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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Albert is a lovely guy set in his ways and routines, whose world is turned upside down when he is told it is time to retire. He starts to question much about his life, and starts his coming out journey. He was a great character to read about, though I wouldn't really classify this as a romance. More of a late blooming/ retirement coming of age.
This one surprised me! At the start I was considering not finishing it because it seemed like a British version of A Man Called Ove. But I’m so glad I persevered! It wasn’t like Ove at all. I fell in love with Albert, a 65 year old postman who comes “out” late in life and finds love and acceptance for himself. As he begins to love himself others gravitate towards him in support. It was beautifully told on audiobook.
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
On the verge of his 65th birthday and his mandatory retirement age as a British postal worker, Albert Entwistle finds himself so lonely. When he happens upon some letters saved by his mom from fifty years ago written to him by his boyfriend, a time in which it was illegal to be gay, Albert decides to find his long lost George. In doing so, Albert faces his fear of identifying himself as a gay man and finds that he has an entire network of friends who are there to help and support him.
This was a touching story about the power of friends and community and being who you are.
#readmorebooks
#readersofinstagram
#bookstagram
#bookstagrammer
#bookish
#mybookishlife
#wearebookish
#lovereading
#alwaysreading
#readinggoals
#readin2025
#goodreads
#audible
#audiobook
On the verge of his 65th birthday and his mandatory retirement age as a British postal worker, Albert Entwistle finds himself so lonely. When he happens upon some letters saved by his mom from fifty years ago written to him by his boyfriend, a time in which it was illegal to be gay, Albert decides to find his long lost George. In doing so, Albert faces his fear of identifying himself as a gay man and finds that he has an entire network of friends who are there to help and support him.
This was a touching story about the power of friends and community and being who you are.
#readmorebooks
#readersofinstagram
#bookstagram
#bookstagrammer
#bookish
#mybookishlife
#wearebookish
#lovereading
#alwaysreading
#readinggoals
#readin2025
#goodreads
#audible
#audiobook
3.5 stars rounded up. It took we awhile to get into this one...and it is rather predictable. That being said, I liked the characters and a different take on "coming of age".
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This book is an emotional journey that hit a bit too close to home for me at times. The first third made me so sad I was sobbing but the good news is that's when the turning point comes and it's a more positive and uplifting story from there. That being said, I thought the book was a fabulous examination of character. Albert has lived a lonely, closed off life due to traumatic moments in his past and fear. Terribly shy and anxious, it's only when his one source of human interaction is about to be severed by retirement that Albert finds the impetuous to change. Watching him open up and find friends is touching and joyful, especially his unlikely friendship with Nicole. He's a shy, aging gay man and she's a shy, young, single mom. Together they find companionship, help each other grow, and form one of the sweetest examples of found family I've ever read. Nicole's story is told alongside of Albert's and it's just as affecting. While Albert has lived under the weight of homophobia, Nicole has grown up as a racial minority and deals with prejudice and bigotry, as well as the stigma of being a single mom. Nicole and Albert's stories start out grim but end up being celebrations of second changes, community, and self-love.
I haven't read many books that cover what it was like to be queer during the 1950s and 1960s, so I appreciated getting that perspective. I also liked that as Albert comes out and starts meeting other gay men, he begins to learn more about the fight for equality and queer history and culture. At times heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful, this is a well-told tale with a big heart.
This book is an emotional journey that hit a bit too close to home for me at times. The first third made me so sad I was sobbing but the good news is that's when the turning point comes and it's a more positive and uplifting story from there. That being said, I thought the book was a fabulous examination of character. Albert has lived a lonely, closed off life due to traumatic moments in his past and fear. Terribly shy and anxious, it's only when his one source of human interaction is about to be severed by retirement that Albert finds the impetuous to change. Watching him open up and find friends is touching and joyful, especially his unlikely friendship with Nicole. He's a shy, aging gay man and she's a shy, young, single mom. Together they find companionship, help each other grow, and form one of the sweetest examples of found family I've ever read. Nicole's story is told alongside of Albert's and it's just as affecting. While Albert has lived under the weight of homophobia, Nicole has grown up as a racial minority and deals with prejudice and bigotry, as well as the stigma of being a single mom. Nicole and Albert's stories start out grim but end up being celebrations of second changes, community, and self-love.
I haven't read many books that cover what it was like to be queer during the 1950s and 1960s, so I appreciated getting that perspective. I also liked that as Albert comes out and starts meeting other gay men, he begins to learn more about the fight for equality and queer history and culture. At times heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful, this is a well-told tale with a big heart.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated