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  • Location: Birmingham

The Secret Collector

The Secret Collector

Why a Booktrail?

2000s: An uplifting and warm story about friendship across generations

  • ISBN: 978-1035057757
  • Genre: Familiy drama, Fiction

What you need to know before your trail

When an elderly eccentric collector and a troubled teen become each other’s only hope of getting their lives back on track, what can possibly go wrong?

Alfred is an elderly widower who uses antiques and collectibles to fill the hole in his heart left by his late wife. Kian is a lost teen who has been let down by the care system and finds it difficult staying on the straight and narrow.

After Kian throws a brick through Alfred’s window, the shock sends Alfred to hospital and a social worker to his home, where his hoarding becomes impossible to ignore.

Begrudgingly, and at the request of the authorities, they both agree to enrol Kian on a restorative justice programme, helping to make Alfred’s home liveable again. The only problem: Alfred doesn’t want to throw any of his treasures away, and he certainly doesn’t want Kian for company.

What unfolds is a surprising and delightful journey of two characters who help each other more than they ever could have anticipated and, along the way, form the unlikeliest of friendships.

Travel Guide

Birmingham

The city of Birmingham is the location where Alfred and Kian live but location is not key to the story – possessions and memories are.

You will be heading straight into your attic and cupboards after reading this. Having dried your tears that is.

BookTrail Boarding Pass: The Secret Collector

Destination/Location: Birmingham  Author/guide: Abigail Johnson    Departure: 2000s

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