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Maybe Tomorrow
What a difference a year could make…
Jamie Matson had once enjoyed a wonderful life working alongside her best friend, organising adventures for single-parent families, and her son Bo’s artistic flair a source of pride rather than concern.
She hadn’t been prepared to lose her business, her home, and her friend. Not all in one dreadful year. And now she finds herself reeling - rebuilding her world, with Bo at its heart - swallowing her pride and asking for help.
Jamie certainly hadn’t expected to find such hope and camaraderie in the queue at her local Food Bank - thrown together with an unlikely and colourful group of people - all of them struggling to get by, yet still determined to reclaim their lost careers and agency over their lives. Even if just choosing their own groceries again is a goal they can all share.
As their friendships flourish, they quickly find it’s easier to be objective about each other than about themselves, and decide that - when you’re all out of options - it’s okay to bend the rules a little and create your own.
A story of friendship, possibilities, and hope, that maybe tomorrow will be brighter than today...
Jamie Matson had once enjoyed a wonderful life working alongside her best friend, organising adventures for single-parent families, and her son Bo’s artistic flair a source of pride rather than concern.
She hadn’t been prepared to lose her business, her home, and her friend. Not all in one dreadful year. And now she finds herself reeling - rebuilding her world, with Bo at its heart - swallowing her pride and asking for help.
Jamie certainly hadn’t expected to find such hope and camaraderie in the queue at her local Food Bank - thrown together with an unlikely and colourful group of people - all of them struggling to get by, yet still determined to reclaim their lost careers and agency over their lives. Even if just choosing their own groceries again is a goal they can all share.
As their friendships flourish, they quickly find it’s easier to be objective about each other than about themselves, and decide that - when you’re all out of options - it’s okay to bend the rules a little and create your own.
A story of friendship, possibilities, and hope, that maybe tomorrow will be brighter than today...
- GenresContemporary
Audiobook
Published June 22, 2023
12 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Penny Parkes
7 books121 followersPenny Parkes survived a Convent education largely thanks to a ready supply of inappropriate novels and her passion for writing and languages.
She studied International Management in Bath and Germany, before gaining experience with the BBC. She then set up an independent Film Location Agency and spent many happy years organising shoots for film, television and advertising - thereby ensuring that she was never short of travel opportunities, freelance writing projects or entertaining anecdotes.
Penny now lives in the Cotswolds with her husband, two children and a geriatric spaniel. She will often be found plotting epic train journeys through the Alps, baking gluten-free goodies or attempting to prove that you can, in fact, teach an old dog new tricks.
OUT OF PRACTICE is her first novel and the first in the Larkford Series
She studied International Management in Bath and Germany, before gaining experience with the BBC. She then set up an independent Film Location Agency and spent many happy years organising shoots for film, television and advertising - thereby ensuring that she was never short of travel opportunities, freelance writing projects or entertaining anecdotes.
Penny now lives in the Cotswolds with her husband, two children and a geriatric spaniel. She will often be found plotting epic train journeys through the Alps, baking gluten-free goodies or attempting to prove that you can, in fact, teach an old dog new tricks.
OUT OF PRACTICE is her first novel and the first in the Larkford Series
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
June 22, 2023
A book that highlights the difficulties of the 'underemployed' or those in the 'middle' working low paying jobs, but still not making ends meet.
Jamie is living in a rental with her son, working at a food shop for minimum wage and is struggling. She lost her business and her friend during the pandemic and she wants more from her life, presently she has to survive on credit and the food bank.
At breaking point she visits the food bank at a different time and encounters 3 ladies also in similar situations and an unlikely friendship builds up.
This is a story about that friendship, the community that rally around in times of struggle, despite also struggling. It for the most part, isn't a happy book. The author does well to put you in Jamie's position, which is tough to read.
It is a hopeful book, though there are moments sprinkled throughout which restore your faith in humanity in small ways.
Jamie is living in a rental with her son, working at a food shop for minimum wage and is struggling. She lost her business and her friend during the pandemic and she wants more from her life, presently she has to survive on credit and the food bank.
At breaking point she visits the food bank at a different time and encounters 3 ladies also in similar situations and an unlikely friendship builds up.
This is a story about that friendship, the community that rally around in times of struggle, despite also struggling. It for the most part, isn't a happy book. The author does well to put you in Jamie's position, which is tough to read.
It is a hopeful book, though there are moments sprinkled throughout which restore your faith in humanity in small ways.
July 26, 2023
"Maybe Tomorrow" was a gorgeous, uplifting and heart - warming story, so much needed. It was filled with tons of kindness that didn't overwhelm you - maybe because it was also filled with tons of bad news, defeats and disappointment, so this empathy and positivity and good news were absolutely needed. There was such a strong feeling of friendship, even if unexpected, and community.
It is also filled with some much heavier issues, but altogether it never feels too heavy itself, the author has just found a perfect balance between bad and good, between doubt and hope, between love and hate.
It highlights how hard the last few years fwere for everybody, for some even more. It gives a deep insight into life agter the pandemic and it made me feel so angry that there are really people like Jamie, Bonnie, Amy out there, who still can't catch their breaths.
But while it was a truly wonderful book, really, but for me it dragged on and on. There came a moment, around the last third, when it started to repeat itself, when nothing happened, when a very closer look was taken at every single feeling and emotion and thought and the story started to feel too flat and too long. Please don't get me wrong, it was incredibly important, but it simply felt too long for this plot..
It is also filled with some much heavier issues, but altogether it never feels too heavy itself, the author has just found a perfect balance between bad and good, between doubt and hope, between love and hate.
It highlights how hard the last few years fwere for everybody, for some even more. It gives a deep insight into life agter the pandemic and it made me feel so angry that there are really people like Jamie, Bonnie, Amy out there, who still can't catch their breaths.
But while it was a truly wonderful book, really, but for me it dragged on and on. There came a moment, around the last third, when it started to repeat itself, when nothing happened, when a very closer look was taken at every single feeling and emotion and thought and the story started to feel too flat and too long. Please don't get me wrong, it was incredibly important, but it simply felt too long for this plot..
August 10, 2023
This was a wonderful book. I thought it was beautifully written and very cleverly done, including the pandemic and health worries without it being over the top, concentrating on the social aspect and people struggling to live day to day. I think it highlighted some very important aspects of lots of people’s lives, that even those who are working and ticking all the right boxes are still struggling and even worse falling under the radar as they aren’t on benefits. It also highlights how easy it is to feel isolated, how mental health can cause a lot of issues that you wouldn’t think are connected. Your self worth is so low that you feel you don’t deserve friends and support. Seeing the friendships grow as they pulled back the layers and preconceptions of each other was truly wonderful and very eye opening. This book will stay with me for a long time to come.
