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An Extra Pair of Hands: A story of caring and everyday acts of love
'Inspiring' GUARDIAN
'Heartbreaking' INDEPENDENT
'I loved it' ADAM KAY
'Beautiful' MATT HAIG
'Luminous' NICCI GERRARD
'Essential reading' MADELEINE BUNTING
'A celebration' CHRISTIE WATSON
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A Best Book for Summer in The Times, Guardian and The i
Independent Book of the Month
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Caring is an issue that affects us all - as bestselling novelist Kate Mosse knows all too well.
Kate has cared in turn for her father and mother, and for Granny Rosie, her 90-year-old mother-in-law. Along the way she has experienced the joys, challenges and frustrations shared by an invisible army of carers.
At the heart of this care lie everyday acts of love, and the realisation that, sooner or later, most of us will come to rely on an extra pair of hands.
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'Lifts the spirits without pulling punches' IAN RANKIN
'Irresistible' RACHEL JOYCE
'Questions how and why we fetishise independence when the reality of human experience is always interdependence' GUARDIAN, BOOK OF THE DAY
'Heartfelt, funny and at times heartbreaking. 10/10' INDEPENDENT
'Utterly beautiful' FRANCESCA SEGAL
'Heartbreaking' INDEPENDENT
'I loved it' ADAM KAY
'Beautiful' MATT HAIG
'Luminous' NICCI GERRARD
'Essential reading' MADELEINE BUNTING
'A celebration' CHRISTIE WATSON
-----
A Best Book for Summer in The Times, Guardian and The i
Independent Book of the Month
-----
Caring is an issue that affects us all - as bestselling novelist Kate Mosse knows all too well.
Kate has cared in turn for her father and mother, and for Granny Rosie, her 90-year-old mother-in-law. Along the way she has experienced the joys, challenges and frustrations shared by an invisible army of carers.
At the heart of this care lie everyday acts of love, and the realisation that, sooner or later, most of us will come to rely on an extra pair of hands.
-----
'Lifts the spirits without pulling punches' IAN RANKIN
'Irresistible' RACHEL JOYCE
'Questions how and why we fetishise independence when the reality of human experience is always interdependence' GUARDIAN, BOOK OF THE DAY
'Heartfelt, funny and at times heartbreaking. 10/10' INDEPENDENT
'Utterly beautiful' FRANCESCA SEGAL
193 pages, Paperback
First published June 3, 2021
45 people are currently reading
784 people want to read
About the author
Kate Mosse
91 books3,348 followersKate Mosse is an international bestselling author with sales of more than five million copies in 42 languages. Her fiction includes the novels Labyrinth (2005), Sepulchre (2007), The Winter Ghosts (2009), and Citadel (2012), as well as an acclaimed collection of short stories, The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales (2013). Kate’s new novel, The Taxidermist’s Daughter is out now.
Kate is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (previously the Orange Prize) and in June 2013, was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to literature. She lives in Sussex.
Kate is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (previously the Orange Prize) and in June 2013, was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to literature. She lives in Sussex.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
June 7, 2021
Mosse’s parents and mother-in-law all moved to live with her and her husband in their Chichester home when they reached old age. Her father had Parkinson’s and died in 2011, her mother survived him by a few years, and Granny Rosie is still going reasonably strong at the age of 90. This is a compact and relatable account of a daughter’s experiences of caregiving and grief, especially with the recent added complication of a pandemic.
What came through particularly clearly for me was the older generation’s determination to not be a burden: living through the Second World War gave them a sense of perspective, such that they mostly did not complain about physical ailments and did not expect heroic measures to be made to help them. (Her father knew his condition was “becoming too much” to deal with, and Granny Rosie would sometimes say, “I've had enough of me.”) In her father’s case, this was because he held out hope of an afterlife. Although Mosse does not share his religious beliefs, she is glad that he had them as a comfort.
The author recognizes the ways in which she has been lucky: as a full-time writer, she works from home and has the time and energy to devote to caring for elderly parents, whereas for many - generally middle-aged women, who may still have children at home - it is a huge struggle to balance caregiving with the rest of life. What is more, money is no issue for her. Repeating some of the statistics from Madeleine Bunting’s Labours of Love, she acknowledges that the situation is much more challenging for the average person.
