The premise of this story was decent but the execution really fell flat for me. It went from plausible to just too unrealistic, and while different details changed with each smaller event, the story began to feel repetitive. It felt like there were too many oversimplified scenes. Paraphrasing here but, “I asked for a job and they gave it to me!”

That said, the story is a reminder that it’s never too late to make a positive change in life or reclaim your happiness.

An amusing story of the escapades of an octogenarian and her friends as they “grab what’s left of life now and enjoy every turn.” There is lots of British slang that creates an authentic adventure for American readers. My issue with the book is that it is so similar to several others that have been released over the past few years. It doesn’t feel original or as polished as a couple of them.

Gloria Frensham is 79 and a hoarder and I liked her!
The book basically follows Gloria’s freedom from hoarding, rather than focusing on it and although it is mentioned and dealt with it is at a much lower % of the actual story than perhaps the title would have you believe....Gloria, once free of hoarding and after 2 weeks in a Nursing Home and being shunted into the annexe of her son’s family home has enough and takes herself to Skeggy, Eastbourne and London and has quite the adventure!
The book then focuses on her gaining her independence and enjoying life and giving back to her son a bit of what he deserves
There are laughs and sad bits but it all ends up well for Gloria!
Its a strange book as it deals sometimes with serious mental health issues and deals with them well and also deals with family problems and how elderly relatives are treated but then at times the book is quite childish in its narrative ( I note with interest the author used to write children’s books )
It also is annoying at times as the terms ‘Duck’ ‘yes my love’ and ‘Ruddy’ are so over used they became a nuisance, also characters ‘accents’ change from say the Midlands to broad Yorkshire!
Some of the characters have unusual names, Clegg for example, is her son and Tilsbury (!) her life long beau
Its a happy ( in the end ) tale though and more ahhhh than grrrr and I think anyone who enjoys stories of OAP’s having an adventure will enjoy it and their is.as said, a very poignant side to the story

When I requested this book I was interested in "The Lady in the Van" part as I love Alan Bennett.
Even if the plot is different, it met all my expectations as it's an amazing read.
It moves you and entertain at same time. The style of writing is great and the plot keeps you hooked till the end.
It's a lot of food for thought and makes you think about your life and what it means living.
A very good novel, I look forward to reading other by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for this ARC

A heart-warming tale of how one incident can help you to turn your life around. Also, that it is never too late to change and that we should make the most of the time we have left to us - once you are over 75 (or maybe younger!) you really need to live each day to the full, just in case! A wonderful story of families and friendships.

Gloria is a seventy-something woman, widowed and living on her own in her very cluttered house. So cluttered, in fact, that it’s revealing all of the cracks in her life, her depression and her safety: with a fire starting and her son stepping in to redirect and, as she sees it, control her life. He’s less than altruistic in his motives – she’s always found him difficult, not seen her grandchild in near ten years, and relies on Tisbury, her old friend and boyfriend to run to the shops and manage with her pension cheque. But, Clegg is determined, and with the fire social services have been brought in, moving her to a nursing home for the immediate moment, where she can get some meals more nutritious than the potato soup she’s survived on, and perhaps help her to deal with the depression that appeared as the piles of clutter and her refusal to step outside.

But this is a turning point for Gloria, as she starts to find her old determination, and discovers that her son’s plan is to sell her house and commit her to a care home on a permanent basis. He’s never been particularly attentive, and she’s been at home waiting for hope, and someone or something to alleviate the loneliness she feels and her depression that is exacerbated with the isolation and aging. She’s not going to take it all lying down though as she toddles off to find her own purpose, making new friends, visiting old ones and grabbing for all of the gusto that she found in one short scooter ride away from the care home with Tisdale.

There’s much to be said about the lightness and hope in this story, with most issues able to resolve simply with a cup of tea and a chat – but we all know that nothing is ever quite that simple, and the refrain (however loved and completely British) of how about a cuppa became an oft-repeated refrain, seeming to recycle issues and solutions with a pat response. Oh sure, there’s hope – and Gloria is a wonderfully complex woman as one would expect in her near eighty years on earth, but there was an imbalance that kept me from LOVING the story – even though it was a perfect sort of pick-me-up read when one thinks of being aged and pushed aside for the new and shiny. A story that is higher on hope and light moments than actual substance, it was an enjoyable palate cleanser sort of read when other books or actual life becomes too weighty.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aaq/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Funny, heart warming, sad and thought provoking. This was a real page turner. What a turnaround Gloria made to her life when she started taking control of it. I couldn't put the book down wondering where she would go next on her travels. An underlying love story with a real feel good factor, A whole plethora of emotions came over me as I read this book. Brilliant.

This is a gentle and easy read for people who love England and places where all problems are solved with a "cuppa" tea.

Gloria Frensham is a 79 year old widow and a hoarder. You can barely step around the house for all the newspapers and garbage strewn about. Not only has she let the house go, but she rarely gives herself a wash as well. It's gotten to the point where her only child Clegg rarely visits, and she hasn't seen her grandchildren in ten years. She relies on her oldest friend (and ex-boyfriend) Tilsbury to fetch her pension check and bring around anything that she needs...like the sack of potatoes from which she's been making soup day after day.

Then one day there's a loud bang and the smell of burning in the kitchen. This "sparks" a life-changing moment in Gloria's life, for this necessitates the electricity board coming to check on the problem. More importantly, social services gets involved. While the electrical problem and the mess is being sorted out, Gloria is sent to Green's Nursing Home for a respite. While a resident, she receives counselling from a social worker which is very enlightening and helpful to her. After a couple of weeks at the nursing home, Gloria briefly stays at her son Clegg and his wife Val's home. However, it's an uneasy atmosphere as Clegg has always been a difficult son. In fact, one evening Gloria overhears an argument: Clegg wants to sell his mother's house behind her back and put her permanently into a nursing home!

