“So I’d already written to my dad on New Year’s Eve, but deciding to look for him only started, really, the night of my mum’s Date from Hell.”
Little Big Love
By Katy Regan
Published: June 2018
Source: Advance review copy
Zac Hutchinson is a 10-year-old with a big heart. He loves to collect facts, he enjoys spending time with his grandparents and most of all he knows his mom works hard to provide as best as she can for them. One evening though when his mom returns home from a disastrous date, he overhears her say that his dad was her great love.
Juliet and Liam were young and in love but soon after Zac’s birth a terrible moment puts Liam at odds with Juliet’s family. He tries to make amends but the pain is too much for the family and he leaves.
Zac doesn’t know much about his dad or why he left but now he is determined to find him. With the help of his best friend, Teagan, they try to find as many clues as possible that will lead them to Liam. All the while, Zac is trying to be strong and not let some of the bullies in his school get to him and most importantly, not tell his mom about any of this so she won’t worry.
This was such a sweet and tender book. I found Zac delightful and I felt sorry for Juliet who was really was trying to do the best thing for her son but missed a lot of big clues about how Zac was being treated at school. There are other important people in Zac’s life and we get a glimpse at their stories too but the one that I especially liked was Teagan’s story. She has her own complicated life and you can’t help but wonder how everything will turn out for her.
Will Zac find Liam and will the family be able to finally come together? This is one book where I would love to see a sequel featuring Zac and Teagan as young adults. I want to know that they have found many happy moments in their lives and that their adventurous spirits will lead them to even greater things.
This does sound very sweet and I can see how a sequel at a later date in their lives would be fun. Glad you enjoyed this and I’ll watch for it at the library.
This sounds heartwarming. It reminds me of a Susin Nielsen (yes, that’s the spelling – I always have to check) novel called Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom. It’s very sweet and tender too. (Although her Word Nerd is actually my favourite, as it introduces the characters we meet later in the companion books). She is a middle-grade and young people’s writer but I follow her work religiously.
This one does sound good. I hate the idea of bullying, which seems meaner than ever before, but I like the idea of Zac searching for his father, which gives him a purpose and focus.
Love that it’s told from the boy’s POV. Makes me want to read it even more. 🙂
You make this sound so good, Iliana! I haven’t heard too much about it, but now I want to read it.
This sounds like a sweet one, glad you enjoyed it.
This sounds good, Iliana. I hope our library has a copy of it.