The GEH book choice this month was Mike Gayle’s Half a World Away. A story about two strangers, living in different worlds, with apparently nothing in common – but was this the case?
Libby Page described it as “heartbreaking and beautiful, full of poignant moments and characters you fall for from page one. I couldn’t put it down”, while Sophie Kinsella said it was “supremely poignant, uplifting and heart-warming in equal measure – as well as being a real page-turner”. That’s what two authors thought, but did our Wellbeing Reading Group at GEH agree?
It’s always a good sign when so many members of a book group have enjoyed a book and are already recommending it to their friends and family. Our general consensus was that Half a World Away was an engaging and thought provoking read, but what was it about the book that made it so enjoyable, and so heartbreaking?
Characterwise, we liked Kerry. A single mum to an eleven year old son, working as a cleaner in London, she came across very vividly. Her heartfelt letters to her missing brother, and her relationships with her son, her ex, her mate Jodi, as well as her customers made her seem realistic and likeable. However she wasn’t an angel – she threw her ex’s phone from a window when he was ‘too busy’ to see their son, and after a cleaning customer treated her badly, she informed her that her husband was having an affair. Kerry’s love of Mariah Carey and sparkles really brought her to life – in fact we could imagine her being played by someone like Kerry Godliman in a TV adaptation of the book.
We found Noah (formerly Jason), a married and well-respected criminal barrister with a teenage daughter, a more difficult character to like. Adopted by a supportive and loving middle-class family, Noah was unaware he had a sister. According to his wife Rosalind, his refusal to acknowledge his adoption was one of the reasons for their separation. It was interesting seeing how their relationship changed, through Kerry’s unintentional influence, from the beginning to the end of the story.
Noah’s character evolved through the book, whilst Kerry’s character seemed fully developed at the start. We felt that Noah somehow seemed more damaged than Kerry, which was odd when we eventually learned more about their upbringing prior to his adoption. We loved the bond between Kerry and Noah, and the friendship forming between Millie (Noah’s daughter) and Kian (Kerry’s son). There were elements of nature versus nurture – Kerry’s life in foster care sounded awful – however it gave her and Jodi a strong friendship, whereas Noah’s upbringing seemed perfect – but it didn’t help him form relationships.
Some of the group felt that the story was a bit of a cliché, as it did go exactly where we expected. However this wasn’t a bad thing, and as a group we gave the book 4/5.
In what seems to be a bit of a theme of family and division for us at GEH, next month’s book is Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half.
This story is about twin sisters who grow up in a small town but live very different lives in adulthood. Exploring themes of culture, family, and choices, it offers a thoughtful look at what it means to find your place in the world.
Described as ‘utterly mesmerising’ by Bernadine Evaristo, we want to know what you think!
Pick up a copy in the Library in GETEC now. We’ll be meeting on Teams at 12.30-1.00pm, on Tuesday 7th October and look forward to seeing you there!
Find out more about our reading groups here or take a look at some of our previous book reviews.