I can see how this could serve as a great introduction for someone who hasn’t previously read much about bereavement, caregiving or old age, and I imagine it will especially appeal to existing fans of Mosse’s writing. I've read so much around these topics, including most of the works in the bibliography, that the book did not offer me anything new, though it was a perfectly pleasant read.
Readalikes:
Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Be With by Mike Barnes
Keeper by Andrea Gillies
All Things Consoled by Elizabeth Hay
The Fragments of My Father by Sam Mills
What came through particularly clearly for me was the older generation’s determination to not be a burden: living through the Second World War gave them a sense of perspective, such that they mostly did not complain about physical ailments and did not expect heroic measures to be made to help them. (Her father knew his condition was “becoming too much” to deal with, and Granny Rosie would sometimes say, “I've had enough of me.”) In her father’s case, this was because he held out hope of an afterlife. Although Mosse does not share his religious beliefs, she is glad that he had them as a comfort.
The author recognizes the ways in which she has been lucky: as a full-time writer, she works from home and has the time and energy to devote to caring for elderly parents, whereas for many - generally middle-aged women, who may still have children at home - it is a huge struggle to balance caregiving with the rest of life. What is more, money is no issue for her. Repeating some of the statistics from Madeleine Bunting’s Labours of Love, she acknowledges that the situation is much more challenging for the average person.
I can see how this could serve as a great introduction for someone who hasn’t previously read much about bereavement, caregiving or old age, and I imagine it will especially appeal to existing fans of Mosse’s writing. I've read so much around these topics, including most of the works in the bibliography, that the book did not offer me anything new, though it was a perfectly pleasant read.
Readalikes:
Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Be With by Mike Barnes
Keeper by Andrea Gillies
All Things Consoled by Elizabeth Hay
The Fragments of My Father by Sam Mills
October 13, 2021
As Kate Mosse points out in the opening chapter of the book, An Extra Pair of Hands is not a ‘how to’ book but a tribute to three ‘extraordinary’ people – her father, her mother and her mother-in-law – and her own reflections on becoming a carer, the ‘extra pair of hands’ of the book’s title.
The are many moments of insight, such as the distinction between ‘caring’ and being a ‘carer’. As she says, the latter is about ‘routine, the endless repetition of things, of always having someone else’s needs at the forefront of your mind. The quotidian tasks that repeat and repeat: conversations, medication, meals, laundry, personal hygiene.’
Kate argues that too often the needs of carers are overlooked and she produces evidence to show that the responsibility for caring falls overwhelmingly on women, leading her to conclude, ‘Care is a feminist issue.’ She is honest enough to admit that she is in a more fortunate position than most carers, including having an occupation that she can do from home. I think the book was especially good at communicating the many facets of being a carer – the emotional, physical, social and financial aspects as well as the practical day-to-day responsibilities.
Alongside her experiences of caring for her father, mother and then her mother-in-law, Kate shares lovely memories of her childhood and of her parents’ early lives. And I was struck by how important nature and the countryside is to her, as a distraction from everyday concerns and a place for contemplation. ‘In the garden, the grass is stiff and white with frost. The sky is shifting from a glittering starred black to blue, the sun now rising in an apricot sky. The softest tint of pink reflecting on the roof of the house next door’. That passage is made all the more poignant because it is the morning of her mother’s funeral. Indeed there are intensely moving sections of the book describing the final days of her father’s life, and later her mother’s too.
Although the book addresses many serious topics, there are joyful moments as well such as when Kate’s mother-in-law, always referred to as Granny Rosie, becomes a media star by entertaining the neighbours gathered for the Thursday night Clap For Carers with a World War II playlist on her electric piano.
An Extra Pair of Hands is both an insight into what caring for someone involves – the joys and the moments of despair – and a call to action to those in a position to improve the lives of carers and the people they care for. As Kate observes, ‘Enjoy the good days, muddle through the bad days, and never take anything for granted.’ Not a bad motto to live by whatever your situation.
The are many moments of insight, such as the distinction between ‘caring’ and being a ‘carer’. As she says, the latter is about ‘routine, the endless repetition of things, of always having someone else’s needs at the forefront of your mind. The quotidian tasks that repeat and repeat: conversations, medication, meals, laundry, personal hygiene.’
