Leeds Care Home Residents Enjoy Special Visit from Local Bookshop Owner
Residents at Weavers Court Care Home in Leeds were delighted by a visit from Amanda Truman, owner of Truman Books in Farsley, who hosted a book club event to discuss and critique a selection of her top book recommendations.
After the pandemic halted her 25-year career in the travel industry, Amanda seized the opportunity to pursue her passion for books and opened Truman Books, an independent bookshop in Farsley.
At the Leeds care home, reading is a popular pastime, with residents enjoying access to the home’s library. Studies show that reading offers numerous cognitive benefits, including memory enhancement and stress reduction. In fact, high cognitive activity, such as reading, has been shown to delay the onset of dementia by up to five years.
Amanda introduced several book recommendations, including her top picks:
Take Care, Lindsey Burrow
Take Care is Lindsey Burrow’s inspiring debut, recounting her journey as an NHS physiotherapist and devoted carer for her husband, Leeds rugby legend Rob Burrow, during his courageous battle with motor neurone disease, all while raising their children and helping raise millions for charity. Amanda reflected, it’s “a wonderful book – inspiring, sad but full of love. A must read.”
Weyward, Emilia Hart
Weyward is a historical and supernatural novel by Emilia Hart that intertwines the stories of three women, Altha in the 1600s, Violet in the 1940s, and Kate in the present day, as they harness mysterious natural powers to overcome gender-based obstacles. This book explores themes of female strength and resilience, “It really is an exhilarating read and a worthy Times Bestseller. A personal favourite” Amanda adds.
Killing Time, Alan Bennet
Killing Time by Alan Bennett is a darkly comic tale set in Hill Topp House, a council home for the elderly, where an eccentric cast of residents navigate the chaos of COVID, unexpected secrets, and newfound freedom amid the breakdown of protocol, all written in Bennett’s “normal joyous writing style,” as Amanda puts it.
Owner of Adore Care Homes, Andrew Long, commented on Amanda’s visit, “One of our core objectives is to be a part of the community and provide activities which are of interest to our residents. I would like to thank Amanda for taking the time to visit us. Our residents really enjoyed learning about her journey and were all touched by her passion for books.
It was a fun and memorable experience for our residents, many of whom have taken Amanda’s recommendations on board. The feedback we received was really positive and we look to hosting more reading events at Weavers Court in the future.”
