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LoveReading Says

I first fell in love with David Nicholls' writing in his debut Starter for Ten. The honesty, the humour, the heart, all penned with such tenderness.

I adore his books. They are such a tonic. Such a joy to read. It is such a pleasure getting to know his characters page by page, chapter by chapter. Consuming them hungrily, whilst also mourning the fastly disappearing pages.

In this, his sixth novel, and I believe his best yet, we join a group of walkers on the journey of a lifetime. Mutual friend Cleo has the idea to plan a walking weekend with a group: four single people, a married couple and a teenager. Avid walker Michael is planning to walk the famous coast to coast, with the merry band joining him on the first leg of the trip.

Marnie is 38, a copy editor and proofreader, and hasn’t taken a photo of another person for 6 years. Year by year friends have been lost. Apathy, carelessness, moving on, with new lives, new partners, new children. And no-one to replace them. She now lives a life of self containment and independence. A solitary life. Alone.

Michael is 42, a Geography teacher who is separated from his wife, sincere in his passion for the subject, sincere in his love of walking. For the solitude.

Nicholls has this innate ability to capture relationships so well. Every high and low. Every peak and trough. With his observational humour shining through. It's so imperfectly real. So wonderfully wise. So brilliantly done. And every step of the way, you are smiling, you are urging them along.

Another absolute wonder from David Nicholls. Sigh, I wish I was there again. I’m bereft.

Deborah Maclaren

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