April 9, 2023
Such an uplifting powerful portrayal showcasing the wonderful value of friendship so poignantly applicable today as we see the increasing rise in the cost of everything and the increased reliance in food banks and charities!
Maybe tomorrow illustrates so realistically the everyday struggles so many families are experiencing, from the single mum, married couple, young adults and business owners, the one thing they all had in common was the support of each other and a little bit of luck/ being in the right place at the right time!
A great read that will resonate with you long after you have read it!
Thank-you net galley for this early read.
Maybe tomorrow illustrates so realistically the everyday struggles so many families are experiencing, from the single mum, married couple, young adults and business owners, the one thing they all had in common was the support of each other and a little bit of luck/ being in the right place at the right time!
A great read that will resonate with you long after you have read it!
Thank-you net galley for this early read.
July 2, 2023
Maybe Tomorrow is Penny Parkes newest novel, a story focused on human nature, what can happen when the chips are down. The power of friendship, trust and an open mind.
The story is centred around Jamie Mateson, her son Bo and their struggles to survive in a different world post pandemic. Pre pandemic, Jamie had opened her own travel business, ‘The Big Trip’ which faltered and failed when travel was no longer a possibility. When we first meet Jamie she is bogged down in the relentless cycle of trying to rob Peter to pay Paul, working stacking shelves in an independent food store for a tyrant of a boss with zero empathy. Bo her son, suffers badly from asthma, exasperated by the damp flat they live in, which means missed or late shifts as she spends more and more time in the out patients of the local hospital, something that eventually culminates in her being sacked - forcing her to rely more and more on the local food bank.
Jamie once a highly capable, qualified woman is a shadow of her former self, weighed down with worries. Finding work that allows her to care for Bo was impossible, she doesn’t have the time or headspace to thing of anything other than safeguarding Bo. Just about when they reach rock bottom, given notice on their flat, that quite frankly should be condemned as a health hazard, she’s offered an opportunity that changes both of their lives forever - a chance meeting in the supermarket, and some unexpected friendships and kindness sees cracks appear in the carapace she’d built around herself allowing chinks of her old strength of character through.
This was such a beautiful, heartfelt book, which highlights no matter what, if you are able to give and receive friendship and kindness it can lighten your heart and allow you some clarity of mind - gradually enough to give you strength to make small changes that eventually can become big changes. Watching Jamie, and in particular Bo grow and blossom was beautiful. Bo saw things differently to his peers and expressed himself through his art which spoke louder than words, he was an insightful young man that was misunderstood by many, something which broke my heart as I read this book. As he grew, Jamie was able to have a clearer mind to make decisions and changes to move their lives on - something which was only possible with the support of her newly acquired friends, a group of ladies that met in the queue at the local food bank, each different and in normal circumstances their paths would have been unlikely to cross.
This was another book where Penny Parkes demonstrates that it isn’t always blood and nature that makes a home but nurture, love and gentle kindness. People who love you for you, not because they’re family and should. Penny Parkes has woven a magical tale laced with honesty, openness, resilience, love and friendship. An uplifting, mentally descriptive read - the words painting vivid pictures that were at times both painful and beautiful.
This is a book I'll be shouting about for a long time to come - it is humbling, breathe takingly beautiful. Thank you SJ & Books and the City for introducing me to another amazing Penny Parkes novel.
June 17, 2023
Maybe Tomorrow is a refreshing and moving story of Jamie, a single mother, who loses her best friend, her independent business, her home and the choice to live life the way she wishes to live after the pandemic. In order to do the best for her son, Bo, Jamie has to deal with her own sense of shame in asking for help and going to a food bank.
When queuing at the food bank, Jamie opens her eyes to the hope, compassion and kindness around her, and she realises she’s not alone. Maybe tomorrow will be a better and brighter day…
This is a heartwarming and uplifting story filled with unexpected friendships, a loving community, empathy and positivity. The amount of kindness that Jamie receives is really lovely to witness and it shows that if you open yourself up, you can let people in and it’s ok to need a bit of help. The story also explores issues of bullying, neurodivergence and misogyny too (Jamie’s landlord is a nasty character) but the read never feels too heavy, making it an easy and relaxing read to cosy up on the sofa with a cup of tea!
For me personally, the read was a bit on the long side for this plot but overall I enjoyed it.
When queuing at the food bank, Jamie opens her eyes to the hope, compassion and kindness around her, and she realises she’s not alone. Maybe tomorrow will be a better and brighter day…
This is a heartwarming and uplifting story filled with unexpected friendships, a loving community, empathy and positivity. The amount of kindness that Jamie receives is really lovely to witness and it shows that if you open yourself up, you can let people in and it’s ok to need a bit of help. The story also explores issues of bullying, neurodivergence and misogyny too (Jamie’s landlord is a nasty character) but the read never feels too heavy, making it an easy and relaxing read to cosy up on the sofa with a cup of tea!
For me personally, the read was a bit on the long side for this plot but overall I enjoyed it.
November 20, 2023
“Maybe, how Bo saw the world wasn’t a choice he was making at all.”
A beautiful story exploring motherhood during a precarious time when our lives drew to a halt, but the world carried on: the global pandemic. An exploration of the experiences of the marginalised members of society who were expected to work at break-neck speed and were left feeling abandoned by everyone around them as they struggled to make ends meet. The narrative illustrates how in desperate times of need, cultivating a sense of community is fundamental for survival and can be curated into a heartwarming and supportive friendship group. The evolution of the protagonist’s attitude towards life, particularly her gradual embrace of her child’s neurodiversity, despite being reluctant about labels, unfolded in a comforting and refreshing manner. The realities of life for the unseen (and dare I say, underrepresented) majority was represented in a realistic, but uplifting way.
On a personal note, I am so proud of having finished a book (especially one this long) during term time! I am hoping that I am finally out of my reading slump and will be able to read non-academic literature slightly more often.
A beautiful story exploring motherhood during a precarious time when our lives drew to a halt, but the world carried on: the global pandemic. An exploration of the experiences of the marginalised members of society who were expected to work at break-neck speed and were left feeling abandoned by everyone around them as they struggled to make ends meet. The narrative illustrates how in desperate times of need, cultivating a sense of community is fundamental for survival and can be curated into a heartwarming and supportive friendship group. The evolution of the protagonist’s attitude towards life, particularly her gradual embrace of her child’s neurodiversity, despite being reluctant about labels, unfolded in a comforting and refreshing manner. The realities of life for the unseen (and dare I say, underrepresented) majority was represented in a realistic, but uplifting way.
On a personal note, I am so proud of having finished a book (especially one this long) during term time! I am hoping that I am finally out of my reading slump and will be able to read non-academic literature slightly more often.
July 6, 2025
Well written but reading this was like playing 2020s bingo. Not a current issue was left unmentioned.
Read
July 21, 2024It took me a bit of time to like the main character. But I thoroughly enjoyed this book. And I loved Henry!
August 17, 2023
Three and a half stars.
Like many people in the pandemic Jamie Matson lost everything. The travel business she loved, her best friend, her home. Now she is stuck making minimum wage stacking shelves at the local up-market supermarket where the owner/manager is a petty tyrant. Added to her woes, her talented son Bo also suffers from serious breathing difficulties which necessitate frequent visits to A&E, lost work hours, and expensive Uber rides. As a consequence, Jamie isn't keeping her head above water, she's got an emergency credit card which is crippling her with the interest and she is forced to resort to the local food bank to feed her and Bo. Words can't express the shame that she feels to have fallen so far in such a short time.
Then one day Jamie and Bo go to the food bank mid-morning, instead of sneaking in at the crack of dawn to avoid being seen. To her surprise she sees the lovely A&E nurse Kath also in the queue. Kath knows another woman in the queue, Bonnie who is setting up a local hairdressing kiosk. Bonnie and Kath help Jamie to realise that she isn't the only person with a full-time job who can't make ends meet and their burgeoning friendship gives each of them the courage to dream of more.
This is such a difficult read to categorise/rate for me. On one hand, it shows just how easily events outside our control can overturn our comfortable lives. It also highlights the distressing fact that in a wealthy country like the UK there are people in full-time work who can't feed themselves because their salaries don't cover the bills, or there are other circumstances which drain their money. It shows how society wants to label people and put them in neat boxes, rather than letting people be themselves. It also preaches the message which we hear a lot these days that a career for life is no longer a reality for most, people may have many different careers during their lives, radically changing who they are and what they do. All of these are really important messages and really worthwhile to see in the context of fiction. However, there was also a little bit of a fairy-tale quality to the novel because ultimately most of the characters get their first steps towards a new life as a result of the generosity of an elderly couple who open their home to those in need. However, there was also the message that it can be impossible to do it alone, you need help and support from those around you , it takes a village and all that, to get you back on your feet again.
So I've made it sound a bit depressing and worthy, which it absolutely isn't. It's a book about hope and friendship and new beginnings and I really enjoyed it.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release (although my bad as I thought it released in August whereas it actually released in June 2023).
Like many people in the pandemic Jamie Matson lost everything. The travel business she loved, her best friend, her home. Now she is stuck making minimum wage stacking shelves at the local up-market supermarket where the owner/manager is a petty tyrant. Added to her woes, her talented son Bo also suffers from serious breathing difficulties which necessitate frequent visits to A&E, lost work hours, and expensive Uber rides. As a consequence, Jamie isn't keeping her head above water, she's got an emergency credit card which is crippling her with the interest and she is forced to resort to the local food bank to feed her and Bo. Words can't express the shame that she feels to have fallen so far in such a short time.
Then one day Jamie and Bo go to the food bank mid-morning, instead of sneaking in at the crack of dawn to avoid being seen. To her surprise she sees the lovely A&E nurse Kath also in the queue. Kath knows another woman in the queue, Bonnie who is setting up a local hairdressing kiosk. Bonnie and Kath help Jamie to realise that she isn't the only person with a full-time job who can't make ends meet and their burgeoning friendship gives each of them the courage to dream of more.
This is such a difficult read to categorise/rate for me. On one hand, it shows just how easily events outside our control can overturn our comfortable lives. It also highlights the distressing fact that in a wealthy country like the UK there are people in full-time work who can't feed themselves because their salaries don't cover the bills, or there are other circumstances which drain their money. It shows how society wants to label people and put them in neat boxes, rather than letting people be themselves. It also preaches the message which we hear a lot these days that a career for life is no longer a reality for most, people may have many different careers during their lives, radically changing who they are and what they do. All of these are really important messages and really worthwhile to see in the context of fiction. However, there was also a little bit of a fairy-tale quality to the novel because ultimately most of the characters get their first steps towards a new life as a result of the generosity of an elderly couple who open their home to those in need. However, there was also the message that it can be impossible to do it alone, you need help and support from those around you , it takes a village and all that, to get you back on your feet again.
So I've made it sound a bit depressing and worthy, which it absolutely isn't. It's a book about hope and friendship and new beginnings and I really enjoyed it.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release (although my bad as I thought it released in August whereas it actually released in June 2023).
June 23, 2023
Having thoroughly enjoyed Home by Penny Parkes I couldn’t wait to dive into Maybe Tomorrow.
Once again, I was drawn into the world this author created. I’ve been led through an array of emotions feeling frustrated and helpless through to being hopeful and experiencing the first stirrings of excitement that things just might come together.
People falling through the cracks of government support (as in being over thresholds) is not a new thing … how many people it affects since the pandemic though has increased dramatically. Add into the equation the impact of the cost of living and we have people of all ages in jobs who barely scrape by and yet don’t qualify for any help. They may have lost those close to them forcing a change of lifestyle too.
This is where Jamie is at in her life when we first meet her. Forced to accept a job way below her qualifications (with a boss whose actions raised my hackles each time I encountered him!) and her son Bo needing expert medical attention regularly, Jamie is isolated in a life that is bleak. Add into the equation a seedy landlord who doesn’t believe in respect or privacy for his tenants and you have a situation that’s untenable.
Until that is, friendships form in the food bank queue, bonds develop and life changes…
Kath, Bonnie, Amy and Willow are easy to relate to. They all have their own scars and are wearing masks to hide their pain. I loved how their togetherness grew and how letting down their barriers becomes a strength.
This isn’t the only theme in the story. Eccentric Henry and Ruth are important, sharing their wisdom and genuine love and care. There are some poignant scenes with these two. I often find myself thinking about them …
And Bo. Finding it hard to fit into a neurotypical world, Jamie is the perfect mother for him with her neurodiverse parenting. Henry is a fabulous role model too. To me, Bo was all the colours of the rainbow 🙂 He’s my favourite character!
Maybe Tomorrow is fiction truly reflecting real life. The move from the darkest days to hope on the horizon isn’t quick. The friendships aren’t always straight forward. Nothing happens without one of the characters taking action. It’s each other’s strengths that move their lives forward and at its heart, it is the community they’ve nurtured and nourished.
