Book Description:
The secrets that bind us can also tear us apart…
1990. Harriet is a journalist. Her job takes her to dangerous places, where she asks questions and tries to make a difference. But when she is sent to Romania, to the state orphanages the world is only just learning about, she is forced to rethink her most important rule.
2018. Ellie is a gardener. Her garden is her sanctuary, her pride and joy. But, though she spends long days outdoors, she hasn’t set foot beyond her gate for far too long. Now someone enters her life who could finally be the reason she needs to overcome her fears.
From post-revolution Romania to the idyllic English countryside, The World at My Feet is the story of two women, two worlds, and a journey of self-discovery that spans a lifetime.
The dazzling new novel from Richard & Judy book club author Catherine Isaac, The World at my Feet is a story about the transforming power of love, as one woman journeys to uncover the past and reshape her future.
My Thoughts:
Having recently read and loved another of the authors books, I was very keen to read more by her and her latest novel seemed the obvious choice.
There is a little bit of everything within these pages. It is such a lovely and sweet read. There are a few characters who I absolutely adored, Ellie of course as well as Jamie the delivery man and little Oscar. Through these characters, more so Oscar and Jamie, there are some wonderful light hearted moments that had me chuckling away.
Ellie is quite a complex character, in some ways I envied her gardening skills and how she delivers her garden and herself on social media. It goes to show though that not everything is as it appears on the internet. Ellie’s early childhood has a big hold on who she is today and she struggles to move on from it. As much as I am a home bird, the thought of not going anywhere or doing everyday things that we take for granted, it made me feel quite claustrophobic. There is a vulnerability about her character that pulls on your heart strings and by the end she felt closer than a friend, almost like family.
The World at my Feet was an eye opening read. Through Ellie and Harriet, we learn more about what orphanages were like in Romania and the quality of life for children in them. Ellie’s own story was both endearing and heart-breaking. Whilst it was emotional in parts, it was also uplifting. With how the story ends, I would love for there to be another book following on from this as there is a character who is in the background in this one whose own story I would love to hear in more detail. Catherine Isaac is without a doubt an author whose books I will be on a constant lookout for. Her novels are such gentle and wonderful reads that get under the readers skin and the characters make their way into your heart.
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