Whispers Through a Megaphone

by Rachel Elliott

Miriam hasn't left her house in three years, and cannot raise her voice above a whisper. But today she has had enough, and is finally ready to rejoin the outside world.

Meanwhile, Ralph has made the mistake of opening a closet door, only to discover with a shock that his wife Sadie doesn't love him, and never has. And so he decides to run away.

Miriam and Ralph's chance meeting in a wood during stormy weather marks the beginning of an amusing, restorative friendship, while Sadie takes a break from Twitter to embark on an intriguing adventure of her own. As their collective story unfolds, each of them seeks to better understand the objects of their affection, and their own hearts, timidly refusing to stand still and accept the chaos life throws at them. Filled with wit and sparkling prose, Whispers Through a Megaphone explores our attempts to meaningfully connect with ourselves and others, in an often deafening world - when sometimes all we need is a bit of silence.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Mental Health, Relationships, Literary Fiction, Novels, Adult Fiction

328 pages, Paperback

First published August 26, 2015

About the author

Rachel Elliott is a writer and psychotherapist. She has worked in arts and technology journalism and her writing has featured in a variety of publications, from digital arts magazines to the French Literary Review. She has also been shortlisted for a number of short story and novel competitions in the UK and the US. Rachel was born in Suffolk, and now lives in Bath. Whispers Through a Megaphone is her first novel. It was longlisted for the 2016 Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction.

Reviews

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The main problem? Other people. They have always been the problem. Other people seem to know things. They know what a life should contain, all the simple and complicated things like shopping and Zumba and being physically intimate with another body. They know the rules, the way it's supposed to go. "

"You have to be bionic, supersonic, virtually histrionic, in ten places at once and forever full of comment: I am here, are you listening? I am sharing the minutia of my everyday life. Please reply with a comment, whoever you are. The air is thick with opinion. Audible smog. But what if you have nothing to say?"

We're all something in particular, but how is it possible to know what that something is? That's the question."

It's a question, Miriam thinks. Not the question. And being with another person is so complicated and difficult and maybe it's not worth the effort. "
~~~~~

One of those quiet, slowly unravelling novels that is more of a character study of sorts... there's not a whole lot of plot/story but it draws you into the lives of these dysfunctional, ordinary people.

It's not one of those "Oh my god, I have to know what happens next" but it's compelling in its own way. Sometimes not all-together likeable but I grew to care about them and hoping things would work out for them somehow (though it isn't easy to see how anything could).

I wanted to give Miriam a hug many times and give her mother a nice verbal tirade... Sadie I wanted to shake many times and had no sympathy for her. Ralph was a sweet but sometimes naive guy, took me a bit to warm up to him.

A mini subplot with one of their sons I would have loved to see more about, kind of sweet in its own way.

It's a bit of bizarre novel at times and a couple thing had me raising my eyebrows Sadie tweeting about their marriage and secret blogging... his patients following his wife, haha oh boy but still amusing in a weird way.

Only nitpick I have is that it was sometimes hard to see who was narrating, had to go back a couple times to make sure who was who. The POV changes were a bit abrupt, but sometimes it felt like she did that on purpose.

I would advise giving this a chance, it may surprise you :)
Happy reading!

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This intriguing story centres on two dysfunctional families, Miriam who has had a difficult childhood with her mentally ill single mother and hasn't left the house in the three years since she died and Ralph, father of 16 year old twin boys and husband of Sadie, a woman he doesn't really know. Sadie is too busy tweeting and blogging about her life to live it and realise that she and her husband really don't have much in common apart from their sons. One day, at his own birthday party Ralph opens a cupboard door to discover something that opens his eyes for the first time and he reacts by running away from home. Living in a shack in the nearby woods he later meets Miriam who has decided the time has come to leave the house.

In Miriam, Elliott has created a very original and singular character. Her mother, Frances is not only crazy (she once turned up at Miriam's school nude and started cleaning) but cold and not in the least maternal. She has kept Miriam from her father and grandmother out of pure spite and prevents her forming any social ties ensuring her profound social awkwardness. Her decree that Miriam keep quiet and not talk has resulted in Miriam only being able to talk in whispers.

But Miriam knows the true Miriam is lurking inside and ready to come out and face the world after three years on her own. And she is not entirely friendless. There is Boo her devoted neighbour, her only friend Fenella who never gives up on her, her developing friendship with Ralph and someone else out there who keeps pushing encouraging postcards through her letterbox.

The charm of this wonderful debut novel is in watching the characters change and develop as they find their true places in life. Not just Miriam who has the most growing to do, but also Ralph and his wife Sadie who is selfish but also yearning for her better self. The more minor characters, Boo and Ralph's son Stanley are also quietly finding their paths to where they want to be. The characters are often quirky and things don't always turn out as you would expect but is a lot of humour along the way as new connections, romance and friendships are found.


"There was an unbroken stranger inside Miriam Delaney – the same age but louder, the same height but taller. That stranger is now a woman and she is still buried deep. She is a doll inside a doll. Pull a string on the outer doll and nothing happens. Pull a string on the inner doll and she speaks. Trouble is, no one can hear the inner doll. No one knows she’s there."


With many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Australia for an ecopy of this wonderful book to read and review

[Figgy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miriam hasn’t left her house in three years, and cannot raise her voice above a whisper. But today she has had enough, and is finally ready to rejoin the outside world.

There was an unbroken stranger inside Miriam Delaney – the same age but louder, the same height but taller.
That stranger is now a woman and she is still buried deep. She is a doll inside a doll. Pull a string on the outer doll and nothing happens. Pull a string on the inner doll and she speaks. Trouble is, no one can hear the inner doll. No one knows she’s there.

Meanwhile, Ralph has made the mistake of opening a closet door, only to discover with a shock that his wife Sadie doesn’t love him, and never has. And so he decides to run away.

Feline logic told her that he had dragged himself here to die. Why else would he have turned up in the woods at 11.30 p.m. on 4th August with no bag, no possessions, just a wallet, a phone, and a guitar?
But the cat was wrong.
He hadn’t come here to die.

Miriam and Ralph’s chance meeting in a wood during stormy weather marks the beginning of an amusing, restorative friendship, while Sadie takes a break from Twitter to embark on an intriguing adventure of her own. As their collective story unfolds, each of them seeks to better understand the objects of their affection, and their own hearts, timidly refusing to stand still and accept the chaos life throws at them.

“My dad used to make people swoon, back in his heyday. Women used to stare at his bottom.”
“His bottom?”
“He had a nice one, apparently.”
“And did he?”
“What?”
“Have a nice bottom?”
“I couldn’t say.”
“Why?”
“Well, I’m his son. It would be really weird if I went around saying that my dad had a nice bottom.”
“Technically speaking you do go around saying that, otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

The rest of this review can be found here!

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, well, I’ll be damned: this was a good novel! I’m not sure I can come up with a half-decent way to articulate how good it was. It’s one of those slow-burning, slowly unravelling novels, where the main characters are ordinary yet exceptional. They’re people you know yet they’re like onions with layers that peel off slowly as the novel progresses.

Whispers through a Megaphone is charming, somewhat quirky but not in an obvious way. I loved the tone. I loved the writing. I didn’t mind the many flashbacks because they were seamless. There are lots of POVs, but in the end, they all make sense. While it’s very realistic, it’s not depressing nor is overly saccharin-y, with an over-the-top HEA.

The main heroine, Miriam, was brought up by a mentally unstable mother, who’s turned her into a shy, very quiet, whispering girl, who’s now a 35-year-old woman. For the past three years, Miriam has not left her home, with the exception of her back garden. She decides it’s time to try the outside world again.

Not far from where she lives, Ralph Swoon, 37 years old, psychotherapist, married father of two 16 year-old twin boys is having some sort of midlife crisis and takes off to the woods. That’s where he meets Miriam, on her first day out of the house. An unusual friendship ensues. Will they get together? Yes, they will. But in what capacity? You’ll have to read for yourself as I don’t want to spoil it for you. This novel surprised me, and I like that. You think you know what’s going to happen next, but it’s not exactly what you expected.

Ah, I was quite taken by the fact that all the musical pieces mentioned in this novel were not only known to me, but some of my favourites as well. What were the chances?

