2024 the best of everything cast review

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(as of Dec 13, 2024 08:29:08 UTC - Details)

The Lady in the Van meets The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry in this uplifting, funny and moving debut novel about a 79-year-old hoarder who is convinced the world is against her.

79-year-old Gloria Frensham is a hoarder. She lives amongst piles of magazines, cardboard boxes and endless knick-knacks that are stacked into every room of her home, and teeter in piles along the landing and up the stairs.

She hasn’t left the house in years, but when a sudden smell of burning signifies real danger, she is forced to make a sudden departure and leave behind her beloved possessions.

Determined she’s not ready for a care home, Gloria sets out to discover what life still has to offer her. It’s time to navigate the outside world on her own, one step at a time, with just one very small suitcase in tow…

Heart-warming and poignant in equal measure, this is a story about the loneliness of life, the struggles of growing old, the power of kindness, and the bravery it takes to leave our comfort zones.

** Praise for The Woman Who Kept Everything **

‘Without a doubt, readers will be charmed by the many colourful characters and their relationships with each other, as well as where life takes Gloria next.’

‘This delightful book will enchant any reader who has a soul.’

‘Fans of A Man Called Ove and Three Things About Elsie will find comfortable, enjoyable ground here.’

‘It would make a great and inspired book club read.’

‘A beautiful, charming, witty story’

‘This is a novel that perhaps we all need to read. It is a realistic look into aging with humour and some sadness, that all too many often forget to see.’

‘A lesson on how to live life!’

‘Oh Gloria Frensham, what a fabulous ride you gave us on your adventures in this book. I suspect this will turn out to be a film and very much on a par with Lady in the Van.’

From the Publisher

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Avon; Reprint edition (August 4, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0008308632
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0008308636
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.08 x 0.75 x 7.8 inches
Reviewer: Mycv
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Tragic beginning leads to a fun-filled ending.
Review: This book is.a wonderfully written story starting in tragedy and pessimism and ending in optimistic wonderment for a group of players who find themselves at 80 looking forward instead of back.I'm sure many will find this sugar coated and somewhat Pollyanna-ish. However it is uplifting and has you rooting for the underdog.Being a lover of many things British I was enchanted with the dialect and how perfectly it was applied in the social setting.given..Also having traveled in the UK and having read a great many stories set in the British Isles I loved following the story as it moved from place to place. I certainly could smell the sea and feel the sand in my toes. But also appreciate the pathos in which the story began and ran throughout the book.

Reviewer: Shari Ring Wolf
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Delightful due to liberties
Review: This was a nice, feel good story, about ...elderly? No. Old people. The main character is 80. I think the story would have been plausible if our heroine had been at least ten years younger. As many other reviewers have pointed out, serious issues in the book were glossed over and treated with a simplistic perspective. The woman was a hoarder for at least a decade, and she completely recovered after just two weeks of talking with a social worker. She has agoraphobia, but after those two weeks, she is traveling to unknown places, on her own--at 80 years of age.I read the reviews before I read the book, so I went in ready to forgive those liberties taken by the author. What I couldn't get past or pretend to believe was the rocking good health and fitness this octogenarian and her cohorts enjoyed. At 80, she climbs a flight of steps, shops, sightsees, does heavy housecleaning, sleeps on the floor, and other physically demanding tasks that are difficult for most people over age 65. She is totally unprepared for old age, too. It's not like she is Jane Fonda, who worked out and took care of her body in midlife.I loved the message in the story that says we do not stop living because we age, which is a delightful truth. But this was shown by having an 80 year old living physically like someone half her age! I would have preferred that our leading lady had more realistic adventures. She would take some medications, use a walker; have a hearing aid. She would need to chose her adventures according to her energy level and health restrictions. These are facts of getting older and there is no shame in them being a part of one's life. I wish the story had shown more of the wisdom that only those who have lived long can impart.Still, I enjoyed the story. It was fast paced with witty dialogue. I love reading stories about elderly people though few of them seem to present the realities of being older. I loved the British slang and laugh out loud moments in this book. Despite the author's taking many liberties, it's definitely worthwhile read.

Reviewer: love words
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Sweet but simple
Review: Sweet and amusing but a bit prosaic. At times I felt like I was reading an anecdotal manual on how to treat our seniors (it could be in part due to being very close to that myself!). Lots of good lessons here (communicate! Forgive! Don’t wait to state your needs!) but very little nuance. Not sorry I read it, but would have liked more substance.

