understood Ruth. Dean loved Ruth. In a whirlwind few days Ruth could see her life transformed and she saw light at the end of the tunnel…..she saw hope. But then Dean disappeared and Ruth was pregnant. Now over ten years later and Ruth is about to be evicted out of her rental home in Dublin. With her ten-year old son, DJ, to look after. Ruth is suffering. Like many in today’s society, Ruth and DJ, join the housing list for the homeless and move into emergency accommodation. This is their story….
Tom is one of the many who sleep out at night-time on a park bench, in a doorway, under a bridge. Tom has suffered his own tragedy. Ten years ago his life changed forever and Tom walked away from everything he knew. Now a man in his sixties, he has gotten somewhat used to this life of hardship, keeping to himself, with his best friend and loyal companion, Bette Davis, the only friend he needs by his side. But one day Tom meets DJ. This is Tom’s story…
Ruth, DJ and Tom have invisible threads binding them together. They each have faced terrible difficulties in life, yet they understand each other. Over time their relationship develops, as they attempt to navigate through harsh and frightening obstacles just to survive. It’s hard to keep going when you feel that society has given up on you, when you feel that you are invisible to many, when you feel you are just another statistic. With determination and the will to keep going, these three form a very fragile but very special bond.
A Thousand Roads Home is a very contemporary book, as Carmel Harrington brings these faceless and nameless people into our homes and lives. How many of us have passed a doorway where someone lies almost unconscious and we have tutted? How many of us have crossed the road to avoid a ‘shifty’ looking homeless person? How many of us are guilty of doing nothing? There is that famous saying, that we are all only two paychecks away from being like Ruth, DJ and Tom, homeless. A very shocking statistic that we all wave around and perhaps ignore…sure it will never happen to us.
A Thousand Roads Home highlights, not just homelessness, but also Asperger’s syndrome. Many of us may know children on the spectrum and we can see the wonderful work that is currently being carried out by families and volunteers on a daily basis. But what of those who have fallen through the cracks, those whose ‘condition’ wasn’t perhaps, historically, recognised in the education system?
A Thousand Roads Home is ultimately a book about hope, about finding someone who will help you and support you, finding someone who will make you feel you belong.
Carmel Harrington writes with a very chatty and warm style, which really brings the reader into the story and into the lives of the characters. We see them blossom and we see them shine, but we also get to see behind their veneers, when the cracks begin to show. We root for them and we hope that they will find peace, a place to call home, a place to thrive.
A Thousand Roads Home is a book that will make you stop and think. It will bring a tear to your eye and a gentle smile to your face. A very heartwarming read folks!
Emotional. Contemporary. Heartening
This is the book that will make you feel you belong.’
A Thousand Roads Home is the latest novel from Irish Times bestselling author Carmel Harrington and is described as ‘warm, powerful and unforgettable – a novel about second chances, friendship and unlikely heroes.'
Hazel Gaynor says ‘It belongs on everyone’s shelf, and in everyone’s hearts’
Liz Nugent says it’s ‘brave and original’
Read on for my thoughts…
Carmel Harrington has tackled many issues in her latest release A Thousand Roads Home.
We all want a roof over our heads, we all want to be accepted by others and ultimately we all want to be loved. Nobody wants to be treated differently because of the way we are born or due to the path we have taken, by choice or otherwise. In A Thousand Roads Home, Carmel Harrington introduces us to three ordinary people with a very extraordinary story to tell.
Ruth is a single mother, originally from Wexford. Growing up with a mother who never understood her, Ruth has been challenged for most of her life. As a child, she was picked on and bullied, left with no friends and a dreadful longing to be part of something. Ruth liked things to be done in a very specific manner, her clothes to be worn a certain way and her food to be white. There were no expectations that Ruth would ever meet anyone, no hope of a happy-ever-after for Ruth, forever ridiculed, in a home where there was no real love.
