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Light From Other Windows
“Once again, Chris Chalmers combines sensitivity and wit in his observation of human behaviour with a cracking story line. Unputdownable.” — Penny Hancock, author of Tideline
How many secrets can a family hide?
19-year-old Josh Maitland is at the end of a gap-year trip round the world when the tsunami hits the Canary Islands. His family are devastated at the loss of someone they thought would outlive them all: mother Diana, advertising executive and shatterer of glass ceilings; older siblings Rachel and Jem, each contemplating a serious relationship after years of sidestepped commitment; and stepfather Colin, no stranger to loss, who finds himself frozen out by his wife's grief.
It's only with the discovery of the private blog Josh was writing for his friends that the significance of his travels becomes clear. It reveals secrets he knew about everyone in the family — and one about himself that will change the way they think of him forever.
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2015
7 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Chris Chalmers
7 books10 followersChris Chalmers arrived unexpectedly following a Beatles' concert at Southport Floral Hall when his mum was induced by the stomping. His career as a published author began aged six with a poem, Jumbo Jabber, in The Liverpool Echo. The editor, retitling it Elephants Are Our Favourites, gave him a taste of the collaborative process that was to play a major role in his subsequent career in advertising.
After many years and a few awards creating campaigns at top London agencies for everything from The Economist to ballet shoes, Chris took the plunge into the world of contemporary fiction. His first published novel, Five To One, is now available with further titles for adults and children to follow.
He lives in South-West London with his partner, a quite famous concert pianist. Chris was once the understudy on Mastermind, has travelled to 40 different countries, and swum with iguanas. He's written a diary for 42 years and never missed a night.
After many years and a few awards creating campaigns at top London agencies for everything from The Economist to ballet shoes, Chris took the plunge into the world of contemporary fiction. His first published novel, Five To One, is now available with further titles for adults and children to follow.
He lives in South-West London with his partner, a quite famous concert pianist. Chris was once the understudy on Mastermind, has travelled to 40 different countries, and swum with iguanas. He's written a diary for 42 years and never missed a night.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 13, 2016
The Maitlands are devastated when they hear that the youngest member of their family, 19-year-old Josh, has lost his life in a tsunami in the Canary Islands. He was just beginning his adult life and the family are grieving for the chance to know their son and their sibling. When they discover he had been writing a blog, documenting his travels during his gap year, they each read it with heavy hearts and curiosity. Family secrets unfold among the teenagers posts and the family fear the outcome of the revelations...
It is hard enough to lose a young member of your family without the added complexity of a natural disaster and the missed opportunity to say goodbye. Diana is broken from within upon hearing of her sons death, with her job now seeming a trivial part of her life, and she wonders just what it has all been for. Colin is Josh's step-father and yet grieves for him more than Diana's first husband, who did a runner before Josh was even born. He remains stoic and tries to hold the family together as they come to terms with their tragic loss. Rachel worries she was not a great sister and feels like she has let her youngest brother down, now never having the chance to make it up to him. Jem has always been a little distant from the family and now he dreads the past coming back to haunt him. Luckily his partner, Stefan, is around to help ground his flightiness. Meanwhile, Josh's father arrives late for his funeral and the atmosphere tenses up tightly.
UK author, Chris Chalmers, is a man of words. Beautifully arranged words. Words that blend together on a page and manage to convey emotion with raw intensity.
"there was never any shortage of earth for burying an inconvenient truth"
Each character has its own voice, with minimum dialogue and maximum impact. Their inner thoughts are arranged in an artful array of emotion, oozing sincerity. The pace is slow and steady, less page-turning and more sentence-savouring. Grief is a very personal emotion and each family member deals with it in their own way. Some moments are dripping with sadness, whilst others release silent sarcasm and wry wit. The end result is a novel of substance. Slow, sensual and utterly mesmerizing.
Can any of us say, with absolute certainty, that our family really knows us? The real us? What we really think of them or feel for them? This book deserves to be read slowly and with real appreciation. It is literary fiction that lingers. Not a thriller, grip-lit or misery lit. It is a study of family, uncertainty and grief. There are moments of hope, under-stated love and ripples of respect. It is a fine book, highly recommended.
It is hard enough to lose a young member of your family without the added complexity of a natural disaster and the missed opportunity to say goodbye. Diana is broken from within upon hearing of her sons death, with her job now seeming a trivial part of her life, and she wonders just what it has all been for. Colin is Josh's step-father and yet grieves for him more than Diana's first husband, who did a runner before Josh was even born. He remains stoic and tries to hold the family together as they come to terms with their tragic loss. Rachel worries she was not a great sister and feels like she has let her youngest brother down, now never having the chance to make it up to him. Jem has always been a little distant from the family and now he dreads the past coming back to haunt him. Luckily his partner, Stefan, is around to help ground his flightiness. Meanwhile, Josh's father arrives late for his funeral and the atmosphere tenses up tightly.
UK author, Chris Chalmers, is a man of words. Beautifully arranged words. Words that blend together on a page and manage to convey emotion with raw intensity.
