{"title":"Books by Alexandra Heminsley","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781784743079","title":"Some Body to Love","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A treatise on empathy and grace in extraordinary circumstances' Jojo Moyes\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat does it mean to be a woman? \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eTo live in a woman's body?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlexandra Heminsley thought she knew, but then her world turned inside out. Having just resurfaced from fertility issues, childbirth and early parenthood, she was told her then-husband was going to transition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSome Body to Love\u003c\/i\u003e is Alex's profoundly open-hearted memoir about losing a partner but gaining a best friend, and together bringing up a baby in a changing world. By baring her own unique scars, Heminsley makes a vital manifesto on the unifying resilience that can be found in modern motherhood.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eSome Body to Love\u003c\/i\u003e: \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e'Insightful and wise, generous and kind' David Nicholls\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A brave, thoughtful and timely book' Naomi Alderman\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A testament to how family and love can be whatever shape we want them to be' \u003ci\u003eRed\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'It took my breath away' Bryony Gordon\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A book with a wild, deep, joyous, tender love of people at its heart' Emma Jane Unsworth\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57688226038133,"sku":"9781529111460","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":43205085331634,"sku":"9781784743079","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781529111460.jpg?v=1792686163"},{"product_id":"9780751576887","title":"Under the Same Stars","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Beautifully written, with such heart. Not only did it make me cry, it made me see the world in a different way'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJOANNA CANNON\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFind escape with the beautiful, moving literary debut from\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e-bestselling author Alexandra Heminsley, a stunning story of sisterhood and wilderness\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eClara Seymour is trying to find her feet in London, living away from home for the first time. Brought up by her domineering mother, treasuring time any time with her adoring father, Clara's world is brought to a standstill when her dad abruptly dies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen, a mystery comes to light in a letter from him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eI am sure you are aware that before I met your mother I had a previous marriage. But what we never discussed is that we had a daughter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo begins a journey of discovery that takes Clara to remote Norway and a landscape as brutal as it is bewitching, a voyage fraught with personal and emotional danger to reveal who her father really was - and find the sister she's never met.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A gorgeous, insightful tale about grief, loneliness and sisterhood'\u003cbr\u003eGood Housekeeping\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43206078431410,"sku":"9780751576887","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780751576887_3df2ead6-679a-45c3-9aa0-2015ee5343e8.jpg?v=1786015909"},{"product_id":"9780099510574","title":"Leap In","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Remarkable' \u003ci\u003eObserver\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A joy to read' \u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Soaringly beautiful' \u003ci\u003eSunday Times Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Genuine and persuasive' \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlexandra Heminsley thought she could swim. She really did. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt may have been because she could run. It may have been because she wanted to swim; or perhaps because she only ever did ten minutes of breaststroke  at a time. But, as she learned one day while flailing around in the sea, she really couldn’t. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBelieving that a life lived fully isn’t one with the most money earned, the most stuff bought or the most races won, but one with the most experiences, experienced the most fully, she decided to conquer her fear of the water. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the ignominy of getting into a wetsuit to the triumph of swimming from Kefalonia to Ithaca, in becoming a swimmer, Alexandra learns to appreciate her body and still her mind. As it turns out, the water is never as frightening once you're in, and really, everything is better when you remember to exhale.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhat Hemmo's readers are saying:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘This book is funny, engaging, entertaining, informative, suspenseful, motivating, and inspiring... \u003cb\u003eI've never read anything quite like it\u003c\/b\u003e’\u003cbr\u003e ­\u003ci\u003e– Nina on Goodreads, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ‘Just like \u003ci\u003eRunning Like a Girl\u003c\/i\u003e, this was \u003cb\u003ean absolute joy\u003c\/b\u003e to read. A \u003cb\u003ebeautifully written\u003c\/b\u003e story of swimming, family and being a woman’\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e– Violet on Amazon, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Fantastic book… Entertaining – often \u003cb\u003elaugh-out-loud funny\u003c\/b\u003e – and full of really useful advice’\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e– J. Edwards on Amazon, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘A \u003cb\u003efabulous book\u003c\/b\u003e that’s beautifully written’\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e– Nik on Goodreads, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘I can't recommend this book enough!\u003cb\u003e I absolutely love Alexandra Heminsley's writing\u003c\/b\u003e, her attitude towards exercise and her passion for swimming’\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e– Sarah on Goodreads, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘an \u003cb\u003einspirational and encouraging\u003c\/b\u003e read’\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e– Stephanie on Goodreads, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘the author’s enthusiasm is contagious… one cannot help but yearn to join in. … \u003cb\u003eA thoroughly inspiring book\u003c\/b\u003e with a likeable narrator unafraid to share her personal life’\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e– Eleanor on Goodreads, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ‘This is a delightful book, \u003cb\u003ea pleasure to read\u003c\/b\u003e… Unbelievably well written, it flows like the water she loves’\u003cbr\u003e ­\u003ci\u003e– Bobby on Amazon, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56223104663925,"sku":"9780099510574","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780099510574_3b66a096-1391-40fb-ac86-9d502d391898.jpg?v=1786033352"},{"product_id":"9780099558958","title":"Running Like a Girl","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'If you've ever wept, \"Why Do I Want To Run?\", your answer is here.' \u003c\/b\u003eCAITLIN MORAN\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlexandra Heminsley had high hopes: the arse of an athlete, the waist of a supermodel, the speed of a gazelle. Defeated by gyms and bored of yoga, she decided to run.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer first attempt did not end well.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSix years later, she has run five marathons in two continents.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut, as her dad says, you run with your head as much as with your legs. So, while this is a book about running, it's not just about running.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou could say it's about ambition (yes, getting out of bed on a rainy Sunday morning counts), relationships (including talking to the intimidating staff in the trainer shop), as well as your body (your boobs don't \u003ci\u003ehave \u003c\/i\u003eto wobble when you run). But it's also about realising that you can do more than you ever thought possible.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVery funny, very honest and very emotional, whether you're in serious training or thinking about running for the bus, this is a book for anyone who after wine and crisps for supper a few too many times thinks they might . . . just might . . . like to run like a girl.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHere's what people are saying about \u003ci\u003eRunning Like A Girl - \u003c\/i\u003eand what it's inspired them to do!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'This book has \u003cb\u003echanged my attitude\u003c\/b\u003e, I loved it from page one and found it \u003cb\u003etotally relatable for the normal woman\u003c\/b\u003e... A real inspiration' - \u003ci\u003eClairol on Amazon, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'I adored this book... \u003cb\u003ethis is a must read\u003c\/b\u003e' - \u003ci\u003eEmily on Amazon, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'really opened my eyes and \u003cb\u003einspired me to continue running\u003c\/b\u003e, fantastic read' - \u003ci\u003eKiyone on Amazon, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'I was so happy to start reading this fabulous book and \u003cb\u003erealise that there was someone else out there who thought exactly as I did\u003c\/b\u003e about 'not being a runner' - \u003ci\u003eJ. Watson on Amazon, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'It's not often I find \u003cb\u003ea book that I can't put down\u003c\/b\u003e and this is the first for ages! ... this book echoes so many of my own limiting beliefs constructed around this subject and it was a delight to hear how Alex faced up to her own demons and finally \u003cb\u003efreed her running spirit\u003c\/b\u003e. Even if you never want to be a runner this is \u003cb\u003ea fun read and an inspirational journey\u003c\/b\u003e.' - \u003ci\u003eJoy on Amazon, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Inspirational... \u003cb\u003eWould recommend this book to anyone\u003c\/b\u003e thinking of running! Very well put together and has lots of information and tips' - \u003ci\u003eMaria on Amazon, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eI laughed out loud\u003c\/b\u003e... for anyone wanting to get into running you will be thinking of Alexandra when you are out there taking your first few strides, \u003cb\u003eand you will be grinning\u003c\/b\u003e!' - \u003ci\u003eJ. Dunne on Amazon, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'The best thing about it is how inspiring the journey it is, how much it makes you want to get out there and run yourself. Such \u003cb\u003ea fantastic aid to the beginning of your running journey\u003c\/b\u003e' - \u003ci\u003eEmma on Amazon, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'I have been fighting with my running demons for over 12 months and had convinced myself that I couldn't run. \u003cb\u003eThis book has inspired me\u003c\/b\u003e to put my trainers on, join a club and enter three events' - \u003ci\u003eChimaera on Amazon, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eLaugh-out-loud\u003c\/b\u003e funny in places but \u003cb\u003ereal, genuine experience\u003c\/b\u003e of the world of running from someone who's been there, picked up the battered trainers and just run with it' - \u003ci\u003eHelen on Amazon, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003ehilarious\u003c\/b\u003e - it just kept me hooked!' - \u003ci\u003eDenise on Amazon, \u003cb\u003e5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56223814517109,"sku":"9780099558958","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780099558958_33c536e3-b538-4a96-9686-e4c45378f950.jpg?v=1786011843"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-alexandra-heminsley.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}