If your life has changed over the past 3 years or you’ve lost your way, I know you’ll find solace and inspiration in Maybe Tomorrow. It’s a story of courage, hope and resilience. I loved it!
https://www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/book-...
Once again, I was drawn into the world this author created. I’ve been led through an array of emotions feeling frustrated and helpless through to being hopeful and experiencing the first stirrings of excitement that things just might come together.
People falling through the cracks of government support (as in being over thresholds) is not a new thing … how many people it affects since the pandemic though has increased dramatically. Add into the equation the impact of the cost of living and we have people of all ages in jobs who barely scrape by and yet don’t qualify for any help. They may have lost those close to them forcing a change of lifestyle too.
This is where Jamie is at in her life when we first meet her. Forced to accept a job way below her qualifications (with a boss whose actions raised my hackles each time I encountered him!) and her son Bo needing expert medical attention regularly, Jamie is isolated in a life that is bleak. Add into the equation a seedy landlord who doesn’t believe in respect or privacy for his tenants and you have a situation that’s untenable.
Until that is, friendships form in the food bank queue, bonds develop and life changes…
Kath, Bonnie, Amy and Willow are easy to relate to. They all have their own scars and are wearing masks to hide their pain. I loved how their togetherness grew and how letting down their barriers becomes a strength.
This isn’t the only theme in the story. Eccentric Henry and Ruth are important, sharing their wisdom and genuine love and care. There are some poignant scenes with these two. I often find myself thinking about them …
And Bo. Finding it hard to fit into a neurotypical world, Jamie is the perfect mother for him with her neurodiverse parenting. Henry is a fabulous role model too. To me, Bo was all the colours of the rainbow 🙂 He’s my favourite character!
Maybe Tomorrow is fiction truly reflecting real life. The move from the darkest days to hope on the horizon isn’t quick. The friendships aren’t always straight forward. Nothing happens without one of the characters taking action. It’s each other’s strengths that move their lives forward and at its heart, it is the community they’ve nurtured and nourished.
If your life has changed over the past 3 years or you’ve lost your way, I know you’ll find solace and inspiration in Maybe Tomorrow. It’s a story of courage, hope and resilience. I loved it!
https://www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/book-...
June 17, 2023
In Maybe Tomorrow we see Harnley, a small town devastated by the after effects of Covid. A high street which used to be thriving with many local independent shops, now with empty units, bargain stores and, somewhat incongruously, a high end deli. But more than that, we see the effects of the pandemic on one particular individual, Jamie.
Jamie was a successful business woman who had followed her dreams to run a travel business for single parents like herself. With the business unable to survive the pandemic, she was forced to work a minimum wage job with little respect or understanding from her boss and in a small flat plagued by damp and mould. Her son Bo has severe asthma which is exacerbated by their poor living conditions. He has a talent for art and a particular of looking at the world which marks him out as different at school.
The weariness and worry felt by Jamie daily is almost palpable. Here we get a clear view of what life is like for many people nowadays. Living from one payday to the next, always fearing an unexpected expense not budgeted for and at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords and uncaring bosses. Despite working, Jamie frequently has to swallow her pride and visit the local foodbank run by the wonderfully caring Father Bill.
Maybe Tomorrow provides a humbling insight into Foodbank use. People from all walks of life have need of its services including people working several jobs and even people with professional careers such as nurses. I provide occasional cover at the Foodbank that runs out my Church and I can say this is an accurate reflection of foodbanks and their clients.
And yet this is not a bleak read at all. Unexpected opportunities arrive for Jamie, new friends are made, a supportive community forms and bonds. Although Jamie still has hopes and aspirations for the future, her main focus is on her son. As new friendships are made and Jamie finds herself needed and valued again, she realises that even if just for now, her priorities can be smaller until the time is right to think bigger again. “She needed enough money to live on, and she needed a community. Even these hardest of times made easier by a metaphorical village in which to raise her son and keep her sanity.”
Maybe Tomorrow is a timely story whose themes will resonate with many people. There’s a strong sense of hope, that ‘maybe tomorrow‘ things will indeed be brighter. It’s a moving and optimistic story of friendship and community and the difference that even the smallest kindness can make.
Jamie was a successful business woman who had followed her dreams to run a travel business for single parents like herself. With the business unable to survive the pandemic, she was forced to work a minimum wage job with little respect or understanding from her boss and in a small flat plagued by damp and mould. Her son Bo has severe asthma which is exacerbated by their poor living conditions. He has a talent for art and a particular of looking at the world which marks him out as different at school.
The weariness and worry felt by Jamie daily is almost palpable. Here we get a clear view of what life is like for many people nowadays. Living from one payday to the next, always fearing an unexpected expense not budgeted for and at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords and uncaring bosses. Despite working, Jamie frequently has to swallow her pride and visit the local foodbank run by the wonderfully caring Father Bill.
Maybe Tomorrow provides a humbling insight into Foodbank use. People from all walks of life have need of its services including people working several jobs and even people with professional careers such as nurses. I provide occasional cover at the Foodbank that runs out my Church and I can say this is an accurate reflection of foodbanks and their clients.
And yet this is not a bleak read at all. Unexpected opportunities arrive for Jamie, new friends are made, a supportive community forms and bonds. Although Jamie still has hopes and aspirations for the future, her main focus is on her son. As new friendships are made and Jamie finds herself needed and valued again, she realises that even if just for now, her priorities can be smaller until the time is right to think bigger again. “She needed enough money to live on, and she needed a community. Even these hardest of times made easier by a metaphorical village in which to raise her son and keep her sanity.”
Maybe Tomorrow is a timely story whose themes will resonate with many people. There’s a strong sense of hope, that ‘maybe tomorrow‘ things will indeed be brighter. It’s a moving and optimistic story of friendship and community and the difference that even the smallest kindness can make.
June 15, 2023
Single mother Jamie Matson has fallen on hard times and is living with 10-year-old son Bo in a squalid rented flat and frequently having to rely on the local foodbank. It’s humiliating – but it could also be Jamie’s salvation, for the people she meets there fast become friends, like nurse Kath, hairdresser Bonnie, and Amy, an unemployed teenager. Then elderly Ruth and Henry Waverly offer her and Bo sanctuary in their granny annexe. All Jamie has to do in return is help them around the house.
As Jamie and her foodbank friends are drawn into Ruth and Henry’s life, an unlikely community blooms – one that can reach out and help each other with so much more than material needs.
