A Man Called Ove but make him from the West Indies. I mean really that’s all I have to say. There is absolutely not one thing wrong with this story – Fredrick Bachman simply did it better and maybe there’s only room for one lonely curmudgeon on my favorites list. I’m also not a fan of a “twist” in books that aren’t in the mystery/thriller genre so the big reveal towards the end really went off like a fart in church for me (you stay classy San Diego). The Goodreads’ “if you liked this, read these” recommendations are really spot on for a once and worthy of checking out. If you love books about hermit-like peeps there’s a bounty of options out there.

Although this beautiful novel is somewhat sentimental at times, it’s a lovely hopeful story. As a young man, Hubert arrived in Britain as a member of the Windrush generation. He faced racism when he married a white woman,, the love of his life. However he worked hard and made a life with his wife and children. By the time he was an octogenarian, he rarely communicated with anyone. When a young woman, Ashleigh, and her baby moved in next door, she broke through his barriers and they became friends. Realising that many people suffered from loneliness, they started a campaign to end loneliness in Bromley. I loved this one.

What a fantastic story - I will not forget these characters for a long time, so glad I finally got to this! Highly recommend.

Darn. I was really loving the first 75% of this. It bore some strong resemblances to A Man Called Ove (one of my faves) which I didn’t mind at all, but when it then took a strange turn and seemed to directly copy another bestseller I’ve read (I won’t name it since that would spoil it) I had a hard time enjoying the rest. It felt unbelievable and I was sad that one of the storylines I was most invested in went unresolved. I’d recommend A Man Called Ove or The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett over this one.

4.25 stars
What a lovely book. This book tells the tale of Hubert Bird, a Jamaican immigrant who moved to London in the late 1950s, and it goes back and forth between his life then (and what happens as time goes on) and the present, when he is an 84-year-old widower steeped in loneliness. All of that changes when he meets a persistent neighbor, Ashleigh, who is set on making friends with him, despite their 60-year age gap. We get to see the highs and lows of Hubert’s life as we also see his unfolding and changing present. This is an emotional read and had me teary a couple of times. Was also really interesting learning about what it was like to be black in England in the 1960s and onward and learn about the Windrush generation.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In the manner of A Man Called Ove, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and The Story of Arthur Truluv, All the Lonely People delves into the loneliness that seems to plague so many people, especially the elderly, and how friendships can be a most unexpected gift.

Hubert’s wife has been gone 13 years, and his daughter Rose lives across the ocean. To keep her from worrying about him, he invented a very dynamic social life, but when she decides to come in for a visit, he must try to make this a reality.

I thought this would be a very predictable story, but there were some definite twists to the story that I did not expect. Definitely recommend.

Well goodness gracious. Don't mind me as I sit here sobbing like a fool.

This book is wonderful. Magical, precious, tender, special, and utterly beautiful. Up Lit is my most favorite genre and this book is a shining example of the very best of Up Lit. Intergenerational friendships, late in life love, loss, and beauty in broken things.

Just exquisite.

5 stars.

An excellent example of Mike Gayle doing what he does best: writing engaging characters, and penning very human stories -- complete with humour, warmth, and real-life stakes.

If you're a fan of the author already, you'll no doubt have got this already. If you're new to his work, I'd definitely recommend this (and many of his others).

An elderly immigrant man lives isolated and alone, and only looks forward to the weekly call from his daughter. When she decides to visit for the first time in years, he finds himself in a pickle - he has been lying to her about his life, telling her all about his outings with three friends he made up. Now he is forced to go out into the world and find some friends before his daughter arrives.

This is a story about loneliness, found family, the power of community, and the struggles we all hide from others in order to not be a burden. I found myself really rooting for the characters to take a chance on each other, to find companionship and love. It gave me a glimpse into the plight of immigrants and minorities and how resilient they can be. It was tragic and hopeful, and at times, pretty funny!

All the Lonely People has been recommended to fans of A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. Granted, it shares certain elements, such as an elderly curmudgeon and a young mother, but this one is a very different story.