But then Dean came along. Dean understood Ruth. Dean loved Ruth. In a whirlwind few days Ruth could see her life transformed and she saw light at the end of the tunnel…..she saw hope. But then Dean disappeared and Ruth was pregnant. Now over ten years later and Ruth is about to be evicted out of her rental home in Dublin. With her ten-year old son, DJ, to look after. Ruth is suffering. Like many in today’s society, Ruth and DJ, join the housing list for the homeless and move into emergency accommodation. This is their story….
Tom is one of the many who sleep out at night-time on a park bench, in a doorway, under a bridge. Tom has suffered his own tragedy. Ten years ago his life changed forever and Tom walked away from everything he knew. Now a man in his sixties, he has gotten somewhat used to this life of hardship, keeping to himself, with his best friend and loyal companion, Bette Davis, the only friend he needs by his side. But one day Tom meets DJ. This is Tom’s story…
Ruth, DJ and Tom have invisible threads binding them together. They each have faced terrible difficulties in life, yet they understand each other. Over time their relationship develops, as they attempt to navigate through harsh and frightening obstacles just to survive. It’s hard to keep going when you feel that society has given up on you, when you feel that you are invisible to many, when you feel you are just another statistic. With determination and the will to keep going, these three form a very fragile but very special bond.
A Thousand Roads Home is a very contemporary book, as Carmel Harrington brings these faceless and nameless people into our homes and lives. How many of us have passed a doorway where someone lies almost unconscious and we have tutted? How many of us have crossed the road to avoid a ‘shifty’ looking homeless person? How many of us are guilty of doing nothing? There is that famous saying, that we are all only two paychecks away from being like Ruth, DJ and Tom, homeless. A very shocking statistic that we all wave around and perhaps ignore…sure it will never happen to us.
A Thousand Roads Home highlights, not just homelessness, but also Asperger’s syndrome. Many of us may know children on the spectrum and we can see the wonderful work that is currently being carried out by families and volunteers on a daily basis. But what of those who have fallen through the cracks, those whose ‘condition’ wasn’t perhaps, historically, recognised in the education system?
A Thousand Roads Home is ultimately a book about hope, about finding someone who will help you and support you, finding someone who will make you feel you belong.
Carmel Harrington writes with a very chatty and warm style, which really brings the reader into the story and into the lives of the characters. We see them blossom and we see them shine, but we also get to see behind their veneers, when the cracks begin to show. We root for them and we hope that they will find peace, a place to call home, a place to thrive.
A Thousand Roads Home is a book that will make you stop and think. It will bring a tear to your eye and a gentle smile to your face. A very heartwarming read folks!
Emotional. Contemporary. Heartening
January 10, 2020
Oh my god, this book is awful in so many ways. Either Irish people don't talk the way I think they do, or the author can't write realistic dialogue. And there are so many cliches, stereotypes, stock phrases - some of which she feels the need to explain as if her readers are idiots. The Doctor not only tells us that 'somebody walking over your grave' is a saying, he informs us that his mother used to say it, and also explains what it means. Why? WHY? We've all heard it before, there's no need - and it would be even better if the author had found a different way to say this kind of thing, without constant, unerring use of bland stock phrases. Ugh. It makes me want to vomit. The book is clearly banging a drum about autism and homelessness, but it's not subtle and some of it sounds like text lifted straight from a brochure. There are some sections of writing that are just badly-used devices to tell the story, and it's completely unnecessary - Tom's past is partially told in a series of dreams that don't read like dreams at all, just flashbacks - which is stupid and pointless, as other parts of the book are told as flashbacks, so it would be completely acceptable to use them for all aspects in the past. Oh, honestly, there's so much more to criticise but I've wasted enough time on this book, I'm going to leave it here. Just please, please, if you insist on reading this, don't expect too much.
May 2, 2021
This was another book club read so not my choice. It’s a contemporary novel about people down on their luck who find the good in others.
