The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle
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- Create Date：2021-05-24 00:51:03
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Matt Cain
- ISBN：1472275055
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Summary
It's never too late to start your life's big adventure 。 。 。
Albert Entwistle was a postman。 It was one of the few things everyone knew about him。 And it was one of the few things he was comfortable with people knowing。
64-year-old Albert Entwistle has been a postie in a quiet town in Northern England for all his life， living alone since the death of his mam 18 years ago。 He keeps himself to himself。 He always has。 But he's just learned he'll be forced to retire at his next birthday。 With no friends and nothing to look forward to， the lonely future he faces terrifies him。 He realises it's finally time to be honest about who he is。 He must learn to ask for what he wants。 And he must find the courage to look for George， the man that， many years ago， he lost - but has never forgotten 。 。 。
Join Albert as he sets out to find the long-lost love of his life， and has an unforgettable and completely life-affirming adventure on the way 。 。 。 This is a love story the like of which you have never read before！
Albert Entwistle was a postman。 It was one of the few things everyone knew about him。 And it was one of the few things he was comfortable with people knowing。
64-year-old Albert Entwistle has been a postie in a quiet town in Northern England for all his life， living alone since the death of his mam 18 years ago。 He keeps himself to himself。 He always has。 But he's just learned he'll be forced to retire at his next birthday。 With no friends and nothing to look forward to， the lonely future he faces terrifies him。 He realises it's finally time to be honest about who he is。 He must learn to ask for what he wants。 And he must find the courage to look for George， the man that， many years ago， he lost - but has never forgotten 。 。 。
Join Albert as he sets out to find the long-lost love of his life， and has an unforgettable and completely life-affirming adventure on the way 。 。 。 This is a love story the like of which you have never read before！
Reviews
Margaret McCulloch-Keeble
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This is undeniably a feel good read， perhaps a wee bit too 'feel good'。 I know we all like a happy ending but this just seemed a bit of a stretch。 This is undeniably a feel good read， perhaps a wee bit too 'feel good'。 I know we all like a happy ending but this just seemed a bit of a stretch。 。。。more
travelsalongmybookshelf
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The Secret Life Of Albert Entwhistle - Matt Cain64-𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓-𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝑨𝒍𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒕 𝑬𝒏𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒏。 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎。 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈。 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆'𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚。 𝑯𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔。 𝑯𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑮𝒆𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆， 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 - 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 。 。 。This is such a wonderfully uplifting， hopeful and joyo The Secret Life Of Albert Entwhistle - Matt Cain64-𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓-𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝑨𝒍𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒕 𝑬𝒏𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒏。 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎。 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈。 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆'𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚。 𝑯𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔。 𝑯𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑮𝒆𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆， 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 - 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 。 。 。This is such a wonderfully uplifting， hopeful and joyous tale！I’ve simply fallen in love with George， he is a wonderful character who could step out of this book fully formed and you would be none the wiser。 There is a whole cross section of life in this book， from his work colleagues to Nicole to Marjorie， they are all just brilliant！ Edith especially is a lovely character， Alberts conversations with her I found really touching。‘𝑰 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅，’ 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝑬𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒉 ‘𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆。 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏’𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔。’There is a fabulous story line and it really explains the fear and hate that the gay community have been subjected to and from there to social acceptance。 It makes you feel good to read， it is uplifting and really made me feel hopeful that British values actually aren’t as bad as I thought they were。‘𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔， 𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅。 𝑰’𝒎 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰’𝒎 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝑮𝒆𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆。’Frankly I could witter on all day about this book but it is one of the best books you’ll read all year， get on and buy it！ I’m going to get a forever copy ❤️❤️❤️‘𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒐 𝒘𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒐 𝒈𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚？’✩✩✩✩✩[AD-PR PRODUCT]Many thanks to Matt Cain， Headline Review and Rosie Margesson for my copy of this book！ 。。。more
Dee
