About the Author
Anna Wilson travels the world as a professional housesitter – stepping into other people’s lives – caring for their homes, pets and sometimes even neighbours. Living vicariously.
She studied International Management in Bath and Germany, before gaining experience with the BBC. She then set up an independent Film Location Agency and spent many happy years organising shoots for film, television and advertising – thereby ensuring that she was never short of travel opportunities, freelance writing projects or entertaining anecdotes.Penny now lives in the Cotswolds with her husband, two children and a geriatric spaniel. She will often be found plotting epic train journeys through the Alps, baking gluten-free goodies or attempting to prove that you can, in fact, teach an old dog new tricks.But all Anna has ever really wanted is a home of her own – a proper one, filled with family and love and happy memories. If only she knew where to start.Thanks to Sara-Jade at Simon & Schuster for sending me a review copy of this book.
Home is available now in hardback, audiobook and ebook.
Growing up in foster care, she always envied her friends their secure and carefree lives, their certainty and confidence. And, while those same friends may have become her family of choice, Anna is still stuck in that nomadic cycle, looking for answers, trying to find the courage to put down roots and find a place to call home.
Home is such an emotional and compelling read. Anna is a character it would be hard not to take to your heart. With her challenging life in foster care, sometimes with wonderful carers though sometimes not fitting in, she just doesn’t know what it means to be part of a family. Understandably, she’s afraid to let herself find out in case she is let down again. Despite her difficult life, with the support of a wonderful English teacher, she makes it to University and makes a lifelong friend in lovely, supportive Kate. Afraid to settle, she spends years as a professional house-sitter, living in all kinds of houses in all kinds of places and getting glimpses of what home means for others.
A gripping and heartfelt story about overcoming the past and finding where you belong.
I’m been looking forward to reading this book for ages having heard Penny Parkes talk about it at a few online events and, more recently, having read so many wonderful review of it. It was worth the wait as I so enjoyed it.
Home is a beautifully written story about finding your place in the world and security in knowing that you are loved. It’s a captivating read with a memorable character at its heart and with such an uplifting, touching message of courage and belonging. I absolutely loved it.
What’s the book about?
My Thoughts
What Anna comes to realise is that home is not about a place, it’s about the people you share your home with. It’s about filling your life with people that you love and just as importantly who love you. Anna so deserved that love and to feel secure enough to put down roots after all her feelings of loss and abandonment. I just wanted to wrap her in a big hug.
Compelling, rich and evocative, Home is Anna’s journey to discovering that it isn’t where you settle down that matters, but the people you have around you when you do.
Twitter: @CotswoldPenny
Penny Parkes survived a Convent education largely thanks to a ready supply of inappropriate novels and her passion for writing and languages.