I get how some would really enjoy this type of novel but it’s not a genre that I particularly enjoy.
The story is rather slow and a little soppy for my liking and the ending is a predictable happy ending.
Yes it deals with many issues that are happening in society today but I don’t think it is a happy book to read whilst feeling low during a pandemic.
So that’s the reason for the two stars.
I get how some would really enjoy this type of novel but it’s not a genre that I particularly enjoy.
The story is rather slow and a little soppy for my liking and the ending is a predictable happy ending.
Yes it deals with many issues that are happening in society today but I don’t think it is a happy book to read whilst feeling low during a pandemic.
So that’s the reason for the two stars.
December 8, 2025
Just beautiful! An uplifting and emotional journey with wonderful characters. Others have written great reviews about this book, so I shall just say "Highly recommended!".
July 30, 2020
A great book! This was the first book of Carmel's I have read & at first I nearly didn't bother but something got me to start it again & so glad that I did. I will be looking for more of her books. Such a touching story that really gets you thinking. Realities of homelessness, mental health struggles, love & friendship all in one. It was both sad & happy and such lovely characters. Thanks Carmel x
August 1, 2019
This is my first Carmel Harrington novel, but it most certainly won't be my last! It's a nice quick and enjoyable read.
May 3, 2021
Didn’t finish. Got bored.
July 27, 2020
Wonderful, fabulous story. I'll definitely be reading this one again soon.
October 8, 2020
Ok, not going to lie, this book read like a Hallmark movie. At times, it was downright cheesy. But I still got emotional, enjoyed the characters, found it a good lesson in empathy (which the world needs right now), and to be a valuable lesson on homelessness and people on the autism spectrum.
Read
October 5, 2025I'm really surprised by all the five star reviews for this book. I found it very pedantic which was a turn off. I didn't find it very enjoyable.
March 29, 2024
My first audiobook in a long while but really enjoyed the character of Ruth! She was quirky and I loved it! Plus loved the dog - Bette Davis 🐶
September 16, 2019
This is a bit quirky and super sentimental. Just a lovely book with wonderful characters, including Ruth, DJ, and Dr. Tom and a great cast of supporting friends. 5/5 heartwarming stars.
November 23, 2018
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It’s hard not to empathise with the lovely characters of this book. I have read a lot of good reviews of A Thousand Roads Home and yet I was simply not ready for the heartbreaking story.
There is a homelessness crisis in Ireland, it’s shocking and the number of people without a roof over their head is increasing every day… Carmel Harrington’s new novel focuses on the pain of people who don’t have a place to call home.
It’s not an easy read. One way you can prepare yourself is to have a tissue near you. Everyone in the book has lost their home one way or another, but they all share the same belief that home is where the people you love are and if you have someone that you would do anything for then you can consider yourself a lucky one.
It’s my first book of Carmel Harrington but it won’t be the last. I really loved this book. I read it pretty quickly because I felt for the characters (it’s hard not to). It’s well written, sad in places but after reading it you might appreciate even more some of the everyday things that you take for granted.
It’s hard not to empathise with the lovely characters of this book. I have read a lot of good reviews of A Thousand Roads Home and yet I was simply not ready for the heartbreaking story.
There is a homelessness crisis in Ireland, it’s shocking and the number of people without a roof over their head is increasing every day… Carmel Harrington’s new novel focuses on the pain of people who don’t have a place to call home.
It’s not an easy read. One way you can prepare yourself is to have a tissue near you. Everyone in the book has lost their home one way or another, but they all share the same belief that home is where the people you love are and if you have someone that you would do anything for then you can consider yourself a lucky one.
It’s my first book of Carmel Harrington but it won’t be the last. I really loved this book. I read it pretty quickly because I felt for the characters (it’s hard not to). It’s well written, sad in places but after reading it you might appreciate even more some of the everyday things that you take for granted.