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Bloomin’ ‘eck， what an emotional rollercoaster ride that was！Matt Cain has crafted such a beautiful， poignant， uplifting and completely captivating read; a story of self-discovery， optimism， friendship and above all， love。Albert Entwistle is a wonderful， endearing character， a true gentleman。 A character so real， you just want to steal him from the book and envelop him in the biggest hug - obviously taking care not to crush his Crunchie in the process！ The story is heart-warming， and at times he Bloomin’ ‘eck， what an emotional rollercoaster ride that was！Matt Cain has crafted such a beautiful， poignant， uplifting and completely captivating read; a story of self-discovery， optimism， friendship and above all， love。Albert Entwistle is a wonderful， endearing character， a true gentleman。 A character so real， you just want to steal him from the book and envelop him in the biggest hug - obviously taking care not to crush his Crunchie in the process！ The story is heart-warming， and at times heart-breaking。 My eyes leaked tears of sadness but mostly of sheer joy。 With laugh out loud moments and gentle humour throughout; Albert and his fabulously diverse supporting cast kept me entertained from start to finish。 I slowly savoured the final few chapters， because I genuinely didn’t want the journey to end。 I absolutely adored The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle， and can say （without a doubt）， that it’s one of my favourite reads of 2021。 Albert has captured a piece of my heart; his special， life-affirming story will stay with me for a very long time。Can we have a TV adaptation please？！I highly， HIGHLY recommend！Many thanks to the publisher for the proof copy， in exchange for an honest， unbiased review。 。。。more
Andrew
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Have you ever had high hopes for a book and not only did it hit all your expectations but hit you hard in the feels？ Yeah， this book was that for me！ ***Proof gifted by the UK publisher， Headline， in exchange for an honest review/reaction***I was one of the book bloggers/social media people who was involved in the UK cover reveal and from the little of the book I knew at the time， I knew I had to read it。 It spoke to me in a way I can't explain but， within a few weeks/months， it became one of th Have you ever had high hopes for a book and not only did it hit all your expectations but hit you hard in the feels？ Yeah， this book was that for me！ ***Proof gifted by the UK publisher， Headline， in exchange for an honest review/reaction***I was one of the book bloggers/social media people who was involved in the UK cover reveal and from the little of the book I knew at the time， I knew I had to read it。 It spoke to me in a way I can't explain but， within a few weeks/months， it became one of those "I must have it now" books。 Albert Entwistle is a 64 year old postman in the north of England。 He loves his job， keeps himself to himself and has lived alone since the death of his mother 18 years ago （barring his cat）。 But when he discovered that he's going to be forced to retire on his 65 birthday （Royal Mail policy）， Albert realises that a lonely future awaits him and that terrifies him， making him realises that he's been hiding from life and it's time to be honest with himself and the world about who he is。 His first step is to ask for help to find George， his first love。。。 Have you guys ever had high hopes for an upcoming book and not only did it hit all your expectations but exceeds them？ Well， this book was that for me！ It was warm， tender， had a slight edge of bittersweet （not much， just an edge） and it was simply wonderful。 Heartwarmingly wonderful。 Now， writing 5 star reviews are hard as I would gush non-stop about Albert and his growth as a character （him coming to terms with who he is， him slowly beginning to have friends， his search for George， his growth with his self-confidence and self-worth）。 I could easily talk about his friendship with Nicole， a single twenty-something mum who lives on his route， as their friendship was delightful。 I loved this book， and that makes writing this review a bit of a pain。 But， yes， a wonderfully endearing read。 。。。more
Janet
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How do。 Grab yourself a Crunchie bar and join Albert on his emotional， funny， life changing journey to find the long lost love of his life。Albert is a postman。 He is a loner， keeps himself to himself and is terrified of actually having to talk to anyone。 He has his well practised excuses to get away， should any of his customers try to start a conversation。 He has lived alone since his mother， who he cared for， died almost 20 years ago。 He is due to retire in a few months on his 65th birthday。 He How do。 Grab yourself a Crunchie bar and join Albert on his emotional， funny， life changing journey to find the long lost love of his life。Albert is a postman。 He is a loner， keeps himself to himself and is terrified of actually having to talk to anyone。 He has his well practised excuses to get away， should any of his customers try to start a conversation。 He has lived alone since his mother， who he cared for， died almost 20 years ago。 He is due to retire in a few months on his 65th birthday。 He has regrets about his life but comes to a monumental decision。 He is going to do whatever it takes to find the love of his life。 The thing is that it is a man and no-one knows he is gay。 As he begins his search he becomes friends with Nicole， a young single mum， who has her own challenges。 He needs help with all this social media stuff！ As he begins to come out of his shell and reveal the real Albert he gains more friends and more support than he could ever have imagined。Will he find the love and happiness he deserves and live happily ever after？ You will just have to read it and find out。 Have tissues ready！I just loved this book。 I fell in love with Albert immediately。 What a gentleman。 The other characters are very well written and relatable， most are going through some personal trauma or difficulty in their lives just as we all are。 I highly recommend this book。 It gave me a warm fuzzy feeling similar to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry。 I know it is going to stay with me for a very long time and will be one of my top reads of 2021。Thank you so much to Headline Books for an advance copy of this gorgeous book。 。。。more
Christopher Jones
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❤️’d Albert Entwistle， ❤️ Matt Cain ， fabulous read ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Alice Duggan
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I really loved reading this story。 It made me laugh， it made me cry， but mostly it made me fall in love - with Albert， with his community， and all over again with the gay community。 This was a gorgeous story and it reminded me that it is never too late to come out。
Rebecca Rowlands
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Ohhhhh， this is probably the most heartfelt and special book that I've ever read。 Its a dual timeline between a young gay couple navigating what it means to be gay in a tiny village in the 1970s and a postman coming up on his 65th birthday and compulsory retirement and battling crippling loneliness。 YEEEEEP， you're going to cry but I guarantee that you'll fall in love with each and every character before the end of the first chapter。 It's hopeful and inspiring and I just want to give everyone a Ohhhhh， this is probably the most heartfelt and special book that I've ever read。 Its a dual timeline between a young gay couple navigating what it means to be gay in a tiny village in the 1970s and a postman coming up on his 65th birthday and compulsory retirement and battling crippling loneliness。 YEEEEEP， you're going to cry but I guarantee that you'll fall in love with each and every character before the end of the first chapter。 It's hopeful and inspiring and I just want to give everyone a massive cuddle。5/5 。。。more
