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Another Day Gone
Coventry, 1939. Days before the outbreak of World War II, a terrorist bomb explodes on a busy street, killing and maiming innocent civilians. A man is hanged on the evidence given by a young witness. As time goes on, the witness doubts her recollection of events, but her testimony has already had far-reaching consequences.
Over sixty years later, in the wake of the 7/7 London bombings, Sara returns to her childhood home to find that her sister, Polly, missing for more than ten years, has finally come back too. Why now—and where has she been? The sisters grew up under the fierce protection of their nanny, Bridie, herself haunted by a family secret. And there are other secrets that Bridie has kept from the two girls she brought up as her own. Polly’s return sets in motion events that will stretch the women’s fragile bond to its breaking point.
Set against three generations of violence and retribution, Another Day Gone reveals the enduring consequences of a single mistaken memory.
Over sixty years later, in the wake of the 7/7 London bombings, Sara returns to her childhood home to find that her sister, Polly, missing for more than ten years, has finally come back too. Why now—and where has she been? The sisters grew up under the fierce protection of their nanny, Bridie, herself haunted by a family secret. And there are other secrets that Bridie has kept from the two girls she brought up as her own. Polly’s return sets in motion events that will stretch the women’s fragile bond to its breaking point.
Set against three generations of violence and retribution, Another Day Gone reveals the enduring consequences of a single mistaken memory.
320 pages, Paperback
Published November 22, 2016
662 people are currently reading
726 people want to read
About the author
Eliza Graham
16 books243 followersEliza Graham is an Oxfordshire-based UK author whose adult novels reflect her fascination with how historical events affect families..
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
December 18, 2016
3.5 1939, Coventry, an IRA terrorist bomb explodes, many are killed, maimed. A young witness identifies the man she saw with the bicycle the bomb was attached too, a young Irish man with a wife, and although she hasn't told him yet she is expecting their first child. This young man and two others are convicted and hanged. It is the death of this young man that will have consequences that reverberate down throughout the next sixty years. This book explores how a single act can have an effect for so many, by centering on one family, a family that will eventually include his unborn daughter.
Right away I connected with the character, Bridget, Bridie they call her. The sins of the fathers, that phrase came to identify so much of her life, living under the shadow of her fathers act. The two sisters, Polly and Sara, reminded me so much of myself and younger sister as young girls. Two opposing forces connected by the deep sister bond many of us are lucky to have. But, there are secrets in this family, deep ones, that are slowly revealed as is Bridie's own, rather sad story.
The IRA, WWII, families, what it takes to stay connected, secrets and forgiveness, are all part of this interesting family story. A lighter read, but a well thought out one.
ARC from Netgalley.
Right away I connected with the character, Bridget, Bridie they call her. The sins of the fathers, that phrase came to identify so much of her life, living under the shadow of her fathers act. The two sisters, Polly and Sara, reminded me so much of myself and younger sister as young girls. Two opposing forces connected by the deep sister bond many of us are lucky to have. But, there are secrets in this family, deep ones, that are slowly revealed as is Bridie's own, rather sad story.
The IRA, WWII, families, what it takes to stay connected, secrets and forgiveness, are all part of this interesting family story. A lighter read, but a well thought out one.
ARC from Netgalley.
November 26, 2016
I chose this book purely based on the author, back in 2010 I read a book called Jubilee which has proved to be one that I have carried with me ever since so I leapt at the chance to read an advance copy of this one. When preparing my weekly excerpt post, I was instantly drawn into the tale of a bomb going off in Coventry, shortly before the start of World War II, and promptly read the first three chapters before getting back to the job in hand.
So did the rest of the book live up to the opening – of course it did, I loved this story which is full of secrets, shame and consequences that rippled down the years.
The main part of this story is set in 2005 Sara is caught up in the London bombing, her partner is away working, out of reach in a jungle, and so she seeks comfort in her childhood home on the banks of the Thames. Her grandfather died a few years back but the house has never been sold because Sarah’s elder sister Polly, who will share the proceeds, has been missing for over ten years.
Bridie the family housekeeper, the girls’ nanny has moved into a care home and the house feels empty and a little neglected but far safer to Sara than the scenes she has fled. Sara and Polly had a secure loving upbringing with their Grandfather and Bridie after the death of their parents, when both were too small to remember them and although the house was a little isolated the two sisters were really close until Polly began to draw away.
