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Secret Life of Albert Entwistle: An Uplifting and Unforgettable Story of Love and Second Chances
Secret Life of Albert Entwistle: An Uplifting and Unforgettable Story of Love and Second Chances | Matt Cain
"This rollicking romance entrapped me! True in its detail and its scope, it is amusing yet heart-breaking." --Ian McKellen Perfect for fans of Fredrik Backman and TJ Klune, this humorous, life-affirming, and charmingly wise novel tells the story of how the forced retirement of a shy, closeted postman in northern England creates a second chance with his lost love, as he learns to embrace his true self, connect with his community, and finally experience his life's great adventure... Indie Next List Selection Library Reads Selection Every day, Albert Entwistle makes his way through the streets of his small English town, delivering letters and parcels and returning greetings with a quick wave and a "how do?" Everyone on his route knows Albert, or thinks they do--a man of quiet routines, content to live alone with his cat, Gracie. Three months before his sixty-fifth birthday, Albert receives a letter from the Royal Mail thanking him for decades of service and stating that he is being forced into retirement. At once, Albert's simple life unravels. Without the work that fills his days, what will he do? He has no friends, family, or hobbies--just a past he never speaks of, and a lost love that fills him with regret. And so, rather than continue his lonely existence, Albert forms a brave plan to start truly living, to be honest about who he is . . . and to find George, the man with whom he spent one perfect spring and summer long ago. One painful yet exhilarating step at a time, Albert begins searching for George and revealing his story to those around him. As he does, something extraordinary happens. Albert finds unlikely allies, new friends, and the courage to help others--even as he seeks the happiness he's always denied himself. Beautifully written, funny, and wise, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle is a book to fall in love with and to be inspired by, one that proves it is never too late to live, to hope, and to love. A Note from Matt Cain, the author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle "One of the things that inspired me to write this novel was all the joy I felt at seeing gay men like myself being embraced by British society. I think you'd be hard-pushed to find any other minority community in the UK that was as hated, feared and vilified as gay men were fifty years ago and is now as 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. I wanted to write a book that would celebrate this. And I sincerely hope The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle makes its readers feel good about themselves and the part they've played in bringing about this extraordinary social shift." --Matt Cain
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rwmg
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Pickpick

As postman Albert Entwistle approaches compulsory retirement memories haunt him of the love he lost as a teenager. After all these years can he reconnect and find forgiveness?

The book does come close to suggesting that if you are not much of a people person it's because of bullying or other bad experiences. Nevertheless it is a feel-good romance that wears its heart on its sleeve and sucks you in, so I had a good time reading it.

24 likes1 stack add
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rwmg
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julesG I really liked this book. Enjoy! 5mo
21 likes1 comment
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Tamra
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Pickpick

If you enjoyed A Man Called Ove, you‘ll probably like this novel. A tad too twee, but the message is a good one.

ShelleyBooksie What does twee mean? 12mo
Tamra @ShelleyBooksie British term for overly sentimental, saccharine…. 12mo
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K.Wielechowski
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Pickpick

Cute second-chance romance
When 65-year-old Albert gets told he‘s being forced to retire, his cat passes away, and he spends yet another Christmas alone, he decides to make some changes in his life. Starting with finding the boy he loved when he was 16.
He finally opens up to the people around him and finds a community that welcomes him with open arms.

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jesseastin
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Pickpick

The protagonist of this book is so introverted at the start of this book, that I almost put it down. I like a little more of a bad ass character. But, I‘m glad I stuck with it. Once he gets news of his upcoming forced retirement, he realizes how stagnant he‘s become and decides to search for his one love of 50 years past. It‘s charming as he forges friendships and the sense of community it brings and the changed attitudes of LGBT+ since the 70‘s

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Curvybookgirl
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Pickpick

Our January book club pick and a really good one. It was heartwarming and emotional. A lovely comforting read for this time of year

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julesG
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CarolynM
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Mehso-so

About to turn 65, Albert realises his padlocked closet door has left him friendless and miserable. He sets about making new connections and tracking down his one and only love from 50 years before. I wanted to like this more than I did. It stretched my ability to suspend disbelief a bit too far.

rwmg wishlisted despite your reservations 2y
CarolynM @rwmg It‘s not bad, I just found it a bit artificial. I hope you enjoy it. 2y
Prairiegirl_reading I agree 100 percent. That‘s exactly how I felt about this book! 2y
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julesG
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Pickpick

Enjoyed this story of a soon to retire postie and how the doom of retirement shows him who he really is.

Moving story of gay men in the 1970s and how the LGBTQ+ community changed within the last 50 years.