Sophie
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‘The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle’ charts the transformational journey of lonely， closet homosexual postman and cat dad， Albert， as he comes to terms with his repressed sexuality and need for friendship and connection and sets out to find the love of his life， George。I very quickly warmed to the character of Albert as I identified with his northern charm and his use of self-imposed loneliness and workaholism at the start of the book as a coping mechanism to avoid acknowledging past trauma and ‘The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle’ charts the transformational journey of lonely， closet homosexual postman and cat dad， Albert， as he comes to terms with his repressed sexuality and need for friendship and connection and sets out to find the love of his life， George。I very quickly warmed to the character of Albert as I identified with his northern charm and his use of self-imposed loneliness and workaholism at the start of the book as a coping mechanism to avoid acknowledging past trauma and revealing his true self to other people。I would love to see more diverse protagonists like older， gay man Albert in mainstream romantic novels and will make an effort to seek these out moving forward。At some points in the novel I felt that Albert’s psychological and behavioural transformation came about a little too quickly and easily to feel realistic。 I didn’t get as much of a sense of anguish as I think the character would have felt given the circumstances。 However， this isn’t a book about pain and anguish; it is a story of hope， love， joy and redemption。I think this novel would be enjoyed by fans of Jojo Moyes， Jodi Picoult， David Nicholls and the TV series ‘It’s a Sin’。 I also think it would be enormously successful if it were adapted for the big screen。The novel is released in the UK on 27th May 2021。Thank you so much to @mattcain @rosiemargesson at Headline for my advance proof copy and the delicious Crunchie！ 。。。more
Jesika
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Oh Albert <3 I haven't wanted to hug a fictional character as much as I wanted to hug Albert in quite some time。 His story is so emotionally affecting -I'm talking I cried on the sofa and discussed the retirement plot line with my postman。（Poor Ken， he retires soon and understandably says it's because he's sick of delivering books to me only for me to question him over their plot lines。）Albert has led a quiet and lonely life。 When faced with retirement he works very hard to try to improve his ch Oh Albert <3 I haven't wanted to hug a fictional character as much as I wanted to hug Albert in quite some time。 His story is so emotionally affecting -I'm talking I cried on the sofa and discussed the retirement plot line with my postman。（Poor Ken， he retires soon and understandably says it's because he's sick of delivering books to me only for me to question him over their plot lines。）Albert has led a quiet and lonely life。 When faced with retirement he works very hard to try to improve his chances of enjoying life with people he loves。 We watch as he finds the people he comes to call his loved ones， as he realises that he is ready to accept himself and be accepted by a world that has changed so much since he was young。 We watch as he realises the multitude of ways in which others can enrich his life。It was a beautiful story that might just make you also want to check your postman is OK。（Mine is， for the record， just "sick to death of your books really Jes。"） 。。。more
Hayley
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If you want to read the most beautiful， heartwarming story then look no further。64 year old Albert Entwhistle lives in a small northern town where he has worked as a postie all his life。 That's pretty much all the locals know about him， and that's quite alright with Albert。 He doesn't want folk to know about his private life。When he finds out that he is to take mandatory retirement in a few months， Albert realises that his life is going to be cripplingly lonely。 He decides to step out of his com If you want to read the most beautiful， heartwarming story then look no further。64 year old Albert Entwhistle lives in a small northern town where he has worked as a postie all his life。 That's pretty much all the locals know about him， and that's quite alright with Albert。 He doesn't want folk to know about his private life。When he finds out that he is to take mandatory retirement in a few months， Albert realises that his life is going to be cripplingly lonely。 He decides to step out of his comfort zone and search for the love of his life， a man called George， who he lost。In order to do this， Albert decides to start opening up to people to help him in his search。 In doing so， Albert finds out more about himself than he ever realised， and also finds that people can be much kinder than he ever thought。Oh how I loved this book。 Albert is such a likeable man。 He's so very damaged from his past， his parents instilled into him that being gay is something disgusting that must be hidden at all costs。Cain gave me so much food for thought。 The fact that we still have a generation of men and women that are deeply closeted because of the attitudes of the times they grew up in。 It's heartbreaking that so many were persecuted and ostracised just for loving a person who didn't fit the 'norm'。 We are so very lucky to be so emancipated now， where the wonderful LGBT community can celebrate their life and love that its easy to overlook the generation that have been so damaged。 I cannot imagine what it is must have been like （and still is for many） to be judged for who they love。Cain has written an absolutely stellar book， with superb characters that you really become invested in and root for。 I loved Nicole， the feisty single mum who showed Albert what acceptance and friendship is。 Albert bloomed with her support and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out if he found his beloved George。Cain has written an important， thought provoking and sensitive story。 Utterly wonderful， a sparking 5 star read for me。I would like to thank Headline for a copy of this book in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Anne
