This tale of socially awkward potato grower and his late-life rebirth into a community of friends and a potential wife sounded charming on paper but I was left unmoved for the most part. I think it may be the sheer weight (or perhaps length) of the interminable conversations in the novel. They went on an on and on and while aspects of them were interesting or witty, I found reading so much dialogue quite wearying after the first one.

It seemed particularly manipulative that while the supposedly taciturn Mr Doubler turns out to be quite the conversationalist with his sudden conversion from silent curmudgeon to 'chatty cathy', the entire central plot (his son's conspiracy) is predicated on the fact that he is unable to muster a single sentence to either deter his son from thinking he will ever sell his farm or to inform his son that he does in fact have a support network which would prevent an easy takeover. Someone that reluctant to speak up to his own child is unlikely to suddenly become the central and seminal figure in the lives of every stranger in a twelve mile radius, surely? This one was hard work for me, I'm afraid.

A really heart warming and gentle read, I felt like I was totally absorbed into this book and enjoyed reading every page.

Mr Doubler lives on Mirth Farm, he lives alone since his wife died and is happy and content long the quiet life, he is also an expert at growing potatoes, what he doesn’t know about potatoes isn’t worth knowing. Mr Peele is determined to buy Mirth farm as his farm surrounds it, but Mr Doubler is going nowhere, he is quite satisfied where he is.
He doesn’t like to see many people, his grown up children seem to blame him for their mothers death, so the only person he wants to spend time with is Mrs Millwood his cleaner, but when she is suddenly taken ill and is no longer there to spend time with, Mr Doubler begins to wonder how much he really relies on Mrs Millwood.

A lovely story about friendship and growing old, it was a very welcome break from my usual genres.

A great story line with brilliant main characters.. I read this book in one sitting as I couldn't put it down.

I received an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Mr Doubler has become a recluse since the loss of his wife over twenty years ago. Alone on his farm, growing his beloved potatoes, he sees no need to leave. His housekeeper provides him with everything he needs. One day he finds out that she is ill in hospital, and his world is suddenly turned upside down. He is forced to interact with society again, but with his housekeeper assisting, he discovers that he has a lot more friends than he believes.
This book is so captivating and cleverly written. The characters were fascinating, and showed a lot of depth of character. It was very thought provoking, especially towards the treatment of older people within our society. Things are not always as they appear in the surface.
It is a perfectly charming read, it made me smile, but there are also poignant moments. I would highly recommend this book,