This is a novel about relationships, between children and parents, between partners, be it heterosexual or same-sex partners. It’s about connecting, about belonging and about love. It’s about finding yourself when you feel lost.

I for one was charmed, intrigued, pleasantly surprised and awed. What a fantastic novel!

I’ve received this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Penguin Australia for the opportunity to read and review this novel.


Cover: 4 stars

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

“She sits on the bench and tries to gather herself. She has heard this phrase a lot, gather yourself, but what does it mean? Is the self a collection of visible parts that can be pulled together in preparation for something or reassembled after a breakage? Miriam spends half an hour thinking about what it might be like to accidentally on purpose mix up the components of herself with those of another person - a woman, perhaps, who is also in the middle of gathering herself, a woman who has left the pieces of her character scattered on the grass in this small park…”

Whispers Through a Megaphone is the first novel by British author, Rachel Elliott. The story, told through a straight narrative interspersed with tweets from various people, throws together a myriad of very different characters and elements, a sample of which are: a thirty-five-year-old woman who speaks only in whispers, and has not left her home for three years; a gardener-turned-psychotherapist who discovers on his thirty-seventh birthday that his marriage is not what he thought it was; a wife who tweets her whole life.

Also important are: a red and white megaphone; a handful of cryptic postcards; a quirky but supportive friend; a young man who cannot ignore the family secret he has overheard; a boy with a Dr Who passion; a helpful neighbour in a red velour tracksuit; a couple of old flames; a pair of very different twins; a ginger cat named Treacle; a cruel and crazy mother, now deceased; an absent father; and a shack in the woods.

Elliott takes the reader on a slightly bizarre roller-coaster ride that involves quite a few twists and turns before ultimately coming to a heart-warming conclusion. Even though this novel is written by a British author, the narrative has a somewhat American feel to it. This outstanding debut novel is funny, clever and even a bit thought-provoking.

[Lee at ReadWriteWish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t really remember what prompted me to request this book via net-galley. It has an ordinary cover, an ordinary blurb, and I hadn’t heard of the author. All I know now is, I’m certainly happy I did, because there is nothing ordinary about Whispers through a Megaphone.

Miriam has decided it’s high time she starts her life afresh, and goes out into the world. There, she meets the ‘hero’ of the book, Ralph. Ralph (whose surname is rather unfortunately Swoon) has had a bit of a mental breakdown himself. He’s left his wife and family behind and is living in a shed in the woods with a cat.

Can these two hurting misfits help each other heal enough to become what most of us would consider to be functioning members of society?

Whispers is a quirky piece. (Yes, I’m using that quirky word which sometimes makes me shudder, because it’s a term that is bandied around just too much.)

Its leading lady, the lovely Miriam, is an adorable quirky character whose life up to the novel’s opening has been an extremely sad tale. One of abuse and isolation and compulsive behaviour. In fact, if this was a thriller, Miriam’s background would make her a prime candidate to be the next female literary serial killer. Instead, she’s one of the funniest sweetest characters I’ve ever had the privilege to read.

Elliott handles Miriam’s plot, characterisation, and all her related idiosyncrasies with the subtlest of touches. Each time I learnt something new about Miriam’s life, I found it extremely disturbing, (I definitely don’t want to think about them again by listing them or offering spoilers) but from the way they’re presented, and the impeccable timing that they’re introduced by Elliott, I never felt tempted to file this book under the ‘depressing’ tag. I’m in awe of Elliott’s skill in making Miriam, and the book as a whole, so heartwarming and upbeat considering some of the content.

The book has a cast of colourful supporting characters including Ralph’s wife, the addicted-to-Twitter Sadie, who I wanted to hate but couldn’t find the heart to do so; Miriam’s handyman neighbour, Boo; Ralph’s sons; Ralph’s first love; and the mysterious kids delivering inspirational postcards to Miriam.

The book is a brilliant piece of literature, touching on an array of themes without getting bogged down in giving us a lecture or heralding its own importance.

If I was a rich film producer I’d snap up the rights to this novel. In fact, I desperately want someone to film it now. Playing Miriam could be a BAFTA winning role. And I’ve already cast Ralph in my mind (I thought of Kevin Doyle from Downton Abbey the entire time I read).

