From the bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner comes the moving story of a man whose life is changed in an instant. How do you start again when you lose the only love you’ve ever known?
When Nick’s wife Kerry falls ill and dies, he realises for the first time how fragile his happiness has always been, and how much he’s been taking his good life and wonderful family for granted. Now, he … for granted. Now, he suddenly finds himself navigating parenthood alone, unsure how to deal with his own grief, let alone that of his teenage son, Olly.
In the depths of his heartbreak, Nick must find a way to navigate life that pleases his son, his in-laws, his family and his friends—while honouring what Kerry meant to them all. But when it comes to his own emotions, Nick doesn’t know where to begin. Kerry was his childhood sweetheart—but was she really the only one who could ever make him happy?
And in the aftermath of tragedy, can Nick and his son find themselves again?
more
Amanda Prowse has the rare talent for taking an ordinary, everyday life circumstance and turning it into an extraordinary heartwarming story. She has done it with every one of her books that I have read and she continues this satisfying tradition with The Light in the Hallway.
The story opens with Nick going to the hospital to say a final goodbye to his wife Kerry, who is dying of cancer. They married young when she discovered she was pregnant with their son, Ollie, and she has been Nick’s whole life, certainly at least his whole adult life. Having married my childhood sweetheart I can relate.
It’s been a good life for the most part for Kerry and Nick, but in some ways kind of a life he has settled for, a compromise, circumstances dictate. He can’t imagine life without her. There’s no welcoming light in the hallway anymore to let him know Kerry is home and waiting for him. But he’s young, so there has to be life, HIS life, right? Even if others don’t understand. And others never understand. Your children don’t understand what your relationship is or was, the good and bad of it, no one does, they just see you as a unit. But they judge you anyway and you feel guilty. And you already feel guilty so it just compounds it. And that’s where Nick is right now, wondering what the next half of his life is going to be like. More of this overwhelming loneliness and uncertainly about every decision he makes?
We follow Nick through his grief, Ollie through his, and the support, interaction and interference from friends and family, some of whom mean well, and some, not so much. Nick takes one tentative step after another, until his steps aren’t quite so tentative. He’s a good man and loved Kerry very much, and now it’s time for the next chapter.
Interspersed throughout the story are peeks back into 1992, when Nick was 10 and spending the summer with his best mates Eric and Alex, still his best mates today, building Half Bike. These chapters are charming and tell us a lot about Nick and the man he has become.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Light in the Hallway. A friendship of three boys has turned into a solid friendship of three men, but life for all three of them is much different than expected. That’s the thing about life, and the thing Amanda Prowse always portrays so magnificently. Things always change. They don’t turn out like you think they will. Even good surprises are still surprises. There might be a Master Plan for your life floating around somewhere, but the older you get the more you learn that you are not really in charge of that plan. That’s what happened to Nick and the others. Life.
Thanks to fantastic author Amanda Prowse for providing me with an advance copy of The Light in the Hallway via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Nick and Kerry are high school sweethearts. Nick has plans to go to college, but, as happens so many times, life has other plans. This story is about love..parental, family, friendship and marriage. It’s a beautiful story that begins with tissues and your heart hurting.
Another emotionally charged book by Amanda Prowse. Ms. Prowse delves into the real life issues of working people better than any other author. I love seeing how her characters develop and mature, while going thru their issues. Her descriptions of this blue collar village, where nothing is ever a secret because everyone knows everyone, is spot on. This book resonated with me deeply for so many of the issues and made me look at things from a different perspective. This book can easily be read in one sitting, you just get that sucked in.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone!
Quiet moments of despair give way and life goes on: profound
4-4.5 stars
Author Amanda Prowse moved me with this quiet tale of a death in the family and the struggle for survivors to pick up the pieces and go on living. The grief, flailing uncertainty, guilt, angst and resentment churned up when widower Nick finds friendship and joy with another woman, to his son’s dismay, were so realistic.
Juxtaposed against Nick’s present day troubles are the halcyon days of summer vacation in 1992 when young Nick and his two best friends have a super summer. Their friendship never wavers. With the solid support of good friends, loving parents and the mentoring spirit of his dead wife, Nick makes his way forward.
This is the second Prowse novel I’ve read this year and, I have to say, although her characters struggle emotionally, both stories were inspirational .
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
The Light in the Hallway, written by Amanda Prowse, ripped my heart apart and then put it back together piece by piece. Ms. Prowse is fast becoming one of my favorite authors when I need a warm, heartfelt story that I can wrap myself around and become immersed. She takes ordinary people and puts them in impossible emotional situations that will challenge them to their very soul. Her characters are well written and thoroughly developed, but most importantly, they are everyday people that are very relatable. When there seems to be no happy ending in sight, she surprises us, taking us on a journey filled with joy and love. I loved that she used the title of this book as a metaphor, representing love, comfort, and a place of belonging.
The Light in the Hallway is about everyday life, about how precious, beautiful, and fragile life can be. It’s about the people in our lives and the relationships we have with them and how we should never take them for granted because, in the blink of an eye, everything we love could disappear. This is a story about a man who has experienced a love that should have lasted a lifetime.
The Light in the Hallway takes place in the small town of “Burstonbridge” on the North York Moors in Yorkshire, England. This book flips back and forth between two different timelines, the present day and 1992.
The Light in the Hallway starts in 1992 with three teenage boys, Nick, Eric, and Alex, as they build a friendship that lasts into adulthood. We get to experience the incredible bond formed between these three boys. Ms. Prowse perfectly captures the pure innocence of these boys and how they grew up together and then ties it in beautifully with the men they became.
We then find out that Nick’s wife, Kerry, dying after being ill for over a year. Kerry was the only woman that Nick has ever loved. Although their life together wasn’t perfect, Nick loved her wholeheartedly. As this book progresses, we experience the day to day struggles and feelings of intense loss that Nick and his son Olly must push through now that they have a life without the woman who was their rock. While trying to work through his grief, Nick must not only endure the resentful judgment from his sister-in-law but also navigate small-town living where every move he makes is seen and judged. The big question is, will Nick be able to find his second happy ever after?
Ms. Prowse packed this novel full of love, loss, grief, friendship, soul-wrenching sadness, self-insight, anger, and living life to the fullest. There were many moments throughout this book that I reached for my box of tissues, but this book also made me smile. It reminded me that even when life is difficult, and we feel tremendous grief, with the love of family and friends, we can live and love again. I enjoyed reading this book, and I highly recommend it.
*** I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion. ***
When I picked up this book to start reading it was a wee bit slow going. The back and forth of the time period confused me at first. I thought the led character was thinking back to when his son was younger but was, in fact, flashing back to his childhood.
Once I got through the first few chapters I got into the storyline. The author really delved into human emotions following a tragedy. It was this real-life emotion that eventually drew me in.
Overall A very enjoyable read, however, be sure to have tissues on hand.
Such an emotional and gut wrenching story about love and loss. This book is about the tragedy of losing a spouse and then dealing with how that loss affects a son. It’s very well written. You experience the drama as the story unfolds and little snippets of past give insight into the future. Through it we come to learn how past action shape life in the future.
I look forward to reading more by this author!
This story is about life, childhood friendships, dreams that have come true, others that remain at our fingertips not yet in reach. To loves that we had and lost, and loves that have started to blossom. From being a child to having a child of your own, too expecting another child all while not knowing if you’re doing the correct thing, questions, doubts and never stop believing in yourself. It’s sad and uplifting, and it has all the feels.
This author does write a beautiful story that I can’t deny. This one about a family recovering from the death of a love one. I say family because this author includes them in almost every decision in one way or another. His mother continues to cook like she is feeding a family of four. The in-laws (Mother and sister) continue to have input even when it’s not received well. There are flashbacks to his childhood and them getting together. It’s well done however because there’s so much the story does drag on. It doesn’t make it bad it’s merely a matter of preference. I do enjoy reading this authors books and will continue to enjoy more.
This gut wrenching story will have your emotions all over the place. Nick takes us along his journey as he triumphs over the tragedy of losing his wife and dealing with the fall out as it affects his son. It is a well written story that puts you front and center to the drama as it unfolds in the story that you are sure to remember well after reading. I voluntarily agreed to receive an ARC of this book for an honest review.
This is the second book I have read by this author, and I really like her style. Her stories delve into the goings on of everyday life by looking at all aspects of the characters. She gives us a story from youth to present day, showing us how the actions of the past resurface throughout life, and how the actions have defined the characters in present day.
This story is about Nick and his son Olly, who are going through the loss of their wife and mother., and how the relationship takes many turns as they navigate life going forward.
It also delves into the close friendships growing up between Nick and his two best friends, Eric and Alex, a strong bond that follows them into adulthood.
I am really looking forward to reading more of her stories as I feel I have benefited from her insight as well.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK.
This is a book about love, grief, friendship, growing up and even parenting, And you know what? The main character is a man!
This book focuses on Nick, Eric and Alex. They’ve been best friends for years. Throughout the book there are flashbacks to their childhood where they enjoy an incredible summer.
The “present day” finds one of the characters going through the loss of his wife.
I loved this book and the way the author was able to write from the point of view of Nick.
I am leaving this review voluntarily. I received this book from Netgalley.
A good read about a family, friends, survival, and moving forward. It started out a little dark, but you just jump right in. How could you not cheer for Nick and Olly, Eric and Alex, and the rest of the characters who fill this book?! There’s sad, there’s shock, there’s humor, there’s a mother’s love. Family dynamics, biological and not, are at the heart of this story. An excellent and very readable example of contemporary fiction.
I enjoyed the story but I didn’t just love it like so many others. It was well written with likeable characters.
Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy
Be prepared for tears and laughter as you read this heartfelt story. I enjoyed the beautiful manner in which this book explores grief and coping from a loss.
Trying to navigate life’s many unwritten rules is difficult for Nick. His son leaves for university soon after the loss of his wife. There is no rulebook for how to move on with life, but Nick tentatively feels his way though the process. He begins to spend time with a lovely co-worker but he suffers harsh judgement from his son and sister-in-law over this action. Woven throughout this story are flashes back to a special summer from Nick’s childhood where he learned lessons that stick with him. As the story progresses Nick gives himself permission to live his life the best he can. I felt so many emotions reading this story, one moment I was in tears over an emotional exchange and the next I was laughing at the banter between Nick and his mates.
“Being adult is hard.”
A beautiful, heartfelt, realistic story of love, loss, hurt and reconciliation.
Kerry may be gone, but she is still very much present and in the hearts of her family.
Leaving earth way too soon, her husband Nick tells this story of their perfect and not-perfect lives with laugh out loud moments mixed with sad times.
Their son, Oliver is eighteen and on his way to university.
It is really difficult to not have your Mum as you pack up and go off to your first year away from home.
Even the “reading list” can be overwhelming!
The novel brilliantly goes from present time to past days when Nick was growing up with his best friends and the life lessons learned. What would we do without our friends?
This book is terrific! I loved it! A quick read with characters you will not forget!