Heroes Next Door

by Samuel Johnson

When Samuel Johnson unicycled around Australia, he met some awesome people. And before we had to lock down, he and his other sister, Hilde, were travelling the country talking at schools, community groups and at the side of busy streets to spread their message about how to kick cancer in the face hole. But in the process they connected and listened as people shared their own stories - not just about how cancer impacted them, but about love, fighting fires, making families out of choice not blood, knitting, being there and being surprised by life and finding solace from strangers. They decided those stories should be shared and the idea for Heroes Next Door was born. The result is a moving, funny, irreverent, inspiring and big-hearted book that shows us all that resilience and kindness are what make the difference, and that you don't have to travel far to find good people ... often they are right next door.

Genres: Nonfiction

145 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2020

Reviews

[Brendan Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gets 5 out of 5! It's a collection of inspiring true short stories. I reccomend "The Little Teacher Who Could" which is all about my friend Bradley.

[Kate thebooklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samuel Johnson has teamed up with his sister Hilde Hinton to bring you this cute little book of stories about ordinary Australians doing amazing things.

I was blessed yesterday to receive a copy of this book in the mail yesterday thanks to the wonderful team at Hachette Australia. The book is contains around 40 stories about some of Australia’s unsung hero’s.

I devoured it in no time, each story filled with different emotions, heartwarming stories, acts of kindness and some laugh out loud moments, and with the chapters being short you can easily convince yourself to read just one more until you’re turning the last page and marvelling at the life people lead.

This book hits the shelves next week and is the perfect book for everyone!

[Julie Kleehammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samuel Johnson and Hilde Hinton write in such an uncomplicated and engaging way. I love this description of the black dog. Really lovely to read the whole book and I’m not surprised to find a story in it about Albury surgeon Neil Bright. A highly recommended heartwarming read.

[Li · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book and although it is a nice message I found that it wasn’t great. The writing was subpar and a lot of the chapters read like fundraising Facebook posts.

A fair few of the ‘heartfelt moments’ were really not that heartfelt at all eg. Woolworths worker who worked through a pandemic and was abused by customers receives $50 from management (via a gift card that can only be used at Woolworths) to then give it to a group of homeless people who have to split this money up between them. Although I understand that his actions were nice it just reaffirmed that this is a world where the small positives are outweighed by larger negatives.

I understand what they were trying to do here but for me it really fell short. I was gifted this book by my mother who also bought herself a copy and she shared the same thoughts with me after she read through this as well.

Only benefit is that the cover and physical book itself are really lovely for display purposes.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a small beautiful book with short anecdotes of Australians who are going above and beyond to help loved ones and strangers, often while facing their own challenges. Many of the anecdotes made my heart swell and some bought me to tears.

Kindness and compassion are key - the book highlights how we should all live.

A fitting book for a harsh year. I highly recommend that everyone pick this book up and read.

[Fay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this must have been a freeby on Audible. The theory of relating inspirational stories of everyday people is great ... I could only listen to a handful before I found myself thinking of other things. - didn't finish it

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked many of these authentic stories of courageous people.

[Gail Wylde · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of some very inspirational stories.

[Alannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Favourite quotes:

“You never know what they are going through, what they’ve been through and what they are yet to face”

~pg 4

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gentle and uplifting book.

[Fiona Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful short stories xoxox feel good ones

[Katie R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have the tissues ready for this one. Love, love, love it! A number of short, quick reads so easy to pick up & put down between other books/activities.

[gemsbooknook Geramie Kate Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘When Samuel Johnson unicycled around Australia, he met some awesome people. And before we had to lock down, he and his other sister, Hilde, were travelling the country talking at schools, community groups and at the side of busy streets to spread their message about how to kick cancer in the face hole. But in the process they connected and listened as people shared their own stories – not just about how cancer impacted them, but about love, fighting fires, making families out of choice not blood, knitting, being there and being surprised by life and finding solace from strangers.
They decided those stories should be shared and the idea for Heroes Next Door was born. The result is a moving, funny, irreverent, inspiring and big-hearted book that shows us all that resilience and kindness are what make the difference, and that you don’t have to travel far to find good people … often they are right next door.’
This book was fantastic.
I was so excited to get my hands on this book. I knew I was going to love it and I wasn’t wrong. What I wasn’t expecting was how emotional this book was going to make me.
Samuel and Hilde have done a fantastic job with this book. The stories were equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. Reading stories about everyday Aussies who are going above and beyond made me incredibly proud to be Australian.
One of the great things about this book is that it is a collection of amazing stories so you don’t have to sit down and read it from start to finish. You can pick a story that catches your eye and then go from there.
I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book. Samuel Johnson and Hilde Hinton have delivered a much needed, inspiring and utterly unforgettable book that couldn’t have come at a better time.
Heroes Next Door by Samuel Johnson and Hilde Hinton is a book that everyone should read at least once in their life.

Geramie Kate Barker
gemsbooknook.wordpress.com

[Kelly Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Samuel and Hilde's Heroes Next Door is the little book of light we all need to remind us of the kindness still to be found in a world slightly off kilter."

Heroes Next Door is a heart-warming, quick read that details numerous accounts of resilience, compassion, and altruism from individuals around Australia. With two authors, Johnson and Hinton separately detail stories from individuals of varying ages who have had to experience turmoil, heartache, and suffering, providing the reader with a sense of gratefulness and warmth.

Each story is within under 10 pages making this a book a novel that you can pick up and put down on numerous occasions. Each story is direct, well-written, and leaves you empathetically wanting to "pay it forward". I personally preferred the writing style of Hinton over Johnson but each describe their stories well and take you on a journey into the lives of 40 Australian's.

[Sam Schroder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This lovely collection of short stories tells a whole range of tales about ordinary people living their ordinary lives. I love the way this brother and sister writing team maintain the joy in even the most harrowing stories.
This is another publication from the Love Your Sister team and I thought it was a really sweet read. I’m going to pass this copy on to my friends at school to use. I think the stories would work really well in a whole range of units they teach. A great book if you’re looking for really short, short stories.

[Bree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved these stories, of truly inspirational and courageous people. The stories are told so elegantly by both authors.