Thank you Netgalley for my review copy of this book.
Powerful truth telling even though it was uncomfortable at times. Really beautiful in other remembering too though. A very informative and eye opening account of UK carers today and the hardships they face

Thank you to#NetGalley and #Wellcome Collection for allowing me to read #AnExtraPairOfHands by #KateMosse

This is such a true book that will resonate with anyone who has or is caring for a loved one.
I laughed and I cried as I saw my mother and the me in many of these situations.
One not to be missed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Exceptionally understanding account of caring for an elderly relative. It is full of humour, compassion and love. It will provide comfort and understanding to anyone currently n this situation, helping them by knowing they are not alone. A wonderful read for managers and people in charge of staff, helping them understand the difficulties balancing act some staff have on a daily basis. Recently, during the pandemic the focus has been on children all the way, others have been sidelined. This book will drive home the need for compassion for our elderly in the community and their carers.

I am a Big fan of Kate Mosse and I have read all her books. Every book of Kate's are just remarkable and this latest book "An Extra Pair of Hands" was a book from the heart especially as this book is about Kate's own personal story finding herself as a carer in middle age: firstly helping her heroic mother care for her beloved father through Parkinson's, then supporting her mother in widowhood, and finally as 'an extra pair of hands' for her 90-year-old mother-in-law.

This book just took my breath away and shows so much love and care towards Kate's family and so much courage one family can have. A carer is a very special person in so many ways and I cared for my father in Law for many years until the end of life....So a big Hug to you Kate and family, this book is an inspiration for us all out there.
Family Love and care never ends

This book with have you in tears and so many memories of my father in law and mum came back whilst reading this book - So you will need to have a box of tissues ready.

Big Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing a free ARC copy for me to read and review.

I have read the Carcasonne series from this author and really enjoyed the writing. This book is an account of the authors real life and the slow decline of her parents and mother in law. Explained the slow shift from being the child to the parents then the parent to the parents. Funny in places, sad sometimes, unexpectedly comforting and could really connect with the author's experience. with dementia and physical deterioration of her family. Thank you #NetGalley for the copy to review.

An interesting book on the highs and lows of being a carer. Kate Moses is an excellent story teller and although a book of non-fiction has all the attributes of a good story.

An Extra Pair of Hands is an emotional journey, following Kate Mosse as she became a carer for her father, mother and then mother-in-law in a short space of time. This is a book about what it’s like to be a carer, not as a paid employee but to be there for your family at times of illness, crisis and increasing fragility – because you want to be, not because it’s just part of a job. I felt like I was there in her memories, not only during her practical day-to-day activities and dealing with their essential needs, but also the impact on her own mental health. Carers silently, stoically and heroically do what they do out of love and for little or no reward. It can be hard, both physically and emotionally – always thinking of, and dealing with, loved ones’ needs other than their own. In her book, Kate Mosse also touches on the impact of pandemic and lockdowns and the shielding of older & vulnerable people. An Extra Pair of Hands is a celebration of family and love and an exploration of grief and ageing – it’s raw, witty, heartbreaking and honest.

A very special book, more so at this crazy time of the covid pandemic.
This was heart breaking but so beautifully written.
I understand the emotions behind this book as I was a long time carer for my mum and she lived with us for just over year as well. It is sometimes hard to explain to people about how difficult it is to look after your parents, or any family member, but this book does it.
I loved reading this so much, and I know that it's one book that will not only stay with me a long time, but one I will read again and again.
Thank you for writing such a wonderful book.
Thank you NetGalley

An uplifting story of carers. Everyone should read this. It's certainly a book that I will be recommending to people in my life. I'm so grateful for the chance to read it.

I have read a few Kate Mosse books, loved her Languadoc Trilogy so when I saw that she had released a non fiction book, I won't lie to you, I was intrigued. Especially when I saw its association with the Wellcome Collection. I have to say, I wasn't disappointed.

In An Extra Pair of Hands Kate Mosse explored what it is like to become a carer for those who has once cared for you. Having gone through this myself recently I say it is the moment you become an actual adult. You may have a mortgage, a car, be married and even have kids of your own but when your parents become your responsibility the whole axis of your world goes of kilter. And it is terrifying.

Mosse explore this so well in her book looking at the practicalities of looking after a parent, taking control of things you never had to do before but mainly she looks at the emotional side of things both of you as the carer and the parent whose loss of independence and having to rely on others can be hard to accept.