Whispers through a Megaphone deserves to become a buzz book of the year. Highly recommend. 5/5

[✿яσsαℓιη∂α✿ · Rating 1 out of 5]

2018'in ilk yorumu ile geldim. Gönül isterdi iç açıcı bir yorumla geleyim ama öyle olmadı maalesef. Kitabı büyük bir hevesle almıştım. Zira kurgusu çok hoşuma gitmişti. Ama beklentilerimi karşılamadı ne yazık ki..

Yazarın kaleminden midir yoksa çeviriden midir bilmem cümleler bir acayipti. Bir kaç cümleyi birden fazla kez okumam gerekti. Şimdiki zaman ile anlatılıyor kurgu. Ve ben bu tarz anlatımları okurken zorlanıyorum. Anlatım bozuklukları da vardı. Hal böyle olunca sürekli dikkatim dağıldı ve okuma hevesimi kaçırdı.

Karakterler ise saçma sapan yani.. Elle tutulur bir karakter yok. Ayrıca Mirriam ile Ralph'i shiplemiştim ama olmadı. 😢 Zalımmm yazar. 😒

Sonlara doğru biraz güzelleşir gibi oldu ama yine olmadı benim için. Kitabı kurtarmaya yetmedi bu durum. Beklentilerimin altında olan bir kitap oldu. 👎

[Alina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, really. I had a hard time getting into this one, but towards the end it grew on me.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachel Elliott’s Whispers Through a Megaphone was longlisted for 2016’s Baileys Women’s Prize, won, of course, by Lisa McInerney with her novel The Glorious Heresies. I am not familiar with the latter, although it does have a place on my enormous to-read list, but I can wholeheartedly say that Elliott’s debut novel is very good indeed. Laurie Penny has deemed it ‘a book with a big, beating heart’, and the word ‘charming’ is repeated in a lot of the reviews on the press release.

There are two protagonists in Whispers Through a Megaphone – thirty-five year old Miriam Delaney, and Ralph Swoon, a psychotherapist with twin teenage sons. When the novel opens, it has been three years since Miriam last left her house: ‘No, that’s not quite true. She has stepped into the back garden to feed the koi carp, stepped into the porch to collect the milk and leave a bin bag for her neighbour to place at the end of the drive. But step out into the street? No chance.’

Tossing a coin essentially hands Miriam back her freedom: ‘Heads I could be part of the world, tails I’ll always be outside it’. Her theme song of sorts is Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game’: ‘It’s the soundtrack to a future that feels terrifying, exciting, possible, impossible’. When she does make it out of the house, Elliott wonderfully describes her inner world: ‘It is unusual for Miriam to be gleeful like this, because her default personality setting is melancholy infused with kindness, which sounds like a room spray for introverts’.

Ralph receives the curveball on his birthday, of all days, that his wife no longer loves him. He decides to move out without informing her, taking what little he needs, and setting up camp in an abandoned shed in the woods. He adopts a stray cat, names it Treacle, and has companionable suppers with her. One evening, quite soon into his stay, Miriam comes across him, running, as she does, into the woods in fright: ‘But she has found him. Or maybe he has found her. They haven’t found each other, not yet’. The wholly platonic relationship between the pair which follows is rather heartwarming; it’s rather refreshing to read a novel in which a romance is not automatically sparked under such circumstances.

Throughout the novel, flashbacks are given to Miriam’s childhood, lived with her rather cruel mother, Frances. She is not bullied much at school; rather, she ‘was only visible when the children were bored’. She has been told that her father had an aneurysm and died when she was just one, whilst he was outside pegging up various items of laundry. Her mother’s erratic behaviour is a staple of her girlhood, and even begins a clandestine relationship with Miriam’s married headmaster. Told to be quiet so often in childhood, Miriam’s voice has been damaged; she can only communicate in whispers, which many of the other characters attribute to her contracting severe laryngitis.

Elliott has a witty, comical way of writing, and her descriptions particularly are rendered quite original in this manner: ‘washing up water that was supposed to smell of lavender and lemon, but actually smelt like the passageway between Asda and the car park’, and, of Ralph, ‘saying “blow me” was something he had inherited from his father, along with narrow shoulders and a pert little bottom’.

Whispers Through a Megaphone is about people in all of their many horrid, wonderful forms. It is an engaging and surprising read, in which each and every character who peppers the pages has his or her own personal crisis to deal with; Ralph’s sons, for instance – angry Arthur, and Stanley, who is trying to keep his relationship with the serious Canadian Joe under wraps. The relationships which Elliott builds are complex, but one gets a feel for them almost as soon as each character is introduced, or each situation shifts. The structure, in which alternate chapters follow Miriam and Ralph, works wonderfully. Whispers Through a Megaphone is full of depth; it is essentially about a whole cast of characters discovering themselves, and reclaiming some part of their past, or their future. A lovely uplifting read, which is perfect for every season.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing and quirky, sometimes charming novel of dysfunctional families. Miriam, at 35, speaks only in whispers - a product of an abusive mother. She hasn't left her house in three years and has decided to go outside. Ralph, who used to be a gardener and is now a psychotherapist, has decided his marriage is not what he wanted. Ralph's wife Sadie is addicted to tweeting and tweets everything in her life. Sadie has mixed emotions about her sexuality. A very interesting and though-provoking read! Congratulations to Rachel Elliott for her first novel!

Many thanks to Rachel Elliott, Steerforth Press ONE / Pushkin through NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Lynxie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not my typical read by any stretch, but the book blurb got my attention way back in 2015 when I got myself a copy of this on Netgalley. It took me a few years to get to it, but I'm quite glad I took a chance on this interesting tale.

The narrative voice is very easy to read, even when it swaps between Miriam and Ralph (and the various side characters POVs), there's moments that made me smirk and moments that felt a little toxic and painful to read, but overall I'd say this was an okay read.

My favourite aspects were finding out about the damage in Miriam's past, and the toxicity in Ralph's present. How those two worlds collide and meld together was unexpected, but nicely done. I especially enjoyed the addition of the animals to the mix, particularly Treacle.

My copy of the book was full of formatting issues, but as it was a galley I figured these would have been addressed when it was made available to the public. It didn't detract from the story much, though the occassional addition of the book name mid-sentence like at the top of a new page threw me.

If you enjoy understanding the internal workings of characters then this book would be right up your alley. You're given a rather confusing look inside Miriam and Ralph. It made me wonder if people actually have thoughts like that or if these were overly dramatised versions for the sake of entertainment.

As Rachel is a psychotherapist, like Ralph, I figured some of the neuroses must be real or at least based off real world experiences. A very interesting look at how someone's mind works.

*I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley*

[Fran · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had some good writing and memorable (if unlikeable) characters. Some aspects felt a little too much or unnecessary, but overall, an ok read.

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

as far as i can tell, and while the depths and degrees vary, everyone is broken in some way. sometimes in many ways. if we are lucky we have grit, a good sense of humour, and, maybe, support from others as we try and navigate our lives (while mitigating the damages as best we can). this all sounds very dark and heavy, i know... but: remember the humour! and if you are tuned into these facts about those around you, there is a sensitivity and kindness about you so very much needed in this world.

so - that is what whispers through a megaphone is about. i found this to be a great read, and an impressive debut novel. the story is insightful, i enjoyed the quirk factor, and i think the character of miriam will stick with me for quite some time. there is a bit of a twist near the end, which was peculiar, but added yet another example of how thoughtless, careless, hurtful and cruel people can be. and did certainly leave me wondering what would have happened had frances and the headmaster not had that final encounter. my only criticism, or disappointment, with the novel has to do with the character of sadie, and the storyline between her and ralph. it fairly dwindled off in regards to sadie's arc, which felt odd to me given she was an alternating voice for most of the book. but this is a minor quibble, really.

this is another novel that landed on my reading radar thanks to the 2016 baileys women's prize for fiction, and i am so glad it did!

