Lucy Kellaway gives a honest, funny and insightful retelling of her life change from working for a huge newspaper to being a maths teacher.

She tells it like it is and is living proof that it's never too late to start your life again!

I had never heard or read anything by this author but the title intrigued me as due to early retirement I was thinking of changing my career. I already realised that teaching was not for me, this just confirmed it for me.

It was well written though and a good read.

I was given a copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

I really enjoyed this book. Must admit I hadn't heard of the author before I read it, but I was drawn to it because I have worked as a teacher and a journalist (although I did it the other way round to Ms Kellaway!) This is an inspiring book for anyone who wants to make a big life change in their midlife.

I’ll admit I was drawn to this book by the title. I’d a vague idea who Lucy Kellaway was - an FT columnist - but I’d not read any of her columns, I don’t think. This book is how she changed exactly what she said in the title, and founded, with her business partner, Teach Last - though that’s not the name they went with, but it’s the opposite of Teach First, and encourages people into teaching following successful careers.

It’s a good read, honest, funny and endearing. I liked the self-deprecating style, and even picked up some economics knowledge. It’s another book that focuses on change, in a ‘leap of faith’ kind of way and refreshing in her quest to continually learn and acknowledge her prejudices.

And I’ll admit I had to google the house she bought, which once I had felt a little more intrusive than I expected it to - but it’s easy to see why she fell for it. Now you’ll have to read it to find out that for yourself.

A short sweet account of events. Easily read and comprehendeble. Well written and presented.

I enjoyed it. Thank you.

Starting Afresh…
One woman changing her life. Realising that her life no longer suits, she decides to re-educate - tearing down all she knows and effectively starting afresh. We are all entitled to changes of mind but can she make this work. Interesting and often amusing.

I shoud start by saying that I am not the target audience for this book, I'm about twenty years too young I think. That said it's a good book for anyone who has ever thought about dramatically changing everything in their life. Lucy Kellaway shows the self-doubt and struggles of acting on your decision and shows that it ultimately ended hopefully, at least for her.

Written by a journalist, this is a well described story of a woman making major changes in her life at a time when most of us would just be considering coasting into retirement. Ms Kellaway left her well paid job, her husband, and her home to start again as a teacher. Her journey is admirable and she certainly has courage and character. But I felt the book didn’t really look deeply enough at the problems encountered by teachers. Especially those who join the profession in later life.

Ms Kellaway had money and a secure environment which is more than many of her students. And she definitely developed an affinity for the young people in her care. It was interesting how at the end of the book, she sent a questionnaire to family and friends asking about how she had changed and the responses were predominantly that she hadn’t changed that much.

A brave, honest look at crisis and self discovery and the need to feel needed.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley

Back when I was a BBC Business and Economics journalist Lucy Kellaway in the FT was an illuminating read. She is no longer with the FT having chosen to change careers and teach. RE-educated tells the story of how she came to decide to switch careers and how she finds life at the tough end of the chalk face

Lucy Kellaway split with her husband, resigned from her well-paid high-status job as a journalist with the Financial Times and retrained as a teacher at a tough inner-city school.

Part of me thinks "Well done you!" but mostly I think she's insane. At one point she expresses a desire to teach until she's 75. Honestly, that's bonkers.

The book takes a long time to get going - for more than the first third of the book she doesn't even set foot in a classroom. She writes a lot about interior design which probably would have been just as good a direction for a career change as she's clearly really passionate about it.

It would be hard not to like a woman who takes on a decrepit house that leaks like a sieve, manages to stay on civil terms with her ex-husband, and has such a genuine determination to make the world a better place.

Would I do it? No way. And most people wouldn't. But that's fine. I wouldn't walk to the South Pole either but I'd read about people doing it.

I adored this memoir. Lucy Kellaway is such a brilliant writer - I’m quite jealous of the kids that get to do economics lessons with her. In a few months Kellaway goes from being one of FT’s top columnists to a trainee teacher who gets hauled out of lessons by the SLT for wearing the wrong shoes. It’s a really interesting insight into teaching, though I’d read a washing machine instruction manual if it was written by Kellaway - wanted to underline every sentence! This book is humble, clever, honest - and as funny as it gets. Thank you to Ebury and Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a fantastic read thoroughly enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone, it made me chuckle, reflect personally about my life, relationships and career choices. It also gave a good insight into both the media and education sectors from a very honest and frank perspective. Thank you to the publishers for my review copy.

Fascinating book, not all about teaching but about life and transforming it. I wish I had the author's energy! Fascinating how she completely upturns her life

A real true to life memoir of the bittersweet decision to go into teaching later in life. Inspiring without being saccharine, the complete life change is described with humour and clarity. Thanks NetGalley!

Wow! What a story.

I'm very into women-centered stories about radical life changes after 40/50/60 right now and this is one of the most fascinating and insightful ones I've read.

The title makes it sound quite lame but this is a pretty powerful journey of 50-something Lucy who left a remarkably cushy job as a columnist at the Financial Times to retrain as a teacher, creating a charity along the way to encourage other people to switch careers to teaching in later life as well.

She also buys herself a ridiculous house, leaves her husband, and *spoiler alert* lets her dyed hair go grey. But all of this feels like supporting narratives to the real story here. I wouldn't be surprised to see this optioned for the screen at some point. Inspiring read.

I couldn’t finish this book as I found it extremely difficult to read. I didn’t find the premise ground breaking enough to warrant being written. For me it was really flat and uninspiring.

Although this is focused on making life changes in your 50s and 60s. I think anyone thinking about changing careers or making a big life decision should read this. It's a great account of taking a leap of faith. Recommend

A really fascinating look at the authors changing her life.A story that is inspiring that change is always possible .I really admire the brave path she took to give herself the life she truly wanted to live.Great for bookclub discussions.#netgalley#ebury.

Lucy had the same job for years as a journalist and decides to change her life and retrain as a teacher, move house and divorce.
The story I found was slow going, it shows how difficult teaching can be but it didn`t keep my attention and took a long time to read, though I did admire her for changing everything in life which having money helped a long way.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lucy writes about changing her life around, literally turning it upside down - leaving her marriage, her well paid and comfortable job to become a teacher.

I really enjoyed this one as it is something I regularly think about (retraining for a new job, not leaving my husband) but don't have the financial security to do so, so this was a good reminder that you're never too old to try something new.

It didn't feel like a real slog to finish which I can find a lot of memoirs can be.
Fab read, thanks Lucy!