Kate argues that too often the needs of carers are overlooked and she produces evidence to show that the responsibility for caring falls overwhelmingly on women, leading her to conclude, ‘Care is a feminist issue.’ She is honest enough to admit that she is in a more fortunate position than most carers, including having an occupation that she can do from home. I think the book was especially good at communicating the many facets of being a carer – the emotional, physical, social and financial aspects as well as the practical day-to-day responsibilities.
Alongside her experiences of caring for her father, mother and then her mother-in-law, Kate shares lovely memories of her childhood and of her parents’ early lives. And I was struck by how important nature and the countryside is to her, as a distraction from everyday concerns and a place for contemplation. ‘In the garden, the grass is stiff and white with frost. The sky is shifting from a glittering starred black to blue, the sun now rising in an apricot sky. The softest tint of pink reflecting on the roof of the house next door’. That passage is made all the more poignant because it is the morning of her mother’s funeral. Indeed there are intensely moving sections of the book describing the final days of her father’s life, and later her mother’s too.
Although the book addresses many serious topics, there are joyful moments as well such as when Kate’s mother-in-law, always referred to as Granny Rosie, becomes a media star by entertaining the neighbours gathered for the Thursday night Clap For Carers with a World War II playlist on her electric piano.
An Extra Pair of Hands is both an insight into what caring for someone involves – the joys and the moments of despair – and a call to action to those in a position to improve the lives of carers and the people they care for. As Kate observes, ‘Enjoy the good days, muddle through the bad days, and never take anything for granted.’ Not a bad motto to live by whatever your situation.
August 1, 2021
I have read a few Kate Mosse books, loved her Languadoc Trilogy so when I saw that she had released a non fiction book, I won’t lie to you, I was intrigued. Especially when I saw its association with the Wellcome Collection. I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed.
In An Extra Pair of Hands Kate Mosse explored what it is like to become a carer for those who has once cared for you. Having gone through this myself recently I say it is the moment you become an actual adult. You may have a mortgage, a car, be married and even have kids of your own but when your parents become your responsibility the whole axis of your world goes of kilter. And it is terrifying.
Mosse explore this so well in her book looking at the practicalities of looking after a parent, taking control of things you never had to do before but mainly she looks at the emotional side of things both of you as the carer and the parent whose loss of independence and having to rely on others can be hard to accept.
The one thing that Mosse does stress is that through all the hard times and though you may feel really negative about becoming a carer at certain points (we are all human) that it is an absolute privilege to be able to give back to those who have given to us.
An Extra Pair of Hands is a heartbreaking yet uplifting read.
In An Extra Pair of Hands Kate Mosse explored what it is like to become a carer for those who has once cared for you. Having gone through this myself recently I say it is the moment you become an actual adult. You may have a mortgage, a car, be married and even have kids of your own but when your parents become your responsibility the whole axis of your world goes of kilter. And it is terrifying.
Mosse explore this so well in her book looking at the practicalities of looking after a parent, taking control of things you never had to do before but mainly she looks at the emotional side of things both of you as the carer and the parent whose loss of independence and having to rely on others can be hard to accept.
The one thing that Mosse does stress is that through all the hard times and though you may feel really negative about becoming a carer at certain points (we are all human) that it is an absolute privilege to be able to give back to those who have given to us.
An Extra Pair of Hands is a heartbreaking yet uplifting read.
June 27, 2021
This is an excellent read. It resonated with my experience of looking after my father with his terminal cancer diagnosis, and then the ten years or so of being the main carer for my mother, all of us under the same roof. At times, I was brought to tears by this book (especially at the Joyce Grenfell poem quoted, which was the one I read at my mother's funeral.)
Kate Mosse totally gets the responsibilities and satisfaction of caring for much loved parents. She explains the facts and writes about the feelings so beautifully. It's rare to find a book that sums up so much experience so well in so few pages.
Kate Mosse totally gets the responsibilities and satisfaction of caring for much loved parents. She explains the facts and writes about the feelings so beautifully. It's rare to find a book that sums up so much experience so well in so few pages.
June 25, 2021
Totally reflects many of my own feelings caring for my mother and now my husbaand
I thoroughly enjoyed this book though a few tears were shed so have a box of tissues handy .Many of the situations and feelings were so relatable to me having Cared in our home for my Mum for eight years .
My mum and I shared a special bond and sadly she died during Civic restrictions last year a few months before she would have been ninety. I found this book so comforting to know my feelings were and still are similar to others .
y of the situations
I thoroughly enjoyed this book though a few tears were shed so have a box of tissues handy .Many of the situations and feelings were so relatable to me having Cared in our home for my Mum for eight years .
My mum and I shared a special bond and sadly she died during Civic restrictions last year a few months before she would have been ninety. I found this book so comforting to know my feelings were and still are similar to others .
y of the situations
August 7, 2021
An absolute must of a read for anyone finding themselves in a position of care or who eventually will be in such a position, so pretty much anybody. Even if it doesn't apply, read the book.
Sensitively written about the author's experiences of caring for her parents and mother in law, its effect on her own career, family life, the give and take, the endless obstacles, especially during the pandemic, the politics and traditions around women who traditionally are the carers. Emotional and thought provoking.
Sensitively written about the author's experiences of caring for her parents and mother in law, its effect on her own career, family life, the give and take, the endless obstacles, especially during the pandemic, the politics and traditions around women who traditionally are the carers. Emotional and thought provoking.
September 20, 2021
4.5 stars. A very poignant read - sad but uplifting.
December 31, 2022
Beautifully written book about caring. I loved it and was incredibly moved.
November 9, 2021
I really admire Kate Mosse. I'm a huge fan of her Langudoc series and have also enjoyed her stand alone stories. She's a great advocate for authors and for reading in general. When I saw the signed hardback copy of An Extra Pair of Hands in Waterstones over the summer, I knew I had to read this one.
It has taken me until now to get around to reading it, because, ironically, my own Mum is now sick and being cared for at home. My Dad is her main carer, but myself and my brother, and our partners are around too and Mum's terminal diagnosis has turned our lives upside down.
It was never an issue about care. We knew, as a family, that Mum would be at home and that we could look after her. We have amazing support from our local Hospice, from the Community team and from the carers that come in every day to help, but in the main, it's down to my Dad. He's 76 and Mum is 80.
Reading An Extra Pair of Hands, for me, was very emotional. Whilst our circumstances are different, the author's compassionate and understanding way of describing her relationship with her parents, and her mother in law struck me on so many levels. There is something quite special about reading something that really does resonate, that reinforces ones own feelings and also deals with ones own fears.
Kate Mosse talks about how many carers there are in the UK, and how they are mostly forgotten about, or taken advantage of. How families and loved ones take on caring responsibilities without a thought for their own physical or mental health. She talks about how families pull together, and how the departure of elderly loved ones can leave such a massive hole, one that will never be filled.
The author relates tiny things that have a great impact, there are funny parts and heart breaking parts. When she looks out of her mother's kitchen window one morning and sees the packet of cigarettes sitting on the windowsill, I had to close the book, close my eyes and take some deep breaths. She really could have been talking about my own Mum's window, and about me.
This is a book that I will keep forever. It has been soothing, it has pull at my heart strings and it has been a comfort. We are not yet at the end of our journey with Mum, somehow, after reading this book, I don't feel quite so alone.
It has taken me until now to get around to reading it, because, ironically, my own Mum is now sick and being cared for at home. My Dad is her main carer, but myself and my brother, and our partners are around too and Mum's terminal diagnosis has turned our lives upside down.
It was never an issue about care. We knew, as a family, that Mum would be at home and that we could look after her. We have amazing support from our local Hospice, from the Community team and from the carers that come in every day to help, but in the main, it's down to my Dad. He's 76 and Mum is 80.
Reading An Extra Pair of Hands, for me, was very emotional. Whilst our circumstances are different, the author's compassionate and understanding way of describing her relationship with her parents, and her mother in law struck me on so many levels. There is something quite special about reading something that really does resonate, that reinforces ones own feelings and also deals with ones own fears.