interview with rachel elliott: http://bookanista.com/rachel-elliott/

[Karina Almeroth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharp. Observant. Witty. Heartbreaking. Whimsical, almost. I could identify with every character. So many lines I scribbled down madly to reread later...moments to do with love, mainly!! A beautiful book, I can't even do it justice...poignant would be another apt description. For a debut novel, it blows us all out of the water!! Can't wait to read her next novel. Very trendy, on-point with current times and issues - hence the sharply observed reviews. I feel both grateful for this sad, intoxicating world and slightly crushed and heartbroken after reading this book...which I kind of sense is the author's heart and soul coming through. Stunning!!! She's all heart and humanity ❤

[Peebee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a quirky little book with extra quirky characters. I wasn't sure I would enjoy it at first, given the depth of some of the challenges faced by the characters, but Miriam and Ralph grew on me after a while. It's also very British but still very accessible to others. I like that the ending was a little unpredictable yet still very heartwarming.

I received a free advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Clarabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cela fait trois ans que Miriam n'a plus franchi le seuil de sa maison mais la mort de sa mère vient enfin de la délivrer d'un poids. Elle ressent le besoin de sortir et court alors droit devant elle, jusque dans les bois, où elle croise Ralph, lui aussi en pleine crise existentielle. Son mariage est au bord de l'implosion, sa femme Sadie est une éternelle insatisfaite, qui regrette de n'avoir pas cédé à son attirance pour sa meilleure copine de fac. Leur rencontre est le déclic. À force de discuter, ils refont le monde en y insufflant une dose de fantaisie. Et c'est tout simplement incroyable, magique, insolite... mais fabuleux. ☺

[Anna Sawlani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel confused about this book! It took me ages to get into, and then right at the last minute I ended up getting quite invested in the characters. But it took me so long to get there. It was very different to a style of writing I’d read before, and I’m still not really sure what I think

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love it- so any stories, well told.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from Pushkin Press.

The two main characters in this book have allowed other people to influence their lives to the point of misery. When their stories finally intersect, they serve as a comfort for each other and form a kind of unconditional friendship that both of them have desperately needed. Miriam hasn’t left her house in three years because of a traumatic incident for which she wrongly blames herself. As we get to know Miriam we learn that her mental health issues have stemmed from a lifetime of mental and physical abuse at the hands of her mother.

It is very difficult to read about Miriam’s story and I usually avoid books that describe child or animal abuse because it is just too upsetting. But Miriam’s resilient spirit and her drive to put the past behind her is uplifting. She is told when she is a very young child that her father died when she was an infant and the only other family member that she has any contact with is her maternal grandmother. But Miriam’s mother has not allowed her to see her grandmother and so her only source of comfort are letters from her grandmother. But Miriam’s mother is so cruel and jealous that she puts a stop to the letters which causes Miriam additional mental anguish. The cruelest punishment that is imposed on Miriam is that she is never allowed to talk above a whisper because her mother can’t stand any noise. The punishment for speaking above a whisper in her mother’s presence is nothing short of torture. As an adult Miriam continues to speak at a whisper and cannot break this abusive habit forced on her by her mother.

Ralph is also unhappy when we first meet him, but the source of his anxiety is his bizarre, demanding and overpowering wife. Ralph and Sadie met while in college and if she didn’t become pregnant with twins then the relationship would never have lasted. Sadie is bitter that she is forced to give up on her degree and the budding relationship with her roommate Allie. Sadie’s questioning of her sexuality and her unhappiness in something that has always stood in the way of Ralph and Sadie’s marriage. When Ralph accidentally uncovers this astounding secret, he flees his house and decides to live alone in the woods. It is in this woods that Miriam comes upon him during what is her first day out of her house in three years.

I have to admit that I was reading their separate stories at the beginning of the book, I wasn’t convinced that these two people with such separate lives would meet in a way that was believable. But Elliott masterfully weaves together the story so that Ralph and Miriam encounter each other under just the right circumstances. They are both kindhearted people and their sincere compassion allows them to give each other honest and frank opinions. Miriam slowly comes back to the world of the living and gains the courage to get a job and even go on a date. Ralph finally decides to go home and face his teenage sons and the wreck of his marriage.

Whispers Through a Megaphone is an uplifting book that shows us it’s never too late in life to form a friendship that is meaningful and gratifying. Great characters, an interesting plot and clever writing all make for a successful first book from Elliott.

