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A Beautiful Noise: "Hugely entertaining, moving, quirky, thought-provoking and funny..." Dame Evelyn Glennie
"Hugely entertaining, moving, quirky, thought-provoking and funny..." Dame Evelyn Glennie
In the Quietest Village in England, where sound is a weapon and truth is silenced, who will have the courage to show that it’s not what you hear, it’s how you listen that really counts?
Accidental Earl, Matthew Wolstenholme, is used to keeping things quiet. His bankruptcy, his hearing loss, his unopened post down the back of the furniture. All he needs now to save his home and heritage is to quietly stage a music festival.Super-hearing sound engineer, Shelley Harper, could be just the woman for the job. If she can find the confidence to raise her own volume above the clamorous expectations of everyone else.
Because in the pedigree Hampshire village of Bedingford, where any disturbance is an infringement of their civil liberties, the villagers are not going to let it happen without a fight. And some of them want more from Matthew and Shelley than just to shut them up.
When their weapon of choice becomes a broken man living in his own world of fear and secrecy, reclusive drummer Pip Berry is about to learn the real meaning of silence. But as battle lines harden and they all face losing what they love the most, it might just be Pip who has the answer for them all.
If he can find the courage to speak his own truth, to save himself, Matthew, and very much more…
Because fear can be deafening
But love is louder
…and it’s A Beautiful Noise…
A Beautiful Noise is an entertaining, uplifting and thought-provoking book with a gentle humour, exploring the blurred lines between ‘ability’ and ‘disability’, the fear of public judgment and the transformative power of love and wisdom.
"Warm, witty and wise..." Marian Starkes
"Blends humour and heartbreak to devastating and glorious effect..." Peter Readen
"Wonderful characters I wanted to stay with forever..." Monica Wraysbury
In the Quietest Village in England, where sound is a weapon and truth is silenced, who will have the courage to show that it’s not what you hear, it’s how you listen that really counts?
Accidental Earl, Matthew Wolstenholme, is used to keeping things quiet. His bankruptcy, his hearing loss, his unopened post down the back of the furniture. All he needs now to save his home and heritage is to quietly stage a music festival.Super-hearing sound engineer, Shelley Harper, could be just the woman for the job. If she can find the confidence to raise her own volume above the clamorous expectations of everyone else.
Because in the pedigree Hampshire village of Bedingford, where any disturbance is an infringement of their civil liberties, the villagers are not going to let it happen without a fight. And some of them want more from Matthew and Shelley than just to shut them up.
When their weapon of choice becomes a broken man living in his own world of fear and secrecy, reclusive drummer Pip Berry is about to learn the real meaning of silence. But as battle lines harden and they all face losing what they love the most, it might just be Pip who has the answer for them all.
If he can find the courage to speak his own truth, to save himself, Matthew, and very much more…
Because fear can be deafening
But love is louder
…and it’s A Beautiful Noise…
A Beautiful Noise is an entertaining, uplifting and thought-provoking book with a gentle humour, exploring the blurred lines between ‘ability’ and ‘disability’, the fear of public judgment and the transformative power of love and wisdom.
"Warm, witty and wise..." Marian Starkes
"Blends humour and heartbreak to devastating and glorious effect..." Peter Readen
"Wonderful characters I wanted to stay with forever..." Monica Wraysbury
450 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 18, 2024
30 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 25, 2025
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: A Beautiful Noise
Author: Sam Collins
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 5/5
Of the 15 readers:
14 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
14 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
11 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
14 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“A charming story. I thought, at first, it was just going to be a cosy drama, but it’s surprisingly thought-provoking. Loved it!” Male reader, aged 46
“Two very strong elements to this book: firstly, the characters are FAB; over the top, yes, but in a good, memorable way. Also, it’s funny. I had a good giggle reading this.” Male reader, aged 55
“A lot of the most annoying characters in this book live in my village too! 😊 The author did a fab job of pitting character v character as they attempt to put on a concert.” Female reader, aged 70
“Is it predictable? Yes, a bit. But it’s still an excellent drama filled with comical moments that ‘mostly’ hit the mark. The writing style is ‘easy on the eyes’, and the character development is strong. It also offers an insight into village politics, often a problem in parts of the UK.” Female reader, aged 66
To Sum It Up:
‘A strongly plotted ‘village’ drama with an interesting, often charismatic, cast of characters. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: A Beautiful Noise
Author: Sam Collins
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 5/5
Of the 15 readers:
14 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
14 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
11 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
14 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“A charming story. I thought, at first, it was just going to be a cosy drama, but it’s surprisingly thought-provoking. Loved it!” Male reader, aged 46
“Two very strong elements to this book: firstly, the characters are FAB; over the top, yes, but in a good, memorable way. Also, it’s funny. I had a good giggle reading this.” Male reader, aged 55
“A lot of the most annoying characters in this book live in my village too! 😊 The author did a fab job of pitting character v character as they attempt to put on a concert.” Female reader, aged 70
“Is it predictable? Yes, a bit. But it’s still an excellent drama filled with comical moments that ‘mostly’ hit the mark. The writing style is ‘easy on the eyes’, and the character development is strong. It also offers an insight into village politics, often a problem in parts of the UK.” Female reader, aged 66
To Sum It Up:
‘A strongly plotted ‘village’ drama with an interesting, often charismatic, cast of characters. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ Wishing Shelf Book Awards
July 6, 2024
Oh my goodness, I adored this book! Dame Evelyn Glennie's quote on the front cover perfectly sums it up! "Hugely entertaining, moving, quirky, thought-provoking and funny..."