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Don't you just love it when you read a book that delivers such an emotional punch that you find yourself thinking about the characters for a long time afterwards？ The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle is one of those books， it is a story of differences， and love。 It's a story of community and friendship， and most of all it's a celebration of how times have changed so much over the past fifty years。Albert Entwistle is a 64 year old postman， living in a town in Northern England。 Everyone knows Alber Don't you just love it when you read a book that delivers such an emotional punch that you find yourself thinking about the characters for a long time afterwards？ The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle is one of those books， it is a story of differences， and love。 It's a story of community and friendship， and most of all it's a celebration of how times have changed so much over the past fifty years。Albert Entwistle is a 64 year old postman， living in a town in Northern England。 Everyone knows Albert the postman， but nobody at all knows Albert the man。 He has walked his route since he was sixteen years old， seeing the same faces， watching families grow， observing the changes in the area。 Albert must retire when he is sixty five， that's just a few months away， and he is devastated。 He has lived alone， with just his cat for company for eighteen years， before that， he nursed his elderly and quite obnoxious mother。 Albert doesn't have friends， he doesn't chat to his colleagues。 He is insular and remote。 Albert is afraid of rejection， he is afraid to allow anyone to know him。 Albert was in love once， when he was just a teen， that love was shattered and he has never forgiven himself for the what was said during the final conversation he had with George。 Albert's turning point is triggered by a sadness and an emerging friendship with single mum Nicole， who is dealing with her own disappointments。 He gradually opens up to her， and with her knowledge about social media， fashion and her total acceptance of how he is， he decides that maybe he can come out to his colleagues and neighbours， and find George， and make amends for what happened all those years ago。Told over two timelines; the present day， and back in the 1970s， this is a poignant and joyful story told with such empathy and compassion。 The author's depiction of how homosexuality was viewed， and how gay men were persecuted is heartbreaking。 The sense of anger grew in me， and yet it is not that long ago， but oh， how things have changed。 Albert and Nicole are a wonderful pairing， helping each other to overcome their own personal hurdles。 The writing flows so well， and the reader is caught up their world， willing things to go right and experiencing the highs and the lows along the way。 A story filled with love， acceptance， humour and compassion， it's a book that has cried out to be written and should be read by everyone。 It's a testament to how much society has changed over the years， and how love can overcome most things in life。 Beautiful and heartfelt， I highly recommend this novel。 。。。more
Sylvia
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This was a beautiful book to read。 I loved Albert， I thought he was a great character and the story of his lost love and his decision to allow people to get to know him was such a heartwarming story。 What I particularly enjoyed was the back story of George and Albert。 Their love story was told with sensitivity and it went a long way to explaining the difficulties being gay was back in the 50's。 There was nothing smutty about it， it explored first relationships and what happens when you are torn This was a beautiful book to read。 I loved Albert， I thought he was a great character and the story of his lost love and his decision to allow people to get to know him was such a heartwarming story。 What I particularly enjoyed was the back story of George and Albert。 Their love story was told with sensitivity and it went a long way to explaining the difficulties being gay was back in the 50's。 There was nothing smutty about it， it explored first relationships and what happens when you are torn apart and don't find each other again for over 50 years。 Albert has got so used to being alone that when he is ill he realises he has nobody。 He finds out he has to retire at 65 and wonders what the hell his life will be。 So he becomes friends with people on his postal round and friends with work colleagues。 This is one of those books that will stay in my memory。 。。。more
Kerry-louise Jones
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I don't know what to say other than I just absolutely adored this one！ Alberts story absolutely stole my heart。Ok so going in you need to know that the first 1/3 is quite sad， Albert is such a kind older gentleman but has lead a very isolated and lonely life and there is no way to read that without feeling deeply for him。 As we delve back into the past we can see how much society in changed for the better in the past 50 years。I enjoyed that we also got story lines of some of the side characters I don't know what to say other than I just absolutely adored this one！ Alberts story absolutely stole my heart。Ok so going in you need to know that the first 1/3 is quite sad， Albert is such a kind older gentleman but has lead a very isolated and lonely life and there is no way to read that without feeling deeply for him。 As we delve back into the past we can see how much society in changed for the better in the past 50 years。I enjoyed that we also got story lines of some of the side characters and thought they really complimented the tale and grew with Albert。This is an absolute must for any uplit fan 。。。more
Zoe B
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Thank you to Rosie at Headline for my #gifted ARC I am eternally grateful。Meet Albert Entwistle， he is a socially awkward postman who has shut himself off from the world and hiding the fact that he is gay。 He doesn’t engage with his colleagues and finds them either annoying and irritating or he just doesn’t know how to make conversation。 He has no family or friends and only has a cat for company but when he receives a letter from HR that his retirement his 3 months away the realisation that he h Thank you to Rosie at Headline for my #gifted ARC I am eternally grateful。Meet Albert Entwistle， he is a socially awkward postman who has shut himself off from the world and hiding the fact that he is gay。 He doesn’t engage with his colleagues and finds them either annoying and irritating or he just doesn’t know how to make conversation。 He has no family or friends and only has a cat for company but when he receives a letter from HR that his retirement his 3 months away the realisation that he has got no one hits him hard。 Albert starts coming out of his shell and starts to build relationships with people and realises people do have special qualities that he didn’t see or appreciate before hand。