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The One-in-a-Million Boy
On sale
5th April 2016
Price: £9.99
She may be 104 years old, but Ona Vitkus is on a mission and it’s all because of THE ONE-IN-A-MILLION-BOY…
Monica Wood’s unforgettable novel about a boy in a million and the 104-year-old woman who saves his family is not to be missed by readers who loved THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY, ELIZABETH IS MISSING or THE SHOCK OF THE FALL.
‘A lovely, quirky novel about misfits across generations’ Daily Mail
‘A bittersweet story about finding friendship in the most unlikely of places’ Good Housekeeping.
The story of your life never starts at the beginning. Don’t they teach you anything at school?
So says 104-year-old Ona to the 11-year-old boy who’s been sent to help her out every Saturday morning. As he refills the bird feeders and tidies the garden shed, Ona tells him about her long life, from first love to second chances. Soon she’s confessing secrets she has kept hidden for decades.
One Saturday, he doesn’t show up. Ona starts to think he’s not so special after all, but then his father Quinn arrives on her doorstep, determined to finish his son’s good deed. The boy’s mother is not so far behind. Ona is set to discover that even at her age the world can surprise you, and that sometimes sharing a loss is the only way to find yourself again.
What readers are saying about ONE IN A MILLION BOY:
‘Delightful, quirky and heart-warming‘
‘A richly layered novel of hearts broken seemingly beyond repair and then bound by a stunning act of human devotion‘
‘With heart-breaking and emotional moments intertwined with humour and love, THE ONE IN A MILLION BOY proves it’s never too late to make new friends‘
Monica Wood’s unforgettable novel about a boy in a million and the 104-year-old woman who saves his family is not to be missed by readers who loved THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY, ELIZABETH IS MISSING or THE SHOCK OF THE FALL.
‘A lovely, quirky novel about misfits across generations’ Daily Mail
‘A bittersweet story about finding friendship in the most unlikely of places’ Good Housekeeping.
The story of your life never starts at the beginning. Don’t they teach you anything at school?
So says 104-year-old Ona to the 11-year-old boy who’s been sent to help her out every Saturday morning. As he refills the bird feeders and tidies the garden shed, Ona tells him about her long life, from first love to second chances. Soon she’s confessing secrets she has kept hidden for decades.
One Saturday, he doesn’t show up. Ona starts to think he’s not so special after all, but then his father Quinn arrives on her doorstep, determined to finish his son’s good deed. The boy’s mother is not so far behind. Ona is set to discover that even at her age the world can surprise you, and that sometimes sharing a loss is the only way to find yourself again.
What readers are saying about ONE IN A MILLION BOY:
‘Delightful, quirky and heart-warming‘
‘A richly layered novel of hearts broken seemingly beyond repair and then bound by a stunning act of human devotion‘
‘With heart-breaking and emotional moments intertwined with humour and love, THE ONE IN A MILLION BOY proves it’s never too late to make new friends‘
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Reviews
It's a pleasure to linger with her elegant prose, keen eye, and grace of thought
The boy is one of my favourite literary characters ever! I thought it was a gem of a novel, heartbreaking and heartwarming. Beautifully written, with characters that you want to keep by your side
A big, warm, winning treat of a novel, wholly believable but touched with magic... Sharply observed, deftly constructed and pithily told
Wise, witty and incredibly moving... magical and life-affirming. I was utterly charmed
A magical, beautifully written story about the healing power of friendship, music, and unexpected, generation-spanning connections. As emotionally resonant as THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME
This inspirational tale of friendship, world records and following dreams is a stunner
A lovely, quirky novel about misfits across generations
Heartwarming... beautifully sketched characters... life-affirming *****
Curl up and enjoy this bewitching novel
A whimsical and bittersweet story about finding friendship in the most unlikely places
Delightful. It's a hugely engaging look at how lives can be remade in the most unexpected of ways
Razor sharp while packing a heart-wrenchingly powerful emotional punch... Beautifully written, cleverly constructed, at times hilariously funny and ultimately deeply affecting - this should be a smash
Wood's prose sparkles with lyrical descriptions and sharp observations about people and their motivations... But the over-arching theme running through it all concerns second chances. Even when you're older than a century, life still has the capacity to surprise you
A beautifully told story
A beguiling, heart-wrenching and funny book... Absolutely gorgeous