The Last House in the Row cover art

The Last House in the Row

Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Unlimited access to our all-you-can-listen catalogue of 15K+ audiobooks and podcasts
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Last House in the Row

By: Lesley Parr, Richard Johnson
Narrated by: Bronwen Price
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £7.99

Buy Now for £7.99

About this listen

Hayley discovers the importance of giving people a chance in this thought-provoking tale from critically acclaimed author Lesley Parr.

Hayley is furious that her beloved cat, Judy Garland, keeps sneaking off to the garden of the weird old lady across the street. Lillian, or Boo, as Hayley calls her, hasn’t left her house for years, not since the council came up with their plan to knock down the row of houses to make way for a new development.

Everyone in the street dismisses Lillian as an eccentric old woman, but when Hayley is forced to get to know her, an unlikely bond develops between them and Hayley learns the real reason behind Lillian’s reluctance to move.

But when a misunderstanding threatens their friendship, Hayley must use all of her ingenuity to repair it.

Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.

©2025 Lesley Parr (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers
Growing Up & Facts of Life Literature & Fiction Music & Performing Arts Cats

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Doomsday Club cover art
Fallout cover art
Where the River Takes Us cover art
Letters to a Dog cover art
Becoming Grace cover art
The Valley of Lost Secrets cover art
The Clockwork Conspiracy cover art
Shadow Jumper cover art
The Academy cover art
Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial cover art
Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City: from the creator of Draw with Rob cover art

Critic reviews

"Deftly written, with not a word out of place, as with all of Parr's fantastic novels." – The Bookseller Children's Previews

"A tender, moving story that really touches the heart. Absolutely beautiful." — Eloise Williams

"Lesley Parr’s family and small community settings always have such a timeless, classic feel. I loved the relationship that grows between feisty Hayley and her elderly neighbour … an accessible and appealing story of mutual understanding and kindness between generations." — Hilary McKay

"Told with equal amounts of humour and heart, this wonderful story of unexpected understanding and new-found friendship leaves the reader glowing and grinning inside. A perfectly polished gem of a story and feel-good hit." — Keith Gray

"A moving and compelling story of the unlikely friendship that grows between an elderly woman and a young girl when they discover that they have more in common than they thought … This is a story that will stay with you." — Helen Peters

"A beautifully told story that explores the power of genuine, cross-generational friendship. It is both tender and moving." — Jenny Pearson

"A perfect slice of Lesley Parr brilliance. She’s managed to condense a huge depth of emotion into just a few perfectly-formed chapters. I loved discovering how Hayley and Lillian’s unlikely seeming friendship evolved into a deep connection of warmth, respect and kindness." — Tom Percival

"This gentle tale, set in 1979 Wales, explores unlikely friendships and overturned assumptions." — BookTrust Cymru, Book of the Month

"Amazing things can happen when you give people a chance! The unlikely friendship between a young girl and her eccentric neighbour takes centre stage in a moving and thought-provoking novella … speaks loudly about how unexpectedly surprising people can prove to be, and how important it is to foster connections with your local community. Beautifully written and conceived, this is a book to savour long after the last page has turned." – Lancashire Post

No reviews yet