Has to be one of the best books I have read in a long time. It grabbed me from page one, and kept my interest all the way through. Very well written, and dealing with some very important subjects with sensitivity and realism, without coming across as preaching. Homelessness and Mental health, both which are sadly become  increasing issues in our world. It also done through the narrative and the characters. It very much about the Character and Story.

I love the two main character, they are both believable and extremely likeable. Dawn and Grace are very real, They are in someway different and in other ways the share similar trails.  They are far from perfect but they are decent people at heart. You become invested in them, and enjoy the time you spend with them.

The story is a surprising and  beautiful journey, with surprises along the way,  which I didn't see coming. I love surprises. It both heart warming and completely filled with hope, but also brings tears to the eyes. Beautiful to the core. I cannot recommend this book enough, it should be regarded as up there with name like  Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Its full of hope and the book to read during the Pandemic!

Book Review: The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside

The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside written by Jessica Ryan and published by HarperCollinsPublishersLtd2020 follows the trials and tribulations of the protagonist, no actually hero, Dawn Brightside. Miss Brightside, is a 40 something, former nurse, who navigates the ruthless and uncaring world of life from the point of view of someone who is homeless. The book is simply extraordinary! I’m not sure that I have cried, laughed and railed in equal measure at the events in a book as much as I did when I was reading this. After spending yet another night in a park, Dawn is given the life-line of a place in  St Jude’s homeless shelter in a picturesque location in Devon, where she is anchored by the brave and kind hearted staff. What they don’t realise is that as Dawn searches for a place that she can finally call home, the staff need Dawn as much as she needs them. 

What we thought of the Book 
 I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t sure what I thought of Dawn Brightside at first. She’s presented clearly as a character in need, who is quirky. I couldn’t decide if she was going to irritate me or whether I was going to be interested in her enough to read on. How wrong I was. The book is written with a focus on her point of view. This means that a true picture of the events which shaped her present are cleverly concealed from the reader until the end. It completely replicates the way that she hides the truth from herself throughout her life. At first I wondered if that was because she was so fantastical in her outlook that her head was stuck in the clouds rather than reality and that’s how she got into the situation she was in. However, the devastating thing is, that she does this to protect herself. Being stuck in one of the alternate realities she weaves in her stories, is ultimately far better and less painful than the truth. As the story unfolds though, she realises that she can’t hide forever.

The narrative flicks between Dawn’s then and now. This structure is very effective in revealing tit bits of Dawn’s former life so that you begin to piece together why she’s in the situation that she is. It with-holds some key parts though which makes you jump to all kinds of conclusions about our main character, some not always seeing her in the most positive light. However, in the ‘Now’ chapters, you see the reality that Dawn is faced with and you begin to root for her in every way. When you add in to the mix Grace and Pete, the two main workers at the refuge, you won’t want to put the book down. Grace and Pete both have their own stories to tell and when St Jude’s is faced with forced closure, it seems they are set to battle with their biggest challenges and demons yet. This book is tragic and full of hope at the same time. It will make you laugh and it will definitely make you cry! Jessica Ryan captures homelessness, its challenges and the prejudice it’s faced with in such a moving way. I’m not sure if it was her intention, but she absolutely champions the cause of people who are homeless. It certainly made me want to go out and do more to help as this fictional hero definitely shines her light brightly on those around her. 

How much is the book and how can you buy it?

The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside can be purchased from Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Extraordinary-Hope-Dawn-Brightside/dp/0008364613/ref=nodl_

The Kindle edition is £5.99 and the paperback edition is £6.55.

About the author

Jessica Ryn is a former midwife and homeless resettlement worker. She has recently completed her MA in Creative Writing at CCCU, and her stories have been shortlisted for the Kimberly Chambers' Kickstarter Award, Wordsmag and the Val Wood Prize for Creative Writing. When she's not scribbling away, Jessica can be found meandering through the woods, reading stories that pull on the feel-strings and eating yoghurt-covered skittles. Jessica lives in Dover with her husband, two children and their high-spirited springer spaniel. The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside is her debut novel.

