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A Parting of the Ways: A moving drama about motherhood, friendship and lies

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An “intelligently written and thought-provoking” novel of two women, an abandoned baby, a long-ago trauma, and a confrontation with truth (Cambridge Journal).When they were nineteen, taking a summer journey along the British coast, Olivia and Eve found a newborn baby in a phone box.The trip had been filled with adventures, arguments, and friendship. But that day marked the end of it all. The baby could have drawn them together, but instead, the trauma of its story pushed them dramatically apart. A few days later, Olivia and Eve went their separate ways and never spoke to each other again.Twenty-five years later, their lives have gone in very different directions. But when a mutual friend writes to tell Olivia she’s getting married, Olivia knows the moment is coming when she and Eve will have to see each other again—and face the truth of what happened that summer, and what it has done to them . . .“Witty and empathetic.” —Country Life

398 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 6, 2023

137 people are currently reading
46 people want to read

About the author

Rachel Crowther

8 books16 followers
Rachel Crowther qualified as a doctor and worked in the NHS for twenty years before succumbing to a lifelong yearning to write fiction, previously indulged during successive bouts of maternity leave. She has an MA in Creative Writing with distinction from Oxford Brookes, and a string of prizes for her short fiction.

Her first novel, THE PARTRIDGE AND THE PELICAN, was published in 2011 and was a Tatler ‘sizzling summer read’. THE THINGS YOU DO FOR LOVE is published in August 2016 and has been called 'a delight of a read' by Fay Weldon, 'the very best sort of fiction' by Juliet Nicolson (A House Full of Daughters) and 'a richly textured tale of life and love' by Richard Mason (The Drowning People).

Rachel has five children, two mad dogs and an abiding passion for music, art, cooking and travel, both in Britain and further afield. She currently lives in Surrey.

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5 stars
168 (34%)
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163 (33%)
3 stars
117 (23%)
2 stars
26 (5%)
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15 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for India.
36 reviews
February 14, 2024
It took me a while to get into this book, in the beginning the pace was a bit slow and it seemed there were lots of characters and story lines that didn't fit together. However, everything did tie together in the end - quite dramatically and excitedly!

The story follows Olivia, who as a 19 year old student and accompanied by her dominating best friend Eve, finds an abandoned newborn baby girl in a postbox. The baby does not survive and thereafter Olivia is haunted by the the baby's death and the events of that summer, which led to a parting of ways between her and Eve.

The story flashes between 1983 (when Olivia found the baby) and 2008 (the present of the setting). In 2008 Olivia is a piano teacher who also volunteers at the Wednesday club, and mother to 4 boys. She has not spoken to Eve in 25 years.

Sarah, an old school friend who was looked down on by Eve and Olivia, re enters Olivia's life to announce her marriage. As well as igniting a friendship with Olivia, Sarah is the one who reunites Olivia with Eve. During their meeting, Eve revealed her own pregnancy in 1983 by James (which she aborted and seemed to have been her only chance for pregnancy), a young man they had spent time with that summer, who had entertained feelings for Olivia as well.

We also follow the story of Georgie, a 90+ year old who attends thr Wednesday club, who after getting pregnant at 18 was abandoned by her family and committed to an asylum until her 60s. Drawn in by intrigue and compassion, Olivia traces Georgie's family and reunites her with her one surviving blood relation. (Georgie had given birth to a daughter, who had been adopted and very much loved by her sister, but who has sadly died before Georgie was released). This was my favourite story arc.

The final story arc is that of Faith, a young woman in her 20s who is building her business as a caterer. She is in a relationship with a doctor called James, however she hardly sees him because of his work schedule.

It transpires that it is the same James who spent the summer with Olivia and Eve that is dating Faith. This all comes to a head at Sarah's wedding, which Faith is catering for and James has volunteered to serve at. It turns out James has always had a wife and was never actually busy with work but instead was leading a double life!


Overall - I was slow to get into this, but the plot was well thought through and everything tied together. I enjoyed the characters and the stories centred around mothers and babies. The epilogue paints a hopeful picture of Eve finally achieving motherhood and, I hope, reuniting with Olivia in friendship.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Cleopatra  Pullen.
1,556 reviews323 followers
February 23, 2025
A Parting of the Ways by Rachel Crowther is a moving drama that delves into themes of motherhood, friendship, and the impact of past traumas.

The story revolves around two women, Olivia and Eve, who, at nineteen, discovered a new-born baby in a phone box during a summer journey along the British coast. This event, instead of bringing them closer, drove them apart, and they went their separate ways, never speaking again.

Twenty-five years later, their lives have taken different paths, but a mutual friend's wedding brings them back together, forcing them to confront the truth of what happened that summer and its lasting effects on their lives.

