Space Hopper – One of my favourite reads of 2021

‘Prepare to be entranced by this slightly bonkers novel. […] Brilliantly exploring themes of grief, love and loss, and peppered with cultural references that will delight anyone who grew up in the 1970s, Space Hopper will draw you in and keep you hooked right up until the last page’ – Heat, Book of the Week

This is a story about taking a leap of faith
And believing the unbelievable

They say those we love never truly leave us, and I’ve found that to be true. But not in the way you might expect. In fact, none of this is what you’d expect.

I’ve been visiting my mother who died when I was eight.
And I’m talking about flesh and blood, tea-and-biscuits-on-the-table visiting here.

Right now, you probably think I’m going mad. 
Let me explain…

Although Faye is happy with her life, the loss of her mother as a child weighs on her mind even more now that she is a mother herself. So she is amazed when, in an extraordinary turn of events, she finds herself back in her childhood home in the 1970s. Faced with the chance to finally seek answers to her questions – but away from her own family – how much is she willing to give up for another moment with her mother?

Space Hopper is an original and poignant story about mothers, memories and moments that shape life.

Duffy’s thoughts on Space Hopper by Helen Fisher

If you enjoyed Come Again by Robert Webb and the movie About Time with Bill Nighy, you will adore Space Hopper.

I read a hell of a lot of books. Some grab my attention, others, unfortunately, have my eyes glazing over, skipping paragraphs and pages. I tend to gravitate towards domestic thrillers with a killer plot twist because I’m always searching for something ‘new’. I get tired of the same old tropes. When it came to picking up Space Hopper as next on my to-read list, I really had no idea what to expect. What I got was a beautiful, bonkers tale that had my heart and took me right back to being a 70s/80’s kid. When you’re heading into the 8th week of lockdown, a book you can lose yourself in for a bit is a big deal, and Space Hopper got me right in the feels.

Space Hopper is a gem.

Author Helen Fisher must have drawn on her own childhood or that of close family members to craft such a perfect cast of characters. I wasn’t irritated by a single one, which is quite rare for me! The first 30 pages are completely mental, but once you get your head around the storyline, you will spend the pages routing for Faye and thinking about family members you have lost and the memories you cherish as a kid.

Space Hopper will leave you wondering. Would you go back in time, if you could? Or, would you rather keep the rose-tinted memories you have? Would you risk losing the present to go back to a past that meant so much to you as a child?

Helen Fisher has delivered a left-of-centre, unique piece of fiction that has fast become one of my favourite reads of 2021 so far!

Check out Duffy’s other time travelling reads!