The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle is a touching story about a man finally living for himself and not being afraid of letting others see his true self. I received this as a goodreads giveaway. Thank you Kensington Books, John Scognamiglio Books, and Penguin Random House. To find out what, all that and more, the answer is simple, read Matt Cain’s book The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle. Anyone should be able to find the answer. All the readers need to do is look to George to find it. And, if Albert ever finds George again, maybe he will find the answer too. There are too many characters but don't worry about memorising them. Each person is sketched well enough for you to move on with the flow and still recall them whenever they come up in the plot. HB: Okay so at the end of the book you’ve included some conversations that you said were inspired by the story of Albert but were there any people or any conversations that inspired the story in the first place?

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain | Goodreads

The story is quite predictable, with only a couple of surprises along the way. Then again, I should have expected this, considering it is contemporary general fiction.As Albert starts to come out of his shell, we are introduced to Nicole who is a single mum and finding life tough, but trying to find the positives and better herself. Things are looking up on the love front for her, but there always seems to be obstacles in her way. Albert reaches out to her to help him using technology to start his search and they start to build a wonderful friendship. The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle was endearing, inspiring and even funny at parts. The author, Matt Cain, wrote The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle to celebrate the acceptance of gay men in British Society. Matt Cain took the reader through the decades of how being gay was viewed by British society. He explored the slow transformation of acceptance for gays and portrayed the shame, ridicule and need for secrecy they shouldered along the way. I fell in love with Albert’s character and routed for him throughout his complex situations. The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle was a very enjoyable book and great audiobook. I highly recommend this book.

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain | Goodreads The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain | Goodreads

I loved it! Really heart-warming and joyful, but also so poignant. I cannot recommend this book highly enough’ LORRAINE KELLY

It saddens me when I hear that someone has lived their life in 'secret' for fear of being branded something other than which they are - human. Albert is set in his life, not drawing too much attention to himself and leads a strict routine. He is a post office worker and lives with his Cat. People always seem to tell him everything, but he just wants to lead his simple life. Then the unimaginable happens and that dreaded letter of retirement changes everything and seems to set off a whole string of unlikeable events. Without giving the whole story away, he soon discovers that people in general are not that bad to get to know, and that love always conquers all. In a Nutshell: A sweet story that goes somewhat predictably but still hits the mark. The audiobook is a wonderful choice to get to know Albert Entwistle. Whispering Stories was established in 2015. The blog is here to share our love of books and the bookish world, alongside our other passions in life. We are based in the UK.

REVIEW: The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain

This was a good story! I was able to care for Albert and I was sad about how alone he was and how his life was so full of fear. I enjoyed his journey to self-discovery with the help of Nicole, his workmates, and Edith. What I wasn't sure about was him trying to look for George after so long and not realizing that maybe George already had a family or a special someone. 50 years is a long time to wait. Bravely he starts trying to make changes.He discovers most people to be positive about his choices and he is encouraged to look for George, the person he loved and lost so long ago. Albert is such a lovely person that it is easy to want things to go well for him. There is humour along the way as well as laughter and tears, and there is the most beautiful ending. He always felt like an outsider but by opening up to a few people he started to belong to not just one community but two. Its funny and also really emotional but heartwarming and above all quite positive. My thanks to Headline Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

But now here the notes were, in his hands, bringing his secret life bursting into the present and reminding him of how happy he'd been each time he'd unfolded one of them. It was this happiness that had first inspired him to become a postman; in quite a simple way he'd thought that by delivering mail he'd get to spend his life making other people happy.” This audiobook is expertly narrated by Simon Vance and a pleasure to listen to. He gives life and breathe to the character of Albert and the essence of this book. He speaks the author's words with eloquence and emotion that adds to the richness of this story. Listening to this audiobook is 'pure delight'! With a new year fast approaching, Albert needs to be brave and go after what he wants, however much it scares him. And he will begin by looking for the man that, many years ago, he lost – but has never forgotten . . . Albert’s story is beautifully told, in his own voice and in dual timelines, as he goes about his quest and reminisces about the past. His journey is poignant and at times desperately sad. But it is also uplifting and joyous.