"there was never any shortage of earth for burying an inconvenient truth"
Each character has its own voice, with minimum dialogue and maximum impact. Their inner thoughts are arranged in an artful array of emotion, oozing sincerity. The pace is slow and steady, less page-turning and more sentence-savouring. Grief is a very personal emotion and each family member deals with it in their own way. Some moments are dripping with sadness, whilst others release silent sarcasm and wry wit. The end result is a novel of substance. Slow, sensual and utterly mesmerizing.
Can any of us say, with absolute certainty, that our family really knows us? The real us? What we really think of them or feel for them? This book deserves to be read slowly and with real appreciation. It is literary fiction that lingers. Not a thriller, grip-lit or misery lit. It is a study of family, uncertainty and grief. There are moments of hope, under-stated love and ripples of respect. It is a fine book, highly recommended.
November 11, 2015
What a lovely read. Far from my usual genre - crime/thriller - this book cleverly gives an insight into everyday family life. Written in a sublime and intelligent manner, it keeps you curious right to the last page. Heartwarming, sad and also extremely funny all the way through. Chris is an author to keep your eye out for.
September 21, 2015
Light From Other Windows, by Chris Chalmers, is a story about a family coping with bereavement, and the secrets that we keep from those we love. It is a reminder of how fragile the lives we construct for ourselves are, how easily the house of cards can be blown away when difficult truths are faced. It raises questions about perception, the roles we play, and how much we really know about those we feel close to.
Nineteen year old Josh Maitland is nearing the end of an around the world adventure which he has embarked upon in his gap year between school and university. He is visiting the Canary Islands when a devastating tsunami hits, claiming eight hundred and fifty-eight lives. Back home, his family watch the dreadful news unfold on TV, unsure of exactly where Josh is. When his body is found they each struggle to cope and find their lives unraveling in different ways.
Diana, Josh’s mother, believed that she was close to her youngest son. She puts her business acumen to work organising his funeral, but then finds herself unable to move on. She worries about how Josh was feeling just before he died, wanting to know if he was happy. In an attempt to help, her husband contacts Josh’s friend Stella, who reveals that Josh had been writing a blog while he was away. As the family read the words that Josh wrote for his friends they realise how little they knew about the boy they had lived alongside for so long.
Rachel and Jem, Josh’s older sister and brother, had pictured themselves as Josh’s mentors, siblings he looked up to. They perceived him as the child they helped to care for after their father walked out on them all just before Josh was born. Growing up, Josh had seemed carefree and popular, someone they would indulge and advise. They had never regarded him as their equal.
As each family member reads Josh’s words they pick out in particular those brief segments which refer to them, and worry about how the others will react to the secrets that are revealed. It is difficult enough that the illusions they had created around Josh are shattered, now they must also face having the image they have crafted of themselves peeled back. Each is absorbed in how they will henceforth be seen, paying scant regard to the words written about others. How true to life this seemed, the world revolving around our own inner selves.
It is not just the siblings who have been keeping secrets, but also the parents. When the family get together to discuss the blog, further revelations shatter perceptions which they have lived with all their lives. A recalibration is required.
As a parent of teenagers this book raised so many emotions. The first half of the book, which covered Josh’s death and the immediate aftermath, were difficult enough to consider. The second half, where grief took its toll and each family member faced up to a changed past, proved equally challenging. It is known that young adults turn to friends, but what is rarely discussed is why they hide from family. How much does the advice given by well meaning elders deter the young person from being honest about their actions and feelings?
This story is beautifully structured with a pace and flow that draws the reader effortlessly in. At its heart is the raw emotion of trust and love. It is a powerful, thought provoking read about modern family life that will challenge comfortable assumptions. Despite the difficult subject matter its message is life affirming. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the author.
Nineteen year old Josh Maitland is nearing the end of an around the world adventure which he has embarked upon in his gap year between school and university. He is visiting the Canary Islands when a devastating tsunami hits, claiming eight hundred and fifty-eight lives. Back home, his family watch the dreadful news unfold on TV, unsure of exactly where Josh is. When his body is found they each struggle to cope and find their lives unraveling in different ways.
Diana, Josh’s mother, believed that she was close to her youngest son. She puts her business acumen to work organising his funeral, but then finds herself unable to move on. She worries about how Josh was feeling just before he died, wanting to know if he was happy. In an attempt to help, her husband contacts Josh’s friend Stella, who reveals that Josh had been writing a blog while he was away. As the family read the words that Josh wrote for his friends they realise how little they knew about the boy they had lived alongside for so long.
Rachel and Jem, Josh’s older sister and brother, had pictured themselves as Josh’s mentors, siblings he looked up to. They perceived him as the child they helped to care for after their father walked out on them all just before Josh was born. Growing up, Josh had seemed carefree and popular, someone they would indulge and advise. They had never regarded him as their equal.
As each family member reads Josh’s words they pick out in particular those brief segments which refer to them, and worry about how the others will react to the secrets that are revealed. It is difficult enough that the illusions they had created around Josh are shattered, now they must also face having the image they have crafted of themselves peeled back. Each is absorbed in how they will henceforth be seen, paying scant regard to the words written about others. How true to life this seemed, the world revolving around our own inner selves.
It is not just the siblings who have been keeping secrets, but also the parents. When the family get together to discuss the blog, further revelations shatter perceptions which they have lived with all their lives. A recalibration is required.
As a parent of teenagers this book raised so many emotions. The first half of the book, which covered Josh’s death and the immediate aftermath, were difficult enough to consider. The second half, where grief took its toll and each family member faced up to a changed past, proved equally challenging. It is known that young adults turn to friends, but what is rarely discussed is why they hide from family. How much does the advice given by well meaning elders deter the young person from being honest about their actions and feelings?
This story is beautifully structured with a pace and flow that draws the reader effortlessly in. At its heart is the raw emotion of trust and love. It is a powerful, thought provoking read about modern family life that will challenge comfortable assumptions. Despite the difficult subject matter its message is life affirming. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the author.
January 27, 2019
Susan fraser aberdeen
Not the worst book I’ve read but certainly not the best
Wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s a page turner but have to say it took a while to get going and once it had warmed up it trotted along steadily
I prefer a more fast paced book
Not the worst book I’ve read but certainly not the best
Wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s a page turner but have to say it took a while to get going and once it had warmed up it trotted along steadily
I prefer a more fast paced book
October 22, 2015
This second novel by the hugely gifted Chris Chalmers is an absolute gem from beginning to end. Populated by well rounded characters you really do care about, the story seamlessly weaves itself around Josh Maitland, the youngest member of the Maitland family, whose intepid jaunt round the world before starting university, ends in tragedy. But it is only after the youngest sibling's untimely death and the startling revelations of his blog that the family can gain deep and profound insights into their own lives.
The novel is so well constructed that we enjoy a very clear view of the entire cast of characters, all of whom are totally credible. And the observations throughout are both sharp and witty. But ultimately, this is a poignant and touching novel that will keep you riveted right up until the very last page. And the twist in the tail is wonderful, totally unexpected, and utterly heartbreaking. 'Light From Other Windows' is a family saga you won't forget in a hurry. And its final revelation will quite literally move you to tears.
Alex Pearl, author of 'Sleeping with the Blackbirds'
The novel is so well constructed that we enjoy a very clear view of the entire cast of characters, all of whom are totally credible. And the observations throughout are both sharp and witty. But ultimately, this is a poignant and touching novel that will keep you riveted right up until the very last page. And the twist in the tail is wonderful, totally unexpected, and utterly heartbreaking. 'Light From Other Windows' is a family saga you won't forget in a hurry. And its final revelation will quite literally move you to tears.
Alex Pearl, author of 'Sleeping with the Blackbirds'
December 16, 2015
This is an absolute gem of a book. I really don’t need to say much more except go and get a copy and read it! I read this on a break from my more regular diet of psychos, killers and those who try to catch them, and have to say that rarely have I been caught up in a book so quickly and so completely. Light from other windows is a story of a family reeling from the tragic loss of their 19 year old son/brother and the secrets and revelations that come from his personal blog. It is emotional, touching, witty and heart-breaking with a final chapter that is both unexpected and beautiful. The writing is wonderful, easy to read, beautifully flowing and intelligent, characters are well rounded and the relationships so real. This really is a book that I would highly recommend.
Thank you to the author who so kindly gave me a copy at THE Book Club (TBC) meet up.
Thank you to the author who so kindly gave me a copy at THE Book Club (TBC) meet up.
August 4, 2016
This is a book that really sets you thinking about family and the different perceptions that its members may have of one another and of the same events.
In this book we meet a family facing an unexpected bereavement and how they deal with it leaves them questioning themselves, one another and how they live their own lives. It is very insightful and while I wouldn't say the narrative was fast-paced, I was compelled to read on to see what the principal characters discovered. A nice though provoking read.
In this book we meet a family facing an unexpected bereavement and how they deal with it leaves them questioning themselves, one another and how they live their own lives. It is very insightful and while I wouldn't say the narrative was fast-paced, I was compelled to read on to see what the principal characters discovered. A nice though provoking read.
October 21, 2016
Light From Other Windows begins with a death. A young tourist dies in a tsunami, leaving parents and siblings to mourn. But it isn't just his death that - like a stone casting ripples on a lake - has an impact on their lives. Josh wrote a secret blog, and its explosive contents could blow his family apart.
This is a compelling and believable story. There's a twist at the end that have been twee, but Chris Chalmers is far better than that. Beautifully written and fun to read.
This is a compelling and believable story. There's a twist at the end that have been twee, but Chris Chalmers is far better than that. Beautifully written and fun to read.
January 9, 2016
I was drawn into this narrative quite slowly, but once the pace picked up and the secrets started to unfold, found myself engaged by everyone who cared about Josh, so powerfully present even in absence. Josh's blog hits each member of the family like an emotional tsunami but they will survive, the richer for the insights they have gained along the way.
October 9, 2015
Light From Other Windows is a wonderful examination of human nature and relationships.
Read my full review here: https://livemanylives.wordpress.com/2...
Read my full review here: https://livemanylives.wordpress.com/2...
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews