Before I went to university I wanted to be a social worker — I have no idea why. It didn’t last long. 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).

The incredibly moving and uplifting novel "Half a World Away" is an acute observation of human nature and is written by Mike Gayle, bestselling author of "The Man I Think I Know".

It isn't easy, it is heart-wrenching, but, oh, is it worth reading. I can't recommend this book highly enough.' Vine One pinballs from placement to placement before finally growing up in a care home. A rough start in life, a need to fend for herself and eventually, a determination to ‘make good’. Kerry lives a humble but happy life as the single mother of her son, Kian, in a west London council estate, working hard as a cleaner. Flying half way round the world, he is furious, scared and hurting. The process in Kazakhstan is not going smoothly and the parents are not given the baby promised to them. Instead, they are shown children who are biologically deformed, and/or gravely challenged.

International adoption, especially private adoptions (their agency had closed)can be challenging. But even without an agency -- they don't have a lawyer? For Jaden's adoption, too ... yes, birthdates on papers sometimes change. But four years for a child that age? (One of my daughters was said to be 8 but later turned out to, most likely, be about 10. But saying a four year old was a baby? I have seen some physical conditions approved for visas if the adopting parents understood what they were... but the US is very strict about intellectual issues.Because electricity is magic,” he’d answered. That same psychiatrist was the first of many to say that Jaden couldn’t attach properly to Steve and Penni because of being betrayed by the one caretaker he’d ever had—his mother. From age four to eight, he’d had to fend for himself in group homes. Jaden was adopted at the age of 8. Now at 12, his adoptive parents decides to adopt a new baby. He and his parents are travelling to Kazakhstan to meet the new member of their family. The problem is the baby is already adoptive by other family when they arrived. They end up choosing another baby. Meanwhile, Jaden meets a 3-year old boy and he starts to bond with him. Everyone is talking about this quite tearful read Half A World Away by Mike Gayle, anyone with the love of good books can see why everyone is talking this story. Kerry Hayes knows exactly who she is: a single mum, a cleaner and Mariah Carey's biggest fan. Noah Martineau thinks he knows who he is: a successful barrister, with a wife, daughter and big house in Primrose Hill. Strangers with nothing in common. Strangers living worlds apart. But it wasn't always this way...and Noah and Kerry are about to discover just who they really are....." Anyway, here he was at twelve, and now his adoptive so-called parents were adopting another child, a baby boy from Kazakhstan. He figured he knew why they were adopting again: They weren’t satisfied with him. Whenever he thought that, he felt tears welling up. He didn’t know if he was upset for himself, because they weren’t satisfied with him, or for the baby, because if the baby was up for adoption, it meant the mother had abandoned him, and Jaden knew what that was like.

Half A World Away is a outstanding book. How you ask well it touches your heart with the simplest story. Jaden, a 12 year old boy adopted from Kazakhstan by Penni and Steve. Jaden has had a rough life from being given up from his mom, because she was bored of him. To being adopted and going to therapist to therapists. Jaden soon discovers that his parents are wanting another kid, Are they bored of me? Am I not good enough? He asks himself, what will Jaden do next?All together .. I was very disappointed in this book. I wanted to like it. But it was a prose-poem to love and acceptance disguised as a novel. Heartbreaking and wonderful, a beautiful book about the power of love to surmount almost anything. (Julie Cohen) Steve had just gotten home from work, so he was wearing a suit and tie. His suits were all slightly too small because he’d gained weight recently. “I hear you didn’t go to school. Whatcha been up to all day?” Steve asked Jaden. These are people who matter, situations one can believe. Most readers will find themselves caring very much. A life-affirming read.' Vine

This is a beautiful, beautiful book. It’s about family, about class, about love, about choices and sacrifice. It’s about letting go and learning to hold on. It’s optimistic and heartbreaking and funny and emotional. It’s the kind of book that will stay with you, long after you finish it. Buy it, read it, love it – and hang on to those tissues, you’ll need them.’ Netgalley I was almost in floods of tears for most of the last fifth of the book, and kept having to swallow the lump in my throat, purely as I didn't want people wondering why on earth I was crying poolside on holiday.

I do need to warn readers that this is an intensely emotional book, although beautifully written and uplifting in parts, it does give cause to have tissues close by but I did enjoy it and I would definitely read more by this author again. A tug at the heartstrings but funny, endearing and uplifting and a story I won't forget. An absolute must read! I kind of wish I hadn’t let Catherine talk me into this dinner date,” Penni was saying. “We’ve got so much to do before we leave.”