Beautifully written such a heart felt ending! Brought a tear to my eye. Throughly enjoyed reading dawns journey. Such a lovely ending too!

This is one of those books that will make you experience all the emotions and that you will find yourself thinking about long after you've finished the book. 

Dawn was once a student midwife.   Then her life fell apart and since then she has been running from her past. 
Now Dawn is homeless and is referred to St Jude's.  A homeless hostel.  

She has lived in in many towns and many place and now finds herself homeless and referred to St Jude’s hostel and this is where she finds a place for herself.

A heart-warming and uplifting read. I loved this book.  I loved it that much I have bought my Mum a copy for her birthday. A light hearted read about a sensitive issue.

A heartwarming debut with a vibrant cast of characters and a nice collection of questions for the reader to gradually unravel the answers to.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
A sweet and heartwarming novel that makes the world a little brighter. I really enjoyed this story and Dawn felt like a close friend by the end. 
A great read.

This book tells the story of Dawn that due to a series of sad circumstances finds herself homeless. Luckily she is given a room in St Jude’s hostel where she becomes a vital member of the community. 
Due to the issues tackled this should really be a sad read, but thanks to Dawn endless optimism it is an uplifting read and you can’t help but get drawn into the characters lives and root for them. 
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for letting me review this book.

During these current times, everyone needs a bit of Dawn Brightside in their lives! Brightside by name, and bright by nature - you can’t help but love Dawn in this story. Despite all the hardships she has been through, and her current living situation, she can’t help but radiate positivity and help those around her. A truly selfless character, who has been through some turbulent times.

Whilst Dawn is full of positivity, there are parts of this story that are hard going and full of sadness. The turning point for me what half way through, and I had tears in my eyes reading it. I had found the beginning a bit slow going, but after this development, I zoomed through the rest of the book and found myself loving Dawn even more!

Despite being centred around a homeless shelter, this is a very uplifting book. Full of hope, I think the author has written something rather wonderful for her debut novel and I would enjoy reading more about Dawn and the other inhabitants of St. Judes in the future.

A lovely warm-hearted read which brings out the full range of emotions. There's a wonderful mix of characters and I enjoyed learning all their stories. Well-written and engaging.

At the age of twenty-two, Dawn finds herself homeless when she’s offered a place to stay at St Jude’s Hostel. St Jude is the patron saint of lost causes – a description that Dawn can easily relate to yet, as the title suggests, she strives to overcome her difficulties particularly in the way she is always eager to help others. As the story unfolds there’s a certain level of mystery surrounding Dawn's previous life, particularly that of her daughter Rosie, leaving the reader unsure of her actual existence.

This is a story filled with hope and warmth – something we could all do with more of, particularly in present times. It was a beautifully written story that really made me think more about how we can so easily have preconceptions on how people can find themselves in such desperate situations.

Many thanks to HQ and NetGalley UK for the review copy.

The story of Dawn Brightside may appear at times to be just a life with some obstacles, but the reality is she is troubled, scared and needs support. Half of her life is spent in denial and fantasy scenarios, and the other is spent running away from what she fears the most. When she finally manages to find a place to stay she is torn between guilt, paranoia and the strong will to stay safe for herself and her daughter.

Ryn shows the precarious balance that caretakers or staff have to take into account when working alongside people who have slipped into homelessness, which is often part of a larger cycle of addiction, mental health issues and vulnerability. The line between professionalism, friendship and love can't be crossed when working in certain careers. 

The strength of the story however is in the way the author brings homelessness to the reader in a way that makes it easier to comprehend and digest. Its an uncomfortable truth that the majority of us walk by, ignore or simply feel powerless to help in any way. What is also a truth, albeit one more tied to vanity and money, is that help for homeless people is underfunded and not a big enough priority.