This is a very thoughtful story, exploring the very real challenges that face so many people in today’s economic climate. It exemplifies that people may need to turn to food banks through no fault of their own, and explores how judgmental we as a society can be.
Jamie is a very strong character, despite being weighed down by her triple worries of no money and no career prospects, Bo’s asthma and his neurodivergence. She is very proud, and always “braced for the worst in people and braced to be let down”. I found that very sad, and for me, it actually made her a less empathetic character. She is kind and loyal and caring, but that prickly exterior keeps you at arms’ length. She’s so afraid of being judged that she judges other people harshly.
With such serious themes, the joy and the humour of this story are to be found in the little things that make up day-to-day life. They’re supplied by the more eccentric characters in the book – Henry, who immediately bonds with Bo; Ruth, whose increasing forgetfulness leads her into scrapes; Amy, who sees no problem in calling her hairdressing salon “Crap But Cheap”; and finally Bo – a truly delightful boy, wise beyond his years in some ways, but in so many others a typical 10-year-old verging on adolescence with all the problems it brings. He sees the best as well as the worst in people, and never allows the challenges of life to bring him down.
You won’t find many laugh-out-loud moments in this story, but there is plenty to warm your heart in the support that the characters offer each other, the friendships that are knitted through hardship and the message of hope that things can get better, if only we open or hearts and minds to the opportunities that come our way.
As Jamie and her foodbank friends are drawn into Ruth and Henry’s life, an unlikely community blooms – one that can reach out and help each other with so much more than material needs.
This is a very thoughtful story, exploring the very real challenges that face so many people in today’s economic climate. It exemplifies that people may need to turn to food banks through no fault of their own, and explores how judgmental we as a society can be.
Jamie is a very strong character, despite being weighed down by her triple worries of no money and no career prospects, Bo’s asthma and his neurodivergence. She is very proud, and always “braced for the worst in people and braced to be let down”. I found that very sad, and for me, it actually made her a less empathetic character. She is kind and loyal and caring, but that prickly exterior keeps you at arms’ length. She’s so afraid of being judged that she judges other people harshly.
With such serious themes, the joy and the humour of this story are to be found in the little things that make up day-to-day life. They’re supplied by the more eccentric characters in the book – Henry, who immediately bonds with Bo; Ruth, whose increasing forgetfulness leads her into scrapes; Amy, who sees no problem in calling her hairdressing salon “Crap But Cheap”; and finally Bo – a truly delightful boy, wise beyond his years in some ways, but in so many others a typical 10-year-old verging on adolescence with all the problems it brings. He sees the best as well as the worst in people, and never allows the challenges of life to bring him down.
You won’t find many laugh-out-loud moments in this story, but there is plenty to warm your heart in the support that the characters offer each other, the friendships that are knitted through hardship and the message of hope that things can get better, if only we open or hearts and minds to the opportunities that come our way.
March 23, 2023
in this book we meet Jamie Matson and just like all of us the pandemic was a really hard time and like so many Jamie lost soooo much due to it. Her travel business, her best friend, her home, and she worried endless that her son who had breathing problems was going to get really poorly.
Now Jamie is just trying to make ends meet. She is stuck in a job she absolutely hates, making minimum wage and having to deal with a nasty piece of work as a manager. Her son's Bo's breathing problems are getting worse and she is needing to pay out money she doesn't have on expensive Uber rides to get him to his appointments which also means that she is missing hours at work. With raising credit card debt, Jamie is really struggling to make ends meet and can only feed herself and Bo thanks to the help of the local food bank. Jamie feels that the world is completely against her.
One day running out of time and desperately needing food Jamie and Bo go to the food bank where they see the lovely nurse Kath who had been helping Bo, and also a lovely lady called Kath who is also struggling to make ends meet and who is desperately trying to make her dreams come true of opening up her own hair salon. With their friendship Jamie begins to realise that the world isn't against her but instead the world is a really hard place to live in at the moment and lots of people are in the same space as her.
This book really highlights how hard the events of the past few years have been on everybody. But for some it has been much harder than others. It also shows that although we are coming out of the worst that this pandemic brought with it, it still isn't over yet and lots of people are still struggling and still trying to come to terms with the after effects.
It is also a story about hope. It's a story about friendship. It's a story that tells us if we open up to people that they could perhaps help change our lives for the better. It also has a message that things are going to get better and we all just have to keep going and keep holding on as we will come out of these hard times.
Now Jamie is just trying to make ends meet. She is stuck in a job she absolutely hates, making minimum wage and having to deal with a nasty piece of work as a manager. Her son's Bo's breathing problems are getting worse and she is needing to pay out money she doesn't have on expensive Uber rides to get him to his appointments which also means that she is missing hours at work. With raising credit card debt, Jamie is really struggling to make ends meet and can only feed herself and Bo thanks to the help of the local food bank. Jamie feels that the world is completely against her.
One day running out of time and desperately needing food Jamie and Bo go to the food bank where they see the lovely nurse Kath who had been helping Bo, and also a lovely lady called Kath who is also struggling to make ends meet and who is desperately trying to make her dreams come true of opening up her own hair salon. With their friendship Jamie begins to realise that the world isn't against her but instead the world is a really hard place to live in at the moment and lots of people are in the same space as her.
This book really highlights how hard the events of the past few years have been on everybody. But for some it has been much harder than others. It also shows that although we are coming out of the worst that this pandemic brought with it, it still isn't over yet and lots of people are still struggling and still trying to come to terms with the after effects.
It is also a story about hope. It's a story about friendship. It's a story that tells us if we open up to people that they could perhaps help change our lives for the better. It also has a message that things are going to get better and we all just have to keep going and keep holding on as we will come out of these hard times.
June 20, 2023
The Blurb :
Jamie Matson had once enjoyed a wonderful life working alongside her best friend, organising adventures for single-parent families, and her son Bo’s artistic flair a source of pride rather than concern.
She hadn’t been prepared to lose her business, her home and her friend. Not all in one dreadful year.
Jamie certainly hadn’t expected to find such hope and camaraderie in the queue at her local food bank. Thrown together with an unlikely and colourful group of people, their friendships flourish and, finding it easier to be objective about each other than about themselves, they decide that – when you’re all out of options – it’s okay to bend the rules a little and create your own.
My Thoughts :
We meet Jamie Matson, who is a single mother to her 10 year old son Bo. She finds herself falling on hard times after the pandemic which saw her lose her travel business, best friend and her home all at once.
Now Jamie and Bo are living in a shabby damp rented flat and Jamie is having to work a poorly paid supermarket job with a not so friendly boss. Soon they have to survive on food from the local food bank to make ends meet, which she isnt happy about and struggles with the handouts.
Jamie soon realises she is not alone in the situation and soon befriends Kath, Amy and Bonnie who are also struggling, and make her feel a little better about herself and the position they have all found themselves in.
Soon Jamie gets an offer from an elderly couple Henry and Ruth to live in their granny annexe in exchange for some help around their house. The community pull together and shows there is kindness and hope in the workd we live in.
I just love Penny Parkes writing style, she makes the Characters feel like family and always has an element of empathy with her words.
There is some great descriptive writing and surroundings, its a story well told of how people’s lives were changed by the recent pandemic and the current cost of living crisis we are living in.
This story is about how people can pull together when needed and to show there is always hope.
Would recommend this one for sure.
Jamie Matson had once enjoyed a wonderful life working alongside her best friend, organising adventures for single-parent families, and her son Bo’s artistic flair a source of pride rather than concern.
She hadn’t been prepared to lose her business, her home and her friend. Not all in one dreadful year.
Jamie certainly hadn’t expected to find such hope and camaraderie in the queue at her local food bank. Thrown together with an unlikely and colourful group of people, their friendships flourish and, finding it easier to be objective about each other than about themselves, they decide that – when you’re all out of options – it’s okay to bend the rules a little and create your own.
My Thoughts :
We meet Jamie Matson, who is a single mother to her 10 year old son Bo. She finds herself falling on hard times after the pandemic which saw her lose her travel business, best friend and her home all at once.
Now Jamie and Bo are living in a shabby damp rented flat and Jamie is having to work a poorly paid supermarket job with a not so friendly boss. Soon they have to survive on food from the local food bank to make ends meet, which she isnt happy about and struggles with the handouts.
Jamie soon realises she is not alone in the situation and soon befriends Kath, Amy and Bonnie who are also struggling, and make her feel a little better about herself and the position they have all found themselves in.
Soon Jamie gets an offer from an elderly couple Henry and Ruth to live in their granny annexe in exchange for some help around their house. The community pull together and shows there is kindness and hope in the workd we live in.
I just love Penny Parkes writing style, she makes the Characters feel like family and always has an element of empathy with her words.
There is some great descriptive writing and surroundings, its a story well told of how people’s lives were changed by the recent pandemic and the current cost of living crisis we are living in.
This story is about how people can pull together when needed and to show there is always hope.
Would recommend this one for sure.
June 28, 2023
When things are tough, we all hope for a better tomorrow, don’t we? Well, even Jamie Matson hopes so. Life is great and when life is so great and running in a smooth line, we all know what can happen, right? Something changes and that line develops kinks, until it shatters.
Jamie had a life of working alongside her best friend, organising adventures for single-parent families. It all sounds amazing fun, amongst having a lot of work to pull each one off. She also has a comfortable roof over her head. This all abruptly changes as this comfort, and in some ways, privilege and one that many people take for granted, shatters and crumbles, fast. She loses her friend and their business as well as her home. It shows how one minute you can be sailing through life, and the next, what you knew, what you got so comfortable with, can come crashing down, causing immense impact. It a sad situation, but in a way I like the way this book goes because it may grab readers attention, to look around them, especially if they have a comfortable lifestyle and truly think how lucky they are, but also how there are times when the certainty of wealth and things, doesn’t necessarily always last forever.
Then, comes the hope. It comes in the form of friendships in places she never would have expected to find it, along with the element of when you’ve hit rock bottom and not many options left but to try and re-invent your life and find what’s next and confound all the rules.
I think this is brilliantly done, with the warmth and all sorts of people who find themselves using the food bank.
The book is more uplifting than you think, with the friendships formed and the hope that it provides. It is a compelling and highly satisfying read.
Jamie had a life of working alongside her best friend, organising adventures for single-parent families. It all sounds amazing fun, amongst having a lot of work to pull each one off. She also has a comfortable roof over her head. This all abruptly changes as this comfort, and in some ways, privilege and one that many people take for granted, shatters and crumbles, fast. She loses her friend and their business as well as her home. It shows how one minute you can be sailing through life, and the next, what you knew, what you got so comfortable with, can come crashing down, causing immense impact. It a sad situation, but in a way I like the way this book goes because it may grab readers attention, to look around them, especially if they have a comfortable lifestyle and truly think how lucky they are, but also how there are times when the certainty of wealth and things, doesn’t necessarily always last forever.
Then, comes the hope. It comes in the form of friendships in places she never would have expected to find it, along with the element of when you’ve hit rock bottom and not many options left but to try and re-invent your life and find what’s next and confound all the rules.
I think this is brilliantly done, with the warmth and all sorts of people who find themselves using the food bank.
The book is more uplifting than you think, with the friendships formed and the hope that it provides. It is a compelling and highly satisfying read.
July 3, 2023
I absolutely loved Maybe Tomorrow! I love Penny Parkes books and this one was so true to how life is today and what we have and are experiencing. You never know when your life may change, when you may find hope and when your future may change.
Jamie Matson and her son Bo are in the depths of despair, struggling to afford to live. With rent rises, food price increases and just everyday living expenses, life is a huge struggle. Jamie’s son Bo has health issues and due to this Jamie finds it very hard to hold down her job. She is doing the very best she can, but without any support, life is tough, very tough.
And then ... her life changes! By doing something slightly different, her world changes, friendships are formed, she gains a support network, a community and friends she can rely on in times of need. The difference this makes to their lives is immense.
The generosity given to Jamie and her son Bo by the amazing Ruth and Henry turned not only Ruth and Henry lives around but Jamie and Bo's lives completely, and those of others too. Absolutely incredible how Ruth and Henry help so many people. The community is just amazing!
You never know what is going on in people's lives, behind closed doors. Saying one word, Hello to a stranger may just change their life and also yours too - in a small way or a big way.
Maybe Tomorrow is a very special book that will touch your heart, the characters will stay with you for a very long time and make you think about the small differences you may be able to make to your own life, or those of others. So Maybe Tomorrow, you may just make that small change …
A very poignant read - 5 enormous stars!
I cannot wait for Penny Parkes next book!
Jamie Matson and her son Bo are in the depths of despair, struggling to afford to live. With rent rises, food price increases and just everyday living expenses, life is a huge struggle. Jamie’s son Bo has health issues and due to this Jamie finds it very hard to hold down her job. She is doing the very best she can, but without any support, life is tough, very tough.
And then ... her life changes! By doing something slightly different, her world changes, friendships are formed, she gains a support network, a community and friends she can rely on in times of need. The difference this makes to their lives is immense.
