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In celebration of World Book Day (6th March 2025) the Marmalade Trust team got together to compile a list of ten compelling reads exploring loneliness and the power of human connection. From Raynor Winn's windswept trails, to Rachel Joyce's New Caledonian adventure, each book invites the reader to follow transformative journeys of personal discovery.
Our team's top 10 books about connection
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman
Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive – but not how to live, and one simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted – while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she’s avoided all her life.
The Book of Trespass - Nick Hayes
The Book of Trespass takes us on a journey over the walls of England, into the thousands of square miles of rivers, woodland, lakes and meadows that are blocked from public access. By trespassing the land of the media magnates, Lords, politicians and private corporations that own England, Nick Hayes argues that the root of social inequality is the uneven distribution of land.
When God was a Rabbit - Sarah Winman
Spanning four decades, from 1968 onwards, this is the story of a fabulous but flawed family and the slew of ordinary and extraordinary incidents that shape their everyday lives. It is a story about childhood and growing up, loss of innocence, eccentricity, familial ties and friendships, love and life. Stripped down to its bare bones, it’s about the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister.
A Tale for the Time Being - Ruth Ozeki
Full of Ozeki's signature humour and deeply engaged with the relationship between writer and reader, past and present, fact and fiction, quantum physics, history, and myth, A Tale for the Time Being is a brilliantly inventive, beguiling story of our shared humanity and the search for home.
The Salt Path - Raynor Winn
Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, their home and livelihood is taken away. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall. The Salt Path is an honest and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world.
Party Lines - Ed Gillett
From the illicit reggae blues dances and acid-rock free festivals of the 1970s, through the ecstasy-fuelled Second Summer of Love in 1988 to the increasingly corporate dance music culture of the post-Covid era, Party Lines is a groundbreaking new history of UK dance music from journalist and filmmaker Ed Gillett, exploring its pivotal role in the social, political and economic shifts on which modern Britain has been built.
Behind the Scenes at the Museum - Kate Atkinson
Ruby Lennox begins narrating her life at the moment of conception, and from there takes us on a whirlwind tour of the twentieth century as seen through the eyes of an English girl determined to learn about her family and its secrets.
Saving Missy - Beth Morrey
The world has changed around Missy Carmichael. At seventy-nine, she's estranged from her daughter; her son and only grandson live across the world in Australia; and her great love is gone. Missy spends her days with a sip of sherry, scrubbing the kitchen in her big empty house and reliving her past--although it's her mistakes, and secrets, that she allows to shine brightest. The last thing Missy expects is for two perfect strangers and one spirited dog to break through her prickly exterior and show her just how much love she still has to give.
Miss Benson's Beetle - Rachel Joyce
It is 1950. London is still reeling from World War II, and Margery Benson, a schoolteacher and spinster, is trying to get through life, surviving on scraps. One day, she reaches her breaking point, abandoning her job and small existence to set out on an expedition to the other side of the world in search of her childhood obsession: an insect that may or may not exist--the golden beetle of New Caledonia. When she advertises for an assistant to accompany her, the woman she ends up with is the last person she had in mind...
The Thing at 52 - Ross Montgomery and Richard Johnson
Designed to spark meaningful discussions about loneliness, friendship, and grief with younger readers, The Thing at 52 is a beautifully illustrated story about a girl who befriends a monster. In this poignant tale, Montgomery explores how small acts of kindness can blossom into friendships which provide much needed comfort and companionship.
Happy reading!