TLuvs I loved the vocal actor on this book! He was perfect for the character. 2y
julesG @TLuvs Yes, the narration was brilliant. 2y
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MaggieCarr
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While searching for George, Albert found himself. This story reminded me of Ove, Arthur Pepper & the movie Letters To Juliet with a Great Britain LGBTQ+ history thrown in.

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quirkyreader
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Pickpick

In between the post-op side effects, which suck, I was able to sit outside for a while and finish this book. Here is the link to my gr review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4326330038?book_show_action=false&from_rev...

@shawnmooney if you haven‘t read this one yet, go find a copy.

tpixie @quirkyreader hope you have a fast recovery ❤️‍🩹 2y
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quirkyreader
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Home sick again today to complications from Monday. And not feeling guilty about missing work. I‘m going to try and finish this book today. And I‘ve got my late uncle‘s schnauzer collection to keep me company.

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quirkyreader
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A few of the books I want to finish before I tackle…….

jimfields3 I have Live Not by Lies on my TBR, too. I look forward to reading your review. 2y
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coffees
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Pickpick

A really sweet and tragic story about Albert, who had to give up love bc of the homophobia rampant in the fifties. Now he's about to retire and realizes that the times are different and maybe it's not too late to be himself. Very cute and heartbreaking, mostly follows Albert's story but we also follow Nicole's story, which tbh felt less developed #pridemonth #gay

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stevesbookstuf1
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Pickpick

Rounding out Pride Month: A Hallmark Movie in a book. Albert Entwistle is a postman in northern England, who has been in the closet since he was a teenager. His pending mandatory retirement at age 65 is the jolt that starts him on a quest to find George, who he once loved, and who loved him. Despite the Hallmark comment, and the fact that it's overlong I really enjoyed it. And, I admit I teared up at the end.

Full review: https://bit.ly/3Nw5f6u

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rachelm
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Mehso-so

This was a 3.5⭐️ audiobook for me but if I read it on paper it might have been lower 😕. The voice actor is fabulous and the LGBTQ rep is wonderful, but there are overly sentimental passages and lots of direct statement of feelings/hitting you over the head with how you‘re supposed to feel in a moment. Plus, I get bothered by the use of a sick person as a “lesson” or prop (midway thru book). Just not my favorite if you only see a character once.

rachelm I really wanted to love this more. I know many will! I have a feeling it will be very big. 2y
KristiAhlers I almost bought this one today. But something held me back. 2y
rachelm @KristiAhlers maybe request for your library? I‘m still glad I read it, but these things did bug me. 2y
KristiAhlers @rachelm I just put myself on the waitlist. 2y
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JoyBlue
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This loner-senior-finally-blossoming saga is a pleasant, if predictable, story. Publication is expected May 31. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-secret-life-of-albert-entwistle

#NetGalley #RBMedia #TheSecretLifeofAlbertEntwistle

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TLuvs
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Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook for an honest review! First impression: if you are at all interested in this book, you must get it on audiobook! The vocal actor is AMAZING and the British accent is a must!!

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TiminCalifornia
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Pickpick

5 stars for its handling of one basic message: you are never too old to make new choices in how you live your life. Being now in my mid-50s, I‘ve found less and less of that messaging seems directed to my generation and those older than me. The strength of this book is it unpacks everything that goes along with making a wholesale change of perspective late in life – at the age of retirement in Albert‘s case. Thanks to #Netgalley for the #ARC.

Bookwomble I retrained and changed career in my early 50s, which I'm loving I'm my late 50s! Never too late 😊 2y
johncadams That's a lovely image. 2y
bthegood Just saying hi - haven't seen you for awhile on Litsy - 2y
CarolynM 👋 Hi Tim, I‘ve missed seeing you around. Hope all is well. 2y
Cuilin Hi, hope you‘re good. Haven‘t seen you on Litsy for a bit. 10mo
38 likes1 stack add5 comments
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quirkyreader
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TiminCalifornia
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“Albert Entwistle was a postman.“

#FirstLineFridays

@ShyBookOwl

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Olivia306
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Pickpick

Sweet and heart warming, this is the perfect read for a sunny Sunday. I enjoyed Albert‘s journey from an anxious man with little left in his life to enjoy to a man that has the courage to put himself out there, enjoy the little joys of life and above all, recognise some hard truths about himself. But underneath it all, there‘s also a story of hiding oneself, of never living one‘s life because of fear, judgement and repercussions.

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thewallflower0707
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Panpan

When I started this, I thought it would be a five-star read for sure. I thought Albert would be a less grumpy and more anxious #AManCalledOve. However, the constant need of the author to unnecessarily spell out everyone‘s thoughts quickly got annoying, and I felt myself lose interest and had to force myself through the last ~100 pages.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#novel #kindle #thesecretlifeofalbertentwistle

18 likes1 comment