January 20, 2020
Carmel Harrington delves into the life of people living in poverty and homelessness. This is a novel, where the lead character is an Autistic, single Mom with a lousy childhood behind her. She is determined to be a good parent and move forward, no matter what life throws her. She and her son end up living in a small hotel room in a miserable hotel. The hotel houses those who are homeless and in dire straights. These people are on a list for a regular home, waiting for their forever home. Depressing? No, because the author is so positive and upbeat. We see the central character, Ruth make friends for the first time in her life. She and her son adjust to the place and Ruth even transforms the hotel to a place where the children can study in a library and the residents can socialize. Add to that a homeless Dr. from Ruth's past who lives on the streets. His past is tragic. Yet, when he meets up with Ruth and her son, his life is transformed. The end of the book is even more amazing. This book has so much heart. It is just a beautiful story. A Great read!!
December 10, 2024
A Thousand Roads Home is a powerful, heartwarming and thought-provoking novel. I’m not sure how I came across this book it could’ve been from a review I’d read or maybe I’d seen it at my library, but I’m so glad I picked it up it was well worth reading.
This story deals with everyday issues and covers important topics like homelessness. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone looking for their next book to read.
This story deals with everyday issues and covers important topics like homelessness. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone looking for their next book to read.
October 28, 2019
There is absolutely nothing to dislike about this beautiful book, which has gone into my top 10 long list for this year. Ruth and her son DJ mean everything to each other. Ruth has Asperger's which brings many complications and she struggles to fit in with society. When they are unexpectedly made homeless, they find themselves in temporary accommodation, where the rules are the rules!
Dr Tom O'Grady is also homeless, and the reason why unfolds throughout the book. A blast from each other's past, he and Ruth form a strong friendship, which ultimately saves them both.
There are moments of real sadness but also complete hilarity in this book. The topic of homelessness is dealt with so sincerely, it really opens your eyes to how a turn in circumstance can have devastating consequences. The characters are fabulous, and I was so sorry to say goodbye to them when the book ended.
Dr Tom O'Grady is also homeless, and the reason why unfolds throughout the book. A blast from each other's past, he and Ruth form a strong friendship, which ultimately saves them both.
There are moments of real sadness but also complete hilarity in this book. The topic of homelessness is dealt with so sincerely, it really opens your eyes to how a turn in circumstance can have devastating consequences. The characters are fabulous, and I was so sorry to say goodbye to them when the book ended.
February 1, 2022
A really, really beautiful book. The book is fiction but showcases the very real and complex struggles of homelessness. It creates stories around the extremely unfair battles of life that some people have to face, but the friendships that come from it too. For me, it highlighted how each characters story of homelessness is different, and totally unavoidable, so to always be kind and not to judge.
What I loved was the authors ability to shed a light on this crisis, but yet make the book still full of happiness and feel good! I fell in love with the characters and the magical storyline.
Would 100% recommend. Although a personal tip - don't read it on the train, you will cry and people will look at you funny.
What I loved was the authors ability to shed a light on this crisis, but yet make the book still full of happiness and feel good! I fell in love with the characters and the magical storyline.
Would 100% recommend. Although a personal tip - don't read it on the train, you will cry and people will look at you funny.
January 21, 2021
I had just finished a pretty intense historical fiction, and for my next read, I was looking to choose a book that was well written with a good story that had a "feel good" theme. WOW - I made an excellent choice! (Thank you, Melissa, for introducing it to me.) It was a wonderful book about challenge, love, overcoming obstacles, hope, disappointment, "family", perseverance, and so much more. Although uplifting, it is not what some would call a "fluff book". It gave you pause to think and possibly change your perspective on certain things. And it was definitely a reminder of how important kindness really is.
June 10, 2021
This was such a beautiful and emotional read . Dealing with homelessness and autism. I just loved it.
December 30, 2021
Read this. Especially at Christmas time.
Loved these characters, flaws and all.
Opens your mind to how life treats some people…
Be nice. Be kind. Be mindful.
