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Room 46
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At first glance there is nothing special about Room 46. Yet once people step across the threshold, unexpected things start to happen.
Grace has been hiding in a cocoon, convinced that the life she once imagined for herself is now unattainable. But from the first time she reluctantly knocks on the door and enters Room 46, her days of retreating from the world are numbered.
D ...more
Grace has been hiding in a cocoon, convinced that the life she once imagined for herself is now unattainable. But from the first time she reluctantly knocks on the door and enters Room 46, her days of retreating from the world are numbered.
D ...more
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E-book gifted by the author for review
Room 46 is a lot of things to a lot of different people. For Edith, it is her place now, after a tragic accident that left her unable to look after herself this is where she ended up. Even though it is bright and colourful and the people are friendly and helpful, to her it is a place she would rather not be.
For Grace, it is a place she dreads going to, she is afraid, afraid because her life had not turned out the way she had imagined. So much promise and n ...more
Room 46 is a lot of things to a lot of different people. For Edith, it is her place now, after a tragic accident that left her unable to look after herself this is where she ended up. Even though it is bright and colourful and the people are friendly and helpful, to her it is a place she would rather not be.
For Grace, it is a place she dreads going to, she is afraid, afraid because her life had not turned out the way she had imagined. So much promise and n ...more
For more of my reviews, go to http://bookmusterdownunder.blogspot.c...
I was somewhat intrigued by the description of this book when I received it in the mail a few weeks ago and I couldn’t wait for it to reach the top of my pile.
Needless to say, on finishing it, I was thoroughly satisfied.
I first came across Helen McKenna a few years back when she published her novel, The Beach House (my review here http://bookmusterdownunder.blogspot.c...) which I enjoyed immensely and was blown away by how sea ...more
I was somewhat intrigued by the description of this book when I received it in the mail a few weeks ago and I couldn’t wait for it to reach the top of my pile.
Needless to say, on finishing it, I was thoroughly satisfied.
I first came across Helen McKenna a few years back when she published her novel, The Beach House (my review here http://bookmusterdownunder.blogspot.c...) which I enjoyed immensely and was blown away by how sea ...more
A nursing home may seem like an unusual setting for a novel, but author Helen McKenna has cleverly used it as an anchor for a story that contains many threads and several key characters.
Twenty year old Grace is a reluctant volunteer at Rosehill Gardens. She's only there to fulfil the new criteria for her welfare payments. Self conscious and uneasy her hope is to slip in and out each week without any fanfare. Volunteer co-ordinator Sylvia has other plans though and pairs Grace up with much loved ...more
Twenty year old Grace is a reluctant volunteer at Rosehill Gardens. She's only there to fulfil the new criteria for her welfare payments. Self conscious and uneasy her hope is to slip in and out each week without any fanfare. Volunteer co-ordinator Sylvia has other plans though and pairs Grace up with much loved ...more
I have been looking out for this author's next book and was not disappointed with Room 46.
Grace and Edith have been brought together by chance via a reading program at Rosehill Gardens. Edith is bedridden and has to rely on others for her every need. Grace suffers from anxiety and has withdrawn from the world to try and keep some element of control on her life. She is required to volunteer due to Centrelink rules and plans to get in and out as fast as she can. Fate has other things in store, ho ...more
Grace and Edith have been brought together by chance via a reading program at Rosehill Gardens. Edith is bedridden and has to rely on others for her every need. Grace suffers from anxiety and has withdrawn from the world to try and keep some element of control on her life. She is required to volunteer due to Centrelink rules and plans to get in and out as fast as she can. Fate has other things in store, ho ...more
In a nursing home called Rosehill Gardens, two people are brought together under unusual circumstances. The first is Edith, a woman whose happy life was destroyed after an accident. She is no longer able to look after herself and is a patient in the home.
The other, Grace, is a troubled girl deemed unfit for work. She is haunted by feelings of guilt and experiences panic attacks.
As part of a new government initiative, Grace is sent to Rosehill Gardens as a volunteer, and asked to spend time with ...more
The other, Grace, is a troubled girl deemed unfit for work. She is haunted by feelings of guilt and experiences panic attacks.
As part of a new government initiative, Grace is sent to Rosehill Gardens as a volunteer, and asked to spend time with ...more
Excellent!
Thoroughly enjoyed this books stories within a story! The amazing characters and how they each dealt with life's troubles makes for an uplifting tale. ...more
Thoroughly enjoyed this books stories within a story! The amazing characters and how they each dealt with life's troubles makes for an uplifting tale. ...more
An unexpected surprise.
