A Knock at the Door

by Rob Parsons

Christmas 1975 and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is riding high in the charts. In a residential street just outside Cardiff a loud knocking breaks the stillness of the evening. When Rob Parsons, a young lawyer, opens his door, he finds a homeless man standing before him, clutching a bag of belongings and a frozen chicken. Rob and his wife Dianne invite Ronnie Lockwood into their home, cook his chicken and offer him shelter for the night. What happens next is an astonishing story of human kindness, self-learning, incredible pain, unbelievable hope and the sheer power of love to change a life.

A Knock at the Door is the true story of this homeless man who entered the home of a young couple, became a dustman and lived as part of their family for over forty-five years until his death. But this is not just Ronnie’s story – it is also that of the young couple and their children. Outwardly their lives were worlds apart – as Ronnie emptied rubbish bins, the lawyer flew on Concorde. And yet the two men discovered they had similar struggles, and the day came when at the lowest moment of their lives the couple turned to the homeless man for help. But there were remarkable turnarounds for both Rob and Ronnie. Ronnie, spent much of his spare time volunteering, including in a homeless centre and ended up having a £1.6 million well-being centre named after him. Rob left the law practice and he and Dianne began a charity that touches the lives of millions of people. You will never have read a story like this before, but at its heart is a simple whether we are a lawyer or a dustman – tomorrow doesn’t always have to be like yesterday.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Autobiography, Ebooks, Audiobook

358 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 21, 2024

About the author

Rob Parsons OBE is an international speaker on family issues and the author of many best-sellers including The Heart of Success and The 60-Minute Father. Over half a million people have attended his live seminars.

He is the founding chairman of Care for the Family.

Reviews

[Louise Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book, which is read by Rob Parsons. I didn't just sob. I UGLY WAILED sobbed. whilst in traffic. Run. Read it and then support their charity. I hope to be as kind and generous as the people in this book.

[Grace Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughter and tears in equal measure. It’s not often I get hooked on a book but I finished this in 5 days. Absolutely incredible story and written in such an enticing way.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wanted to read this for ages and worth the wait. Very sweet recollections of a unique family. Humorous but I shed (many) tears at the end

[Hannah Edgington · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐
Reading this book felt so good for the soul.

At times deeply moving, at others gently hilarious, I found "a knock at the door" so hard to put down. I've never read anything by Rob Parsons before this (but will certainly look to in future, he writes brilliantly!). But more than that, the story he tells is beautiful. The endorsements describe this as a "hopeful" book - I didn't really take that onboard before I started it, but having read it I wholeheartedly agree. It is so hopeful, and real, and emotional. The parts about Ronnie's childhood are honestly heartbreaking and are hard to read. And having ME myself, I found the part about Dianne's struggle with it painful to read too, as it hit so close to home. But it's mostly told with sensitivity and care, and I'm so glad these stories *are* being told. To be honest I would have loved to hear more from Dianne's perspective of actually being the one living with ME - but as this book is written from Rob's perspective I guess I'll let that slide.

The narrative became somewhat disjointed and rushed towards the end of the book, compared to the first 2/3rds. But despite this it remained absorbing and easy to read.

Thank you Rob, for sharing your (and Ronnie and Dianne's!) story. What an encouraging yet challenging one it is. We need more people like Ronnie and Rob and Dianne in the world ❤️

[Gaye Bagust · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story!!
As I had an Uncle who had a serious brain injury and was like Ronnie. Everyone in the family adored him....just like Ronnie. This book was awesome. Rob and Diane were amazing and ordinary....a straight forward couple who chose to walk the extra mile for Ronnie. I enjoyed it so much.
Well written and interesting.

[Mrs M C Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and thought provoking

I loved this book it was a great read and my only regret is not having met Ronnie. It confirmed that I want to do something for those young people that leave care and have no support.

[Samantha Smylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal book that truly makes you experience every emotion under the sun. Many tears were shed during the week that it took me to finish the book; I couldn’t put it down. Ronnie Lockwood and Rob Parsons have left a lasting impression on me.

[Fleury · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've just finished this lovely book.

This book had a little of everything. It is very enjoyable although quite sad. And was very funny at times (the part in the maternity made me laugh out loud)

I'd recommend this book to everyone

[Barbara Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true story ,a lovely heart touching account of how a small act of kindness became a life’s work. Interesting told from two points of view.