Tears? Yes, there were tears!
Loved these characters, flaws and all.
Opens your mind to how life treats some people…
Be nice. Be kind. Be mindful.
Tears? Yes, there were tears!
October 7, 2019
Ruth is a single mom to 10-year-old DJ who, as they become homeless and move into temporary housing in a hotel, begins to act out against his mother in a desperate angry move because he doesn't know the identity of his father. Ruth is doing the best to work and mother and not let her anxiety or autism hurt her son or their life but those her compulsions to crack her knuckles, read Dean Koontz over and over, and only consume food that is white is what makes Ruth Ruth and despite how her unique behaviors make her stand out, they are part of who she is and it makes it easy to winnow down her true friends.
Tom is a homeless man who has lived on the street for 10 years. He befriends DJ by accident after he tries to keep the boy out of trouble and along with his dog, Bette Davis, the trio become close and are soon surprised when Ruth comes upon a meeting of the group and she and Tom realize that he was the doctor that saw Ruth through her pregnancy. In the present she pushes Tom to be more of the Dr. O'Grady he once was and less of the rough sleeper he is assumed to be based on his appearance. They each grow as a result of their rekindled connection. The second half of the book will likely tug your heart strings.
Not sure what is was exactly but reading this was a slog for me and I never really connected. It is a rather hefty book so I'm going to say that it was probably a combination of the light/easy writing style and the meandering story. Though I can see how many readers looking for a little heartbreak in a feel-good package would gravitate toward to it.
Tom is a homeless man who has lived on the street for 10 years. He befriends DJ by accident after he tries to keep the boy out of trouble and along with his dog, Bette Davis, the trio become close and are soon surprised when Ruth comes upon a meeting of the group and she and Tom realize that he was the doctor that saw Ruth through her pregnancy. In the present she pushes Tom to be more of the Dr. O'Grady he once was and less of the rough sleeper he is assumed to be based on his appearance. They each grow as a result of their rekindled connection. The second half of the book will likely tug your heart strings.
Not sure what is was exactly but reading this was a slog for me and I never really connected. It is a rather hefty book so I'm going to say that it was probably a combination of the light/easy writing style and the meandering story. Though I can see how many readers looking for a little heartbreak in a feel-good package would gravitate toward to it.
September 29, 2019
This one was better than I thought it would be. In the beginning, it seemed like a Hallmark movie kind of book, but it got better :) The writing was pretty good, and the main characters were great. I really liked Ruth, and I loved seeing how she did her best to love her son, and make sure he knew it. And it took me a little longer to like the doctor, but I ended up getting into his story, too. It was still a little corny in some parts, so I did have to take off a star. But I liked the ending. It ended well, without being too unbelievable. This was a fast, sweet read.
December 23, 2022
5 carry on stars 🌟
I think I have found the Katherine Center of Ireland in a thrift store, now, I want to catch up on her back titles.
This book is a beautiful promise of sunshine after many storms. Finding first strength within yourself but then, the people around you. Some families don’t need to be bonded with blood ❤️ And hardships, sometimes cause the best foundation for friendships.
I think I have found the Katherine Center of Ireland in a thrift store, now, I want to catch up on her back titles.
This book is a beautiful promise of sunshine after many storms. Finding first strength within yourself but then, the people around you. Some families don’t need to be bonded with blood ❤️ And hardships, sometimes cause the best foundation for friendships.
November 10, 2019
It may not be the top, most well-written novel ever, but not everyday you find the lead character an autistic mom ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 ... I loved how Carmel shaped the novel around the usually forgotten fighters and heroes.
December 11, 2019
This book set in Dublin speaks of homelessness, loss and fitting in to a world that sees you as different. The story is sweet but the writing is rather light and it was hard to relate to the character Tom. Ruth with her extreme candor and drive to provide for her son was a more relatable character.
August 13, 2018
4.5 Stars. Review to follow.
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