HAPPINESS FOR BEGINNERS- Carole Matthews
HAPPINESS FOR BEGINNERS: heart-warming and uplifting- a perfect summer read!
Matthews has written a beautiful story set on Hope Farm, an alternative setting for children who cannot access mainstream education for a variety of reasons. Whilst the story itself is fictional it’s based on the amazing work of Animal Antiks. This storyline itself hooked me in from the first chapter; as a teacher I’ve fully witnessed the benefit of these types of provisions and the benefits of animal therapy so I was definitely on board from the beginning.
If that wasn’t enough to peak my interest, Matthews has also developed a huge bank of amazingly well-considered characters, both human and animal alike. I thought the characterisation was fantastic,
with the strong and original protagonist of Molly, a beautiful personality with a pared down life including a dilapidated old caravan, as well as the humourous spin that was particularly put on the much-loved animals that reside at the farm. The relationships between the characters are emotional but uplifting with Molly’s motherly relationship with Lucas being my favourite- it was believable, honest and the raw emotion felt by the pair shone through in Matthews’ writing.
The storyline itself highlights a number of themes that help develop the story and keep it a pacey and enjoyable read that I devoured. Whilst the ending is somewhat predictable, the pure magic of the story for me was in the emotions and the development of the characters as individuals and their self awareness. It’s the journey that makes the book special, enjoyable and the fantastic easy read that it is!
I was gifted this book by Little Brown exchange for an honest review.
Matthews has written a beautiful story set on Hope Farm, an alternative setting for children who cannot access mainstream education for a variety of reasons. Whilst the story itself is fictional it’s based on the amazing work of Animal Antiks. This storyline itself hooked me in from the first chapter; as a teacher I’ve fully witnessed the benefit of these types of provisions and the benefits of animal therapy so I was definitely on board from the beginning.
If that wasn’t enough to peak my interest, Matthews has also developed a huge bank of amazingly well-considered characters, both human and animal alike. I thought the characterisation was fantastic,
with the strong and original protagonist of Molly, a beautiful personality with a pared down life including a dilapidated old caravan, as well as the humourous spin that was particularly put on the much-loved animals that reside at the farm. The relationships between the characters are emotional but uplifting with Molly’s motherly relationship with Lucas being my favourite- it was believable, honest and the raw emotion felt by the pair shone through in Matthews’ writing.
The storyline itself highlights a number of themes that help develop the story and keep it a pacey and enjoyable read that I devoured. Whilst the ending is somewhat predictable, the pure magic of the story for me was in the emotions and the development of the characters as individuals and their self awareness. It’s the journey that makes the book special, enjoyable and the fantastic easy read that it is!
I was gifted this book by Little Brown exchange for an honest review.
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