Kathryn Hughes (2)

The idea for ‘The Letter’ by Kathryn Hughes is enticing; the lives of two women, forty years apart, linked by a letter found in the pocket of an overcoat at a charity shop. What follows is a dual storyline – about an abused wife and her road to freedom, and a young woman in love for the first time as war breaks out.
This is a story about two couples. In 1974, Tina Craig works in an office during the week and on Saturdays she volunteers at a charity shop to get out of the house, away from her abusive husband Rick. Staying, though she knows she must leave, Tina listens to the advice of friends but continues to excuse and forgive Rick’s behaviour. Until a mysterious letter found in the pocket of coat sets her off on the trail of the people involved. The letter is sealed and stamped but never posted. Why. When she opens and reads the letter she starts to think about Billy, who wrote the letter in 1939 as war broke out, and about Chrissie, the woman who never received his letter.
In the summer of 1939, Chrissie and Billy fall in love in the last days of peace. As Billy is called up, Chrissie faces the cultural judgements of the day combined with her bullying father.
Tina’s pursuit for the truth of the letter leads her across Manchester and to Ireland. Hughes tackles heart breaking subjects – forced adoption, Irish nunneries, bullying parents, domestic abuse – perhaps too many. The ending is predictable via a number of coincidences, facts fall into place and old hurts forgotten. Despite its frustrations, I enjoyed this story though I did long for more showing and less telling.
If you like your endings neatly tied up, you will enjoy this. A good read for holidays.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/… (mere)

This is a story of two women living in Manchester decades apart but both with heart wrenching stories.

Chrissie meets Billy in 1939 and just as war breaks out, she finds out that she is pregnant. Billy reacts badly to the news and decides to write Chrissie a letter. Before Chrissie receives the letter she is packed off to Ireland by her strict parents.

Tina is married to Rick and is a volunteer at a charity shop in 1973. Rick is an alcoholic and Tina is a victim of domestic violence. Tina finds Billy's letter in a donated suit and she sets out to find Chrissie to deliver the letter.

Part Two of the book focuses on William, Chrissie's son, who was born in a convent in Ireland and adopted by an American couple. William has travelled to Ireland and then Manchester to find his birth mother and joins forces with Tina when he finds her searching for Chrissie to deliver the letter from his father.

The story of Rick and Tina is disturbing at times due to the depths of the abuse and violence and the story of Billy and Chrissie is heartbreaking as Chrissie is ultimately forced to give up her son. I was close to shedding a tear on more than one occasion and I would recommend that you read this book with a few tissues by your side. Kathryn Hughes really brought the characters to life and gave a voice to the story of thousands of women who have given up their babies in convents across Ireland.

I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.… (mere)