Cuts to funding are eliminating desperately needed avenues of help. Shelter, food, healthcare and someone to help people regain a certain status and skills in life again. Regain a level of security and safety we tend to take for granted. The roofs over our heads, the warmth and food, and to be able to live without feeling as if one is in constant fear of harm, insult and death.

It's a very introspective and reflective read, and it is also one with a slither of hope in it, which is what is most important for the characters and for people in similar situations. When the world seems to be against you there is always someone out there willing to help you.

A complete stunner of a book, an uplifting treat which is crying out to be made into next Christmas's feelgood film -it is just right for a Richard Curtis launch. 

Dawn is a woman in her (very early) 40s who is down on her luck but permanently looking for ways to make everyone else's lives better. She finds herself living in a homeless hostel in Dover, where she helps other residents in all manner of ways, positivity shining through. We can tell that she must be hiding something sad from her past,  but will she let anyone in enough to tell them what happened to her?

This is a perfectly pitched and uplifting novel of human hope and sense of community. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a heartwarming story

The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside by Jessica Ryn is about Dawn Brightside, who is homeless.  She gets a place in St Jude's Hostel for the Homeless, and she sees all the possibilities.

And I do mean all of them, as Dawn is a dreamer.  Helping out in cafe means she'll be discovered to be an amazing chef, and find fame and fortune.  And it's the same for most things.  Her wild optimism means that she's the person with the can do attitude, which helps when there's a crisis, like the threat of closure for the hostel.

This was a book that didn't pull it's punches.  It wanted you to know about the heartbreak, and the struggle to remain sober.  It wanted you to know about sleeping rough.  It also wanted to you know the community spirit, and how people look out for each other.

   The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside  was published on 26th November 2020, and is available from  Amazon ,  Waterstones  and  Bookshop .

You can follow Jessica Ryn on  Twitter  and on her  website .

I was given this book in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to  HQ .

For a debut novel, this is an absolute must read!
The setting of St. Jude’s hostel is equal parts a perfect home and stark halfway house.  The onsite café provides opportunities for the residents to gain work experience whilst providing a centre for workshops and classes.
Grace works tirelessly for the hostel and lives a solitary life in her bedsit.  Peter is a former hostel resident who is now giving back by working alongside Grace as a worker for the centre.
Spaces are limited and life changes when they offer a room to the sweet but strange Dawn Brightside.  Little do they know the power that their kindness brings, and the effects are far reaching.
This is without a doubt, a study in mental health and an education in homelessness.  Led by Dawn, this is an ensemble story that is filled with tragedy and hope.
Dawn has something of a ‘Walter Mitty’ perspective on life, she creates an alternative reality which is filled with the possibility of happy endings.  If she can just get her life back together, she can save up and visit her daughter in America.  The only problem is the spectre of the red-haired man.  He’s filled with sinister intent and now he may have tracked her down to St. Judes.
I read this book with a tear in my eye and a warm feeling in my heart.  It’s difficult to convey how this story affected me, but it will stay with me for a long time.  I like to find the silver lining in every cloud, but I am no competition for Dawn’s resilience and kindness.
There are laugh out-loud moments too, watch out for the liberation of the stolen bicycle!
I love a book that wraps up all the loose threads and this story ties them in a bow.  It’s not a spoiler to say that Dawn’s outlook is infectious, and the ending is just perfect.
This book deserves all five stars!

What a book! It has made me laugh and cry!

Dawn is homeless. Once a student midwife with a new family, her life felt apart and she has spent her adult life running from a past that terrifies her.

She has lived in in many towns and many place and now finds herself homeless and referred to St Jude’s hostel.

St Jude’s is just what Dawn needs. Security, friendship and a chance to plan for the future, here she finds the support she needs to face the demons of her past.

The story unfolds and the reader realises the truth about Dawn’s life. There are some really emotional moments that are wonderfully and sensitively written.

There is real life, everyday tragedy in this book: addiction, mental illness, grief, suicide, sexual assault and homelessness. The lack of funding and resources available to help some.extremely vulnerable people is a theme running throughout the book.