[For Books' Sake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rachel Elliott's charming début explores love, relationships and the difficulty of truly connecting with one another in our digitally-overloaded world
Rachel Elliott is a psychotherapist as well as a writer, and it shows. Whispers Through a Megaphone, her first novel, is a very kind book. Each character has their flaws, but is ultimately a good person. Their motivations may sometimes be impulsive, or destructive, but they are all ultimately following the right path towards understanding themselves, and the world, better. In a literary scene full of people you would hesitate to pass on a dark night (I’m thinking specifically about any of Ian McEwan’s characters here), this makes for a refreshing change.

The stories, of a marriage breaking up and a traumatised woman dealing with terrible events in her past, are typical themes of the modern novel. Ralph and Sadie, married since university, struggle to maintain their relationship in the face of Sadie’s addiction to, and high profile on, Twitter, combined with Ralph’s disconnection from the world. Miriam hasn’t left her house for three years and is unable to speak above a whisper. So far, so twee, but it would be a mistake to let that put you off – the characters win you over with their depth of emotion and convincing back stories. Even Miriam’s wicked mother, whose behaviour towards her daughter is basically manipulative child abuse, has suffered in her turn and, though this doesn’t excuse her, reminds the reader that good and evil is rarely as simple as we would like it to be.

The novel dates itself, however, with the use of Twitter and specific references to pop culture – something that looks like it’s becoming endemic. It’s a difficult thing to get around, because of course when writing about the modern condition, social media and television are an unavoidable truth. But the inserted bits of Twitter dialogue shake you out of the story, taking a moment or two to get back into the narrative again. Perhaps because it was all a little unbelievable. Who, for example, waits 16 years of unsatisfactory marriage before idly looking up their old lover on Twitter? Some people look up their old lovers on Twitter every day.

The book is also perhaps... want to finish reading this review? Go to http://forbookssake.net/2015/08/28/wh... and then check out the rest of For Books' Sake for news, opinion and much much more about women writers.

[Felicity Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm! Trying to make sense of the jumble of thoughts I have about this novel.

The story of Miriam, Ralph and what happened when they chanced upon each other.

The formative chapters clever, whimsical and somewhat bleak albeit a bleakness tinged with a subtle and yet dark humour. The latter chapters (and the ending in particular) .... perplexing and ultimately unsatisfying.

A book I have thought lots about since reading it. It's just a shame that it hasn't clarified my thoughts on just how to rate it, hence what I, in this instance, consider my 'default' rating of 'It was Ok'.

Perhaps there was simply too much going on. Miriam's relationship with her mother, her neighbour and Ralph. Ralph's relationship with his wife, Sadie, their sons and Miriam. Sadie's relationship with Ralph, Twitter (alas I found her 'tweets' intensely distracting) and her friend(s)-come-possible-love interest(s). The list goes on.

Perhaps the author invested too much of her background as a psychotherapist. I certainly felt increasingly irritated by what felt like her conclusion that 'this' is what happens when a child is raised by a mentally unstable parent.

What I do know is that not all of the characters behaviour was plausible (but then that's humans and poetical licence for you). That sometimes, and I know this is going to sound rather strange, for all her mental instability, it was Miriam's mother's behaviour that made more sense, was more believable than that of some of the other characters. That come the end of the book I was left with a strong feeling that I had missed something essential, something that would have made sense of the ending.

Each to their own. Effectively whilst there was much to recommend Whispers Through The Megaphone - not least of which was the sense of hope that prevailed throughout - ultimately it wasn't altogether a read for me.

Copyright: Tracy Terry @ Pen and Paper

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whispers through a Megaphone is one of those charming, if improbable stories about two people floundering in their own existence, and finding each other at the right time. Miriam is a thirty-five-year-old woman, who has not left the house in the three years since her strict, and overbearing mother died. Ralph, is a timid psychotherapist, with a fracturing marriage. His sons, the neighbours, and the thousands of his wife’s Twitter feed no more about the state of his marriage than he does.
We live in a world where we are increasingly attached to more people than ever before, but real connections, between people are harder to create, and a full-time job to maintain.
