Oh goodness what a lovely feel good book. Sure there were sad parts to this story but honestly it just ended up making me smile.

The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains by Sarah Clutton is about a very remarkable almost 10 year old boy who is desperate to find out the truth about his father. Alfie lives with his mum Emilia in Ireland until her appendix ruptures and she tells him that actually she has a family in Australia he doesn't know about and they were now going to visit them.

In the small town of Beggars Rock in Tasmania Peggy Bain's world is rocked at the appearance of her daughter and the grandson she never knew she had. Alfie is determined to work out who his father is but all his relatives are keeping quiet and his mum won't let slip the details. As Alfie uncovers family secrets his joyful and quirky personality wins over his newly found family.

I really enjoyed this read. It was a completely endearing book. Alfie is so likable and while Emilia's reluctance to tell him the truth is frustrating to both Alfie and the reader there were definitely reasons for how the storyline comes together.

It's not all rosy though and there are some trigger warnings for mental health challenges and family violence but I loved how the book didn't sugar coat these but still gave us a happy ending. Sometimes you just want things to work out for all the characters!

Thank you to @netgalley and @allenandunwin for my #gifted copy.

The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains is a sweet, heartwarming story centred on Alfie, bright and curious almost 10 year old boy with a mind far beyond his years as he moves to Australia from Ireland, learning for the first time he has family. The story is told through multiple viewpoints, including:
* Alfie himself
* Penny - Alfie's grandmother - mother to Emilia, Alfie's Mum, who left town unexpecedly one night, never to be heard from again
* Cynthia - potentially Alfie's paternal grandmother - mother of Alfie's father - although who his father is, is a little uncertain
* Noah - Cynthia's son, not Alfie's father - twin to Ned and older brother to Julian (who was once married to Emilia).

As Alfie embarks on a mission to uncover the truth about his father, family secrets begin to unravel. Convinced that Cynthia is his grandmother, he sets out to piece together the puzzle of his father.

The narrative gracefully shifts between the present day and events from eleven years earlier, revealing what really happened between Emilia, Julian, and Ned and why Emilia left town.

It's a story that’s as charming as it is poignant—an easy, absorbing read that pulls you in with its emotional depth and irresistible protagonist. You’ll fall head over heels for Alfie, all while feeling the quiet ache of love, loss, and the complicated ties that bind families together.

A beautiful story of complicated family dynamics, opening with the surprise appearance of a young boy in a small coastal town in Tasmania. The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Baines is equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking, and a must read of 2025.

Clifton masterfully weaves together multiple POV and flashbacks, creating a rich and complex story and an immersive read. The small Tasmanian town borrows from real life history and geography, with significant creative licence, to create an environment and community that feels authentic and tangible. The story ebbs and weaves as we learn about what happened 11 years ago as Alfie makes sense of his origins and tries to uncover the truth of his parentage.

The story deals with some very heavy topics in a sensitive and reflective manner. The voices of the characters are so well defined, and I felt such a strong sense of empathy for their experiences. The writing is engaging, and while the story unravels slowly, I savoured every page. A wonderful read, particularly for those who enjoy books like Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Find.

Thank you Allen & Unwin for this ARC. Opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for this ARC.
Initially I really struggled to get into this one as it is definitely a slow build story. It was at the 45% mark that I finally found myself invested in Alfie’s story and the journey of the other main characters.
Overall, this was a heartwarming story, with a gorgeous backdrop, intricate characters and beautiful writing.

Emilia Bains has a medical scare, she decides to move back home to Australia, and the small Tasmanian town of Beggars Rock and where her mum lives. Penny is a widow and she runs a sheep farm and she’s shocked when a young boy with Irish accent arrives and he claims to be her grandson and the child of her missing daughter.

Alfie has decided he wants to find out who his father is, and he’s nine and smart and doesn’t believe her test tube scenario and he begins operation tadpole. Alfie has a cousin Harper, two great-aunts Hilary and Rainn and their lips are tightly sealed about the topic. He’s sure his mum and family are keeping things from him, buried secrets and Alfie’s prepared to dig through dirt, leave no stone unturned and get a little wet and uncomfortable to uncover the truth.

I received a copy of The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains by Sarah Clutton from NetGalley and Allen & Unwin in exchange for an honest review. My favourite book so far this year, it grabbed my attention from the first chapter and I didn’t want it to end.

Alfie is delightful and I adored him, he’s funny and his quirky antics made me laugh out loud. A moving and emotive dual timeline narrative about a young boy, and you discover anything is possible and even if you think everything has been lost. A novel about the highs and lows mothering brings, and especially for Emilia, Penny and Cynthia and with lots of twists and turns along the way, while it covers some serious issues, it's uplifting, joyful and will touch your heart and five stars from me and I highly recommend.

I loved it! It had everything I like in a book. A dysfunctional family dynamic, a mystery element, a dual timeline, a small-town coastal setting, humour and it also pulled at the heartstrings. I couldn’t put it down!
Thank you to NetGalley, Allen & Unwin and the author for providing this ARC.

I read The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains in a few days. The story kept me engaged and interested throughout.
It is a story that focuses on family dynamics, and the complexities that families can experience.
My favourite character was definitely Alfie. This smart young lad was a little charmer, and I would’ve actually liked the story to be told a little more through his eyes, but that’s not to say the story didn’t work with the other characters points of views being shared, just that Alfie was a great character.
The story is told from different characters and reverts back and forth from present day to the past, which was a little confusing at times but I managed to keep grasp of it. Overall, I thought that this was a pretty good read and I did enjoy it. Many thanks for the opportunity.