The one thing that Mosse does stress is that through all the hard times and though you may feel really negative about becoming a carer at certain points (we are all human) that it is an absolute privilege to be able to give back to those who have given to us.
It is a heartbreaking yet uplifting read.

An Extra Pair of Hands - A Story of Caring, Ageing and Everyday Acts of Love by Kate Mosse is available now.

For more information regarding Kate Mosse (@katemosse) please visit www.katemosse.co.uk.

For more information regarding Serpent's Tail (@serpentstail) please visit www.serpentstail.com.

This book is a moving account of what it means to be an unpaid, family carer in the 21st century. It doesn't matter that Mosse willingly took on this role for 3 elderly relatives the strain is universal.

Particular points of interest to me were Mosse's thoughts on losing her mum a couple of years after her dad and how this second bereavement meant reliving the first again.

While Mosse paints a fairly cheerful picture of being a carer you can feel the difficulties and indignities swirling just below the surface and however much you do the feeling of guilt that surrounds you when you aren't there at a particular point.
I live 3 hours away from all of my relatives and already I can feel the guilt building as I am away and not on hand, as well as the guilt because my sister is close by and any burden will fall to her.

A beautifully written, reflective and uplifting account about responsibility, love and care. I felt it was a privilege to read this book by Kate Mosse as she gives us a personal insight into her life as she cared for her father, her mother and her mother-in-law. I read it in one sitting and felt surrounded by emotions. To be ‘An Extra Pair of Hands’ for anyone is tough, but also a joy. This moving account is a thoughtful read which I’m sure many people will be able to relate to. It will stay with me long after finishing the last page.

Thank you for the opportunity to read 'An Extra Pair of Hands'.

Kate Mosse has told her own story and that of her parents and mother-in-law in their later years of life. She is a beautiful writer and has such a lovely style of close detail description. I really admire her for taking such good care of her family - it can't have been easy. The statistics and information she included about the elderly and carers was eye-opening and something that everyone should be aware of. There needs to a major change to the government support provided at a national level.

This is a beautifully written book reflecting on the author's own experiences as a carer for her parents and mother in law and also the position of carers in our society. It is a moving and emotional memoir that I read in two sittings and finished it in tears. What really shines through this is the authors love and adoration for her parents and she really brings their histories to life. Mosse also looks at what it means to be a carer ; how it is gendered, the toll it takes on the lives of those who are carers and the way care is viewed in society. The author movingly describes her own grieving process and reflects on the emotions that carers can experience when bereaved. The final section looks at the impact COVID-19 has had on our communities and carers. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time and is I believe an essential read for all of us. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

This is a very special book. I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked it up, perhaps a tale of hardship and exhaustion, hard decisions and difficult days but instead I found warmth and compassion and a cast of (real life) characters that I grew to like and respect.

Kate Mosse takes us on. her journey of caring for her mother, father and mother-in-law. Anyone who has cared for a family member or friend will be able to relate to her honest account of the conflicting emotions and the challenges that she experienced, but what I loved about this book was that it reminds us that caring is a privilege, and one that will enrich your life and your relationships.

It is a very personal story, told simply and honestly. Interwoven throughout the book is a commentary on the support - or lack of support - that is accessible, together with the author's thoughts on statutory and legal provision and what has been promised by government and not yet delivered. This combination of a family story, personal reflections on caring and political comment makes it a very rounded book that considers all of the angles in relation to caring, but leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions based on the evidence and their own experiences.

By the end of the An Extra Pair of Hands, I felt uplifted by the strength of the human spirit, the power of friendship and compassion and the joy of lives lived well.

I'm so glad I read this book - thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing a free ARC copy for me to read and review.

A beautiful book. I read this in one go, unable to put down. Such love and compassion on every page. The care and love given to those “rich in years” is wonderful. Every carer should read this to show they are not alone.
Thank you NetGalley.

This book is one that will stay with me for a long time. It's just beautiful; a very special look at not just the practicalities of caring but the emotions of everyone involved. I became very fond of the people the author talks about but it rings true for anyone either in the position of caring for another person now or who knows that it is coming down the line, The author acknowledges that her experience is not everyone's so we never get a sense of "duty" in her role of carer. Instead love and a sense of sharing something special is woven through the book. Everyone should read this. It's certainly a book that I will be recommending to people in my life. I'm so grateful for the chance to read it.