A heartwarming read about relationships, secrets, guilt and forgiveness set in a picturesque village in the heart of England. Only now should I say that the author walks the edge of pain in these poems – bereavement, marital breakdown and separation from his beloved young daughter. Some of us may fail to acknowledge our brokenness, but it’s important to remember acknowledging a problem is the first step to solving it. I resolved to find my strength in being recast, and resolved to do all I can to increase awareness of, and to address, the challenges, inequity, and inequality for individuals with disability. Letting In Light was a gentle story that draws you in very early on, and doesn't release its grip on you.

I was drawn into the story so quickly, having started reading it, that I, despite knowing that my eyes were almost closing, continued reading.

She becomes the matriarch to whom all the young people turn while she is tormented by the presence of Benedict. Even the villagers who seem intent on causing trouble with their gossip, and wanting to know everybody elses business! The characters are really well drawn - Ellie had me at her side (and on her side) throughout, I loved both Will and Finn, and some of the lesser characters like Alice and Prudence are quite wonderful.

a massive amount of time passes while in the book and even though there are large chunks of time missing from being explained or delved into, it wasn't a bad thing.

There is joy to be found in the cracks, if you let the light in, illuminating a redemptive path for you. That’s all she knows about this mysterious man, or at least it is until she turns up to undertake some first aid training and who should be the teacher, but the handsome Will McKennan. I see cracks as wounds or merely imperfections, whereas the light is pure love, virtue of kindness, forgiveness and gentleness and understanding to overcome the darkness. I’m disappointed that I’ve reached the end of the story and look forward to reading more by Charlotte Betts. And thanks also for reminding me of the great Leonard Cohen who I haven’t listened to in a while – my recent musical step back in time has been to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and their harmonious tunes, particularly Helplessly Hoping.

This may sound weird, but I felt really at peace while I was reading Letting In Light, I was really calm, and just transported to Rowan Hill, with its lovely set of characters who before long felt like old friends, but new at the same time, given the amount of complexity the brothers Will and Finn are hiding. I really enjoyed the period of history it covered ,World War 1 , with all the difficulties and challenges faced by families .I share my struggle in the earlier article Holding onto Hope; maybe you will find kinship and inspiration in some of the themes I share. But there is some sort of additional charm in the book being "written British" that just contributed to my immersion in the story. That ending was quite a very interesting one that was very captivating definitely putting a closure to what all had gone on there in this village of Rowan Hill. As ever, Philip, you have a developed knack for stating things in clear terms, for saying what should be said.