And yet there is a lot of humour.

Dawn’s enthusiasm and positive outlook on life are infectious and her determination to help others brings joy to some very vulnerable characters.

The supporting cast are all quite wonderful and you will be rooting for all of them. Their backstories show how anyone, no matter their background can find themselves facing homelessness, and charities and centres like St Jude’s are so valuable.

This is a wonderful read. Heart-breaking, heart-warming and thought provoking.

Dawn Brightside will stay with long after the last page of the story.

Gosh this was not what I was expecting. There is so much sadness in this book but it’s beautifully balanced with happiness and hope. It’s a very poignant and uplifting story, and I’m not sure I’ve read a book that centres around a hostel or homelessness in this way.🧐 It tackles issues such as addiction and mental health with compassion and authenticity. I think Jennifer does a brilliant job of keeping the subject matter grounded and has written characters who have light and shade. No one is perfect. Awww...I really liked Dawn. 😍 Hard not to really. She radiates this comforting warmth, and has this bubbly personality which made me smile. As the story progresses, it’s like the puzzle pieces start to click into place and you start to understand why Dawn is in this situation. I cried 😭 obviously because it really tugs on those heartstrings. It emphasises the importance of kindness, empathy and how positivity can have that wonderful domino effect on others.

I enjoyed this debut, I found it really moving and charming.

What a special book. Dawn's life takes some unravelling as we go through the book. We know she lives in a made up world a lot of the time but we don't know why. What has happened to affect twenty years of her life so badly? Through all her troubles Dawn remains a very special person, her nurturing instinct always to the fore. She lives up to her name and brightens everyone's lives for them despite her struggles with her past and her mental health. A good supporting cast of characters in the residents and staff of St Jude's, and a very sympathetic portrayal of homelessness and mental illness. Not just sympathetic but understanding and just showing how these issues are part of life.  I run a mental health charity and to me Grace epitomised what those working in the charity sector are all about - it can never be just a job, it's a way of life and you have to care passionately. I'll be recommending this wonderful, uplifting read. I finished it with tears! #netgalley #theextraordinaryhopeofdawnbrightside

Despite tackling some sensitive and serious  issues, including mental health and homelessness on the whole this was a heart-warming and easy read, which I'm sure a lot of people are in need of at the moment. I think this is a story where the characters will stick with me for a long time - I found myself really caring for them and worrying about their outcomes. The only reason I've gone for 4 stars, not 5 is that some moments were a bit too cliché and were wrapped up very quickly at the end of the book, with everything falling nicely into place.  Thank you for the review copy - I look forward to reading more by Jessica Ryn.

I knew as soon as I started this book I was going to love it. Dawn is an intriguing character who ends up at St Jude’s looking for a place to sleep. She encounters a case of mistaken identity when she arrives and ends up doing admin in the office. She manages to secure a place at the hostel but finds out it was at the cost of a young guy called Shaun.

The next day she finds out that a young man overdosed in the public toilets over night and she assumes the worse.

We find out soon in the book that Dawn is a mother to Rosie. She likes to gamble even though she has no spare money, she can tell a good story, and she has had a troubled past and she is very kind.

Even after she gets her place at St Jude’s she continues to put others before her own needs.

It is a really honest and heartbreaking story of how people end up homeless, and this book tells the other side of the story not just of people in doorways and sleeping rough but the real people behind this image. Working in a library we have hugely diverse visitors and these include rough sleepers and I often wonder about their lives before they were homeless.

Grace, Peter and Cara who all work at St Jude’s have all had sadness in their lives and the hostel means the world to them and when Grace gets a letter to say the hostels funding could be reduced she panics at first but then decides she needs a plan.

This is a joyful read, the author portrays the characters with warmth and tackles a difficult subject sensitively and with humour at times. I loved Dawn nothing stops her from trying to help, she is desperate to be needed. A fabulous touching debut which shows kindness and friendship go a long way in the world. Beautiful!