The Notekeeper by Hannah Treave

 Following a tragedy, Zoe flees Australia and makes a life for herself in the UK. Now working as a care nurse in The Oaks hospice, and knowing just how much comfort last words can bring, Zoe has taken it upon herself to become a notekeeper – writing down the final thoughts of her patients and delivering them to their loved ones.

Zoe’s new boss, Ben, isn't happy about her getting so involved in the residents’ lives. But even as the two clash, they discover they have more in common than either could have ever imagined.

As Zoe learns to confront her past and her own grief, her heart can finally begin to mend. With the broken pieces slowly becoming whole, will she cope when her world is shattered once more?

A captivating, moving story that will make you laugh and cry, perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Dani Atkins and Libby Page.

What did I think?

A new author to me having never heard of Hannah Treave before - but I have to admit it was the cover that first caught my eye. Isn't it beautiful? Made me want to start reading straight away.

Also in the blurb it says it is perfect for fans of Dani Atkins and Libby Page - 2 of my favourite authors. This made me think I was onto a winner.

This book really got to me on a personal level - my Mum is in a care home - quite a long way from me. She doesn't like it much and always say the staff are too busy to spend much time just chatting or sitting with her. I would love a Zoe in her life.

I thought this was a wonderful story - it made me smile but it also made me cry. Not always easy subject matter to read about and simply working in a hospice makes Zoe a special person. It is life affirming - Zoe helps her patients by writing down some of their last thoughts and helping them come to terms with the decisions they have made during their lives.

Makes it sound quite sad but believe me there is plenty of humour too.

This book should come with a box of tissues - you have been warned!

About the Author

Hannah Treave is the pseudonym for Fiona Ford, an experienced freelance journalist and prolific novelist. She has written for weekly women’s magazines for the past fifteen years and is the author of six novels – two under the penname Fiona Harrison, A Pug Like Percy and A Puppy Called Hugo (HQ, 2017), two WW2 sagas for Orion (The Spark Girl and A Wartime Promise) and a series set during the Second World War, the first of which, Christmas at Liberty's (Penguin Random House), was a bestseller in 2018.