All the Lonely People

All The Lonely People came on my radar a few weeks ago when other readers were singing its praises, many of whom called it a great pick for people who loved A Man Named Ove by Fredrik Backman. I'm a huge fan of Ove so those were some mighty big curmudgeonly shoes to fill.

The story is told in two timelines, one following Hubert, a Black octogenarian Jamaican' immigrant who has lived in the UK for six decades and the other during Hubert's younger years. But besides Hubert's relationship with his neighbours, Hubert is not like grumpy ol' Ove, but he is easy to like, and his early years and current loneliness will endear him to readers. I kept trying to imagine his Jamaican accent, but I don't feel the writing portrayed it clearly on the page. 

My favourite part of the book was how Gayle included important topics (immigration, racism, loneliness, and loss) into his story. Unfortunately, none of them were given a great deal of depth leaving readers with more of a character-driven story than a plot-focused tale which for the most part was very slowly paced (and a little dull in parts). There is a plot twist later, but it felt contrived and didn't pack its intended punch with me.

All The Lonely People is a sweet story with an important focus on social isolation, loneliness in different generations, friendship, and racism, but while I connected with the issues, the story got too bogged down in the middle and was a bit of a struggle to finish. 

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Mike Gayle

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

First Published: July 13, 2021

Opening Lines: Moments before Hubert met Ashleigh 

for the first time, he had been settled in his favorite 

armchair, Puss curled up on his lap, waiting for Rose to call.

Book Description from GoodReads: In weekly phone calls to his daughter in Australia, widower Hubert Bird paints a picture of the perfect retirement, packed with fun, friendship, and fulfillment. But it's a lie. In reality, Hubert's days are all the same, dragging on without him seeing a single soul.

Until he receives some good news -- good news that in one way turns out to be the worst news ever, news that will force him out again, into a world he has long since turned his back on. The news that his daughter is coming for a visit.

Now Hubert faces a seemingly impossible task: to make his real life resemble his fake life before the truth comes out.
Along the way Hubert stumbles across a second chance at love, renews a cherished friendship, and finds himself roped into an audacious community scheme that seeks to end loneliness once and for all . . .

Life is certainly beginning to happen to Hubert Bird. But with the origin of his earlier isolation always lurking in the shadows, will he ever get to live the life he's pretended to have for so long?