All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle

“Loneliness is a bigger killer than cancer and no one is doing anything about it...It used to be that you belonged to a community but really is there such a thing anymore?”

It's hard to believe, but I have another 5 star read for you.

And I have a character who you will probably NEVER forget.

Meet Hubert Bird. One of the most endearing, heartbreaking, multi-layered protagonists I've ever met.

First, I almost insist that you listen to this book. The narration by Ben Onwukwe is unparalleled. He brought the character of Hubert to life in a way that would be hard to replicate on the page. Now, I'm sure if I had read this instead of experiencing it as an audio I would have adored it as well - there is no way to not fall head over heels in love with this man. But the narration is remarkable and Onwukwe's voice is OUTSTANDING.

This novel is...

A love story.

A parenting story.

A story of aging.

A story of loss.

A story of redemption.

A story of race, selfless love, loneliness and friendship.

Did I forget anything? Probably, because it's all there.

It is rare to find character study of a book that didn't miss a THING. And often books doing all can get a bit cheesy. Not this one. I was so invested in the life of Hubert Bird I feel as though I know him...I wish I knew him.

The way the author was able to blend such despair with hope was remarkable. One minute I was sobbing (yep, this will make you cry. And if you don't, I think you need your emotions checked) and the next minute I was smiling a huge smile. Your heart will grow 100x reading this book (well, please listen).