The lives of three very lonely people—pregnant Steph, on the run from her violent boyfriend; Michael, a petty thief who becomes her knight in shining armour; and Jean, a sixty-year-old spinster nearing the end of her career as a house sitter—collide dramatically within the grounds of the illustrious Walden Manor, where together they seal themselves away from the outside world and build a new life together.

Half Broken Things received starred reviews from Booklist[1] and Publishers Weekly, who said it is a " brilliantly conceived, finely executed novel".

[2] Kirkus Reviews called the novel "a grim, courageous work that crosses into dark, interior regions American readers rarely dare to tread".

[3] Half Broken Things was adapted for television in 2007, starring Penelope Wilton, Daniel Mays, Nicholas Le Prevost and Sinead Matthews.

[5] Herne Bay featured briefly at the start of the film as the location where Jean (Wilton) is staying before being handed her final house sitting job.