A captivating look at a family drama from past to present and from Jamaica to the British shores. Harold is 84 years old living a lonely existence after his wife has passed and his Daughter has been residing in Australia. Her weekly phone calls are Harold’s bright spot until she surprises him with an impromptu visit home. Harold is pushed outside his comfortable home to rebuild long forgotten relationships to prove to his daughter that he is still living rather than existing. We are privy to Harold’s past as chapters describe his life with his wife and their dealings with racism and his present quest to reconnect with people.

This book is so sweet!!! It’s being compared to A Man Called Ove, and while I can see the comparison, I think they’re unique in their own ways. I loved every character for all their flaws and their hearts, especially Hubert. I wasn’t expecting the “twist” at the end and it made me very sad, but overall I loved this story. The perfect story of human compassion in the least likely of places.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Wonderful book, highly recommend it.

Y’all. This one hit me in all the feels. I LOVED this book so much! It’s so rich and deeply layered, yet compulsively readable.

This is the story of Hubert Bird, a Jamaican immigrant. It mixes present day with past events to tell his story in a lovely way. He’s now a widower and his life has gotten very small. Until a knock on the door and his life starts to open up again.

This book just knocked my socks off. It inspired me and made me want to be a better human. To look for the lonely and keep my eyes open for ways I can bless my neighbors. It just made me feel GOOD. Hubert was a charming character and his life story, slowly revealed, was fascinating and heartbreaking. There’s so many layers to this one and it all comes together in one stunning piece of work. I cannot shout this one from the rooftops enough- READ THIS BOOK! 5⭐️ Thank you @grandcentralpub for sending this book my way! ♥️

4.5 stars
Wowwww. This was such a sweet, heartwarming, thought provoking book. I loved following Hubert's story of his life, his struggles, his attitude and realizations. I totally teared up at the end. It was a beautiful story.

Fantastic story of Hubert and Joyce, the unlikely pair and the battle with loneliness. Told in multiple timelines with a focus on Hubert's life after Joyce's death where he suffers the depth of loneliness. Beautifully told with care and nuance!

Hubert Bird is used to being alone. After his wife died and his daughter moved to Australia for work, he settled into a lonely existence. Of course he can't let his daughter on to that otherwise she would worry, so he comes up with a fictional life to tell her about during their weekly phone calls. But when she decides to come home for a visit after being away for years, Hubert Bird needs to make some friends and fast.

I primarily listened to the audio of this one and I cannot stress enough how absolutely perfect the narration is. So if you're on the lookout for a new audiobook, this is it.

This book stole my heart. Hubert Bird is just one of those characters that you cannot forget and the side characters were just as lovely. I didn't expect the story to go in certain directions that it did, but I think that made it even more memorable.

For fans of The Man Called Ove or if you're just partial to old curmudgeons, add this to your TBR asap and if you can, listen to the audio.

Outstanding. All the emotions after reading this book. Reminds me of A Man Called Ove but definitely its own story. It’s the tale of Hubert, an elderly man living out his years in solitude. It’s just Hubert and his cat, and his weekly long distance phone calls with his daughter Rose. To ease her mind, he invents a cast of characters and spins elaborate tales about his friendships. However, when Rose announces a planned visit, he realizes his carefully concocted fairy tale life is about fall down around him. So he takes it upon himself to make some actual friends. This is one I’ll definitely remember!

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄. I didn't know anything about the book before I started reading. I just started reading and I'm so glad I did. It was my kind of book. ⁣⁣
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Hubert Bird's story made my heart smile. The writing was insightful and provided a blend of contemplative elements like loneliness and grief paired with moments of hope and light. This book was uplifting and life-affirming without being overly sappy. ⁣
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I loved it. I also love that this new-to-me author has a backlist that I can explore as well. ⁣
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𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃-𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐑: One of my favorite genres - UpLit. Stories with a bit of struggle yet full of kindness. Stories that show the power of friendship and community. Stories that just feel good.⁣ This book was all of those things.(𝘈 𝘔𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘖𝘷𝘦, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘓𝘐𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘶𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘢 𝘏𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵)