Home by Penny Parkes published by Simon & Schuster

Anna Wilson travels the world as a professional housesitter – stepping into other people’s lives - caring for their homes, pets and sometimes even neighbours. Living vicariously.

All Anna has ever really wanted is a home of her own – a proper one, filled with family and love and happy memories. If only she knew where to start.

Growing up in foster care, she always envied her friends their secure and carefree lives, their certainty and confidence. And, while those same friends may have become her family of choice, Anna is still stuck in that nomadic cycle, looking for answers, trying to find the courage to put down roots and find a place to call home.

I will be completely honest here – I originally started this book a few weeks ago and put it aside as I didn’t think it was for me. Then I read some of the reviews with people saying how great it was, and so I picked it up and started again, and am I glad I did!!

This book tells the story of Anna, a woman who has been through the care system and is now trying to find her place and purpose in life. She is helped along the way by her amazing friend Kate, who is more like a sister to Anna than a friend.

The only character I didn’t quite gel with was Callie – I found her to be a petulant teenager and she drove me insane with her tantrums!

I think an amazing amount of research must have been done for this book as Anna, who is a house sitter visits lots of different locations and each one has a gorgeous description of the scenery and more importantly, the bookshops!

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