Beneath the gentle surfaces of a somewhat eccentric community at war over a music festival, lies an absorbing depth - Sam Collins is one of those rare authors who can use dry wit, humour and eccentricity to throw a light on the deepest emotions and challenges of our human condition.
The characters are wonderful, I wanted to stay with them forever. I wanted to read it again immediately, just to keep them there. And also, knowing what I know now and not then. It’s a love story at its heart - both finding it in others and in yourself - with perhaps the key message of how our perceived weaknesses can turn out to be our greatest strengths. In that respect, far from any traditional romance, it turns out to be quite possibly the most romantic thing I have ever read! Had me crying and laughing, especially towards the end. A triumph I could see on the big screen very easily (with Richard Curtis directing, please!).
An unknown debut author, I think, who deserves a much wider audience amongst those of us who love memorable characters and a great story that is told with insight, wit and intelligence. If you're one of those - perhaps readers of Fredrik Backman, Rachel Joyce, Matt Haig, Richard Osman (without the crime!) with a hint of Oscar Wilde and Dickens, I wholeheartedly recommend.
Beneath the gentle surfaces of a somewhat eccentric community at war over a music festival, lies an absorbing depth - Sam Collins is one of those rare authors who can use dry wit, humour and eccentricity to throw a light on the deepest emotions and challenges of our human condition.
The characters are wonderful, I wanted to stay with them forever. I wanted to read it again immediately, just to keep them there. And also, knowing what I know now and not then. It’s a love story at its heart - both finding it in others and in yourself - with perhaps the key message of how our perceived weaknesses can turn out to be our greatest strengths. In that respect, far from any traditional romance, it turns out to be quite possibly the most romantic thing I have ever read! Had me crying and laughing, especially towards the end. A triumph I could see on the big screen very easily (with Richard Curtis directing, please!).
An unknown debut author, I think, who deserves a much wider audience amongst those of us who love memorable characters and a great story that is told with insight, wit and intelligence. If you're one of those - perhaps readers of Fredrik Backman, Rachel Joyce, Matt Haig, Richard Osman (without the crime!) with a hint of Oscar Wilde and Dickens, I wholeheartedly recommend.
October 7, 2024
An enjoyable and original plot and characters with a focus on sound, hearing and the eccentricities of suburbia.
It took me a while to get into the book but it was well worth persevering as a motley cast of people organised an outdoor concert as a fund-raiser to save a cash-strapped aristocrat's crumbling estate - in the UK's quietest village.
The description of a room full of stereotypical ageing former rock stars awaiting a casting session was especially memorable. The author's acknowledgement to Evelyn Glennie made the idea of a profoundly deaf drummer quite plausible.
It took me a while to get into the book but it was well worth persevering as a motley cast of people organised an outdoor concert as a fund-raiser to save a cash-strapped aristocrat's crumbling estate - in the UK's quietest village.
The description of a room full of stereotypical ageing former rock stars awaiting a casting session was especially memorable. The author's acknowledgement to Evelyn Glennie made the idea of a profoundly deaf drummer quite plausible.
June 2, 2024
The characters, in A Beautiful Noise, are very skillfully drawn and truly come to life on the page. Their stories are related by Sam Collins with great humour and tenderness while they navigate village politics and personal drama - the readers finds themselves completely swept in it all!
June 4, 2024
Oh that was just lovely! Intelligent and thought-provoking, yet funny and uplifting. One of those rare gems that you never want to end, in which you laugh, cry and learn, and come out richer for the experience.
April 29, 2025
A quirky, funny story that abounds in interesting characters. There is much to think about here with the exploration of sound and alternative ways of expressing what is important. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews