What do you think?
Rate this book
All the Lonely People
Hubert Bird is not alone in being alone.
He just needs to realise it.
In weekly phone calls to his daughter in Australia, widower Hubert Bird paints a picture of the perfect retirement, packed with fun, friendship and fulfilment.
But Hubert Bird is lying.
The truth is day after day drags by without him seeing a single soul.
Until, that is, he receives some good news - good news that in one way turns out to be the worst news ever, news that will force him out again, into a world he has long since turned his back on.
Now Hubert faces a seemingly impossible task: to make his real life resemble his fake life before the truth comes out.
Along the way Hubert stumbles across a second chance at love, renews a cherished friendship and finds himself roped into an audacious community scheme that seeks to end loneliness once and for all . . .
Life is certainly beginning to happen to Hubert Bird. But with the origin of his earlier isolation always lurking in the shadows will he ever get to live the life he's pretended to have for so long?
He just needs to realise it.
In weekly phone calls to his daughter in Australia, widower Hubert Bird paints a picture of the perfect retirement, packed with fun, friendship and fulfilment.
But Hubert Bird is lying.
The truth is day after day drags by without him seeing a single soul.
Until, that is, he receives some good news - good news that in one way turns out to be the worst news ever, news that will force him out again, into a world he has long since turned his back on.
Now Hubert faces a seemingly impossible task: to make his real life resemble his fake life before the truth comes out.
Along the way Hubert stumbles across a second chance at love, renews a cherished friendship and finds himself roped into an audacious community scheme that seeks to end loneliness once and for all . . .
Life is certainly beginning to happen to Hubert Bird. But with the origin of his earlier isolation always lurking in the shadows will he ever get to live the life he's pretended to have for so long?
385 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 23, 2020
About the author
Mike Gayle
32 books1,886 followersI was born in the 70s — the 70s were great. I would recommend them to anyone.
I was also born in Birmingham — in my humble opinion the greatest city in the world with the nicest people too.
I used to live in London — a great city too. But a bit on the pricey side.
I also used to live in Manchester — another great city (although technically I lived in Salford which is next door but that’s sort of splitting hairs).
Before I went to university I wanted to be a social worker — I have no idea why. It didn’t last long.
After I left university I wanted to write for the NME — I’ve always loved music but it was only when I went to uni that it started loving me back. I can’t play any instruments or sing so writing about music seemed to make sense.
My first paid writing gig was for a listings magazine in Birmingham — (Actually my first unpaid writing gig was an interview with Kitchens of Distinction for Salford Student Magazine. I can’t begin to tell you how terrible it was.)
I used to write a music fanzine — it was called Incredibly Inedible and I co-edited it with my mate Jackie. We typed up the first issue on my dad’s olde worlde typewriter and then literally cut and paste on to A4 sheets using scissors and glue. Over the three years of its existence we interviewed many bands and artists including: Smashing Pumpkins, The Cranberries, Pavement, Bill Hicks and Blur.
I was also born in Birmingham — in my humble opinion the greatest city in the world with the nicest people too.
I used to live in London — a great city too. But a bit on the pricey side.
I also used to live in Manchester — another great city (although technically I lived in Salford which is next door but that’s sort of splitting hairs).
Before I went to university I wanted to be a social worker — I have no idea why. It didn’t last long.
After I left university I wanted to write for the NME — I’ve always loved music but it was only when I went to uni that it started loving me back. I can’t play any instruments or sing so writing about music seemed to make sense.
My first paid writing gig was for a listings magazine in Birmingham — (Actually my first unpaid writing gig was an interview with Kitchens of Distinction for Salford Student Magazine. I can’t begin to tell you how terrible it was.)
I used to write a music fanzine — it was called Incredibly Inedible and I co-edited it with my mate Jackie. We typed up the first issue on my dad’s olde worlde typewriter and then literally cut and paste on to A4 sheets using scissors and glue. Over the three years of its existence we interviewed many bands and artists including: Smashing Pumpkins, The Cranberries, Pavement, Bill Hicks and Blur.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,429 reviews
June 27, 2020
The title of Mike Gayle's latest offering, All The Lonely People, had me humming The Beatles's Eleanor Rigby, it is part of the first line of the song, as I was reading this. This is an emotionally moving story of the life and times of 84 year old Hubert Bird, arriving on British shores in 1958 as part of the Windrush generation from Jamaica, looking for a better life and work. Instead, he finds himself living through the shocking racism of the time, personally in everyday life, at work and in British society, amidst the unbearable cold, and the awful food. He finds himself working at the warehouse of Hamilton's store, where he meets the lovely Joyce Pierce, the two of them falling in love. This is a love they are going to have to fight for, Joyce's white family from Bromley are so prejudiced they refuse to have anything to do with her when she gets pregnant and marries Hubert, not even when their two children, Rose and David, come along.
Against all the odds, Hubert and Joyce's love remains strong in the face of the slings and arrows of misfortune, as Hubert becomes a plumber, they move to Bromley to raise their two children, having to cope with all the prejudices that litter their lives. They have both had to be strong, resilient and resourceful in a life of challenges, joys, sorrow, loss, grief, the problems of parenting, dementia, mental health issues, addictions and tragedies. However, at 84, Hubert has taken one knock too many, living a lonely life, rebuffing all and sundry, including his life long best friend and lothario, Gus. Rose is a professor at an Australian University, ringing Hubert every week, insisting on knowing the details of his life to satisfy herself he is managing and thriving. To reassure her, Hubert, has lied, spinning stories of rich friendships with pensioners that enrich his life, lies that threaten to be exposed when Rose tells him she is coming to visit him.
Hubert is now being forced to be outgoing, hoping to find age appropriate friends, getting involved with new neighbour, the single mum, Ashleigh Jones, and her young daughter, Layla, becoming close and supportive of each other. Before Hubert knows it, he is becoming the face of their campaign to tackle the loneliness epidemic in Bromley, a project that goes viral, snowballing beyond their wildest dreams. This is a great novel that resonates in so many ways, such as the insights it gives of a mixed marriage that survives through the years, being a parent, giving us a picture of the British social and political attitudes through time, and the ugly racism that has persisted with the government's recent hostile environment and the consequent horrors that the Windrush generation have had to endure. Then there is the fact that almost everyone has experienced periods of loneliness in their lives, I know I have, not to mention there has been the mental health crisis triggered by the loneliness experienced by so many with lockdown.
All in all, this is a brilliant read, with a great diverse cast of characters, such as the Latvian Emil, and Jan, and issues that mirror our contemporary realities and a captivating and engaging family drama that feels all too authentic. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.
Against all the odds, Hubert and Joyce's love remains strong in the face of the slings and arrows of misfortune, as Hubert becomes a plumber, they move to Bromley to raise their two children, having to cope with all the prejudices that litter their lives. They have both had to be strong, resilient and resourceful in a life of challenges, joys, sorrow, loss, grief, the problems of parenting, dementia, mental health issues, addictions and tragedies. However, at 84, Hubert has taken one knock too many, living a lonely life, rebuffing all and sundry, including his life long best friend and lothario, Gus. Rose is a professor at an Australian University, ringing Hubert every week, insisting on knowing the details of his life to satisfy herself he is managing and thriving. To reassure her, Hubert, has lied, spinning stories of rich friendships with pensioners that enrich his life, lies that threaten to be exposed when Rose tells him she is coming to visit him.
Hubert is now being forced to be outgoing, hoping to find age appropriate friends, getting involved with new neighbour, the single mum, Ashleigh Jones, and her young daughter, Layla, becoming close and supportive of each other. Before Hubert knows it, he is becoming the face of their campaign to tackle the loneliness epidemic in Bromley, a project that goes viral, snowballing beyond their wildest dreams. This is a great novel that resonates in so many ways, such as the insights it gives of a mixed marriage that survives through the years, being a parent, giving us a picture of the British social and political attitudes through time, and the ugly racism that has persisted with the government's recent hostile environment and the consequent horrors that the Windrush generation have had to endure. Then there is the fact that almost everyone has experienced periods of loneliness in their lives, I know I have, not to mention there has been the mental health crisis triggered by the loneliness experienced by so many with lockdown.
All in all, this is a brilliant read, with a great diverse cast of characters, such as the Latvian Emil, and Jan, and issues that mirror our contemporary realities and a captivating and engaging family drama that feels all too authentic. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.
September 1, 2021
"All the Lonely People" by Mike Gayle is a treasure of a story! Get your hanky ready, Readers!
Hubert Bird, an immigrant from Jamaica to Britain in 1958, has been telling stories to his daughter Rose who lives in Australia. During their weekly phone calls, he tells her about his busy week with his group of friends, detailing their many activities.
Then, out-of-the-blue, Rose tells Hubert she's coming home for a visit and she wants to meet his friends, Dotty, Dennis and Harvey. She wants to thank all three of them for their friendship with her father.
The truth is, Hubert has isolated himself in his home and each new day is just as empty as the last one. His only company is his cat, Puss. But, Hubert doesn't want Rose to worry so he keeps a journal of their conversations and the stories he tells her about his "busy active life" with his friends. So, now what?
Hubert better get busy! He's got some work ahead making his real life match his stories to Rose. Can he do it? The bigger question is: Why is Hubert purposely isolating himself to begin with?
When I saw the cover of this book, I fell in love! Hubert Bird sitting in his chair, hat on, Puss on his lap, the small table with the blue rotary phone and his journal positioned close-by waiting for Rose's weekly call. My heart was already heavy!
This story is brimming and tipping over with wonderful characters. All are likable and each one adds a different dynamic to the mix. What a diverse group indeed. Hubert is my fave, of course! I just want to hug this man for all his wonderfulness! He's officially at the top of my list for "Best Character in 2021 Reads"!
There are two distinct and alternating timelines in this story: "Then" - beginning in 1958 and "Now" - current time. Both timelines do meld together by the end of the story and both timelines are told in a third person narrative which feels right for this book.
I learned something new from this read and I love when that happens. Hubert Bird and other characters in this book are from the "Windrush Generation" in the UK: "...The British government looked to its overseas colonies for help and encouraged migration in an effort to fill many job vacancies post WWII." This book portrays the many challenges Jamaican immigrants experienced in Britain during this time period.
The topic of "loneliness" is a key component in this story. The author does an amazing job of covering the many different aspects of this topic, how it can impact many us at different times in our lives and in so many different ways.
I'm just sure Mike Gayle wrote this story especially for me! It's perfect! It's wonderful! It has all the feels and it gets all the stars! I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to Mike Gayle and Grand Central Publishing for my gifted finished copy of this beautiful book. It is my pleasure to give an honest and voluntary review.
Hubert Bird, an immigrant from Jamaica to Britain in 1958, has been telling stories to his daughter Rose who lives in Australia. During their weekly phone calls, he tells her about his busy week with his group of friends, detailing their many activities.
Then, out-of-the-blue, Rose tells Hubert she's coming home for a visit and she wants to meet his friends, Dotty, Dennis and Harvey. She wants to thank all three of them for their friendship with her father.
The truth is, Hubert has isolated himself in his home and each new day is just as empty as the last one. His only company is his cat, Puss. But, Hubert doesn't want Rose to worry so he keeps a journal of their conversations and the stories he tells her about his "busy active life" with his friends. So, now what?
Hubert better get busy! He's got some work ahead making his real life match his stories to Rose. Can he do it? The bigger question is: Why is Hubert purposely isolating himself to begin with?
When I saw the cover of this book, I fell in love! Hubert Bird sitting in his chair, hat on, Puss on his lap, the small table with the blue rotary phone and his journal positioned close-by waiting for Rose's weekly call. My heart was already heavy!
This story is brimming and tipping over with wonderful characters. All are likable and each one adds a different dynamic to the mix. What a diverse group indeed. Hubert is my fave, of course! I just want to hug this man for all his wonderfulness! He's officially at the top of my list for "Best Character in 2021 Reads"!
There are two distinct and alternating timelines in this story: "Then" - beginning in 1958 and "Now" - current time. Both timelines do meld together by the end of the story and both timelines are told in a third person narrative which feels right for this book.
I learned something new from this read and I love when that happens. Hubert Bird and other characters in this book are from the "Windrush Generation" in the UK: "...The British government looked to its overseas colonies for help and encouraged migration in an effort to fill many job vacancies post WWII." This book portrays the many challenges Jamaican immigrants experienced in Britain during this time period.
The topic of "loneliness" is a key component in this story. The author does an amazing job of covering the many different aspects of this topic, how it can impact many us at different times in our lives and in so many different ways.
I'm just sure Mike Gayle wrote this story especially for me! It's perfect! It's wonderful! It has all the feels and it gets all the stars! I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to Mike Gayle and Grand Central Publishing for my gifted finished copy of this beautiful book. It is my pleasure to give an honest and voluntary review.
February 11, 2022
British-Jamaican widower, 84 year-old Hubert Bird calls his successful daughter in Australia every single day, telling her about his great group of friends and his busy life… except it's all lies! Early 20s single mother Ashleigh has moved to Bromley and has no friends at all, so she decides to introduce herself to her neighbours, with no luck so far she knocks on Hubert's door; thus begins an unlikely friendship which starts off with one commonality, loneliness!
This is a gem of a read! A feelgood book about loneliness, but also a book that can break you emotionally. A book about reaching out to people, even if externally they reject your approach. Almost a modern fairy tale, because of its contrasting lightness and darkness. And also about a lost generation, the Windrush generation, West Indians that came to 'mother country' England to work hard, play hard and adopt their mother nation. Triggers for loss, mental health, deaths, homelessness, drug abuse and more, so it's a fun read, but a fun adult read... a very very good fun adult read, that at its heart is an exceptional book by British Black writer in Mike Gayle, about first generation Black immigrants, inter generational friendship and loneliness. 9.5 out of 12.
2022 read
This is a gem of a read! A feelgood book about loneliness, but also a book that can break you emotionally. A book about reaching out to people, even if externally they reject your approach. Almost a modern fairy tale, because of its contrasting lightness and darkness. And also about a lost generation, the Windrush generation, West Indians that came to 'mother country' England to work hard, play hard and adopt their mother nation. Triggers for loss, mental health, deaths, homelessness, drug abuse and more, so it's a fun read, but a fun adult read... a very very good fun adult read, that at its heart is an exceptional book by British Black writer in Mike Gayle, about first generation Black immigrants, inter generational friendship and loneliness. 9.5 out of 12.
2022 read
June 23, 2020
Well, Mike Gayle has done it to me again! I’m mush after reading this book - I loved it! Hubert Bird comes to Britain from Jamaica in 1958 and makes a life for himself despite initial difficulties. He meets Joyce, they have a happy life and two children, Rose and David. By the time we meet Hubert in the book he is 84, he’s a curmudgeonly lonely old man waiting for his weekly phone call from Rose who lives in Australia. Then one day young mum Ashleigh knocks at his door with daughter Layla and asks him a favour. Ashleigh is new to the area, originally from Wales and can talk the hind leg off a donkey!! From this moment on Hubert’s life becomes very different and infinitely richer. The story is told in alternating timelines from Then - 1958 onwards and Now which works really well.
There is so much to like in this book. I love the way the author writes as he has a deft, light touch which I really admire and there’s vibrancy and humanity in the storytelling which draws you in effortlessly. I like the comparison between the ‘50’s and now and shows just how difficult settling into this country must have been for the Windrush Generation and what a culture shock that must have been. The characters in the book are fantastic- if Joyce hadn’t snapped Hubert up I might have been tempted myself!!! You can hear his beautiful Jamaican lilt so strongly it’s like he’s standing right next to you. Ashleigh is an amazing character too but the whole book is crammed with wonderful characters which is a Mike Gayle trademark. The growing friendship between Hubert and Ashleigh is a thing of beauty and they realise just how lonely they both are and they realise that London and so many other places are full of lonely people so they try to do something about it. It really makes you think and do something positive even if it’s just saying hello. This book elicits a whole range of emotions from laughter to both sad and happy tears, from shock and occasional anger but the message is clear and it’s a lovely one, that friendship is vital.
Overall, a wonderful and enthralling book which is to be published at a time when many people have been in Covid19 lockdown which makes this book extremely relevant.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton and Mike Gayle for the ARC.
There is so much to like in this book. I love the way the author writes as he has a deft, light touch which I really admire and there’s vibrancy and humanity in the storytelling which draws you in effortlessly. I like the comparison between the ‘50’s and now and shows just how difficult settling into this country must have been for the Windrush Generation and what a culture shock that must have been. The characters in the book are fantastic- if Joyce hadn’t snapped Hubert up I might have been tempted myself!!! You can hear his beautiful Jamaican lilt so strongly it’s like he’s standing right next to you. Ashleigh is an amazing character too but the whole book is crammed with wonderful characters which is a Mike Gayle trademark. The growing friendship between Hubert and Ashleigh is a thing of beauty and they realise just how lonely they both are and they realise that London and so many other places are full of lonely people so they try to do something about it. It really makes you think and do something positive even if it’s just saying hello. This book elicits a whole range of emotions from laughter to both sad and happy tears, from shock and occasional anger but the message is clear and it’s a lovely one, that friendship is vital.
Overall, a wonderful and enthralling book which is to be published at a time when many people have been in Covid19 lockdown which makes this book extremely relevant.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton and Mike Gayle for the ARC.
April 12, 2022
4.5⭐️
In January 1958, a young Jamaican by the name of Hubert Bird sails to Southampton in search of a bright future like many others of the Windrush Generation. He finds employment and has to endure blatant racism and discrimination both in the workplace and in society in general, but remains hopeful. Hubert meets his future wife Joyce, falls in love and marries her - an inter-racial marriage that is not accepted by Joyce’s family. A hardworking and honest man, loving husband and devoted father to two children, Hubert settles down in Bromley with his wife and family.
Our protagonist Hubert Bird, is presently in his 80s and lives alone in his home in Bromley, with his pet cat Puss as his only companion after having lost his wife of forty-seven years thirteen years ago. He has isolated himself from his friends and community for the last five years, including his closest friend Gus and looks forward to the weekly phone calls from his daughter Rose, a professor working in Australia. His daughter worries about his being alone and to appease her he concocts stories about fictitious friends and regales her with stories revolving around his busy social life. When his daughter plans a visit, he realizes that he will be caught in his deception and strives to rectify his situation and ventures out to reconnect with his old crowd but that does not happen.
"When you don’t see someone regularly you imagine them carrying on with their lives as they’d always done from one year to the next, but the truth was things changed. People grew old and got sick, they sold up and moved on; they weren’t frozen in time waiting for the day that you knocked on their door looking for them.”
When a young single mother, Ashleigh and her young daughter move into his neighborhood and attempt to befriend him, he initially tries to avoid them but in the face of Ashleigh’s upbeat and friendly nature, his defenses start to crumble and he begins to enjoy their company. Eventually, Ashleigh inspires and motivates him to join her efforts in seeking out other people like themselves who also feel isolated and lonely, creating a “campaign” against loneliness banding the community together in a great initiative.
“Moments later as he stood on the doorstep waving goodbye to his new neighbors, the embrace was all he could think about, and once he’d closed the door firmly behind him, he felt his legs buckling as tear after tear rolled down his cheeks. And in that moment, as he attempted to stem his tears, Hubert realized something he hadn’t quite understood before now: he was lonely, really lonely, and most likely had been for a very long time.”
Mike Gayle’s ‘All The Lonely People’ is a wonderfully crafted story with an endearing cast of characters and a fluid narrative, revolving around themes of family, friendship, loneliness and community. The author touches upon sensitive issues such as racism, substance abuse, age-related dementia and elder care with compassion and restraint. The author’s strength lies in his characterizations and his sensitive portrayal of relationships. The chapters alternate between Hubert’s past (starting from 1957) and the present day. The novel is very well–structured and I enjoyed both the past and present tracks in the narrative. Though the story primarily revolves around Hubert Bird, the author also gives due importance to his other characters and explores how loneliness impacts both the elderly and the younger generation as well as immigrants and those battling illness and addiction and emphasizes the importance of community, kindness and inclusivity. Overall, the novel is well-paced but some parts of the story are a tad long-drawn and could have been shorter. The events that unfold in the course of the story alternate between heartbreakingly sad, funny, hopeful and heartwarming. This is an emotionally heavy read that will resonate with many and will ultimately leave you smiling through your tears. ‘All The Lonely People’ is my first Mike Gayle novel and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.
“You see, the key to helping other people out of them loneliness is nothing more difficult than good old-fashioned perseverance. It’s not always easy, me know that, but you’ve got to be willing to keep doors open, to carry on trying even if it doesn’t look like it’s working. You’ve got to refuse to give up on people, even if them given up on themselves.”
In January 1958, a young Jamaican by the name of Hubert Bird sails to Southampton in search of a bright future like many others of the Windrush Generation. He finds employment and has to endure blatant racism and discrimination both in the workplace and in society in general, but remains hopeful. Hubert meets his future wife Joyce, falls in love and marries her - an inter-racial marriage that is not accepted by Joyce’s family. A hardworking and honest man, loving husband and devoted father to two children, Hubert settles down in Bromley with his wife and family.
Our protagonist Hubert Bird, is presently in his 80s and lives alone in his home in Bromley, with his pet cat Puss as his only companion after having lost his wife of forty-seven years thirteen years ago. He has isolated himself from his friends and community for the last five years, including his closest friend Gus and looks forward to the weekly phone calls from his daughter Rose, a professor working in Australia. His daughter worries about his being alone and to appease her he concocts stories about fictitious friends and regales her with stories revolving around his busy social life. When his daughter plans a visit, he realizes that he will be caught in his deception and strives to rectify his situation and ventures out to reconnect with his old crowd but that does not happen.
"When you don’t see someone regularly you imagine them carrying on with their lives as they’d always done from one year to the next, but the truth was things changed. People grew old and got sick, they sold up and moved on; they weren’t frozen in time waiting for the day that you knocked on their door looking for them.”
When a young single mother, Ashleigh and her young daughter move into his neighborhood and attempt to befriend him, he initially tries to avoid them but in the face of Ashleigh’s upbeat and friendly nature, his defenses start to crumble and he begins to enjoy their company. Eventually, Ashleigh inspires and motivates him to join her efforts in seeking out other people like themselves who also feel isolated and lonely, creating a “campaign” against loneliness banding the community together in a great initiative.
“Moments later as he stood on the doorstep waving goodbye to his new neighbors, the embrace was all he could think about, and once he’d closed the door firmly behind him, he felt his legs buckling as tear after tear rolled down his cheeks. And in that moment, as he attempted to stem his tears, Hubert realized something he hadn’t quite understood before now: he was lonely, really lonely, and most likely had been for a very long time.”
Mike Gayle’s ‘All The Lonely People’ is a wonderfully crafted story with an endearing cast of characters and a fluid narrative, revolving around themes of family, friendship, loneliness and community. The author touches upon sensitive issues such as racism, substance abuse, age-related dementia and elder care with compassion and restraint. The author’s strength lies in his characterizations and his sensitive portrayal of relationships. The chapters alternate between Hubert’s past (starting from 1957) and the present day. The novel is very well–structured and I enjoyed both the past and present tracks in the narrative. Though the story primarily revolves around Hubert Bird, the author also gives due importance to his other characters and explores how loneliness impacts both the elderly and the younger generation as well as immigrants and those battling illness and addiction and emphasizes the importance of community, kindness and inclusivity. Overall, the novel is well-paced but some parts of the story are a tad long-drawn and could have been shorter. The events that unfold in the course of the story alternate between heartbreakingly sad, funny, hopeful and heartwarming. This is an emotionally heavy read that will resonate with many and will ultimately leave you smiling through your tears. ‘All The Lonely People’ is my first Mike Gayle novel and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.
“You see, the key to helping other people out of them loneliness is nothing more difficult than good old-fashioned perseverance. It’s not always easy, me know that, but you’ve got to be willing to keep doors open, to carry on trying even if it doesn’t look like it’s working. You’ve got to refuse to give up on people, even if them given up on themselves.”
December 13, 2021
Hubert Bird lives a lonely and isolated life, has for years, but you couldn’t tell that from the sunny updates he provides his daughter Rose in their weekly phone calls. He lives in the London borough of Bromley and she’s a professor with a wonderful career in Melbourne, Australia. He even maintains a notebook to keep up with his lies about his busy life full of friends and activities. But now with Rose’s planned visit in six weeks, Hubert has to somehow create the life he’s sold to his daughter to make certain she doesn’t feel the need to uproot her life and return home to take care of him.
My goodness, how I loved this story! It’s told in two timelines, then & now, beginning with Hubert’s immigration from Jamaica to England in the late 1950s. We learn of the pivotal moments in his life, including his marriage to Joyce Pierce, a white woman who sacrifices her own family in loving him. He’s a widower in the now who reluctantly forms a friendship with a new neighbor, a young single mother named Ashleigh. Together they create an initiative to end loneliness in their borough that grows organically and so quickly that Hubert is suddenly faced with having the life he’d fabricated for his daughter.
The story is rich with layers and complex characters, especially so as it moves through the timelines to present day. I loved his relationship with Joyce and how they created a beautiful life despite rampant racism in the early years. There’s an amazing twist at the end that I never saw coming, throwing everything into a different perspective. It just made a great story even more outstanding. I listened to the book and the narrator is a gem! He gave life to Hubert, mastering that Jamaican lilt while juggling other British accents. His storytelling skills are excellent, making the words lift from the pages. This will rank as one of my top five favorites for the year, both story and narration. If you’re looking for something to fill your heart with hope and triumph, this is that story.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
My goodness, how I loved this story! It’s told in two timelines, then & now, beginning with Hubert’s immigration from Jamaica to England in the late 1950s. We learn of the pivotal moments in his life, including his marriage to Joyce Pierce, a white woman who sacrifices her own family in loving him. He’s a widower in the now who reluctantly forms a friendship with a new neighbor, a young single mother named Ashleigh. Together they create an initiative to end loneliness in their borough that grows organically and so quickly that Hubert is suddenly faced with having the life he’d fabricated for his daughter.
The story is rich with layers and complex characters, especially so as it moves through the timelines to present day. I loved his relationship with Joyce and how they created a beautiful life despite rampant racism in the early years. There’s an amazing twist at the end that I never saw coming, throwing everything into a different perspective. It just made a great story even more outstanding. I listened to the book and the narrator is a gem! He gave life to Hubert, mastering that Jamaican lilt while juggling other British accents. His storytelling skills are excellent, making the words lift from the pages. This will rank as one of my top five favorites for the year, both story and narration. If you’re looking for something to fill your heart with hope and triumph, this is that story.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
September 18, 2021
"You've got to refuse to give up on people even if they've given up on themselves."
Hubert is an 82-year-old Jamaican man who has been living in England for decades. His daughter, who now lives in Australia, worries that he has been lonely since the death of his beloved wife. To appease her constant inquires, he creates some imaginary friends. Soon he and his "pals" are engaged in so many imaginary activities, he needs a notebook to keep track of it all. But now, his daughter is coming for a long overdue visit, and she wants to meet her father's acquaintances.
Hubert needs to make some real friends, and FAST!
This was a sweet, involving, and life affirming book . . . not the kind of thing I usually read, but it made a nice change of pace from my usual murder and mayhem. Many thanks to the publisher for a copy of this novel. Now that I'm finished, maybe I can finally get Eleanor Rigby out of my head.
Author Mike Gayle and a non imaginary friend.
Hubert is an 82-year-old Jamaican man who has been living in England for decades. His daughter, who now lives in Australia, worries that he has been lonely since the death of his beloved wife. To appease her constant inquires, he creates some imaginary friends. Soon he and his "pals" are engaged in so many imaginary activities, he needs a notebook to keep track of it all. But now, his daughter is coming for a long overdue visit, and she wants to meet her father's acquaintances.
Hubert needs to make some real friends, and FAST!
This was a sweet, involving, and life affirming book . . . not the kind of thing I usually read, but it made a nice change of pace from my usual murder and mayhem. Many thanks to the publisher for a copy of this novel. Now that I'm finished, maybe I can finally get Eleanor Rigby out of my head.
Author Mike Gayle and a non imaginary friend.
September 14, 2021
This will definitely make my list of top ten reads for 2021. Loneliness is truly a killer. It afflicts most of us at one time or another and I believe most people will relate to Hubert Bird's feelings. What I love about this novel is that it delivers hope with heartbreak. There isn't an easy solution to any problem and recognizes that for anyone fortunate enough to live into their 80s, their lives will be marked by pain and loss as well as happiness. I've always been fond of the notion that we can create our own family in the most unexpected ways with the most unusual people and that a few seconds of small talk can brighten another person's day. You'll need the tissues for this one, but you'll also be laughing out loud. Highly recommend to anyone searching for a wonderful character-driven novel.
August 4, 2021
I think this was aiming for hopeful. It was touching at times, but the steady stream of losses depressed me. Nevertheless, I would read more by this author.
March 6, 2023
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 . . . .
The Goodreads�� “if you liked this, read these” recommendations are really spot on and I did love quite a few of those selections (and have at least one on my soon-to-read list) so if you love to read about these hermit-like peeps there’s a bounty of options out there.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
The Goodreads�� “if you liked this, read these” recommendations are really spot on and I did love quite a few of those selections (and have at least one on my soon-to-read list) so if you love to read about these hermit-like peeps there’s a bounty of options out there.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
January 19, 2021
4.5 stars
This story broke my heart...and mended it...and broke it...
If you are going to read this prepare yourself for all the emotions and the rollercoaster described above on repeat!
It's written in such a way that our protagonist Hubert Bird gets under your skin.
I loved reading about Hubert and his life experiences; the good, the bad and the ugly.
It made me very angry and sad...but it also made me joyful and hopeful.
Loved this one :)
This story broke my heart...and mended it...and broke it...
If you are going to read this prepare yourself for all the emotions and the rollercoaster described above on repeat!
It's written in such a way that our protagonist Hubert Bird gets under your skin.
I loved reading about Hubert and his life experiences; the good, the bad and the ugly.
It made me very angry and sad...but it also made me joyful and hopeful.
Loved this one :)
June 10, 2021
Audiobook all the wayyyyyy!
Oh my gosh, my heart 😭💔😩😭💔😩 Absolutely loved every single minute of this beautiful book. Cannot recommend it enough!
Oh my gosh, my heart 😭💔😩😭💔😩 Absolutely loved every single minute of this beautiful book. Cannot recommend it enough!
September 25, 2021
I cannot even. Going on my forever shelf of hugs. Love love love.
February 10, 2023
I will never be the same again.
One of my new all time favourite books
In this story we are following Hubert from 1957 to present day with a then and now alternating timeline, we follow his life story as he comes to London from Jamaica for work and how he is treated as black person in the 1950s which broke my heart.
We also see him fall in love and marry Joyce (a white woman) and how they are treated as an interracial family. The ups and downs of their marriage and parenthood.
The writing is just so wonderfully gripping it’s impossible not to fall in love with these characters. Which also meant the sad moments hit me hard
We also follow Hubert in the present day and see he is now alone and lives as a recluse since losing his wife Joyce and his daughter Rose moved to Australia.
His daughter however, calls him every week and he has led her to believe he has friends and a social life, until she announces she is coming to visit which sets Hubert in motion to find some friends and said social life.
This book is filled with happy heartwarming moments but also sad heartbreaking moments that had me sobbing. It also had some unexpected moments which took me by surprise and made the reading experience that much better.
Please just read it, I could talk about this book forever
Some of my favourite quotes:
“It used to be the family all looking out for one another, but it’s not like that anymore. It used to be you at least knew your doctor but these days you’re lucky to get an appointment. It used to be your neighbours kept an eye on you but people like to keep them self nowadays. It used to be that you belonged to a community, but really, is there such a thing anymore? Now it’s more like every man for himself.”
“while he was more than happy to be rejected by strangers, for being ill tempered, awkward or stubborn. It hurt more than he could admit that he might be rejected, simply because of the colour of his skin.”
“People from one land coming to another, because of the lack of opportunities in their own working all the hours in the sort of backbreaking jobs the natives didn’t want to do. Day after day facing all manner of hostilities, wondering if they’d made a mistake leaving home”
One of my new all time favourite books
In this story we are following Hubert from 1957 to present day with a then and now alternating timeline, we follow his life story as he comes to London from Jamaica for work and how he is treated as black person in the 1950s which broke my heart.
We also see him fall in love and marry Joyce (a white woman) and how they are treated as an interracial family. The ups and downs of their marriage and parenthood.
The writing is just so wonderfully gripping it’s impossible not to fall in love with these characters. Which also meant the sad moments hit me hard
We also follow Hubert in the present day and see he is now alone and lives as a recluse since losing his wife Joyce and his daughter Rose moved to Australia.
His daughter however, calls him every week and he has led her to believe he has friends and a social life, until she announces she is coming to visit which sets Hubert in motion to find some friends and said social life.
This book is filled with happy heartwarming moments but also sad heartbreaking moments that had me sobbing. It also had some unexpected moments which took me by surprise and made the reading experience that much better.
Please just read it, I could talk about this book forever
Some of my favourite quotes:
“It used to be the family all looking out for one another, but it’s not like that anymore. It used to be you at least knew your doctor but these days you’re lucky to get an appointment. It used to be your neighbours kept an eye on you but people like to keep them self nowadays. It used to be that you belonged to a community, but really, is there such a thing anymore? Now it’s more like every man for himself.”
“while he was more than happy to be rejected by strangers, for being ill tempered, awkward or stubborn. It hurt more than he could admit that he might be rejected, simply because of the colour of his skin.”
“People from one land coming to another, because of the lack of opportunities in their own working all the hours in the sort of backbreaking jobs the natives didn’t want to do. Day after day facing all manner of hostilities, wondering if they’d made a mistake leaving home”
November 12, 2021
All the Lonely People
(not the Beatles' song) is emotional, thought-provoking, and heartwarming.
Hubert Bird has a full life. He and his best friends, Dotty, Dennis, and Harvey, are always up to some kind of shenanigans.
At least that’s what he tells his daughter Rose when she calls each week from Australia. The truth is, other than trips to the store and the vet for his cat, he barely sees or speaks to anyone. Dotty, Dennis, and Harvey don't even exist. Hubert is tremendously lonely, but he can’t let Rose know or she’ll worry.
But when Rose announces she’ll be visiting from Australia in a few months’ time and can’t wait to meet and spend time with Hubert’s friends, he doesn’t know what he’ll do. Does he tell her the truth or does he spend the next few months trying to build the life he said he had?
With the help of a young single mother named Ashleigh and her daughter, Hubert will start to realize he’s not the only lonely person out there, and that loneliness isn’t anything to be ashamed of. But he’ll also need to come to terms with the things that led him to seek isolation, and figure out if it’s too late for him to start again.
I worried this would be another curmudgeon-becomes-cuddly story, but there’s so much more to this book than that. I love the way Mike Gayle tackled the idea of loneliness as it touches people of all ages, not just the elderly.
The story shifts between the past, starting with Hubert’s coming to London from Jamaica many years before, and the present. All the Lonely People is a tearjerker for sure but not overly maudlin.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Hubert Bird has a full life. He and his best friends, Dotty, Dennis, and Harvey, are always up to some kind of shenanigans.
At least that’s what he tells his daughter Rose when she calls each week from Australia. The truth is, other than trips to the store and the vet for his cat, he barely sees or speaks to anyone. Dotty, Dennis, and Harvey don't even exist. Hubert is tremendously lonely, but he can’t let Rose know or she’ll worry.
But when Rose announces she’ll be visiting from Australia in a few months’ time and can’t wait to meet and spend time with Hubert’s friends, he doesn’t know what he’ll do. Does he tell her the truth or does he spend the next few months trying to build the life he said he had?
With the help of a young single mother named Ashleigh and her daughter, Hubert will start to realize he’s not the only lonely person out there, and that loneliness isn’t anything to be ashamed of. But he’ll also need to come to terms with the things that led him to seek isolation, and figure out if it’s too late for him to start again.
I worried this would be another curmudgeon-becomes-cuddly story, but there’s so much more to this book than that. I love the way Mike Gayle tackled the idea of loneliness as it touches people of all ages, not just the elderly.
The story shifts between the past, starting with Hubert’s coming to London from Jamaica many years before, and the present. All the Lonely People is a tearjerker for sure but not overly maudlin.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
July 14, 2021
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Because the truth was Hubert Bird was a liar. And a practiced one at that.
All the Lonely People is the story of Jamaican immigrant Hubert Bird. With alternating chapters that show Hubert in the present time and past, readers get an encompassing look at Hubert's life. I thought the alternating chapters was a perfect structural choice as it pulled readers in with questions in the now, why is Hubert alone and answers revealed in the past chapters.
A whole week had gone by since Rose's announcement and now, because of his lack of friends, Hubert was faced with an almost impossible choice: disappoint his darling daughter or force himself back out into the world from which he had retreated.
The main plot has octogenarian Hubert wanting to make friends because for the last couple years he has been lying to his daughter Rose during their weekly phone calls. He has a notebook filled with notes about his friends and all that they do, but it's all lies. Rose suddenly tells Hubert that she is coming to visit from Australia in a few weeks and Hubert panics, not wanting Rose to feel bad or worry about him and leave her job to come take care of him in England. So when a new neighbor, single mother Layla knocks on his door to introduce herself, he starts his mission to try and gain some real friends.
And in that moment, as he attempted to stem his tears, Hubert realized something he hadn't quite understood before now: he was lonely, really lonely, and most likely had been for a very long time.
I thought the first half of this really showed what we'll do for the people we love but not for ourselves. Through Hubert and all the characters that have been in his life, his friend Gus, his wife Joyce, children Rose and David, neighbor Layla, and even the delivery man he befriends Emils, the reader gets welcomed into Hubert's world and who and what makes a life. The author opened up Hubert in a way that I felt he was real and that I knew him. While the majority of the chapters are from Hubert's point-of-view, there are a handful from secondary characters and I thought those greatly colored in Hubert's world even more.
“You mean you don't think it's a daft idea?”
“What? Helping lonely people? There's nothing daft about that, darling. Nothing daft at all. Count me in.”
The second half delves more into Hubert's world and begins to answer the questions of how he lost touch with his circle of friends and why he doesn't like to talk about his son David. There was also Hubert's new circle of friends creating a group with the mission to end loneliness in their city. This group and the promoting of it takes over for a while and I'm not sure it completely fit in the flow of the story. It works to add some uplifting flair but it all felt a little idealistic and taking over a story in which it was a plot thread that didn't completely feel like it fit. With this though, there were also some latter second half shocking reveals that amp up the emotion and will get your eyes watering.
“Joyce Bird,” said Hubert between fits of laughter, “featherweight champion of the world!”
Overall, this is a story that will have characters who stick with you long after you've closed the book. It's a story about a life, it was uplifting and tragic and it was heartbreaking and reaffirming.
Because the truth was Hubert Bird was a liar. And a practiced one at that.
All the Lonely People is the story of Jamaican immigrant Hubert Bird. With alternating chapters that show Hubert in the present time and past, readers get an encompassing look at Hubert's life. I thought the alternating chapters was a perfect structural choice as it pulled readers in with questions in the now, why is Hubert alone and answers revealed in the past chapters.
A whole week had gone by since Rose's announcement and now, because of his lack of friends, Hubert was faced with an almost impossible choice: disappoint his darling daughter or force himself back out into the world from which he had retreated.
The main plot has octogenarian Hubert wanting to make friends because for the last couple years he has been lying to his daughter Rose during their weekly phone calls. He has a notebook filled with notes about his friends and all that they do, but it's all lies. Rose suddenly tells Hubert that she is coming to visit from Australia in a few weeks and Hubert panics, not wanting Rose to feel bad or worry about him and leave her job to come take care of him in England. So when a new neighbor, single mother Layla knocks on his door to introduce herself, he starts his mission to try and gain some real friends.
And in that moment, as he attempted to stem his tears, Hubert realized something he hadn't quite understood before now: he was lonely, really lonely, and most likely had been for a very long time.
I thought the first half of this really showed what we'll do for the people we love but not for ourselves. Through Hubert and all the characters that have been in his life, his friend Gus, his wife Joyce, children Rose and David, neighbor Layla, and even the delivery man he befriends Emils, the reader gets welcomed into Hubert's world and who and what makes a life. The author opened up Hubert in a way that I felt he was real and that I knew him. While the majority of the chapters are from Hubert's point-of-view, there are a handful from secondary characters and I thought those greatly colored in Hubert's world even more.
“You mean you don't think it's a daft idea?”
“What? Helping lonely people? There's nothing daft about that, darling. Nothing daft at all. Count me in.”
The second half delves more into Hubert's world and begins to answer the questions of how he lost touch with his circle of friends and why he doesn't like to talk about his son David. There was also Hubert's new circle of friends creating a group with the mission to end loneliness in their city. This group and the promoting of it takes over for a while and I'm not sure it completely fit in the flow of the story. It works to add some uplifting flair but it all felt a little idealistic and taking over a story in which it was a plot thread that didn't completely feel like it fit. With this though, there were also some latter second half shocking reveals that amp up the emotion and will get your eyes watering.
“Joyce Bird,” said Hubert between fits of laughter, “featherweight champion of the world!”
Overall, this is a story that will have characters who stick with you long after you've closed the book. It's a story about a life, it was uplifting and tragic and it was heartbreaking and reaffirming.
March 5, 2021
2.5 stars for me really. I was really surprised by all the 5 star reviews of this to be absolutely honest. I was really hoping for better things.
The story in itself is fine mostly, but it annoyed me immensely that the main character, our beloved Hubert, kept saying 'me' instead of 'I'. Sorry, but me just found this to be an insult to his intelligence!! (See what I did there?!) Just because he's from Jamaica we have to keep driving the point home in the way he speaks! I know a couple of West Indian's and haven't heard them once say 'me' rather than I. His good friend Gus, also from Jamaica, mostly managed to say 'I' rather than 'me'.... most of the time! I just felt this was unnecessary and was also rather inconsistent.
Ashleigh was just annoying and pushy.... and leaving her adored baby girl with a virtual stranger? Really??
The whole Rose story was quite good but again I felt there was something off with how she remembered every detail of Hubert's "friends" and I felt a bit let down by the reveal. I'm not sure why that had to be the case.... it just seemed like piling on unnecessary tragedy! And what actually happened to David? I'm not sure if he died too...was the body in the river his? Maybe I skimmed the bit that explained what happened to him?
I know racism is the "thing" at the moment and was particularly bad in 'those days', but again I felt this whole issue rammed down my throat, with having Latvian delivery drivers, some sort of Chinese great-niece and so on. I just felt all these multicultural references were over-done to be honest. I don't give a fig where people are from and I think having to mention it makes it more racist than not.
I found the whole 'Loneliness Campaign' a bit far fetched with the huge hype and making them into celebrities.
I skim-read some of this book and found it a bit tedious and not particularly good writing, not descriptive and a little shallow.
I'm sorry I didn't enjoy this and people probably won't agree with my review but I'm being honest.
The story in itself is fine mostly, but it annoyed me immensely that the main character, our beloved Hubert, kept saying 'me' instead of 'I'. Sorry, but me just found this to be an insult to his intelligence!! (See what I did there?!) Just because he's from Jamaica we have to keep driving the point home in the way he speaks! I know a couple of West Indian's and haven't heard them once say 'me' rather than I. His good friend Gus, also from Jamaica, mostly managed to say 'I' rather than 'me'.... most of the time! I just felt this was unnecessary and was also rather inconsistent.
Ashleigh was just annoying and pushy.... and leaving her adored baby girl with a virtual stranger? Really??
The whole Rose story was quite good but again I felt there was something off with how she remembered every detail of Hubert's "friends" and I felt a bit let down by the reveal. I'm not sure why that had to be the case.... it just seemed like piling on unnecessary tragedy! And what actually happened to David? I'm not sure if he died too...was the body in the river his? Maybe I skimmed the bit that explained what happened to him?
I know racism is the "thing" at the moment and was particularly bad in 'those days', but again I felt this whole issue rammed down my throat, with having Latvian delivery drivers, some sort of Chinese great-niece and so on. I just felt all these multicultural references were over-done to be honest. I don't give a fig where people are from and I think having to mention it makes it more racist than not.
I found the whole 'Loneliness Campaign' a bit far fetched with the huge hype and making them into celebrities.
I skim-read some of this book and found it a bit tedious and not particularly good writing, not descriptive and a little shallow.
I'm sorry I didn't enjoy this and people probably won't agree with my review but I'm being honest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2022
The beauty of going to the library and scanning the 'new release' shelves, we often stumble across new authors.
We first meet Hubert Bird, a Jamaican native living in the UK in his later years. As with most stories of 'senior citizens' it toggles back and forth between the present and his past. Living alone, his life is repetitive though he does little to change it until Ashleigh and Layla, a young woman and her child become neighbors and a bond forms instantaneously.
When the story toggles back to the late 50s where racism in the UK is prevalent, Hubert meets Joyce, a lovely Brit who's magnetized to him immediately, though her parents are anything but happy about it. Recently married, she divorces and falls for Hubert; not long after they wed. Joyce gives birth to Rose, a beautiful biracial child full of vim and vigor; a few years later they have David who unlike his sister, is a troublemaker. Hubert's natural born optimism in the face of judgement, becomes a quality Rose embodies, while David grows to be the 'problem child'.
Back in the present, Hubert's ease at meeting others baffles Ashleigh, so she takes it upon herself to form a group dedicated to healing loneliness. With Hubert as its humble spokesperson, interest grows rapidly.
I'll be honest in saying, the lackluster characters and repetitive 'toggles' made me drowsy, though I kept hoping for change. And while theres is a twist at the end, I can't say the story is unique or memorable in spite of other's high ratings.
Reading this story in parallel to "Ptolemy' made an interesting comparison though in my opinion, Mosley is a far better author. If you enjoy stories of this sort, you'll find this to your liking.
We first meet Hubert Bird, a Jamaican native living in the UK in his later years. As with most stories of 'senior citizens' it toggles back and forth between the present and his past. Living alone, his life is repetitive though he does little to change it until Ashleigh and Layla, a young woman and her child become neighbors and a bond forms instantaneously.
When the story toggles back to the late 50s where racism in the UK is prevalent, Hubert meets Joyce, a lovely Brit who's magnetized to him immediately, though her parents are anything but happy about it. Recently married, she divorces and falls for Hubert; not long after they wed. Joyce gives birth to Rose, a beautiful biracial child full of vim and vigor; a few years later they have David who unlike his sister, is a troublemaker. Hubert's natural born optimism in the face of judgement, becomes a quality Rose embodies, while David grows to be the 'problem child'.
Back in the present, Hubert's ease at meeting others baffles Ashleigh, so she takes it upon herself to form a group dedicated to healing loneliness. With Hubert as its humble spokesperson, interest grows rapidly.
I'll be honest in saying, the lackluster characters and repetitive 'toggles' made me drowsy, though I kept hoping for change. And while theres is a twist at the end, I can't say the story is unique or memorable in spite of other's high ratings.
Reading this story in parallel to "Ptolemy' made an interesting comparison though in my opinion, Mosley is a far better author. If you enjoy stories of this sort, you'll find this to your liking.
July 11, 2021
Oh my goodness! If you haven't read this wonderfully charming book, add it to your list. Not only was this a solid 5 stars, it will definitely be one of my most favorite reads this year. Another book I wish I could read again for the very first time. I loved it so, so much!
Told in alternating timelines, we learn the story of Hubert Bird who travels to Englad from his hometown Jamaica in 1958. He dreams of making a better life for himself. And despite his initial difficulties, he does just that. Fast forward, Hubert meets the love of his life, a woman named Joyce. They have two beautiful children, David and Rose. Years later, when Joyce passes away, Hubert is heartbroken. These days he longs for his weekly phone calls with his daughter Rose, who lives in Australia. It's just him and his cat, Puss. The truth is, he's really lonely.
When I saw the comparison to A Man Called Ove I knew immediately I was going to love this book. And although my shelves are bursting with books that continue to wait for me to read them, I decided All The Lonely People was going to be next. I mean, the cover alone is just so lovely. Hubert's cat Puss looks just like my Archie! :) Hubert Bird. I adore you.
I loved the writing, the characters and just how real the storyline was. This NEEDS to be made into a movie ... it's heartbreaking, and yet, it's also just so beautiful.
Side note: The reference to Weight Watchers Points ... I've been there HAHAHA - this made me laugh out loud!
HUGE thank you to Grand Central Publishing for my gifted copy!
Told in alternating timelines, we learn the story of Hubert Bird who travels to Englad from his hometown Jamaica in 1958. He dreams of making a better life for himself. And despite his initial difficulties, he does just that. Fast forward, Hubert meets the love of his life, a woman named Joyce. They have two beautiful children, David and Rose. Years later, when Joyce passes away, Hubert is heartbroken. These days he longs for his weekly phone calls with his daughter Rose, who lives in Australia. It's just him and his cat, Puss. The truth is, he's really lonely.
When I saw the comparison to A Man Called Ove I knew immediately I was going to love this book. And although my shelves are bursting with books that continue to wait for me to read them, I decided All The Lonely People was going to be next. I mean, the cover alone is just so lovely. Hubert's cat Puss looks just like my Archie! :) Hubert Bird. I adore you.
I loved the writing, the characters and just how real the storyline was. This NEEDS to be made into a movie ... it's heartbreaking, and yet, it's also just so beautiful.
Side note: The reference to Weight Watchers Points ... I've been there HAHAHA - this made me laugh out loud!
HUGE thank you to Grand Central Publishing for my gifted copy!
February 9, 2022
5 Sentimental Stars
“All the Lonely People” by Mike Gayle is equal parts beautiful, heartbreaking and uplifting. It focuses on issues of life, love, friendship, grief, isolation, racism and family. Family by blood and chosen. Heavy topics but Gayle is an exceptional and engaging writer and balanced it all with humor and grace.
Hubert Bird is one of the most enchanting characters I’ve come across in awhile. He’s an 84 year old widowed immigrant from Jamaica who comes to Britain to make a new life for himself. We follow his love, his loss and his journey from young man to old. I laughed, cried and at one point was shocked out of my mind. This story is written in alternate timelines (Now and Then) and it all comes together beautifully to encompass the full life of Hubert Bird. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the large group of side characters that are well defined, quirky and charming.
I loved this book (a lot!!) and I highly recommend it.
“All the Lonely People” by Mike Gayle is equal parts beautiful, heartbreaking and uplifting. It focuses on issues of life, love, friendship, grief, isolation, racism and family. Family by blood and chosen. Heavy topics but Gayle is an exceptional and engaging writer and balanced it all with humor and grace.
Hubert Bird is one of the most enchanting characters I’ve come across in awhile. He’s an 84 year old widowed immigrant from Jamaica who comes to Britain to make a new life for himself. We follow his love, his loss and his journey from young man to old. I laughed, cried and at one point was shocked out of my mind. This story is written in alternate timelines (Now and Then) and it all comes together beautifully to encompass the full life of Hubert Bird. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the large group of side characters that are well defined, quirky and charming.
I loved this book (a lot!!) and I highly recommend it.
June 3, 2023
This is a deeply moving and heartfelt book that tug at my heartstrings the entire time I was reading it. I love how it explores the intricacies of loneliness and human connection with grace and authenticity. With relatable characters, evocative writing, and a perfect balance of heartbreak and hope, Gayle's storytelling prowess shines through, reminding us of the importance of compassion and reaching out to one another, making it an unforgettable read that resonates long after the final page is turned.
thank you to Libro.Fm, author, and publisher for an advanced listening copy of this book!
thank you to Libro.Fm, author, and publisher for an advanced listening copy of this book!
June 20, 2023
Meet Hubert Bird, a Black Jamaican man who has loved and lost, over and over.
We have two timelines going on here. In the first, Hubert is in his early twenties and makes the journey from Jamaica to the UK to start a new life. We see him disembark the boat and experience life in London. The racism, the hostile attitudes which only increase when he starts a relationship with a white woman, Joyce.
In the second timeline, Hubert is in his eighties. His wife has been gone for over a decade, and Hubert has cut himself off from the living.
This is a successful dual timeline in my opinion, I was invested equally in both and didn't mind the chapters hopping between the two.
This book is a mood. If the world is overwhelming and you want to curl up under a blanket with some wholesome characters who will warm your heart while dealing with the worst life can offer, this is the cast I'd recommend for you.
Four stars.
Read for the June 2023 Gloss Book club, I'm so glad this book was put on my radar.
We have two timelines going on here. In the first, Hubert is in his early twenties and makes the journey from Jamaica to the UK to start a new life. We see him disembark the boat and experience life in London. The racism, the hostile attitudes which only increase when he starts a relationship with a white woman, Joyce.
In the second timeline, Hubert is in his eighties. His wife has been gone for over a decade, and Hubert has cut himself off from the living.
This is a successful dual timeline in my opinion, I was invested equally in both and didn't mind the chapters hopping between the two.
This book is a mood. If the world is overwhelming and you want to curl up under a blanket with some wholesome characters who will warm your heart while dealing with the worst life can offer, this is the cast I'd recommend for you.
Four stars.
Read for the June 2023 Gloss Book club, I'm so glad this book was put on my radar.
August 17, 2021
All The Lonely People by Mike Gayle was such a special book. The story plot was completely engaging; it was funny, heartwarming, and so well written. The story begins with main character Hubert Bird, an 84 yo Jamaican widower living in London alone. With no friends and living a lonely solitary life, all he looked forward to on a weekly basis was a phone call from his daughter Rose, from Australia. Hubert for the last five years had created a complex story about his imaginary friends Dotty, Dennis and Harvey to keep his daughter from worrying about him. Now Rose wants to visit London, and Hubert only has a few days to make his imaginary friends into reality, which means Hubert has to open himself up to forge new friendships.
In alternating chapters of the present and the past, we glean in the past, a young Hubert Bird as he arrived to London from Jamaica as a young man experiencing first love, racism and the struggles of a young mixed race family in 1950’s London.
The story is also about mental health, being lonely, the power of friendships, human connection and human touch, as well as, the importance of persistence and learning how to never to give up on people.
I laughed and I cried reading this solid five star read. There are very few characters in literature that make a lasting impact, with the likes of Ove or Eudora Honeysett - Hubert Bird will be one of those characters I will forever cherish.
In alternating chapters of the present and the past, we glean in the past, a young Hubert Bird as he arrived to London from Jamaica as a young man experiencing first love, racism and the struggles of a young mixed race family in 1950’s London.
The story is also about mental health, being lonely, the power of friendships, human connection and human touch, as well as, the importance of persistence and learning how to never to give up on people.
I laughed and I cried reading this solid five star read. There are very few characters in literature that make a lasting impact, with the likes of Ove or Eudora Honeysett - Hubert Bird will be one of those characters I will forever cherish.
August 31, 2021
3.5 stars.
I liked this one. It is definitely a character driven story. The MC, Hubert, was a great character and he was worth getting to know. He was wonderfully drawn. He had his heart in the right place and he also had some mighty big walls protecting it. I liked the way that element ebbed and flowed throughout. The other characters were also fun to get to know and they all felt purposeful.
This is a sweet story and it evokes warm fuzzies in a big way. I can see why it has so many rave reviews, but I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars. I enjoyed the story and the characters but it felt a little too orchestrated in the last third as it strayed close to the "unbelievable" line. Some of these elements needed anchoring. So all in all, I'm going with 3 stars.
I liked this one. It is definitely a character driven story. The MC, Hubert, was a great character and he was worth getting to know. He was wonderfully drawn. He had his heart in the right place and he also had some mighty big walls protecting it. I liked the way that element ebbed and flowed throughout. The other characters were also fun to get to know and they all felt purposeful.
This is a sweet story and it evokes warm fuzzies in a big way. I can see why it has so many rave reviews, but I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars. I enjoyed the story and the characters but it felt a little too orchestrated in the last third as it strayed close to the "unbelievable" line. Some of these elements needed anchoring. So all in all, I'm going with 3 stars.
April 20, 2024
I have a perpetual idea that maybe a feel-good book will lighten my spirits and put a spring in my step.
Then I pick one up and spend the entire time muttering like an old cynical shut in, thinking, “Yeah, like it'd be that easy!!😒” almost hoping for the character to fall into a pit figuratively or literally ... and that might make me sound like I’m just a killjoy.
And I have no follow-up to that.
Except I take my books with doom and gloom.
And this is a sweet book, with a great message and well written… grumpy old man loses touch with all his friends and has to hastily put together a social group since he’s been lying to his long-distance daughter that he’s had one for years. Well, let me tell you one thing: chatting with strangers and finding a community is beautiful, but his character development went from 0 to 100 in a span of a few chapters. One day, Herbert is Oscar the grouch, and the next, he’s full-on Chatty Cathy. And things are falling into his lap with these new friends and becoming a local celebrity? It’s like magic.
So poor Herbert tittered closer and closer to the edge of the fictional book pit, but out of nowhere I was hit with a left hook. Then a bombshell and then rounded out with a twist. I was so invested each time but it would last a good 5 seconds before we went straight back to the feel-goodery like, are we going to address this or no? Just another speech and a crowd of people making him feel good, okay, dokay ….
But I did get lost in the story. This is truly a “wait for it” kind of read with how much it picks up towards the end. Also, side note, but it seems like the books I’ve been reading this past month all deal with grieving and how it plays such cruel and strange tricks with our sense of reality.
But overall, I completely understand why, for the right reader, this book is an easy 5.
For the lonely hearts club this might feel more abrasive than soothing. 3.6 out of 5?
Then I pick one up and spend the entire time muttering like an old cynical shut in, thinking, “Yeah, like it'd be that easy!!😒” almost hoping for the character to fall into a pit figuratively or literally ... and that might make me sound like I’m just a killjoy.
And I have no follow-up to that.
Except I take my books with doom and gloom.
And this is a sweet book, with a great message and well written… grumpy old man loses touch with all his friends and has to hastily put together a social group since he’s been lying to his long-distance daughter that he’s had one for years. Well, let me tell you one thing: chatting with strangers and finding a community is beautiful, but his character development went from 0 to 100 in a span of a few chapters. One day, Herbert is Oscar the grouch, and the next, he’s full-on Chatty Cathy. And things are falling into his lap with these new friends and becoming a local celebrity? It’s like magic.
So poor Herbert tittered closer and closer to the edge of the fictional book pit, but out of nowhere I was hit with a left hook. Then a bombshell and then rounded out with a twist. I was so invested each time but it would last a good 5 seconds before we went straight back to the feel-goodery like, are we going to address this or no? Just another speech and a crowd of people making him feel good, okay, dokay ….
But I did get lost in the story. This is truly a “wait for it” kind of read with how much it picks up towards the end. Also, side note, but it seems like the books I’ve been reading this past month all deal with grieving and how it plays such cruel and strange tricks with our sense of reality.
But overall, I completely understand why, for the right reader, this book is an easy 5.
For the lonely hearts club this might feel more abrasive than soothing. 3.6 out of 5?
July 12, 2022
This book has been on my radar for a while now. I've seen nothing but race reviews on it and I remember it being on several reviewer's lists of top 10 books of 2021.
All The Lonely People centers around Hubert Bird, an 82-year-old black immigrant from Jamaica who is living in London. Hubert is a widower and lives a very lonely life. The only thing he looks forward to is weekly phone calls to his daughter Rose who lives in Australia. During these weekly phone calls, Hubert has painted a false narrative of his life filled with fun times with friends. One day Rose lets Hubert know that she will be arriving soon for a 6-week visit and she is super excited to meet his ‘friends’. So before Rose arrives Hubert must complete the seemingly impossible task of making his real-life appear to be the same as he has described to his daughter.
Years ago I read and loved A Man Called Ove so, of course, any book that centers around a persnickety or grumpy elderly person captures my attention. This story immediately grabbed my attention. I adored Hubert Bird. The author gives us Hubert’s backstory which is both gloriously beautiful and deeply heartbreaking so the reader understands why Hubert’s demeanor is standoffish. I enjoyed following Hubert from the beginning and I loved watching him evolve throughout the book. But it wasn't just Hubert, I also loved all of the well-developed and diverse cast of secondary characters.
This book is extremely well written. Mike Gayle did a phenomenal job covering the various aspect of loneliness and the different ways that it can affect us. This book also touches on the value of friendship and inclusion and how important they are to every generation. All The Lonely People is an unforgettable story that made me laugh, and cry, and filled me with hope.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a feel-good read. All The Lonely People would also make an excellent choice for book clubs.
All The Lonely People by Mike Gayle will be available on August 2 in paperback with a stunning new cover(it is available now in Hardcover). The paperback copy also includes a reading group guide with discussion questions and a Q&A with the author! A massive thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted copy!
