Stepping Up

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Brought to you by Penguin.

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE UNMUMSY MUM

The joyful and emotional Sunday Times bestseller and Richard and Judy Book Club pick.


Beth has never stuck at anything.

She's quit more jobs and relationships than she can remember and she still sleeps in her childhood bedroom. It's not that she hasn't tried to grow up, it's just that so far, the only commitment she's held down is Friday drinks at the village pub.

Then, in the space of a morning, her world changes.

An unspeakable tragedy turns Beth's life upside down, and she finds herself guardian to her teenage niece and toddler nephew, catapulted into an unfamiliar world of bedtime stories, parents' evenings and cuddly elephants. Having never been responsible for anyone - or anything - it's not long before she feels seriously out of her depth.

What if she's simply not up to the job?

With a little help from her best friend Jory (purely platonic, of course ...) and her lovely, lonely next-door neighbour, Albert, Beth is determined that this time she's not giving up. It's time to step up.

This is a story about digging deep for strength you never knew you had and finding magic in things that were there all along.

'Humour and heart are everywhere in this book, and I went from laughter to tears in the turn of a page. Wise, joyful and very, very funny - this is a book to devour, a book to share and a book to savour. I loved it' Katie Marsh, author of UNBREAK YOUR HEART

© Sarah Turner 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Critics Review

Humour and heart are everywhere in this book, and I went from laughter to tears in the turn of a page. Wise, joyful and very, very funny - this is a book to devour, a book to share and a book to savour. I loved it
Katie Marsh, author of UNBREAK YOUR HEART
Stop EVERYTHING and read this! Funny, tender and beautifully observed. Loved, loved, LOVED it!
Cathy Bramley
Heartwarming and heartbreaking. Full of warmth and Turner's perceptive parenting humour. This is a book that will break your heart and make you fall in love all at once!
Katy Colins, author of THE BEST IS YET TO COME
What a fantastic read - it had me in tears! This book grabbed me by the heartstrings and didn't let go! It has it all - warmth, humour and brilliant observations on love, life and loss. An emotional rollercoaster of a read and one that is well worth taking!
Sarah Pearse, author of THE SANATORIUM
Stepping Up is a heart-blasting triumph of a novel - wise, witty and wonderfully human.
Isabelle Broom, author of THE GETAWAY
Funny and sad, and everything in between. It had me hooked from the first page. A brilliant book, and one that I'd definitely recommend!
James Bailey, author of THE FLIP SIDE
Written with such love and heart. Sarah has done an exceptional job of marrying her trademark comedy with deep and raw emotion. I loved it!
Giovanna Fletcher
A moving and beautifully-told tale of parenthood but not as you know it. I just loved it.
Gillian McAllister
Witty and moving
Fabulous
A glorious novel about family, grief, changing expectations and, ultimately, love
The Sun

User Reviews

Book 4.0
Narration 4.5
4.0
4.0
Tdk 05/05/2023
4.0
5.0
Nice book, amusing in places. Touching story
kama 13/04/2023

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