Cover Image: One Foot in Front of the Other

One Foot in Front of the Other

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Member Reviews

This book was not for me.
I just couldn’t connect to the story or characters
It was also not the best written

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Not my normal type of book but I found it thought provoking and very calming. As some one who doesn’t drink alcohol, i could relate to the main character. I felt a lot of warmth from the characters and in particular Beryl. She seemed an intuitive soul who provided plenty of good advice without spelling it out. Whilst I don’t follow any religion this book gave me greater understanding of the comfort it provides to people. I finished the book with a sense of calm and grounding.

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I enjoyed this book. It was sometimes a bit difficult to read, but it was a very interesting story and I did find myself enjoying it and reading until the end. Would recommend.

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This is the story of a woman's journey to sobriety in the wake of her husbands illness and death. It's an interesting theme to take, with spiritual guidance from the Christian tradition as part of the resolution but, whilst the main character's battle with red wine felt real, little else in the book did. Other characters were thinly drawn, and problems or dilemmas were resolved instantly with simple help. All a bit superficial and left this reader with a feeling of skimming over the surface rather than any real depth.

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This has been a lovely read from start to finish. I have really enjoyed reading this one. The author has painted a clear picture and I have honestly felt as though I have been watching the events play out in front of me.

Claire is a wonderful main character who has had personality and been likeable from very early on. This is a gorgeous read which really shows the negative of alcohol and I have found this refreshing that the main character has given up alcohol.

The cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous and just makes you want to pick up the book and start reading. I definitely haven’t been disappointed by this five star book.

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Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoyed this nice simple easy read, with a great storyline and great characters. It was just what the doctor ordered.

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A story about moving on from loss and realising alcohol dependency. I liked the concept of the book and the way that it incorporated technology (Facebook) in the story to show the varying methods of support people can get.

However, I struggled with reading the book as I found some things over explained with being too specific. Do we need to know the exact brand of shower gel Claire uses if that information is never mentioned again? Did we need to read the exact work out that Claire completes when she visits the gym? Could things be mentioned in a different way so others asking about her usual gym routine. Someone asking would she recommend the brand but ultimately if we as reader do not need to know exactly do, we need to be given the specifics?

I was also waiting for a major point in the plot to happen such as a twist to get in Claire’s way or perhaps something major happening with her friend and Claire lending help but when she met up with friends we would see the usual interaction but never really get to connect with her friends.

Then there is a character Claire does not immediately get on with and I anticipated a lot more resistant throughout the story, but this progressed quickly with no major turning point.

Overall, I did not really connect with Claire and although this story was written about her I feel as though she should have been there for people more so that as a reader, I could connect with her.

If someone wanted a book that mentions regaining faith, a read for Stoptober or just faith I would recommend this but its just not on the top of my general recommendations.

Thank you #netgallery for the read but this just was not my cup of tea and for some reason at the end all of the mentions of wine made me wonder if I had any in the house.

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Wow what can I say this is one of the most beautiful and poignant books I have read this year and is so thought provoking as it takes the reader on an emotional and spiritual journey through how one women Claire achieves sobriety from her drinking problem but the story is so much more than this and although it also details Claire finding love again after her husbands death to cancer it is far more than just a simple love story.

I found parts of this book to be life affirming and enjoyed the references to the spiritual aspects that Claire used to help her on her journey and could relate to them for many reasons as am sure many other readers will be able to.

This book is definitely a must read of 2020. I was also heartened to read at the end that the author herself has also gone through sobriety which sought to make this an even more amazing book than it already was.

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Just in time for Sober October this lovely story looks at the difficulty of giving up alcohol when you know you drink too much and yet don't want to acknowledge that you might have a little bit of a problem.

Claire has faced some real difficulties, learning to adjust to life as a widow, the sadness of being suddenly alone, and finding that a glass of her favourite red wine helps her to get through the lonesomeness but when one glass of red in the evening insidiously becomes a bottle, and then two bottles, Claire's wake up call is both timely and embarrassing.

What then follows is the story of how Claire attempts to give up alcohol and in the process finds out rather more about herself in the process as she discovers that by opening up her life to new challenges she finds that everything, eventually, becomes much clearer.

On Foot in Front of the Other is a lovely story which feels very modern. I especially enjoyed how the author included the help Claire received from joining a Facebook group and how such online support networks can really help. Giving up anything, not just alcohol, isn't easy, and this story shows just what difficulties and challenges Claire faced in the process. There was a Christian feel to the novel as Claire turns towards her church for support and companionship, and this is blended very nicely into the narrative.

Parts of the story made me smile and I really warmed to Claire's character and wanted everything to work out for her, I was also thrilled to find that Baggins, Claire's cat, has an internal clock rather like Jaffa's, as he too always knows, to the minute, when it's time for a meal.

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In her first novel Sue Woolley has given an in depth insight into the struggles experienced by a middle aged woman endeavouring to turn her back on her reliance on red wine, whilst dealing with the loss of her husband and trying to rebuild her life.

We are taken through the various stages of her journey, from the recognition that there was a problem, her shame and fear of how others would regard her, to her eventual celebration of her continuing sobriety.

This is a well written, thought provoking, but entertaining, book, drawing on the life experiences of the author. This adds to its appeal, making it a very genuine and readable novel. Highly recommended.

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