Reviewer: Janice Eyre
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Delighfully Told Tale with Surprising Twists and Superb Gifts for the Reader
Review: Set in England, this unexpected tale gets so much right! Gloria is helped to see that there is life after loss, as well as that, even at 80, she still controls her own life and doesn't have to let anyone take that away from her. She not only turns her life around, but impacts the people around her in ways that make them rethink and reinvent, too, and they all end up happier because of it.This is a tale of family and a tale of friends, a tale of facing what life hands you, a tale of taking life by the horns and taming it, a tale of caring, a tale of each of us. It is a tale delightfully told and beautifully narrated. I am a better person for having read it, and I heartily recommend this book. I'm hoping more of Ms. Gilly's books will be available on Audible soon.

Reviewer: Laurel-Rain Snow
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A WOMAN REINVENTS HERSELF...
Review: 79-year-old Gloria Frensham is a hoarder. She lives amongst piles of magazines, cardboard boxes and endless knick-knacks that are stacked into every room of her home, and teeter in piles along the landing and up the stairs. She hasn’t left the house in years, but when a sudden smell of burning signifies real danger, she is forced to make a sudden departure and leave behind her beloved possessions. Determined she’s not ready for a care home, Gloria sets out to discover what life still has to offer her. It’s time to navigate the outside world on her own, one step at a time, with just one very small suitcase in tow…My Thoughts: Gloria was a delightful character, even while she was surrounded by her hoards of possessions. I liked her feisty and stubborn ways, which helped her deal with what happened after her domineering son Clegg removed her from the house, set her up in a nursing home, and then planned to discard her, along with her possessions.But Gloria found a way to turn life’s lemons into lemonade, and it was so inspiring to follow her along as she found her own way in her new reality.My favorite parts: when she recovered her “voice” and told Clegg off, I was cheering.I kept turning the pages of The Woman Who Kept Everything as Gloria rediscovered adventure and developed her own plan for her future. I liked that, despite having lost many of her friends, there were still a few who were there for her.As a senior citizen, I love discovering how people who have been tossed aside by their families find a way to reinvent themselves. It helps if they are basically healthy and have a pension. A clear-minded persona can rise from the depression and move forward. Cheers to Gloria!On the downside, the changes in Gloria came about from a startling incident that forced her to look at her life. Her moving forward happened rather quickly, but I enjoyed the process nevertheless. Sometimes we do want life to be like a movie, solved within a two-hour period. So, despite these minor “flaws,” I thoroughly enjoyed Gloria’s journey. 4 stars.

Reviewer: Lynda P.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I enjoyed this read it had different experiences and did not know what was going to happen but it did have a happy ending

Reviewer: charlenepb
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I really enjoyed this, a real feel good story!!

Reviewer: Sylvia S
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I liked the way this book tackles the manifestation of some serious mental health problems. It is a heartwarming account of a theme also based on - It’s never too late....It’s style seems naive, but that may be to bring to life the main character. Would have been good to delve into more detail of the root of the problems within the family, and one revelation by the main character I feel, was grossly underplayed. That said, it was a gentle read and brings into focus some of the very real issues many families face as we live in a time where our ageing population is growing exponentially. It provokes thought about how in our culture, we need to re-imagine what happens to give people the quality of life they deserve in “later life”.

Reviewer: Mig Bardsley
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This book was bursting with good messages about being old, being kind, living life to the full, not being crushed by circumstances and etc, but to be honest, it read like a kind of self help documentary. As a novel it fell down heavily on characterisation and dialogue (the representation of a local accent was rather heavy handed). The plot was good though and the story moved along well and if you want a look at the implications of old age and some of it's problems it's an interesting read.

Reviewer: Annie
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: What a hot to read , smiles, tears and lots of laughter too, with the wonderful eclectic mix of characters most of who were in or heading into their twilight years . Having reach State Pension age a couple of years ago and finally retiring just over a year ago many things these wonderful characters go through struck a deep chord with me ! Having encountered some Health issues since my retirement , and finding that lots of people who told our daughter when she moved thousands of miles away , that they would keep an eye out for her dad and I , this has not transpired so we know it's just the two of us ,now taking things day by day but also making sure we enjoy as much of every day as we can , finding things to treasure even when our days are spent at home . This is a very poignant story and one many can relate too and also learn things from , I hope that others will enjoy it as much as I have .