I loved the relationships he formed along the way and the author has made these wonderful supporting characters for Albert and the reader to love: Nicole a teenage single girl which made for an unlikely pairing but she faces her own prejudices along the way and they both had cruel mothers and are both chasing love。 Elise the elderly lady he meets on his round and the gay couple who have moved into the neighbourhood are just some of the characters you get to know。The main premise of the story is Albert on a journey to finding his long lost love ‘George’ from when he was a teenager along with publicly coming out as gay。 The story flicks between the present to the past where you find out what happened for Albert and George to break up。 As homosexuality was illegal back in the past and not accepted by many， there were some heart wrenching moments from other people in society including Alberts Dad which is written so delicately。Albert is the most adorable character I have come across in a book， he has the biggest heart and by page 100 I was in tears。 If I could have jumped in a book and given Albert a hug I would have but he also made me smile a lot。The author has got the balance so right， with sadness and humour。 One of the parties held （won’t say what for so not to spoil it） was hilarious and some of the euphemisms had me giggling away。This book was an absolute joy to read， I did not want it to end and it left me with a warm fuzzy feeling。 An emotional yet uplifting read and is such a special book with love and kindness in abundance throughout the story。One of my favourite books of the year so far （if not favourite to be honest） so delivering a super 5 stars for this。I hope booklovers embrace Albert as he and this book is a gem！ Can’t recommend this book enough！ Huge praise to the author and I have put his other books on my list now。 I am also going to watch out for posties who may need a hug （post covid of course） 。。。more
Sarah
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For my full review， visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks。wordpress。com/。。。Matt Cain has written a story that celebrates differences and the path of true happiness。 Whilst the narrative is tinged with sadness， I could not help but become absorbed in Albert’s story， finishing with a feeling of happiness and contentment。 For my full review， visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks。wordpress。com/。。。Matt Cain has written a story that celebrates differences and the path of true happiness。 Whilst the narrative is tinged with sadness， I could not help but become absorbed in Albert’s story， finishing with a feeling of happiness and contentment。 。。。more
anna （½ of readsrainbow）
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okay but this sounds absolutely lovely？？？？
Emma Hardy
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This is simply beautiful。 Albert Entwistle is a lonely lovely postman who for years has lived a life of solitude plus cat。 He's about to retire and thinks back to a long lost love。 He comes out to people one by one then a bit more of an announcement and as more people accept it， so does he。I fell in love with Albert from the off and thought the acceptance of being gay/previous homophobic encounters and celebration of his sexuality was uplifting， empowering and heart-warming。 Tackled sensitively This is simply beautiful。 Albert Entwistle is a lonely lovely postman who for years has lived a life of solitude plus cat。 He's about to retire and thinks back to a long lost love。 He comes out to people one by one then a bit more of an announcement and as more people accept it， so does he。I fell in love with Albert from the off and thought the acceptance of being gay/previous homophobic encounters and celebration of his sexuality was uplifting， empowering and heart-warming。 Tackled sensitively yet on point， the author really gets this and handles it perfectly。 A lovely journey of self discovery， acceptance， great sub plots， bit of travelling across the UK and left Albert's world feeling all the better for having been there， A delight to read。 。。。more
Susan
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Albert lost touch with his true love as a teen through unpleasant circumstances。 He then looked after his grumpy and thankless mother for years after his father died。He is a postman but keeps himself to himself at work and on his rounds。One day he is handed a letter telling him he has to retire on his 65th birthday which is only weeks away。 This hits him like a bolt out of nowhere。He decides he has to do something to change his life and so he does。。。。。He starts to talk to people， help them and m Albert lost touch with his true love as a teen through unpleasant circumstances。 He then looked after his grumpy and thankless mother for years after his father died。He is a postman but keeps himself to himself at work and on his rounds。One day he is handed a letter telling him he has to retire on his 65th birthday which is only weeks away。 This hits him like a bolt out of nowhere。He decides he has to do something to change his life and so he does。。。。。He starts to talk to people， help them and make their lives brighter and by so doing his also becomes a happier life。 He sets himself the task of finding his long lost love。 This tale tells of how he does this and the people he meets along the way。 。。。more
Linda Hepworth
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I don’t want to reveal too much about this delightful， poignant and thought-provoking story because I think much of its power lies in the reader joining Albert on his journey of self-discovery。 Through his flashbacks I felt I was experiencing with him his re-living of the traumatic experiences of his youth which had caused him to deny his sexual orientation and become so emotionally isolated。 At times I felt almost engulfed by the profound sadness of his memories， especially his lasting shame ab I don’t want to reveal too much about this delightful， poignant and thought-provoking story because I think much of its power lies in the reader joining Albert on his journey of self-discovery。 Through his flashbacks I felt I was experiencing with him his re-living of the traumatic experiences of his youth which had caused him to deny his sexual orientation and become so emotionally isolated。 At times I felt almost engulfed by the profound sadness of his memories， especially his lasting shame about his betrayal of George。 Then， as he began to step out of his comfort zone， as he tentatively reached out to people and began to make friends within the community， I shared his joyful amazement as his life started to become more emotionally satisfying and happier。 