This isn't my usual reading fare, but I really enjoyed the book. The characters came alive through the writing, and I got caught up in their lives. ...more
This isn't my usual reading fare, but I really enjoyed the book. The characters came alive through the writing, and I got caught up in their lives. ...more
The premise for this book is a delight, and the characters who populate it are well-developed and memorable. Edith, a former teacher, is stuck in a nursing home at an unusually young age, but with the help of staff and friends, she is trying to make the most of it in a most unusual way. Enter Grace, a troubled young girl who suffers anxiety attacks, and is assigned to do volunteer work at the nursing home. Somehow, it's easier to talk to Edith, probably because Edith can't talk, so Grace slowly
...more
Grace, a young woman with a troubled past, volunteers in a nursing home where she is asked to read to a patient - Edith, entirely dependent on those around her. It's not a choice Grace has made for herself, but part of a government incentive to continue social welfare payments.
The story drew me in right from the beginning - many a twist that I didn't see coming. My favourite 'story within a story' was Sarah's, the wedding photographer.
The mystery of Grace was the most compelling for me, how she ...more
The story drew me in right from the beginning - many a twist that I didn't see coming. My favourite 'story within a story' was Sarah's, the wedding photographer.
The mystery of Grace was the most compelling for me, how she ...more
A very different type of story
Normally I read mystery or thriller stories, but this caught my attention. This is a series of connected stories that make you really look at your own life a lot more closely. The characters are very well developed. The author draws you in slowly and keeps you thinking even after the end. A refreshing change for me. I don't summarise my reviews by explaining the story in detail. I truly dislike reviewers that do this. It ruins the book for me. Give this one a try an ...more
Normally I read mystery or thriller stories, but this caught my attention. This is a series of connected stories that make you really look at your own life a lot more closely. The characters are very well developed. The author draws you in slowly and keeps you thinking even after the end. A refreshing change for me. I don't summarise my reviews by explaining the story in detail. I truly dislike reviewers that do this. It ruins the book for me. Give this one a try an ...more
After reading Helen McKenna's first novel, The Beach House, I was so looking forward to Room 46.
Again Helen has brought her characters to life in such a way that I feel like I've met them in person and know them. I love that she has featured ordinary everyday people who appear very real.
It is a different kind of format for a novel but if you persevere it all comes together at the end. So, I'd recommend you give it a go. ...more
Again Helen has brought her characters to life in such a way that I feel like I've met them in person and know them. I love that she has featured ordinary everyday people who appear very real.
It is a different kind of format for a novel but if you persevere it all comes together at the end. So, I'd recommend you give it a go. ...more
Oct 07, 2016
Trudie
added it
Excellent book!
May 20, 2017
Kitty
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
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square-pegs
This is a very different sort of book... sort of like "stories within stories". It's one of those books that makes you really think about life. The theme seems to be "things aren't always what they seem", and "you can't control everything that happens to you, but you CAN control how you react to it".
...more
People watching in extreme
This story puts a whole new twist to people watching. All the stories with in a story lead to a highly satisfying read. Getting to know the stories behind all the people involved. Kinda like trying to imagine the stories behind the strangers you pass everyday or have small conversations with but never really get to know.
This story puts a whole new twist to people watching. All the stories with in a story lead to a highly satisfying read. Getting to know the stories behind all the people involved. Kinda like trying to imagine the stories behind the strangers you pass everyday or have small conversations with but never really get to know.
Hooked
This book is a collection of well told short stories, glued together by a larger story that hooked me and would t let go. I was hesitant to start it but once I did, I couldn't put it down. ...more
This book is a collection of well told short stories, glued together by a larger story that hooked me and would t let go. I was hesitant to start it but once I did, I couldn't put it down. ...more
Very enjoyable read! I loved all the short stories that were read to Edith, each with its own little twist.
Makes you think
Great read and very enjoyable. Makes you think about how each story can end differently than you think. Definitely grab this book and read it.
Great read and very enjoyable. Makes you think about how each story can end differently than you think. Definitely grab this book and read it.
I really enjoyed this book. Before i started i was not sure what to expect but once i started I was so intrigued with the short stories throughout the book as part of the larger story - it was so well written and i found it hard to put it down. Looking forward to reading more from the author. I would highly recommend this book to others. I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
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Helen McKenna grew up in Queensland, Australia. An avid reader from childhood, she always dreamed of writing her own book one day.
Helen completed a B.A. degree at the University of Queensland and has worked in many fields – banking, local government, in learning support, as a swimming instructor and as a biographer. Her love of the beach and Queenslander houses inspired her to write The Beach Hou ...more
Helen completed a B.A. degree at the University of Queensland and has worked in many fields – banking, local government, in learning support, as a swimming instructor and as a biographer. Her love of the beach and Queenslander houses inspired her to write The Beach Hou ...more
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