So instead of being reliant on the help of two of her friends, and her love-lorn neighbour, Miriam learns to make connections to the outside world, whilst Ralph learns to connect with his sons and to learn to adapt to his gay son’s way of life. Miriam makes contact with the father she always thought was dead, by way of her two half-brothers.
In many ways, this is a book about a mid-life crisis, but one that is enforced. Both Miriam and Ralph have to make sense of the changes that other people are putting on their lives, and if things don’t change, they will only stagnate.
Whispers Through a Megaphone is a carefully drawn character study, that flirts with humour, pathos, the pain of lost opportunities, and an overprotective family, but through it all, we feel for Miriam, and her close coterie of friends, that feed her a fractured view of the world, but one which she won’t see properly, until she goes out into the world, to experience it for herself.

[Meera · Rating 5 out of 5]

The curious thing is that two of my friends on two separate occasions looked at this cover and thought it was chick-lit, but I again learned that one can't judge a book by its cover. ;) 'Whispers through a Megaphone' explores existential issues through fractured families. Meet Miriam and Ralph, Elliot's intriguing protagonists. Miriam, who only whispers, has not left her house in three years. Ralph, a psychotherapist, walks out of his house and straight into the woods after finding his wife in the closet (literally). The paths of Ralph and Miriam inevitably cross, but what follows is a strange journey of self-discovery as they navigate their own pasts. Through the strange tales of Ralph and Miriam, readers are also led to contemplate the im/possibilities of living a quiet presence against our contemporary reality that seems to demand a loud, ever-present, multi-dimensional. Avoiding verbosity, Elliot's writing is efficient, and at times seems a little choppy. Yet at times, the mood felt Murakami-esque. I wouldn't say I loved the book, but I certainly enjoyed it.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really thought I'd like this book, and in fact, the first half of the book I was really into it. There were a bunch of different characters with intertwining storylines, which I love, what could go wrong?

There's a man who's wife doesn't love him, who runs off into the woods where he meets a recluse on her first voyage out of her house in 3 years, and they become friends. So far, in this part of the book, I was still on board, and really interested in their backstories and about their family's stories. Then more stories were introduced and the characters became a little less interesting. I was still invested enough in the book that I wanted to see how things turned out, but I didn't seem to care as much.

Because I liked the first half so much, I still want to read more by this author. I do like her style and even though I wasn't a huge fan of some of the characters and where the plot went, I still think that in another story with another group of characters, I could really get hooked in.

[Bookread2day · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book review in a newspaper. What made me want to read this is the fact that I was wondering how someone becomes not connected in the outside world by not going out doing things that other people do. Thirty five-year-old Miriam Delney has been in hibernation in her house for three years, she has only been out far as her back garden. Miriam's mother suffered from mental health, forgetfulness. Her Mother would be sweeping the school corridor wearing nothing but a pair of trainer socks. Miriam's mother was mad as a spoon she would be vacuuming the house wearing nothing but knickers and Westie slippers. Although this may sound funny with tender humour, your heart goes out to what Miriam's mother went through.

[Lindsay V. · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars - this book was really difficult for me to get into; it's written in short choppy dialogues, which made reading it for me very choppy feeling as well. Slowly I began to connect with aspects of the characters and their lives, but never felt fully indulged in the story. I know that it's hard for an author to communicate with the readers that a character is supposed to be whispering the whole time - and I felt the attempts by Elliott to continue to convey that, but almost wish they would have altered the font to reflect that it was whispers - italicize or smaller font just to get the point across. So anyway, it was ok but I didn't love it.

[Jenn Morgans · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely, lovely book, very dark in some places and in other places flooded with light. It's awkward and gradual and careful and nothing is perfect in anyone's life, and the writing is just glorious, threading through you as it guides all the different characters into place like beads on a string. There's hope, there; both the kind left in the bottom of Pandora's box that's more like a curse than anything, and the good kind that you can cling to like a life ring. A thoughtful, carefully-crafted novel, utterly gorgeous, and one that I know will linger.

[Hannah W · Rating 4 out of 5]

(More 3.5 stars than 4). This was a fun read, I liked all the references to blogging/twitter/the internet and the questions around online life vs. real life. I also liked Miriam's "outsider" perspective. It was maybe just a bit too middle class/middle aged for me to be able to fully fall in love with it though.