Kate Mosse talks about how many carers there are in the UK, and how they are mostly forgotten about, or taken advantage of. How families and loved ones take on caring responsibilities without a thought for their own physical or mental health. She talks about how families pull together, and how the departure of elderly loved ones can leave such a massive hole, one that will never be filled.
The author relates tiny things that have a great impact, there are funny parts and heart breaking parts. When she looks out of her mother's kitchen window one morning and sees the packet of cigarettes sitting on the windowsill, I had to close the book, close my eyes and take some deep breaths. She really could have been talking about my own Mum's window, and about me.
This is a book that I will keep forever. It has been soothing, it has pull at my heart strings and it has been a comfort. We are not yet at the end of our journey with Mum, somehow, after reading this book, I don't feel quite so alone.
December 15, 2021
An interesting insight in to ageing and caring. Readable, human, resonant. A must read for everyone who is, or will be, caring for someone old or young.
April 21, 2021
This is a very special book. I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked it up, perhaps a tale of hardship and exhaustion, hard decisions and difficult days but instead I found warmth and compassion and a cast of (real life) characters that I grew to like and respect.
Kate Mosse takes us on. her journey of caring for her mother, father and mother-in-law. Anyone who has cared for a family member or friend will be able to relate to her honest account of the conflicting emotions and the challenges that she experienced, but what I loved about this book was that it reminds us that caring is a privilege, and one that will enrich your life and your relationships.
It is a very personal story, told simply and honestly. Interwoven throughout the book is a commentary on the support - or lack of support - that is accessible, together with the author's thoughts on statutory and legal provision and what has been promised by government and not yet delivered. This combination of a family story, personal reflections on caring and political comment makes it a very rounded book that considers all of the angles in relation to caring, but leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions based on the evidence and their own experiences.
By the end of the An Extra Pair of Hands, I felt uplifted by the strength of the human spirit, the power of friendship and compassion and the joy of lives lived well.
I'm so glad I read this book - thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing a free ARC copy for me to read and review.
Kate Mosse takes us on. her journey of caring for her mother, father and mother-in-law. Anyone who has cared for a family member or friend will be able to relate to her honest account of the conflicting emotions and the challenges that she experienced, but what I loved about this book was that it reminds us that caring is a privilege, and one that will enrich your life and your relationships.
It is a very personal story, told simply and honestly. Interwoven throughout the book is a commentary on the support - or lack of support - that is accessible, together with the author's thoughts on statutory and legal provision and what has been promised by government and not yet delivered. This combination of a family story, personal reflections on caring and political comment makes it a very rounded book that considers all of the angles in relation to caring, but leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions based on the evidence and their own experiences.
By the end of the An Extra Pair of Hands, I felt uplifted by the strength of the human spirit, the power of friendship and compassion and the joy of lives lived well.
I'm so glad I read this book - thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing a free ARC copy for me to read and review.
July 20, 2021
I am a Big fan of Kate Mosse and I have read all her books. Every book of Kate's are just remarkable and this latest book "An Extra Pair of Hands" was a book from the heart especially as this book is about Kate's own personal story finding herself as a carer in middle age: firstly helping her heroic mother care for her beloved father through Parkinson's, then supporting her mother in widowhood, and finally as 'an extra pair of hands' for her 90-year-old mother-in-law.
This book just took my breath away and shows so much love and care towards Kate's family and so much courage one family can have. A carer is a very special person in so many ways and I cared for my father in Law for many years until the end of life....So a big Hug to you Kate and family, this book is an inspiration for us all out there.
Family Love and care never ends
This book with have you in tears and so many memories of my father in law and mum came back whilst reading this book - So you will need to have a box of tissues ready.
Big Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing a free ARC copy for me to read and review.
This book just took my breath away and shows so much love and care towards Kate's family and so much courage one family can have. A carer is a very special person in so many ways and I cared for my father in Law for many years until the end of life....So a big Hug to you Kate and family, this book is an inspiration for us all out there.
Family Love and care never ends
This book with have you in tears and so many memories of my father in law and mum came back whilst reading this book - So you will need to have a box of tissues ready.
Big Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing a free ARC copy for me to read and review.
July 21, 2021
I saw this in Foyles in London and had to buy it as I have recently been helping my mum care for my aunt.
Kate Mosse writes beautifully about the act of caring. I have always enjoyed her novels but I have even more admiration now I know she was caring too. She acknowledges that she has a more privileged situation than many carers who are struggling to make ends meet and have to juggle work with their caring role. She also points out that the government provision is paltry and how caring is also a feminist issue.
I found myself nodding along during the whole book. The way lockdown has made it harder for everyone and the guilt you feel was perfectly captured by her.
An excellent book about caring which is heart breaking and heart warming. An important read for everyone.
Kate Mosse writes beautifully about the act of caring. I have always enjoyed her novels but I have even more admiration now I know she was caring too. She acknowledges that she has a more privileged situation than many carers who are struggling to make ends meet and have to juggle work with their caring role. She also points out that the government provision is paltry and how caring is also a feminist issue.
I found myself nodding along during the whole book. The way lockdown has made it harder for everyone and the guilt you feel was perfectly captured by her.
An excellent book about caring which is heart breaking and heart warming. An important read for everyone.
August 12, 2021
My mother is eighty nine and has dementia although she is still living independently. My sister has become her main carer. She calls in daily, does the shopping and washing, the appointments and the transport to the day care centre. She lives locally. I live a 90 minute drive away. My husband and I spend the day with my Mum every other Sunday. I feel guilty. Even these visits were suspended for long periods during the last, long year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
I bought this book to give to my sister hoping that it would give a context and a recognition to the role of carer that she so brilliantly taken on. I wanted to read it first to make sure it fulfilled that hope. I believe it does. It’s humanity shines through. I really hope my sister finds the time to read it.
I bought this book to give to my sister hoping that it would give a context and a recognition to the role of carer that she so brilliantly taken on. I wanted to read it first to make sure it fulfilled that hope. I believe it does. It’s humanity shines through. I really hope my sister finds the time to read it.
October 2, 2021
As an avid fan of Kate's fiction novels I was excited to read her nonfiction too. I expected it to be a difficult read for me, having recently lost both my husband and mother. How wrong could I be!
Kate's personal and often intimate account of caring for both of her parents and her mother-in - law was uplifting and inspirational. It was a celebration of life and of family combined with constructive advice on how to get support and to move forward. Her brilliant literary mind peppered the whole book with links to other authors and information that will help anyone in an often difficult carers situation.
Kate's personal and often intimate account of caring for both of her parents and her mother-in - law was uplifting and inspirational. It was a celebration of life and of family combined with constructive advice on how to get support and to move forward. Her brilliant literary mind peppered the whole book with links to other authors and information that will help anyone in an often difficult carers situation.
October 11, 2021
After growing up seeing my mum be carer to my wonderful and beloved nan, my sister in law being a full time carer to her late husband and myself working with carers for majority of my career this book has touched me so deeply.
It is beautiful. It's honest. It raises awareness of how unseen and unheard carers are, how undervalued they are/taken for granted and how much really needs to be done. It champions the importance of people being seen as people, and how what can seem like small acts actually are those that mean the most.
This book should be read by everyone, and we all need a Granny Rosie in our life.
It is beautiful. It's honest. It raises awareness of how unseen and unheard carers are, how undervalued they are/taken for granted and how much really needs to be done. It champions the importance of people being seen as people, and how what can seem like small acts actually are those that mean the most.
This book should be read by everyone, and we all need a Granny Rosie in our life.
October 22, 2021
I don't usually read a lot of non fiction but because Kate Mosse is my favourite author i thought I'd give it a try. This novel, in addition to being very well informed and beautifully written, is moving and emotional and, most importantly, honest. It's very respectful and yet candid at the same time. The only reason I haven't given it five stars is because I feel as a younger reader that I can't relate much to the issues in the novel. But that's no reflection on the book itself because it is, like the rest of Mosse's work, a display of understated excellence. Just be warned, it can be quite moving and can take you by surprise!
August 4, 2021
Exceptionally understanding account of caring for an elderly relative. It is full of humour, compassion and love. It will provide comfort and understanding to anyone currently n this situation, helping them by knowing they are not alone. A wonderful read for managers and people in charge of staff, helping them understand the difficulties balancing act some staff have on a daily basis. Recently, during the pandemic the focus has been on children all the way, others have been sidelined. This book will drive home the need for compassion for our elderly in the community and their carers.
October 2, 2021
This is a lovely quiet story recognising the extraordinary lengths that carers go to in order to provide the best quality of life for the people they care for. I have to confess being envious of Kate Mosse’s circumstances - a house big enough to convert separate home spaces for her parents and mother-in-law, a husband, supportive siblings, a community around her, to support each other in the caring process. So many have to do it all without this. While she does acknowledge that, it still reflects a very privileged form of caring. As always her words and writing are beautiful.
Read
July 1, 2021I have read the Carcasonne series from this author and really enjoyed the writing. This book is an account of the authors real life and the slow decline of her parents and mother in law. Explained the slow shift from being the child to the parents then the parent to the parents. Funny in places, sad sometimes, unexpectedly comforting and could really connect with the author's experience. with dementia and physical deterioration of her family. Thank you #NetGalley for the copy to review.
November 4, 2021
This book really spoke to me, as I am looking after my 89-year-old mother at the moment. I am glad I found this book, serendipitously I must add, and it is the right book at the right time for me. Kate Mosse is a great writer and her close relationship with her mother, mother-in-law and grandmother shines through so poignantly in her writing. She has made me look at my mother, and my time of caring for her, in a new, more appreciative way, and I have her to thank for it.
Read
July 4, 2024An Extra Pair of Hands is utterly moving, tender and beautiful.
I am so glad that I picked this book up. The writing alone and the descriptions used when Mosse looked after her mother and father really did move me and brought me to tears.
I look after my mother on a day to day basis and so this book helped me and made me feel less alone.
I personally believe that this book is a essential read by Kate Mosse. Highly recommend to absolutely anyone.
I am so glad that I picked this book up. The writing alone and the descriptions used when Mosse looked after her mother and father really did move me and brought me to tears.
I look after my mother on a day to day basis and so this book helped me and made me feel less alone.
I personally believe that this book is a essential read by Kate Mosse. Highly recommend to absolutely anyone.
October 21, 2021
I bought a signed copy of this book after hearing Kate talking on a podcast that I listen to.
I’m currently researching a children’s book I’m writing with a young carer at the heart of the story.
This book has moved me enough to look into training as a care assistant. That’s how powerful it is.
I recommend this book to anybody As it is a celebration of human connection morality and love.
I’m currently researching a children’s book I’m writing with a young carer at the heart of the story.
This book has moved me enough to look into training as a care assistant. That’s how powerful it is.
I recommend this book to anybody As it is a celebration of human connection morality and love.
October 31, 2021
Thank you to#NetGalley and #Wellcome Collection for allowing me to read #AnExtraPairOfHands by #KateMosse
This is such a true book that will resonate with anyone who has or is caring for a loved one.
I laughed and I cried as I saw my mother and the me in many of these situations.
One not to be missed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is such a true book that will resonate with anyone who has or is caring for a loved one.
I laughed and I cried as I saw my mother and the me in many of these situations.
One not to be missed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 20, 2021
A beautiful book. I read this in one go, unable to put down. Such love and compassion on every page. The care and love given to those “rich in years” is wonderful. Every carer should read this to show they are not alone.
Thank you NetGalley.
Thank you NetGalley.
January 19, 2022
Absolutely amazing and beautiful reading. Despite it's author personal experience, I believe we all can relate to the life as a carer. It's a great book for all the professional carers and nurses, and also a great support for everyone who's caring for the loved ones.
July 17, 2021
I only read this as a friend instructed me to! It resonated with her. It did not with me. It is a cathartic book for Kate Mosse about caring for her parents till their deaths and her mother in law who still lives. I am sure in another time I will enjoy it .
December 28, 2021
A personal book about what it means to love and to care and especially so when set against the backdrop of a pandemic. This moving book was full of joy and optimism, to care for someone else is to love.
"What will survive of us is love" -Philip Larkin
"What will survive of us is love" -Philip Larkin
September 6, 2021
Beautiful, compassionate and thought-provoking.
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September 19, 2021My feature for the Sunday Times:
https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-ti...
https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-ti...
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