I delighted in seeing him blossom as he discovered that the more he reached out to other people， and the more honest he was about himself， the more they seemed to like and accept him。 Then， as he became more open， his discovery that that he was not the only one who hid behind a defensive carapace， that other people too had fears and anxieties they were struggling with and that he could offer them support。I enjoyed the motley group of characters who enriched Albert’s new life， loved the moments of gentle humour which ran through the story – and the fact that it was set in Lancashire， county of my childhood， added a much appreciated dimension， particularly as the author included expressions which evoked some fond memories … just like Albert， my grandfather often exclaimed ‘hellfire’！ On one level this could be regarded as an overly-sentimental， easy to read， feel-good story about secrets， regrets， love and friendship and how it’s never too late to change， to take on new challenges。 It could also be dismissed as being a tad unconvincing in its portrayal of characters whose personalities appear to change overnight – for instance， Albert ‘suddenly’ becoming more so much more outgoing， fashionable and confident， a homophobic work colleague’s attitudes being immediately ‘transformed’ when Albert comes out as gay。 However， on balance， I found that such niggles were off-set by the fact that central to the story is an exploration of prejudice and harassment and a reminder of how life has， albeit painfully slowly at times， changed for gay men since the 1960s。 Male homosexuality wasn’t decriminalised until 1967， but even then， that applied only to men over the age of twenty-one and it remained illegal for them to meet in public places。 This meant that the police continued to raid bars and ‘cruising grounds’ for many more years – in fact more men were prosecuted during the seventies than in the sixties， with those who were convicted being placed on the sex offenders’ register。 In his introduction， Matt Cain mentions that one of the things which inspired him to write this story was that he wanted to celebrate the way things have changed for the minority community of gay men， which fifty years ago was hated and vilified but is now widely celebrated and loved。 ‘Acceptance of gay men has become a touchstone of British values within less than a decade， something that even the most optimistic commentators couldn't have predicted。' Although it would be naïve to believe that prejudice no longer exists， huge progress has indeed been made in societal acceptance and I think his heart-warming story about Albert Entwistle captures， and succeeds in celebrating， some of this profound change。 With my thanks to the publisher and NB for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Karen Mace
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When you want to jump right into the pages of a book and give the main character a great big hug， then you know the author has done something special to make you care so much！ And that's how I feel about Albert Entwhistle after reading his story！ It's just delightful from start to finish as you watch over this man as he looks back over his life as he approaches a new direction for his life with his impending retirement。He's a man who keeps himself to himself - reading his past， you begin to unde When you want to jump right into the pages of a book and give the main character a great big hug， then you know the author has done something special to make you care so much！ And that's how I feel about Albert Entwhistle after reading his story！ It's just delightful from start to finish as you watch over this man as he looks back over his life as he approaches a new direction for his life with his impending retirement。He's a man who keeps himself to himself - reading his past， you begin to understand more of why he is this way and it makes you love him more！ He sticks to his routine， despises small talk and dotes on his cat Gracie。 He's an observer of life and doesn't like sharing personal stuff！ And he's spent many years caring for his mother so that left very little time for him and his own life。But with retirement approaching， his safe 'bubble' is threatened and he finds himself ready to confront his past and the emotions from way back when begin to stir again。I loved looking back over his life - his time as a child and the moment at school when George entered his life。 They shared a very special bond and it was so endearing to spend time in their company。 As Albert starts to come out of his shell， we are introduced to Nicole who is a single mum and finding life tough， but trying to find the positives and better herself。 Things are looking up on the love front for her， but there always seems to be obstacles in her way。 Albert reaches out to her to help him using technology to start his search and they start to build a wonderful friendship。The more Albert opens up to others， the more he begins to find his voice and stops feeling ashamed of who he is。 His past， and people in it， had made him afraid to be himself so this revelation to him about people accepting him for who he is was wonderful to witness。The journey the characters go on is totally endearing and uplifting。 I adored spending time in all their company and think this is one of those books that really inspires and warms the cockles of even the coldest of hearts！ Wonderful！！ back begin to stir in him and he's left with many 'what if' questions that need answering。 W 。。。more
Sean
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A heartwarming， wonderful， and beautiful story。 Could not have enjoyed this anymore。 I will be writing a full review very shortley。 This is something special and a most read。
Helena
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‘It’s never too late to start your life’s big adventure…’Albert Entwistle is sixty-four。 He is introverted， set in his ways， a loner。 He has been a postman in his hometown for most of his life。 Life is quiet， it’s just him and his cat， Gracie， and it’s how he likes it。。isn’t it？ Sadly， Gracie passes away。 And then Albert learns that he will have to retire once he turns sixty-five。 Albert begins to question his life; what will he do during his impending retirement？ Who will be there for him？ It i ‘It’s never too late to start your life’s big adventure…’Albert Entwistle is sixty-four。 He is introverted， set in his ways， a loner。 He has been a postman in his hometown for most of his life。 Life is quiet， it’s just him and his cat， Gracie， and it’s how he likes it。。isn’t it？ Sadly， Gracie passes away。 And then Albert learns that he will have to retire once he turns sixty-five。 Albert begins to question his life; what will he do during his impending retirement？ Who will be there for him？ It is then that he finally realises that he is truly lonely and that he must be true to himself; he must find the courage to be honest about who he really is， and the most important of all: he must find George， the man he loved， but lost。We follow Albert’s journey。 There are some moments in the book where I found things to be a little unbelievable， but for the most part this is a wonderful story and has a very important message。 For me， though， the absolute best part of this book is the character of Albert。 I just fell in love with him， he is such a kind and endearing man。 There are some heartbreaking moments， but a lot of the time while reading I found myself with a big smile on my face， and I just felt like I wanted to give Albert the biggest cuddle。 My favourite quote （because it made me laugh out loud！）: ‘As he contemplated his reflection in the mirror， he told himself that he’d gone from looking like a drink of water to a glass of vimto’。Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this lovely book。#NetGalley #TheSecretLifeofAlbertEntwistle 。。。more
