The Women Who Wouldn't Leave

 

The Women Who Wouldn’t Leave by Victoria Scott - Women's fiction/commercial fiction

A beautiful, emotional uplifting read: Connie has returned home from London after leaving her job which she couldn't cope with. Home with Mum where no-one notices her is where she wants to be. Next door is an old lady, Matilda, who has also kept herself to herself until the day she couldn't. Connie noticed that one of Matilda's goats had got out and the animals were making rather more noise than usual- was something wrong? Whilst Matilda is in hospital Connie strangely finds herself drawn to the animals, doing things she thought she could never do, and that it's helping her mental health and confidence being around them and in the garden. What transpires is a friendship and pathway of care and help for more than the intended recipient which is more than needed when the council has plans for the estate and Matilda although feisty is not as physically strong as she once was. 

I was drawn to this straight away. There are times when we all want to shut out the world and often it's difficult to ask for or even  find help. Animals don’t judge, will listen for hours and always give the right feedback. We can find help in the most unlikely places and that first hand (or paw) of friendship can mean the world. There are some wise words in this perhaps for us all. A story of finding yourself whatever your age and being true to who you really are.  A truly wonderful uplifting read with a message of hope.

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The Women Who Wouldn’t Leave

'A lovely book about two feisty and at times funny women, who stole my heart and had me rooting for them from the very beginning. A heartwarming, uplifting read that would be perfect for book clubs or just curling up with in the garden on a sunny afternoon. Utterly, utterly fabulous!' Faith Hogan

A gripping and uplifting new novel by the author of BA Book of the Month and LoveReading Debut of the Month Patience.

Connie Darke is trying to run away from the traumas in her past, and it's led her home, to the small rural council estate she left almost 20 years earlier. Matilda Reynolds has spent most of her long life in the Worcestershire village of Stonecastle, and she's content there, with her animals and her solitude. Until a fall lands her in hospital, and Matilda has to turn to her strange young neighbour Connie for help looking after her home. Out of their tentative arrangement, each woman gains a new sense of community. But before long, that community comes under threat when the council decides to sell the estate, to make way for expensive developments. Connie and Matilda are determined to fight for their home, whatever it takes... Purchase Links UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Women-Who-Wouldnt-Leave-ebook/dp/B0BJZXCS8X/ US - https://www.amazon.com/Women-Who-Wouldnt-Leave-ebook/dp/B0BJZXCS8X/

Author Bio – Victoria Scott has been a journalist for longer than she wants to acknowledge, working for outlets including the BBC, Al Jazeera, Time Out and the Telegraph. She lives on a Thames island with her husband and two children and a cat called Alice, and when she's not writing she's a university lecturer, freelance journalist and copywriter. Victoria Scott's first novel, Patience, was the Booksellers Association Book of the Month and LoveReading Debut of the Month. You can follow Victoria on Twitter @toryscott and on Instagram @VictoriaScottAuthor https://www.toryscott.com/ Social Media Links – Publisher social media handles: Twitter: https://twitter.com/AriaFiction Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AriaFiction Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headofzeus/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headofzeus

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