One day while Clegg and Val are at work, Tilsbury coaxes Gloria out for an afternoon tea, something she hasn't enjoyed in ages. Scandalously, they ride there on a scooter bike! The joy that Gloria experienced on this rare and special jaunt inspired her to keep making new memories. So she uses the credit card her son had given her for emergencies to extend the afternoon tea into trips to other places. She picks up new friends along the way...and visits an old one. She's remembering the lessons she learned in the nursing home, applying them to her own life and helping others.

This very much reminded me of a Frances Garrood book, a British author I recently came to know and admire. This is a very British story; there is a lot of British lingo such as "ruddy" and "grand", and there are always cups of tea! This was a touching and heartwarming story that was a pleasant read.

Gloria has got herself in a bit of a mess. Aged 79 and widowed she's neglected her house and herself to a catastrophic degree, and when choices are taken out of her hands she's set on a path that revolutionises not just her own life, but those around her too.
This is a story of life being too short and seizing opportunities to live it in your own way. It teaches you the value of friendship and believing in yourself, no matter what age you are.
I loved Gloria and her posse of friends and family and seeing how their stories all were interwoven and on their own journeys.
Being born in Nottinghamshire I loved the use of many colloquial phrases like ducks etc and the way Gloria spoke, it was wonderfully authentic and endearing, a d Gloria is the type of granny I can only hope to be. Powerful, sentimental and inspiring, I truly loved this book

An enjoyable light hearted tale of an elderly boarder who goes on the run rather than be shoe horned into a life she doesn't want.
You do have to suspend disbelief quite a lot. Would an elderly person with such an ingrained habit really capitulate so readily? But nevertheless, good fun.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

Sweet captivating story that was well written and just lovely. I think this new genre of sweet books on aging will help us all as we gracefully follow these footsteps!

Gloria is an elderly hoarder. When an accident forces her to leave her home, she gets some perspective on her problem and ends up going on a bit of an adventure to "find herself." It was a nice book, not excpetional and I didn't love the writing style, personally, but it was enjoyable overall. Three stars.

This is a heartwarming story of family, forgiveness, growing old and the effects grief can have on a person. It is also a story of coming out the other side from depression.
If you like stories with a happy ever after then this is a book for you.

Growing old is great when you consider the alternative, so what a shame that older people are often overlooked. Our protagonist, Gloria, has a great deal to offer but often hasn’t had the opportunity, cast aside by her family for the crime of hoarding. Stockpiling stuff has been an easy habit for Gloria to fall into but an impossible one to break. Until now. “The Woman Who Kept Everything” is an endearing tale of one elderly woman with a sense of adventure who embarks on a voyage of self-discovery. A lovely read and a reminder that it’s never too late.

You'll feel happier having read Gilley's novel - especially if you are over 75 years old. The storyline centres round Gloria, a 79 year old widow, who lives alone in her rubbish -filled house. A major electrical fault demands that she move out while it is fixed. Her son Clegg finds her a Care home and it is from that this point that Gloria's life starts to change. The remainder of the novel follows Gloria as she gradually rediscovers what really matters to her. Her budding confidence allows her to engage with long lost friends and make new ones. Her whole family relationship changes and ultimately she is able to reveal her lifelong secret. The Woman Who Kept Everything seamlessly blends an endearing plot with wonderful characters. Fun though it is to read, it contains a serious message for all of us about treasuring family and friendship.

Not my usual choice of book I usually read thrillers or Sci Fi ,but I do enjoy a feelgood book now and again,as long as it is not too cheesy.This for me was one slice away from cheesy, but on the right side.I did enjoy it.If you are looking for a fairly undemanding read that will keep you interested with a very likable main character and some more interesting characters thrown in, pull up a seat and grab a cuppa, and enjoy.I did enjoy this and would like to thank the publishers and netgalley for an ARC.

I really enjoyed this book, it tells the story of Gloria Frensham a 79 year old woman who is a hoarder. It was lighthearted and portrays some serious issues which did not detract from the seriousness it made me really think.
Great characters definitely recommend.

A well written poignant tale of our times. Gloria is 79 and after the death of her husband hoards everything, after this reaches a crisis point and her controlling son takes over Gloria turns a corner rediscovering the art of the possible. What follows is a voyage of discovery for Gloria with quite a large amount of humour and a fair sprinkling of sadness. The only criticism I had was Gloria's transformation happened in such a short time scale but despite that one can't help but warm to this character, slightly quirky and childlike at time but likeable nonetheless.

I think it could make many of us think about what happens with old people as they are increasingly left alone in old age and what, often widely dispersed, families can do to alleviate their loneliness.

I understand that this is this writer's first novel and I look forward to reading some further works.

A lesson on how to live life. It’s not easy getting old, and losing your husband, and finding your family don’t want to see you. How easy it is to let things pile up and become unmanageable. But once Gloria has been cleaned up, and moved into her sons home, then finds out he’s plann8ng on selling her home, and eventually moving her into an old people home, she suddenly decides life’s too short and she needs to do the things she’s always wanted to. A very readable book, with lots of humour, and a marriage and a twist at the end. This is definitely a wake up call, to stop putting off what you really want to do, and do it!

Oh Gloria Frensham what a fabulous ride you gave us on your adventures in this book. Some really great characters surround Gloria and reading the book makes you feel like part of the gang. I suspect this will turn out to be a film and very much on a par with Lady in the Van. It has all the appeal and would especially be devoured by ladies who are wondering what their future has in store for them. Follow Gloria's lead, ladies, and go for it. You never know what fun and adventures await. Thoroughly enjoyable read and one that will remain in my memory for a long time.