The Cookster
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Should appeal to readers who enjoyed the likes of "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" or "The Uncommon Life of Alfred Warner in Six Days"。Rating: 3。3/5This is a nicely written， life-affirming story。 I won't rehash the overall plot here as the official synopsis already does a perfectly good job of providing a representative overview - and to go into any greater detail than that would risk straying into the realms of spoilers that would detract from your own reading experience。There are plenty Should appeal to readers who enjoyed the likes of "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" or "The Uncommon Life of Alfred Warner in Six Days"。Rating: 3。3/5This is a nicely written， life-affirming story。 I won't rehash the overall plot here as the official synopsis already does a perfectly good job of providing a representative overview - and to go into any greater detail than that would risk straying into the realms of spoilers that would detract from your own reading experience。There are plenty of books that have been written that aim for a similar life-affirming appeal as "The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle"， but Matt Cain makes a better job than most of creating something that is capable of being heartwarming without becoming sickly and over the top。 This is achieved， in no small part， by the issues relating to various forms of bigotry and prejudice that the author raises in this novel。 However， there is also an air of uplifting positivity in acknowledging the progress that has been made in changing society's attitudes over time。The characters are well drawn and the narrative is engaging， warm， humorous at times and， on other occasions， poignant enough to cause a dampening of the eyes。 Overall， "The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle" is an enjoyable easy read that is well worth taking some time out to settle down with。 。。。more
Carlene Stephen
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This book is terrific。 Wonderfully written，you quickly start to care about the main characters and their stories。 I completely love Albert and how he changed his life after facing redundancy。 This book carefully explains loneliness and how much it affects different people。 Also the struggles that gay men faced in the 60's & 70's， it was so well written and really made me think。 I found myself completely rooting for Albert and admit to crying more than once during the book。 Highly recommend this This book is terrific。 Wonderfully written，you quickly start to care about the main characters and their stories。 I completely love Albert and how he changed his life after facing redundancy。 This book carefully explains loneliness and how much it affects different people。 Also the struggles that gay men faced in the 60's & 70's， it was so well written and really made me think。 I found myself completely rooting for Albert and admit to crying more than once during the book。 Highly recommend this book， it's up there as one of my favourites。 。。。more
Siobhan
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The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle is a novel about a postman set to retire， who gets a new lease of life to try and hunt down his lost love， George。 Albert has been a postman all his life， living in a small Northern town and keeping himself to himself， living with just his cat since his mother died eighteen years ago。 When a letter from work tells him that he's due to retire in a few months， he realises that he doesn't want to be lonely， and starts building up connections with people in the lo The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle is a novel about a postman set to retire， who gets a new lease of life to try and hunt down his lost love， George。 Albert has been a postman all his life， living in a small Northern town and keeping himself to himself， living with just his cat since his mother died eighteen years ago。 When a letter from work tells him that he's due to retire in a few months， he realises that he doesn't want to be lonely， and starts building up connections with people in the local community， and building the courage to look for George， the man he loved and lost in his youth。The sort of book you have to call 'heart-warming'， The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle has deep meaning underneath its light and sweet story and characters。 In particular， it highlights the way people hide things for such a long time （like sexuality， but also the issues Albert had with his parents） and the importance of finding people you can talk to and be open with。 The trauma Albert has due to these things in his past means he doesn't expect people in the present to be kind or sympathetic， and his amazement at people being supportive as he comes out to them shows how deep that was ingrained。The main narrative is around Albert hunting down George， who is a big presence in the novel though mostly in flashbacks， and George being in the drag scene is a nice way for Albert to discover some of the gay culture he's missed due to fear。 The subplot in which Albert becomes friends with Nicole， a young single mum whose boyfriend's family won't accept her， feels typical of the genre （person stuck in their ways makes a new friend who is different to them and pulls them out of their rut）， but works well to show friends can come from unexpected directions。The depiction of an older gay man coming out is important and poignant， and hopefully this sort of book will open the eyes of lots of people who wouldn't think about the issues faced due to decades of fear and trauma。 It's an ideal story for this kind of book， a light read about someone who is lost and lonely finding hope and people， as it shows the need for different kind of community and also for self-acceptance。 Not necessarily the kind of genre I'd usually pick up， but definitely the kind of narrative I want to read and see in the world。 。。。more