[Lauren Shaw]

I never like to rate someone’s personal story, but wow, there are some seriously good people in this world! Heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.

[Rachel Hurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

forever thankful to be one of the lucky ones who can call Ronnie family

[Henrietta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming and heartbreaking

[Arno Nieuwenhuize · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ik heb het met moeite droog kunnen houden. Wat een prachtig verhaal!

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely book about kindness and the good it can do.

[yes, my name is Ping · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We three are firm friends, aren’t we?”

I read this delightful memoir in two formats - the hardback, and the audiobook. I’ll definitely give the edge to the audiobook, as Rob himself reads it and his reading gives so much depth of emotion to the story. I was trying not to cry on public transport during the last few chapters!

The story is that of Ronnie, a homeless man with learning difficulties who had a hard start in life. But a knock on the right door on a cold winter’s night changed everything for him. Rob and his wife Dianne welcomed him into their home, and over time, their lives and hearts too. Not that the journey was all sunshine and roses, as this book frankly admits. But it is a powerful reminder that those whom society has cast off as being of no use often have so much to give. Read if you’re looking for a deeply touching and true story to curl up with by the Christmas tree!

[Janet Barclay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very heartwarming story about three people who did remarkable things.

A few years ago I was speaking with a couple who had taken in a man with special needs and now I wish I had paid more attention and asked more questions. I thought what they were doing was admirable but never considered that it was likely rewarding for them as well.

It makes me want to be a kinder person.

[Nikki Scannell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book everyone should read written by a man we should all aspire to be.

[Karen Mynett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful telling of a beautiful family and their kindness

Such a beautiful story. It moved me tears on occasion but also prompted laughter many times. Ronnie was considered for much of his life to be the least and the lost but Rob and Dianne made him feel accepted and loved. There will be a Ronnie that we all have known or know now. Let's change our perceptions and see them for the joy and willingness to help rather than for their inability to speak eloquently.
I must praise Rob and Dianne to for their work with Care for the Family. Thank you to for Rob and John helping to find Shirley innocent. You did an excellent thing.

[Heather Nazmdeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A homeless man knocks at the door of a young couple and somehow he becomes part of the family for 45 years. This is heart warming, nostalgic and very funny in parts. There is not a hint of self righteousness in the telling, rather a very honest admittance of annoyance and frustration with Ronnie at times with no glossing over of problems. I laughed often but also cried at the end and felt humbled.

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seems like it will be an interesting story, Ronnie is definitely a unique person, he strikes me as someone with learning difficulties but given this was the mid 70’s this probably wasn’t understood, despite this however he clearly appreciates the kindness that Rob and Diane has shown to him. I also enjoyed the stories from Rob’s childhood he clearly had a tough upbringing, his father obviously loved him and wanted the best for him teaching him about respect and finance but it doesn’t seem like there was much affection between them.

Rob and Diane are such genuine people, I think there was an element of just wanting permission from the other with regards to Ronnie, despite what they said and maybe even thought, I don’t think there was ever a chance they would have kicked Ronnie out. The Christmas story was nice and it’s good how Rob’s father was able to open up and showed respect for Ronnie. I really like the way Rob goes into his own childhood he also had a tough upbringing but it juxtaposes really nicely with the horror that Ronnie experienced, knowledge around learning difficulties was basically non existent at that time which meant he just floated around a system that didn’t know what to do with him, but that doesn’t absolve the people in power from the awful way he was allowed to be treated and then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy, if you get told you are useless by everyone you will start to believe it, Rob had the same but he was lucky to find someone that was willing to give him a chance, Ronnie eventually got that but not till much later.

It’s good that Ronnie is continuing to grow in confidence, getting him a job is the best thing for him, it gives him a consistent structure and something to really excel at. That is when he is at his happiest when he feels needed because he can do things for others. His reaction to the new room made sense but it was a necessary boundary to set especially with Diane having a baby. Fortunately they were able to make clear that they still loved Ronnie and wanted to have him around regularly but it was important that they also had their own space. It was good that he took to Katie well and wasn’t jealous that she would take up more of Rob and Diane’s time (it wouldn’t be intentional but it could have been a defensive mechanism). The reaction about him losing his first payslip was a sad section, he makes mistakes as everyone does but it will always seem more existential to him as he likely has been abused in the past for making a mistake, it’s why moments like the ones welcoming him into the church are so important for him to feel loved and appreciated by his peers.