All The Lonely People centers around Hubert Bird, an 82-year-old black immigrant from Jamaica who is living in London. Hubert is a widower and lives a very lonely life. The only thing he looks forward to is weekly phone calls to his daughter Rose who lives in Australia. During these weekly phone calls, Hubert has painted a false narrative of his life filled with fun times with friends. One day Rose lets Hubert know that she will be arriving soon for a 6-week visit and she is super excited to meet his ‘friends’. So before Rose arrives Hubert must complete the seemingly impossible task of making his real-life appear to be the same as he has described to his daughter.
Years ago I read and loved A Man Called Ove so, of course, any book that centers around a persnickety or grumpy elderly person captures my attention. This story immediately grabbed my attention. I adored Hubert Bird. The author gives us Hubert’s backstory which is both gloriously beautiful and deeply heartbreaking so the reader understands why Hubert’s demeanor is standoffish. I enjoyed following Hubert from the beginning and I loved watching him evolve throughout the book. But it wasn't just Hubert, I also loved all of the well-developed and diverse cast of secondary characters.
This book is extremely well written. Mike Gayle did a phenomenal job covering the various aspect of loneliness and the different ways that it can affect us. This book also touches on the value of friendship and inclusion and how important they are to every generation. All The Lonely People is an unforgettable story that made me laugh, and cry, and filled me with hope.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a feel-good read. All The Lonely People would also make an excellent choice for book clubs.
All The Lonely People by Mike Gayle will be available on August 2 in paperback with a stunning new cover(it is available now in Hardcover). The paperback copy also includes a reading group guide with discussion questions and a Q&A with the author! A massive thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted copy!
January 20, 2021
I have only one word for this book: PERFECTION!
It broke my heart, made me cry, it's just so sad. And I loved it so much.
Hubert is a very old, lonely man who still lives in his past. He grew up in Jamaica, but his life brought him to England where he meets Joyce, the woman of his life. Soon, they get married and have their own family. In reality, Hubert lives alone with his cat, and has no connection with the rest of the world. He does not want to speak with anyone except his daughter, Rose, who lives in Australia. Rose wants only one thing for her father - to have some friends. And because of that Hubert finds himself lying to Rose about having so much fun with his fictional friends. They don't exist anywhere except in his head. But, Rose's wants to come home to see her father...
I love the author's writing style and the plot is very interesting. I had to read this book 'til the end. I just had to see what happens. And that plot twist - aahhh. It blew my mind!
Loved this book so much, I recommend it to everyone!
I give it big five out of five stars.
It broke my heart, made me cry, it's just so sad. And I loved it so much.
Hubert is a very old, lonely man who still lives in his past. He grew up in Jamaica, but his life brought him to England where he meets Joyce, the woman of his life. Soon, they get married and have their own family. In reality, Hubert lives alone with his cat, and has no connection with the rest of the world. He does not want to speak with anyone except his daughter, Rose, who lives in Australia. Rose wants only one thing for her father - to have some friends. And because of that Hubert finds himself lying to Rose about having so much fun with his fictional friends. They don't exist anywhere except in his head. But, Rose's wants to come home to see her father...
I love the author's writing style and the plot is very interesting. I had to read this book 'til the end. I just had to see what happens. And that plot twist - aahhh. It blew my mind!
Loved this book so much, I recommend it to everyone!
I give it big five out of five stars.
July 28, 2021
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.
July 21, 2021
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This was fantastic! I decided to read this book because I liked the sound of it and it was better than I could have hoped it would be. I was drawn into this story of Hubert Bird’s life right away and became more and more enthralled as I worked my way through the book. I am so glad that I took a chance on this book!
Hubert Bird is an older gentleman living alone and he rarely sees or talks to anyone except for his cat. Once a week, his daughter calls, and he makes up stories about his life that he believes she wants to hear. When she tells him that she plans to come for a visit and wants to meet all of his friends, he knows he needs to find some friends quickly. Meanwhile, his new neighbor and her little girl seem determined to work their way into his life. Before he knows it, he has a rather active life and is part of a group hoping to end loneliness for everyone.
I love the characters in this book. Hubert immigrated to England from Jamaica as a young man. The racism that he faced was eye-opening. When he meets Joyce and they fall in love, they both went through a lot because of the reaction to their interracial relationship. Hubert goes through a lot of really difficult things over the course of his life and there were times my heart broke from him. The twist took me completely by surprise which was a big point in this book’s favor.
Ben Onwukwe did an amazing job with this book. After listening to this book, I couldn’t imagine experiencing this book in any other way. I really felt like he brought Hubert to life. I loved the accents and the different voices that he used in narrating this story. I thought that he had a very pleasant voice and was able to bring out the emotion in the story.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I found this to be a wonderful story about the life of a man with an interesting story to tell. I definitely plan to read more of this author’s work in the future.
I received a copy of this audiobook from Hachette Audio via Libro.fm.
Initial Thoughts
This was fantastic! I decided to give this book a try because I liked the sound of it. It was even better than I had hoped. I was drawn to Hubert Bird and loved learning his life story. The book touched on so many important and relevant topics and I loved the characters. The twist completely took me by surprise which was a big point in this book's favor. I thought that the narration added a lot to the story which I believe added to my overall enjoyment of the story.
This was fantastic! I decided to read this book because I liked the sound of it and it was better than I could have hoped it would be. I was drawn into this story of Hubert Bird’s life right away and became more and more enthralled as I worked my way through the book. I am so glad that I took a chance on this book!
Hubert Bird is an older gentleman living alone and he rarely sees or talks to anyone except for his cat. Once a week, his daughter calls, and he makes up stories about his life that he believes she wants to hear. When she tells him that she plans to come for a visit and wants to meet all of his friends, he knows he needs to find some friends quickly. Meanwhile, his new neighbor and her little girl seem determined to work their way into his life. Before he knows it, he has a rather active life and is part of a group hoping to end loneliness for everyone.
I love the characters in this book. Hubert immigrated to England from Jamaica as a young man. The racism that he faced was eye-opening. When he meets Joyce and they fall in love, they both went through a lot because of the reaction to their interracial relationship. Hubert goes through a lot of really difficult things over the course of his life and there were times my heart broke from him. The twist took me completely by surprise which was a big point in this book’s favor.
Ben Onwukwe did an amazing job with this book. After listening to this book, I couldn’t imagine experiencing this book in any other way. I really felt like he brought Hubert to life. I loved the accents and the different voices that he used in narrating this story. I thought that he had a very pleasant voice and was able to bring out the emotion in the story.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I found this to be a wonderful story about the life of a man with an interesting story to tell. I definitely plan to read more of this author’s work in the future.
I received a copy of this audiobook from Hachette Audio via Libro.fm.
Initial Thoughts
This was fantastic! I decided to give this book a try because I liked the sound of it. It was even better than I had hoped. I was drawn to Hubert Bird and loved learning his life story. The book touched on so many important and relevant topics and I loved the characters. The twist completely took me by surprise which was a big point in this book's favor. I thought that the narration added a lot to the story which I believe added to my overall enjoyment of the story.
August 17, 2023
All the Lonely People is heart wrenching, heart warming, and a realistic example of how easily people can quietly slip into isolation and loneliness without anyone noticing. Mike Gayle starts the reader out with the main character Hubert in the present trying to figure out how to make right a fantasy life that he's created for his daughter Rose so that she wouldn't worry about him living alone. We get to see glimpses of Hubert's life as a new arrival in England in 1957 from Jamaica until it converges with the present with Hubert living alone in England after having to let go of his three great loves; his wife and two children in different ways and for different reasons over the course of his life. Hubert's story isn't the only one of loneliness in this book. We also get examples of how other people fell into loneliness through a best friend that Hubert lost contact with, a young neighbor, and a few other local people who find their way to each other. The way Gayle writes the details of Hubert's life as so beautifully ordinary with it's challenges, temptations, and joys that I easily fell into the rhythm of this story and there was never a good breaking point for me to want to put the book down. I wanted to read just one more paragraph, just one more page, then just let me finish this chapter before I stop to do real life stuff, which was a joy. There is a revelation in this story towards the end that literally made me gasp and with it Gayle almost made me shed a tear. I breathed through it and managed to only mist up, but dang he hit me in the heart with it. This story isn't perfect, the ending was a bit rushed and I would have liked it to have been filled out more, but I'm giving this story five starts for how it left me feeling at the end and the fact that Hubert will stick with me for a very long time. I will be picking up some of Gayle's backlist because I enjoyed this so much.
I received a review copy from the publisher.
Where you can find me:
Twitter: @monicaisreading
Instagram: @readermonica
I received a review copy from the publisher.
Where you can find me:
Twitter: @monicaisreading
Instagram: @readermonica
Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,429 reviews