The generosity given to Jamie and her son Bo by the amazing Ruth and Henry turned not only Ruth and Henry lives around but Jamie and Bo's lives completely, and those of others too. Absolutely incredible how Ruth and Henry help so many people. The community is just amazing!
You never know what is going on in people's lives, behind closed doors. Saying one word, Hello to a stranger may just change their life and also yours too - in a small way or a big way.
Maybe Tomorrow is a very special book that will touch your heart, the characters will stay with you for a very long time and make you think about the small differences you may be able to make to your own life, or those of others. So Maybe Tomorrow, you may just make that small change …
A very poignant read - 5 enormous stars!
I cannot wait for Penny Parkes next book!
July 1, 2023
Jamie Matson is a struggling single mum to her autistic son Bo (10) and worrying about her finances, debts and how to afford the next weekly shop. She goes to the food bank and meets a whole group of interesting people there, including Kath (an A&E nurse) and Bonnie (a hairdresser) and the wonderful Father Bill. From this, her friendship circle widens and she discovers such lovely people who try to help each other through the difficult times.
I don’t want to give away any more about the story, because it’s a joy to see it all unfold and I recommend you all read it yourselves. It’s a very special book and one I am thoroughly recommending.
Well, I can definitely relate to Jamie! I’m also a single mum to a boy of similar age (who also is on the spectrum and hums!) and struggling with money problems. I got into the book straight away, feeling sympathy for Jamie’s plight and a mutual hate for her entitled, obnoxious boss.
It’s a lovely book. Although it covers issues like poverty and the cost of living crisis in a post-Covid Britain, it’s not a depressing read. The community spirit in the book and all the amazing characters bring the book to life with warmth, humour and friendship.
I have read over forty books so far in 2023 and this beautifully written, sensitive novel is up there amongst the very best.
I don’t want to give away any more about the story, because it’s a joy to see it all unfold and I recommend you all read it yourselves. It’s a very special book and one I am thoroughly recommending.
Well, I can definitely relate to Jamie! I’m also a single mum to a boy of similar age (who also is on the spectrum and hums!) and struggling with money problems. I got into the book straight away, feeling sympathy for Jamie’s plight and a mutual hate for her entitled, obnoxious boss.
It’s a lovely book. Although it covers issues like poverty and the cost of living crisis in a post-Covid Britain, it’s not a depressing read. The community spirit in the book and all the amazing characters bring the book to life with warmth, humour and friendship.
I have read over forty books so far in 2023 and this beautifully written, sensitive novel is up there amongst the very best.
April 13, 2025
What an emotional read. What I'm going to say may sound depressing but this book is actually uplifting by the end.
I picked it up as I recognised the author from her previous books I've read and knew that she could write good characters and storylines.
However and I must say this here, it's about 100 pages too long at just over 500 pages.
Our main character is really down on her luck after her business folded during covid and she's now in a damp flat with an asthmatic, autistic child and being paid a minimum wage working in a shop owned by a bully of a man. Her landlord couldn't care less about her living conditions and basically wants sex in lieu of rent and let's himself into her flat without warning.
She has to use a food bank to be able to eat and is so ashamed. However, it is there she meets other ladies in such dire straights as hers they become friends and things take off from there.
Her son, Bo, is a wonderful character and has such lovely endearing ways that I just wanted to hug him, although of course that would be a no no for him.
Anyway without giving spoilers an ultimately uplifting read, I just didn't enjoy our leading ladies introspective thoughts constantly doubting herself as if her stuffing had been well and truly knocked out. It made the book very claggy to read at times but it's so worth sticking with.
I picked it up as I recognised the author from her previous books I've read and knew that she could write good characters and storylines.
However and I must say this here, it's about 100 pages too long at just over 500 pages.
Our main character is really down on her luck after her business folded during covid and she's now in a damp flat with an asthmatic, autistic child and being paid a minimum wage working in a shop owned by a bully of a man. Her landlord couldn't care less about her living conditions and basically wants sex in lieu of rent and let's himself into her flat without warning.
She has to use a food bank to be able to eat and is so ashamed. However, it is there she meets other ladies in such dire straights as hers they become friends and things take off from there.
Her son, Bo, is a wonderful character and has such lovely endearing ways that I just wanted to hug him, although of course that would be a no no for him.
Anyway without giving spoilers an ultimately uplifting read, I just didn't enjoy our leading ladies introspective thoughts constantly doubting herself as if her stuffing had been well and truly knocked out. It made the book very claggy to read at times but it's so worth sticking with.
March 25, 2023
Maybe Tomorrow highlights just how difficult life is for so many as we navigate life post Covid, while giving hope that maybe tomorrow things can indeed get better.
Jamie and her son live hand to mouth and day to day, with Jamie, having lost her successful business and her best friend through the pandemic. Forced to rely on the local food bank, Jamie's initial embarrassment eventually becomes her strength and support as she meets and becomes friends with, some of the women in the queue.
Initially, a bleak snapshot of lives turned upside down by the events of the last three years, Penny Parkes' novel is in fact one of, friendship, generosity optimism and joy, as the friends join together to find a way to navigate today's world towards that better tomorrow.
I would actually give this book 3.5 stars rather than 3, but like Penny Parkes' characters, the system doesn't let me express myself exactly as I would wish!
Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this title in return forcan honest review
Jamie and her son live hand to mouth and day to day, with Jamie, having lost her successful business and her best friend through the pandemic. Forced to rely on the local food bank, Jamie's initial embarrassment eventually becomes her strength and support as she meets and becomes friends with, some of the women in the queue.
Initially, a bleak snapshot of lives turned upside down by the events of the last three years, Penny Parkes' novel is in fact one of, friendship, generosity optimism and joy, as the friends join together to find a way to navigate today's world towards that better tomorrow.
I would actually give this book 3.5 stars rather than 3, but like Penny Parkes' characters, the system doesn't let me express myself exactly as I would wish!
Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this title in return forcan honest review
April 17, 2023
This is a modern uplifting story of Jamie who had everything a lovely house and a job then suddenly she lost it all and she and her son Bo found themselves in a tiny flat with mould which did not help with Bo's asthma.
Jamie is struggling her job in a local store looking after Bo and trying to make ends meet, I really felt sorry for what Jamie was going through and I could understand her reluctance to attend the local food bank but when she does she finds friends who become a life saver.
This book highlights the problems people are going through and how if you reach out and let friends help you can become stronger and find your way such a uplifting story that made me sad in places but such a powerful and honest book.
Thanks to NetGalley & Simon and Schuster UK, for a ARC for a honest review.
Jamie is struggling her job in a local store looking after Bo and trying to make ends meet, I really felt sorry for what Jamie was going through and I could understand her reluctance to attend the local food bank but when she does she finds friends who become a life saver.
This book highlights the problems people are going through and how if you reach out and let friends help you can become stronger and find your way such a uplifting story that made me sad in places but such a powerful and honest book.
Thanks to NetGalley & Simon and Schuster UK, for a ARC for a honest review.
April 16, 2023
What a joyous and uplifting lead. Beautifully written and heart wrenching in places, Maybe Tomorrow is a contemporary tale of hardship,, losing your way and the importance of friendship of all kinds Set shortly after the Covid pandemic in a small town in the UK, and considering some of the repercussions for those who lost jobs, businesses and friends, it is touching, but also funny in places. Bo is a ten year old who is neuro-divergent and is beautifully portrayed. I was left feeling very fond of him.
Ultimately this lovely novel is uplifting and empowering, and I am so happy that I read it. I recommend it to readers of any age, as it will appeal to all - particularly as the cast of interesting characters range from 10 to 80!
Five stars from me!
Ultimately this lovely novel is uplifting and empowering, and I am so happy that I read it. I recommend it to readers of any age, as it will appeal to all - particularly as the cast of interesting characters range from 10 to 80!
Five stars from me!
December 30, 2023
Nice story about a woman with a slightly off-center ten-year-old son; after the failure of her business enterprise, she's forced to work for a sadistic male supermarket manager and to live in a sub-standard flat owned by a predatory male.
Whilst queuing for essentials at her local food-bank, she encounters and befriends a disparate group of friends in situations similar to her own. With some assistance from a rich elderly couple, they band together to improve their living arrangements and work towards achieving their personal goals.
Of course it's written by a woman, so all of the females are lovely; some of the males not so much. But it's an uplifting read, even with its heavy dose of serendipity.
Whilst queuing for essentials at her local food-bank, she encounters and befriends a disparate group of friends in situations similar to her own. With some assistance from a rich elderly couple, they band together to improve their living arrangements and work towards achieving their personal goals.
Of course it's written by a woman, so all of the females are lovely; some of the males not so much. But it's an uplifting read, even with its heavy dose of serendipity.
March 19, 2023
This was an incredibly relevant read about life for the many who now find their wage just doesn’t quite meet basic needs, who’ve found themselves losing loved ones and careers during the pandemic or are at the mercy of landlords who have such high demand for properties they’re priced out of the most basic options. As you can imagine this is so relatable for many that the first quarter of the book is a bit hard going simply because it’s so real. I’m glad to say that through a mixture of kindness and unexpected friendships there’s a lot of uplifting moments in this but the core messages in this book stay true throughout making it one of the most honest books I’ve read in recent times.
October 8, 2023
This was not a book I was expecting. Heartfelt. Inspirational. Thought provoking. And tear jerking. These are all words to describe this book and I think they really sum the book up. Covid was a hard time for anyone and this book just makes you realise that others felt the same way. How one simple connections can bring everyone together. How one small change of mindset can set you on a path of fulfilment. I cried at times reading this book, because there was a lot that kinda hit home for me. I cried happy tears at other times, and I was left imagining and thinking what life might have been like for someone less fortunate than I. Definitely excited to read another book by Penny Parkes.
April 21, 2023
A lovely story of friendship and adversity. Jamie and Bo are doing their best to make ends meet. Regularly relying on the local food bank, it is here they make some wonderful friends. This book perfectly encapsulates the way the world is today for a lot of people in Britain. People struggling alone to make ends meet as they feel ashamed to reach out for help.
Together Jamie and her new friends enrich each others lives and spur each other on to try and achieve their dreams.
I really enjoyed this book, it was a lovely story and I definitely recommend.
Together Jamie and her new friends enrich each others lives and spur each other on to try and achieve their dreams.
I really enjoyed this book, it was a lovely story and I definitely recommend.
June 27, 2023
I’ve laughed and cried with the characters in this wonderful book. The stories told feel so real and the emotions are captured perfectly.
Jamie and Bo have had so much to deal with but their relationship has never suffered purely down to Jamie’s pure determination to put her son first. I loved how she opened up to asking for help and found love and support in the most surprising of places. The friendships built were honest and so loving and full of hope in such a difficult time for them all. A message of compassion and warmth shone through every page.
Jamie and Bo have had so much to deal with but their relationship has never suffered purely down to Jamie’s pure determination to put her son first. I loved how she opened up to asking for help and found love and support in the most surprising of places. The friendships built were honest and so loving and full of hope in such a difficult time for them all. A message of compassion and warmth shone through every page.
July 26, 2023
I’ve spent most of today reading this which reflects on its ‘grip’ on me (and the fact that I’m on holiday!).
Struggles through very difficult circumstances, food bank friendships, building a community, bereavement, optimism.
Post Covid/financial crisis - how were different kinds of people affected? How did they survive and thrive?
Slightly too long in places and one or two characters dealt with abrupt, unsatisfying ends. Some threads never resolved.
I think 3.5 but that’s not an option.
Struggles through very difficult circumstances, food bank friendships, building a community, bereavement, optimism.
Post Covid/financial crisis - how were different kinds of people affected? How did they survive and thrive?
Slightly too long in places and one or two characters dealt with abrupt, unsatisfying ends. Some threads never resolved.
I think 3.5 but that’s not an option.
September 20, 2023
Hope
This tale of woe. Of life after the pandemic of 2020/2021.
Lives changed forever but not by choice. Many people displaced from their careers and not knowing what to do next. Taking any job just to try and survive but not without the help of a foodbank.
This is where a group of strangers meet, become friends, each other's cheerleaders and support network. Until the tale of woe becomes a tale of hope.
This tale of woe. Of life after the pandemic of 2020/2021.
Lives changed forever but not by choice. Many people displaced from their careers and not knowing what to do next. Taking any job just to try and survive but not without the help of a foodbank.
This is where a group of strangers meet, become friends, each other's cheerleaders and support network. Until the tale of woe becomes a tale of hope.
November 30, 2024
3.5 stars. Single Mum Jamie once had a wonderful job and life but the covid pandemic changed that. She is now working a minimum wage job in a posh supermarket for a horrible boss, living in a horrible flat for a nasty landlord and dependent on the food bank to survive. At the food bank she meets a group of women also beaten down by life. Friendships flourish. Life changes. A great story - difficult to read in places - a bit too long perhaps
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