MMB Book Blog
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Albert Entwistle is approaching his 65th birthday and facing compulsory retirement from the job he loves as a postman。 With no real friends and nothing to look forward to， Albert realises it’s been 50 years since he felt true happiness with his long-lost love， George。 He realises now is the time to accept who he really is and finally search for George， the man who has always had his heart。My Opinion : Oh Albert。 What an absolute sweetheart。 I didn’t think I’d find myself relating to a gay 65 yea Albert Entwistle is approaching his 65th birthday and facing compulsory retirement from the job he loves as a postman。 With no real friends and nothing to look forward to， Albert realises it’s been 50 years since he felt true happiness with his long-lost love， George。 He realises now is the time to accept who he really is and finally search for George， the man who has always had his heart。My Opinion : Oh Albert。 What an absolute sweetheart。 I didn’t think I’d find myself relating to a gay 65 year old postman as much as I did， but I think there’s a little of Albert in us all。 I found his discomfort in certain situations completely relatable。 That reluctance to join in big group gatherings and never being quite sure of the right thing to say。It’s a poignant story of lost love and the loneliness that so many people experience。 I was moved to tears in several places and hated to think of such a kind man feeling so alone。 However the story is one of hope and optimism。I found the novel really moving and laughed and cried as Albert searched for George。 I absolutely loved it。You can read my full review at https://mmbbookblog。com/the-secret-li。。。 。。。more
Sarah Goldson
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Albert Entwistle is a postman who’s nearing the age of 65， which means Royal Mail wish to make him redundant。 He’s heading for a very lonely life in retirement。 Why？ Well， Albert was in love when he was young， but it was in the days when it was illegal to be gay。 He’s become a very private person who keeps himself to himself and he lives alone with his little cat， Gracie， in the Lancashire town he’s lived in all his life。 In fact， he lives in his childhood home， although his parents are long dea Albert Entwistle is a postman who’s nearing the age of 65， which means Royal Mail wish to make him redundant。 He’s heading for a very lonely life in retirement。 Why？ Well， Albert was in love when he was young， but it was in the days when it was illegal to be gay。 He’s become a very private person who keeps himself to himself and he lives alone with his little cat， Gracie， in the Lancashire town he’s lived in all his life。 In fact， he lives in his childhood home， although his parents are long dead。 Albert hasn’t touched his mum’s bedroom for 18 years， in fact。 His father was a policeman， and a homophobic one， it appears， because during Albert’s youth， his father voices his disgust of ‘perverts’ and ‘people like that’。 His mother seems to grow to hate him， even though he cares for her as she grows old。 She seems to blame everything sad in her life on him， and berates him and insults him on a daily basis。 Then， one day， Albert finds something in his mum’s bedroom that changes the course of his life， and teaches him that it’s never too late to try and learn about what’s important in life。 There is a subplot about a young single mum， Nicole， - another victimised and misjudged member of the community， who turns out to be a great friend to Albert， as they help each other find their way in life。 So， this turns out to be a book about how Albert learns ‘that people can only really like you is you show them the real you。’ It’s set in Lancashire， and mentions of Chorley， Preston， Manchester， Leeds， and Blackpool， all add colour and life to the story。 Albert says ‘hellfire！’ often， which， if you know Lancashire， will make you smile。 There’s humour， love， faith， deep sadness， and joy in this book。 It reminded me of the terrible ways gay men were treated when I was young。 Arrests， bullying， beatings， all lend the book a deeply serious tone which is very moving， and although the author deals with them with a deft， light touch， the burning injustice of those times is strong。 Albert would have seen arrested， beaten up， and sacked， just for being gay， right through the 1960s and 1970s。 Albert’s parents watch The Naked Civil Servant， which will bring back memories to those who remember watching it for the first time。 I think the fact that this book covers these themes makes it a cut about other “feel good” novels。 It deals with the life of a community who were bullied and feared fifty years ago。 Thank goodness times have changed for the better。 。。。more
Rosie Amber
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The Secret Life Of Albert Entwistle is the story of a postman and his search for the one person he loved and lost。Albert is due to retire from the post office in a few months; for the last eighteen years he’s lived a quiet life in which he prefers his own company。 However， when his cat dies， Albert opens his eyes to how lonely he is and how much he fears the day of his retirement。In a life-changing moment， Albert discovers that his mother had secretly kept notes sent many years before， to Albert The Secret Life Of Albert Entwistle is the story of a postman and his search for the one person he loved and lost。Albert is due to retire from the post office in a few months; for the last eighteen years he’s lived a quiet life in which he prefers his own company。 However， when his cat dies， Albert opens his eyes to how lonely he is and how much he fears the day of his retirement。In a life-changing moment， Albert discovers that his mother had secretly kept notes sent many years before， to Albert from the person he’d been in love with。 The memories flood Albert’s mind and he decides that he’s not going to let his life drift on—he’s going to find George and ask for his forgiveness。In this feel-good story of life and love， Albert finds that he has the support of friends， work colleagues and neighbours when he needs them most。 He makes new friends and discovers that being gay is no longer something to hide away， but instead it is something to celebrate。This is an easy read which flows from the page and is sprinkled with just the right amount of Northern dialect to make the characters feel genuine。 I did find that Albert’s almost overnight change in character was a little unconvincing as was his quick grasp of new technology， however， it wasn’t too big an issue。 A lovely， leisurely read for those who enjoy stories which focus on older characters。 。。。more
Maggie
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