I have read many books by Amanda Prowse and was overjoyed to be able to review The things I know.
I find Amanda Prowse's characters always draw me in, pull on my heart strings and keep me enticed from the first chapter to the final.
Thomasina is known as Hitch and has disabilities which made her feel lonely, sad and insecure which was especially worse when her brother moved away.
Hitch longed for more in her life than working on her families farm and had many dreams.
When Grayson comes to stay on the farm, who has difficulties also the two connect and bond which changes both their lives. You follow the ups and downs and the hurdles they have to face.
Loveable characters and a beautifully-written romance.

All I can say is "Thank you Amanda Prowse" ! I feel privileged to have been allowed to enter the wonderful world of Thomasina and Grayson and assorted animals. What a fabulous book! I have loved every one of Amanda's books but this one is my absolute favourite. Her sure grasp of someone living on the spectrum is encapsulated in her portrayal of Grayson . His character is so rounded, so lovingly drawn , with all his individual quirks, challenges and talents and his breathtakingly beautiful and poetic simplicity. I found myself wanting to reach into the book to hug him and look after him. Similarly, the character of Thomasina is so well observed. Everyone who has every been dismissed by society as "different" and been mocked and villified by those too blinkered to see beyond physical imperfections to the beautiful human being within, can empathize with and feel totally invested n her life and longings. At times during the book, I found myself feeling physically sick with dread for them and praying that they would get their happy ending. I don't think I have ever cared so much about fictitious characters! That of course is down to the genius of Amanda's writing. Her prose draws you in to her world with her such lovingly drawn and fully fleshed characters, both human and animal. This book also gave voice to the poetry in her soul with the most glorious passages of dialogue. I haven't the words to do justice to this masterpiece of a book but urge you to read it for yourselves and immerse yourselves in all its myriad emotions and life affirming beauty.

The things I know...
...this book is full of happiness and sadness and hope.
As a parent of 2 children with additional needs, one with a very rare chromosome disorder, I can relate to the family in so many different ways. I love a book that I can get emotionally invested in and this one really tugged at the heartstrings in so many brilliant ways. The characters, especially Hitch and her cousin are incredible. I really enjoyed the dynamics of the relationships between the family members and the local community. It felt like I was there, on the farm, observing Hitch's life as it unfolds and she grows.
I found myself wondering what my daughters life will be like in years to come and glad that I haven't been overly protective of her, full of even more hope for what her future may hold after reading Hitch's story.
I think it is incredibly brave when an author tackles difficult subjects that people are very opinionated and passionate about. Subjects that other shy away from because they can sometimes be considered taboo to talk about. Bullying over Disability and Gender and the struggles around Addiction are all still very prevalent in today's society and yet again with her beautiful writing Amanda has taken something difficult and sometimes controversial and made it relate-able and inspiring.
I'll be completely honest, this review was a really hard one to write. There are so many things I want to shout from the rooftops about the characters and the story but I can't without spoiling it for other readers. So I will just say that it's a truly fantastic story that had my crying in the first chapter and laughing in the last!

I have read many books by this author so was very happy to get an advance copy of her new release.

This book was hard to get into at the beginning. I found it really slow and nearly gave up reading it. I am so glad that I persevered as it improved dramatically and was such a good book

A moving love story of two people who are a bit different

What I love about Amanda Prowse's books is that they always shows her empathy towards those who don't quite fit in. Thomasina is known as Hitch because of her awkward gait caused by her twisted body. She lives and works hard with her brother on her parents' farm, where her family protect her from the unkind world. Although slow to learn, she gains release form the constraints of her life by expressing her thoughts and dreams on paper. She longs to go to New York, have a boyfriend and have sparkly red shoes. Her parents tell her she is 'different' but she longs to find out exactly how different.

When her brother, Jonathan, goes to work on a ranch in America, she realises that her own dreams of escape have been crushed, as her elderly parents rely on her to support them on the farm. Then Grayson Potts comes to stay at their B&B. Like her, he feels himself a misfit and constrained by his needy mother, an alcoholic, with whom he shares a tiny London flat. They make an instant connection and make each other happy, but their lives are so different. He is a stockbroker, she a farm girl. Can they make a future together?

I love the fact that, as Thomasina gains in confidence, she becomes known by her proper name, rather than the derogatory nickname used by even her parents. A beautifully-written romance, with pathos and humour.

Another beautiful story from Amanda Prowse Hitch was born and raised on her family farm but she had disabilities which made her feel insecure and sad but when a young man Grayson comes to stay at the farm one day her life changes forever he also has difficulties and is not confident until the two meet and connect instantly it's like two broken souls meeting and coming together they have to face lots of hurdles along the way but slowly and surely they both begin to blossom and get stronger and fight to have a future together a great novel lovely believable characters and with iove at the heart of the story its a must read