A Knock at the Door

A homeless man, a lawyer . . . and a family changed forever

By: Rob Parsons

‘An incredible read. I laughed, I cried and my heart was truly touched by this beautifully written true story of hope and humanity at its best.’ Rosemary Conley CBE 'An extraordinary story. Truly Inspirational' Tim Vine

An astonishing story of kindness, self-learning, pain, unbelievable hope and the sheer power of love to change a life.

Christmas 1975 and Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is riding high in the charts. In a residential street just outside Cardiff, a persistent knocking breaks the stillness of the evening …

When Rob Parsons, a young lawyer, opens his door he finds a man standing before him clutching a bag of belongings and a frozen chicken. Rob and his wife, Dianne, invite him into their home, cook his chicken and offer him shelter for the night. What happens next is an astonishing story of human kindness, self-learning, incredible pain, unbelievable hope and the sheer power of love to change a life.

A Knock at the Door is the true story of Ronnie Lockwood, a homeless man who entered the home of a young couple, became a dustman and lived as part of their family for over 45 years until his death. But this is not just Ronnie’s story – it is also that of Rob and his family. Outwardly the two men’s lives were worlds apart – as Ronnie emptied rubbish bins, Rob flew on Concorde – and yet, they discovered they had similar struggles. Then the day came, at the lowest moment of the couple’s lives, when they turned to the homeless man for help.

But there were also remarkable turnarounds. Ronnie spent much of his spare time volunteering, including at a homeless centre, and ended up having a £1.6 million well-being centre named after him. Rob left his law practice and he and Dianne began a charity that touches the lives of millions of people.

You will have never read a story like this before, but at its heart is a simple message: whether we are a lawyer or a dustman – tomorrow doesn’t always have to be like yesterday.

©2024 Rob Parsons (P)2024 Harper Collins Publishers

Critic reviews

'An extraordinary story. Truly Inspirational' Tim Vine

‘An incredible read. I laughed, I cried and my heart was truly touched by this beautifully written true story of hope and humanity at its best.’ Rosemary Conley CBE

‘One of the most incredible stories of hope you will ever read. It moved me to tears' Tarn Bright, CEO, Home for Good

Amazing, Heartwarming, Inspiring

A stirring story of one family who found their hearts and arms stretching beyond the natural spans to envelope a simple man and together they wove into a unique family. I was left feeling that the Parsons family had entertained ‘an angel unaware’ for 45 years.

You will laugh, you will cry, you will be moved.

Oh my gosh, what a book! It almost seems unbelievable. How lucky everyone involved was, how much they learned from each other, and how much they loved each other. With everything that is going on in the US, today, I needed this book.

Like "A man called Norman, this story is about the richness of giving yourself away.

The story speaks for itself, grab some tissues. Exceptional family and what a blessing Ronnie was.

a knock at the door

A true treasure of a story and one to share with friends. It was our best Christmas gift to ourselves!

Loved it!

A beautiful story read by the author. I will read it every year of my life. A reminder of Love and the gift of generosity.