The section where Rob acknowledges the what ifs that he always asks himself with regards to Ronnie is really telling, because we all evaluate our lives and wonder if we did the right thing in certain areas and what would have happened if things were different. It was also challenging to read about Rob and Diane drifting apart as well as Diane’s illness, it was a situation that happens to so many of us where we get so bogged down in the day to day we lose track about what is actually important. Diane’s line about giving them everything but time was a really good one. There were some heartwarming parts in these chapters as well, I like the commitment from the football teams to get Ronnie a goal and how well he responded to Rob’s “chef speciality” trick, it all boils down to him wanting to belong. The decision about him leaving is such a challenging one, he is a member of the family there’s no doubt but logistically it was always going to be a challenge as their children begin to grow up and equally would it be best for him to be able to be a bit more independent?

I think most people would empathise with the torture that Rob’s brain put him through during the death of his father, there is always an idea that our parents are ever-present within our lives and because of that we take them for granted and never truly know them. Ultimately though, the only thing you do know is that you love them and that’s the most important thing. The final few chapters are a great reminder of just how difficult the Covid lockdown was and how many moments it robbed from us. The idea that Ronnie wouldn’t have understood why he couldn’t see others and that Rob and Diane wouldn’t have been able to visit him is heartbreaking. Also the fact that 100’s of people were unable to say goodbye to a person that really made a difference in their lives. I think Rob sums it up best by acknowledging that Ronnie had changed his life as much as he had changed Ronnie’s and it all started from a single moment of empathy over 50 years earlier.

Rating - 8/10

[Val Robson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's only January but I think this is going to be my most memorable book of 2026. It's the incredible true story of how Rob and Dianne Parsons answered the door to a homeless man, Ronnie, on 23rd December 1975 and then had him stay for 45 years. Rob has known Ronnie a little when they were teenagers and went to the same youth club. Ronnie lived in the local children's home and was a bit lively then. Now in his late twenties he's quite uncommunicative and monosyllabic.

Rob and Dianne are amazing and very inspirational in how they helped Ronnie feel safe and settled, to get a job, do volunteer things and make friends and be a valued member of the community. The book also tells their own story of how they met and married and about their family. All was not smooth going as family health issues and Ronnie's quirks were challenging but Rob and Dianne were determined to make Ronnie a true part of their family after his rather disastrous start in life. It was not easy and they didn't always get it right - there is much honesty in this book.

What an amazing story - it should be a blueprint to us all in how to love our neighbours as ourselves but how many of us have the courage to live that out for real...and for decades.

[Jeff Parry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous Read

I read a news story just before Christmas that brought me to tears. It was this story. Now I've read the book and had a similar reaction, several times. This is touching, edifying, gracious and heartbreaking. Who would do what Rob and Dianne did? For 45 years they shared their family home with a man neither really knew, at that point. Reading this I can understand why they did. Not just because of their faith, or Rob knowing Ronnie slightly from childhood but because they had a love for this wonderful man. When Jesus said "suffer the little children," He could have had people like Ronnie in mind too.

Ronnie seems to have touched so many peoples' lives, in a way many of us never will. Yet he still does today through his legacy.

No life is worthless or unproductive. Everyone is capable of contributing to society, they just need the support and opportunity from the rest of us.

Unfortunately we seem to have forgotten this and our lives are poorer for it.

The image of Gabriel looking for his keys and St Peter In a headlock will live with me forever.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Knock At The Door by Rob Parsons is a powerful and emotional read that will have you reaching for the tissues.
This is the true story of Ronnie Lockwood and his life with Rob and Dianne Parsons. Ronnie Lockwood was homeless when he knocked on the door of the Parsons at Christmas 1975. He was invited in, and lived with the couple for forty-five years. Their generosity knew no bounds as they lived out their Christian faith.
The couple taught Ronnie so much. Having been brought up in care, Ronnie had known little love and kindness – he was shown both by the Parsons family. He learnt how to love and how to be loved.
In return, the family also learnt about love off Ronnie. Ronnie has a big heart that loved, despite his life in care. He also had a heart that gave. All those who met Ronnie, loved him.
Ronnie Lockwood was a gentle giant of a man. His personality shines through from the pages of the book. He brought out the mothering instincts in me.
It is under the care of the Parsons that Ronnie gets his first job as a bin man. He also volunteers his time. His was a life that gave. He gave when eyes were on him. He gave even more when they weren’t.
The reader hears about the early years of Rob Parsons, and also of the later years too. Those in Christian circles will recognise Rob Parsons as the man who, with his wife, set up the Christian charity, Care In The Family.
I found A Knock At The Door a very emotional read and read it in just two sittings. The love clearly shone from the pages. This is a book that will remain with you long after the final page is read.
I will leave you with my favourite quote about Ronnie:
“Who were you Ronnie? You were almost like a visitor from another world. You never spoke badly of anyone, you loved to give more than you get, you were kind and reliable, solid and trustworthy, but you were broken. You were terribly broken.”

[East-Daikon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uplifting and possibly my favourite read of the year. (They should make this into a movie!) It’s a similar premise to “the lady in the van” but unexpectedly funny and with more emotional ups and downs.

It makes you think, why do some people help and some turn away? What the family did is rare and a sacrifice, but it was a two way street - Ronnie enriched their lives too. (My sense is that Rob - who was from a ‘working class’ background and had gotten that huge leg up with someone from his church offering to pay for him to go to law school (!!) - was sort of primed to ‘pay it forward’ because of his own experience of generosity. That combined with knowing Ronnie briefly from Sunday school as well as his overall personality probably is what made the magic happen ✨)

Very touching and thought-provoking.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about the story of Ronnie and the Parsons family. I think there may be quite a gap between Bob Parsons telling of it and what actually took place.

One of the questions in my mind is whether Ronnie had a social worker looking out for him?

If Ronnie had been a young woman of colour when taken in, then questions would have been raised about possible modern slavery. I know that sounds shocking but think carefully: Ronnie did the house work and lots of child care without having agency in his life in the house. He paid rent and had to produce evidence of what he was spending his money on. If mentally impaired, Ronnie was entitled to benefits,
Lots and Lots of questions!!!!!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big call given it’s only Jan 20th, but if anything beats this book this year I’ll be surprised. I’m not a non-fiction girl as a rule, but when I read the BBC Wales story about Rob, Dianne and Ronnie I felt compelled to read more. Thank goodness I did. I feel a grief for the loss of Ronnie, especially the way COVID impacted his last months - a man who gave so much to his community over decades, who had that community kept from him in his final weeks. A man who also has all sense of belonging and family ripped from his as a child and then faced that again as he was dying. The love and identity he regained as a member of Rob and Dianne’s family was his saving grace. I’m so grateful that Rob decided to share his story. And I’m so grateful for the contribution Ronnie made to Wales.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

There aren’t many books I sob uncontrollably at, but this one has touched parts of me that needed to hear and feel again. We are a family who work with the homeless, who have fostered and adopted, and in the challenges of everyday life it can be easy for compassion to fade, frustration to grow, and the power of love to become forgotten. Rob not only writes beautifully, vulnerably, and with educated and lived insight, but he reminded me of the power of making a difference just by being a family to another. There are so many thousands of Ronnie’s out there. Let’s not miss our opportunities to see them.

[Alexandre Milouchev]

What a wonderful book. It's such a pleasure to read something different, something truly heartfelt. Nowadays, everything is thrill. Rob Parsons takes us back to real human life, with its struggles, its difficulties, its small joys. In a world where all you hear about is billionaires, it's incredibly refreshing to read about normal people doing something extraordinary.

Thank you for what you've done, and for writing this book to share it. I cried for a long time at the end. I felt very close to you, Diane, and Ronnie, and I wish you all the best.

PS: thank you to the BBC for bringing this story to my attention. I don’t know how I would’ve found it otherwise.

[Lindsay Kiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book club book. I really enjoyed this true story of 2 working class boys from Wales who went to school together. They then parted ways and got back in touch as adults.

One was put into care at 8 and had some learning difficulties, and was homeless as an adult.

The other trained as a solicitor and then owned a law firm. Went on to do lots of charity work and get an OBE. The homeless man ends up going to live with him permanently and ends up leading a fulfilling life.

It was a really interesting story about how they both had a big impact on each other's lives.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't often read non fiction books, but as I live in South Wales and know the work that Care for the Family do, Which Rob Parsons is the founder, I thought I'd take a look at this.
I bought the audible version with a credit, as Rob was narrating, and I know he has a lovely speaking voice. It was a very moving story. Funny in parts, also tough and sad in others. The things that Ronnie came out with. "I'm fine" "Did I do something wrong" "I'm brainy I am" etc etc.
I think every Christian should read this book.