The shifting timelines between 1983 and 2008, and multiple narrators, felt a bit disjointed at the start, making it a challenge to understand how the different perspectives and timeframes add to the storyline. However, once you settle into the format, the storytelling becomes deeply engaging. Olivia's and Georgia's tales, in particular, are compelling, and it would have been great to learn more about Georgia's character.

Despite the main protagonists being female, the author hasn't neglected the male characters. They are rounded and play a full supporting role in the storyline, adding depth and richness to the overall narrative. This is a character led novel with intelligent writing and a thought-provoking narrative that is told with a blend of wit and empathy.


I found a Parting of the Ways to be a captivating read that explores deep emotional connections and the complexities of human relationships. If you're interested in a story that combines heartfelt moments with a touch of mystery, this book is definitely worth picking up.
Profile Image for Christine Rennie.
2,938 reviews40 followers
January 7, 2024
A Parting of the ways by Rachel Crowther

A Parting of the ways by Rachel Crowther is the story of two women Olivia and Eve, who go on a holiday together in August 1983 and then don’t speak again until 2003. In that time Olivia marries and has four boys and Eve qualifies as a doctor and emigrates to New Zealand or Australia. They come together for Sarah’s wedding, whom they knew at university and then everything comes together from the past and then means they may both have a future friendship.
Recommended
Profile Image for Margarita Morris.
Author 12 books69 followers
April 14, 2024
I loved this book by Rachel Crowther. I found the characters and their story engaging from the very first sentence. Every scene is beautifully written, capturing the telling details in smooth, flowing prose. There is drama, warmth, humour, emotion throughout. I will definitely read more of her books.
287 reviews13 followers
November 19, 2023
Whilst lost on holiday Olivia and Eve find a newborn baby in a phone box. This one event will shape the rest of their lives.
I spent most of this novel waiting for it to go somewhere but was left disappointed. Whilst I didn’t dislike it I couldn’t say I really enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Alison Bryant.
156 reviews11 followers
November 28, 2023
From the beginning it is clear that the characters will all overlap at some point but the author keeps the suspense until the end. None of the characters pulled on my heartstrings but it was a good read.
3 reviews
June 8, 2024
so good! learnt lots of new words so feel educated too! couldn’t put it down.

Amazing. No spoilers here…I would highly recommend. I haven’t had children but it’s got lots more in it that’s not just about motherhood.
Profile Image for Jessica Macdonald .
203 reviews4 followers
March 12, 2024
Not a fan of this one unfortunately! Too many characters, too many plots, too many time shifts and the weird glorification of adoption tourism was too much for me
2 reviews
December 5, 2023
The story in A Parting of the Ways by Rachel Crowther centers on female friends who met at school. Their lives diverge as they experience extraordinary events, before reconverging in a climactic denouement.
The close friendship of the two main characters, Olivia and Eve, is torn apart by a tragic accident involving a baby found in a phone box. At the same time, rivalry over a male friend, James, overshadows doubts about his own life narrative.
Olivia’s story successfully describes the tension between ’being a wife and mother’ and ‘fulfilling your potential as an individual’. As Olivia becomes reunited with another old schoolfriend, Sarah, both women work through shadows of guilt and anxiety from unresolved life events. Olivia’s teenage sons constantly challenge and distract her, but by the end of the book, she is starting to emerge into the next phase of her life.
Questions are raised from the start: does James’ account of his life ‘add up’? Why did finding the baby cause such a split between Eve and Olivia, and why does Olivia still feel so guilty about this baby, who they tried to help? These questions make this book is difficult to put down. But, as the characters from Eve and Olivia’s past and present lives come together through coincidence and mutual connections, the intrigues and questions raised in the story are addressed.
I was drawn in by the clear but expressive writing, fascinating plot and believable, familiar characters of this book. The detail of the characters’ lives feels authentic, from family experiences of motherhood, secrets which create shame and guilt, to the rivalry between female friends. The allusions to music, cookery and medical knowledge feel so natural that they must reflect the authors’ own areas of expertise.
In summary, I thoroughly recommend this book for its excellent writing, fascinating plot and insight into the lives of women as they interact with their families, partners, professional life and friends.

Profile Image for Liz T.
275 reviews6 followers
December 4, 2023
Olivia is happily married to Robert and is mother to four boys, the eldest in his late teens. She is a part time music teacher giving piano lessons from home and she also volunteers each week at a lunch group for the elderly.
The book has a dual timeline and the reader first meets Olivia in 1983 on a Summer road trip with her old school friend Evie when they are on vacation from their different universities. For the last stage of their trip they have been invited to spend time in Aldeburgh in East Anglia at the family holiday home of James, a fellow medical student on Eve’s course.
The hot Summer weather has broken and the atmosphere is dark and brooding with undercurrents that perhaps the relationship between the two friends is at a turning point, especially now that they have joined James. Olivia is unsure of the nature of the relationship between Eve and James and when the two argue Olivia and Eve go off in the car leaving James behind. On the drive they get lost and when they find an abandoned baby in a phone box what happens next effectively ends their friendship.
In 2008 a mutual friend from Olivia and Eve’s old school is getting married and the past can no longer be ignored as both are going to be invited to the Wedding.
Olivia now realises that the traumatic events of 1983 need to be revisited. The feelings that she has hidden away throughout her adult life have to be faced. As Olivia tries to rationalise what happened to her friendship with Eve it becomes clear that guilt has had a huge effect on her and has shaped the person she has become.
This is a story of friendship and family relationships sensitively told. As Olivia finally faces up to the past other loose ends to the story are tied up and present day characters also resolve important issues resulting in a satisfying conclusion.
Profile Image for Sonja Charters.
2,693 reviews137 followers
December 7, 2023
This was an intriguing read with a good storyline that was well written.

25 years ago, Olivia and Eve found a newborn baby dumped in a phone box, whilst in holiday.
The decisions they made and the trauma of the incident split them up from then on.
Now, due to reunite at a mutual friend's wedding, the truth will need to finally be discussed...

I liked that we followed this story over the two timelines.
We did flick back and forth quite a lot, but I think this needed to be so, to allow just the right amount of information to drip through over the whole book.

The writing flowed well and the plot was well thought out and planned but the place of this one was a little slower than I usually like in this genre.

I think that this was much more character driven than plot driven.
The characters were beautifully presented and developed throughout and the themes of family and friendship were brilliantly explored.

An enjoyable read even though it was a slightly different one for me. I'm interested to see what this author will present next.
Profile Image for CeeCee.
137 reviews4 followers
November 30, 2023
I thought this book held so much promise when I read the synopsis. However, for me, it just wasn't to be.
I found the storylines disjointed and confusing at times, not helped by the constant changing between 1983 and 2008.
I found the whole chunk of chapters dedicated to Olivia trying to find an old lady's family by researching her family tree to be bizarre and strange. It added nothing to the other storylines taking place.
Characters came and went, but the final denouement with James was glaringly obvious to everyone except the four main female characters. And why does everyone seem to drink whisky? Old and young alike!
It's not a book I'll remember in a hurry, unfortunately.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC
3 reviews
December 1, 2023
A really interesting and beautifully written novel about friendships and how our past experiences impact the present.

The discovery of a newborn in a phone box becomes the catalyst for a profound narrative that spans two decades. The author skilfully explores the fragility of human connections, depicting the profound impact a single event can have on the course of multiple lives.

What sets this novel apart is its exploration of healing and forgiveness. The narrative doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of the characters' pasts which makes them relatable & complex.

I found the pace worked really well and the story was full of suspense - I was gripped and found I raced through it. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Alison Cairns.
1,103 reviews12 followers
December 3, 2023
Olivia and Eve spend a summer as teenagers driving round the UK. Ending up in the English seaside town of Aldeburgh, they are joined by Eve's friend James, whose family own the house. One fateful day, they discover a newborn baby abandoned in a phone box and rush her to the hospital. Twenty five years later, Olivia is a mum of four boys in a happy marriage with Robert. Meeting up with old schoolfriend Sarah and getting involved in her wedding planning brings back memories of that fateful summer and a long overdue meeting with Eve. The incident with the baby has affected both women more than they realise. There are a few threads, some linked, within the book and enough to keep the reader engaged. #bloodhoundbooks #apartingoftheways
Profile Image for Bobbi Wagner.
4,972 reviews60 followers
December 6, 2023
I enjoyed reading this story. This is a newer author for me which I enjoyed her writing style and attention to details that made her story come to life on every page. I found this book to be a well written story about family, lies and friendship. A story that took me on an emotional roller coaster ride like no other. A fast paced story that is hard to put down and easy to read. I enjoyed watching the growth of the characters as well as the plot throughout the story. They are connectable and I had no problem relating to them. I enjoyed what they brought to the story's entertainment value. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing more from this author. I highly recommend this book.
1 review
December 1, 2023
A beautiful story about love and friendship — I really enjoyed reading this. The story unfolds over two timelines, capturing the essence of a transformative summer journey and its enduring impact on the characters' lives. The author's vivid storytelling and nuanced characters make this a compelling read, leaving readers with a profound reflection on the complexities of human connections. The dual timelines effectively build suspense, as secrets from the past slowly unravel in the present. The narrative skillfully navigates the emotional fallout of trauma, illustrating the resilience of friendship and the human spirit.
3 reviews
December 4, 2023
Another rip-roarer from Rachel Crowther! Having enjoyed previous books by this author, I was pleased to be able to obtain an advance copy of the new one, and to lose myself in the story for a couple of days. I found it hugely enjoyable, not least because of the sympathetic intelligence shown by the author towards her characters (and the many familiar facets of human experience they embody, and play out) but also because of the sheer energy and pace of the writing. Although I enjoyed the companionable escapism of it all, I was left thinking about the characters and the complexities of youthful friendships for a long time afterwards. Highly recommended.
127 reviews7 followers
November 30, 2023
Two young women are party to a tragedy, which blights their friendship and haunts them until they meet again, some twenty years later. Although they are trying to move on, they can’t until they have acknowledged their unwitting culpability and come to terms with it. The past is always lurking, rearing its head at inopportune moments and inhibiting appreciation of the present. It is well written novel, with carefully constructed characters and considerable depth of emotions, expressed in beautiful language. A book about the strength of friendship, of relationships and family. I enjoyed it.
41 reviews5 followers
December 7, 2023
Loved the dual timeline chronicling the summer and events that led to the estrangement between Olivia and Eve and Olivia's present day. Little snippets of that summer are slowly revealed, mainly revolving around the discovery of an abanded infant. Eve and Olivia are brought back together again when a common friend invites them both to her wedding. We are told things mainly through Olivia's eyes. I did not expect the revelation  of what happened to the baby but it made sense. Easy to read, easy to old my attention.
Profile Image for Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs'.
2,744 reviews43 followers
December 7, 2023
This was a book completely full of misunderstandings and requires a lot of concentration in reading, but even given that it was a one session read as kept me captivated. It is hard to say anything, that is not in the blurb as anything more would be a spoiler.

I was given an advance copy by bloodhound books but the review is entirely my own.
Profile Image for Teresa Ryder.
122 reviews1 follower
November 29, 2023
Olivia and Eve certainly had a friendship full of ups and downs. It was great to see the link between them throughout the entire book. Loved how so many stories all came together in the end. Very well written which made it very enjoyable to read. Characters extremely realistic and it flowed well. First book i’ve read by this author but it wont be the last. Great story!!
Profile Image for Faye Ridpath.
628 reviews32 followers
December 9, 2023
I received this book for free from Bloodhound Books.

This book took me longer than it usually does for me to read. Not because I didn't like it, but because the writing was so beautiful and lyrical that I had to take my time so I could appreciate and absorb every word.

I will definitely read more by this author.
168 reviews4 followers
December 11, 2023
The way this book is written makes for a beautiful and captivating story line that brings you in and hooks you with the topics of friendship, life challenges, jealousy and time that while the initial premise is not one that is easily relatable to most the story and experiences that unfold are. Thoughtful and gripping and a thoroughly enjoyable read! B
Profile Image for Eleanor Jordan O'Farrell.
89 reviews6 followers
November 29, 2023
Best friends Olivia and Eve find an abandoned baby in a telephone box in the 80s and we see how this affects the women they become.
This is a beautifully written story about friendship, secrets, lies, and misunderstandings.
917 reviews22 followers
November 29, 2023
This was the first book I have read by this author and won’t be my last. This was a thought provoking read of friendship and love and loss and grief and once I had started reading I couldn’t put it down. The characters stories are all intertwined to make this an emotional rollercoaster of a read.
Profile Image for Jane Welchman.
92 reviews3 followers
November 30, 2023
I enjoyed reading this book, however I was waiting throughout for the drama to happen. There was so much build up but then........ 🤷. It was well written and held promise which is why I enjoyed reading it.
I was given an ARC of this book and this is my honest opinion.
3 reviews
December 2, 2023
This carefully crafted book took me on an emotional journey through broken friendships, the uncovering of old secrets and the trauma of an unwanted child. An intriguing story which I could not wait to unravel. Recommended.
Profile Image for Sophie Bristow Harris.
377 reviews56 followers
December 3, 2023
I’m afraid to say that I did not enjoy this book at all. I felt no empathy with any of the characters. It was too slow a pace where not a lot happened.
It took me far too long to trek through and I was just glad when the final page came to an end.
Sorry this book was not for me.
Profile Image for Helga Sutton.
121 reviews7 followers
December 4, 2023
If enjoyed this book as it was well written and a good storyline although I kept waiting for the drama to appear. There was a great build up, and then……⁉️
However,, as it was so well written with great promise I enjoyed reading it.I
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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