The one thing I want to come away with after reading this book is to be kinder to people.

Rocked by a terrible accident, homeless Kelly needs to escape the city streets of Glasgow. A rare moment of kindness and a lost engagement ring conspire to call her home. As Kelly vows to reunite the lost ring with its owner, she must return to the small town she fled so many years ago.

On her journey from Glasgow to the south-west tip of Scotland, Kelly encounters ancient pilgrim routes, hostile humans, hippies, book lovers and a friendly dog, as memories stir and the people she thought she'd left behind for ever move closer with every step.

Oh how, I loved this book! It gave an insight into homelessness and addiction that I have not seen before. I listened on audiobook for the @another.chapter.podcast read along and the Scottish accent really added to the atmosphere.

The story is slow and shocking in measures. It showed how Kelly's fortunes could turn by how people treated her and also how easily someone could slip into homelessness. It showed how kind people can be when they have no reason to be... and shouldn't we always have reason to be. And it showed how dogs really can save our lives.

Kelly's story is not an easy one. Abuses are hinted at that we have to fill in the blank and Kelly's reactions to certain advances are obviously born out of experience and fear but at her heart she has kept her kindness and I found myself routing for her again and again.

A top read for 2023 so far.
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