But in the beginning there was a bomb, set in Coventry which killed some and maimed others, a young girl who witnessed a man with the bicycle shortly before it exploded, and gave evidence in court which led to the only sentence given for such an act, death. This is the story of the repercussions and the retribution that would follow, spawning in its wake lies and half-truths as well as the stain of shame in a time where being able to hold your head high was the most important commodity the poor had.
Eliza Graham spins this multi-stranded tale with a deft and confident touch, the periodic details sprinkled sparingly, but there nonetheless, giving colour to the key time periods of 1939, the early 1990s and 2005. The characters are distinct and realistic in form. Be warned though, this is no magic wand story, the author has under-lined the realism by not giving everyone a happy ever after, what she does instead is give them the truth, a story that at times it can be hard to comprehend from a distance, a time where standards and expectations were unforgivingly imposed by the community and the church.
I really enjoy books about consequences that occur far later than the initial act, decision or mistake but to pull this type of story off, you need great characters, ones whose behaviour and actions are recognisable as realistic, given the circumstances, at any point in the story. Eliza Graham has this absolutely nailed. I was transfixed and reached that stage of reading where I wanted to know the ending but simultaneously wanted to stay with the characters, for just a little bit longer.
I’d like to thank the publishers Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read a copy of Another Day Gone ahead of publication on 22 November 2016. This review is my unbiased thanks to them, and of course, Eliza Graham for her fantastic story.
So did the rest of the book live up to the opening – of course it did, I loved this story which is full of secrets, shame and consequences that rippled down the years.
The main part of this story is set in 2005 Sara is caught up in the London bombing, her partner is away working, out of reach in a jungle, and so she seeks comfort in her childhood home on the banks of the Thames. Her grandfather died a few years back but the house has never been sold because Sarah’s elder sister Polly, who will share the proceeds, has been missing for over ten years.
Bridie the family housekeeper, the girls’ nanny has moved into a care home and the house feels empty and a little neglected but far safer to Sara than the scenes she has fled. Sara and Polly had a secure loving upbringing with their Grandfather and Bridie after the death of their parents, when both were too small to remember them and although the house was a little isolated the two sisters were really close until Polly began to draw away.
But in the beginning there was a bomb, set in Coventry which killed some and maimed others, a young girl who witnessed a man with the bicycle shortly before it exploded, and gave evidence in court which led to the only sentence given for such an act, death. This is the story of the repercussions and the retribution that would follow, spawning in its wake lies and half-truths as well as the stain of shame in a time where being able to hold your head high was the most important commodity the poor had.
Eliza Graham spins this multi-stranded tale with a deft and confident touch, the periodic details sprinkled sparingly, but there nonetheless, giving colour to the key time periods of 1939, the early 1990s and 2005. The characters are distinct and realistic in form. Be warned though, this is no magic wand story, the author has under-lined the realism by not giving everyone a happy ever after, what she does instead is give them the truth, a story that at times it can be hard to comprehend from a distance, a time where standards and expectations were unforgivingly imposed by the community and the church.
I really enjoy books about consequences that occur far later than the initial act, decision or mistake but to pull this type of story off, you need great characters, ones whose behaviour and actions are recognisable as realistic, given the circumstances, at any point in the story. Eliza Graham has this absolutely nailed. I was transfixed and reached that stage of reading where I wanted to know the ending but simultaneously wanted to stay with the characters, for just a little bit longer.
I’d like to thank the publishers Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read a copy of Another Day Gone ahead of publication on 22 November 2016. This review is my unbiased thanks to them, and of course, Eliza Graham for her fantastic story.
February 23, 2017
Unfortunately I read this while we were traveling and wasn’t in a position to record my impressions. Now they are a pleasant blur! I remember that the prose was fine – no irritants and I think I even resorted to the dictionary at times, which is a plus. The plot moved along – there was no temptation to abandon. And I would be inclined to read something else by Eliza Graham. It's really three plus stars.
November 23, 2016
In 2007 I read Eliza Graham’s debut novel, Playing with the Moon and loved it. I fully intended to read more of her books, but although I have her fifth book, The One I Was, I somehow missed the other three! So when I saw her latest book, Another Day Gone was available I was delighted to receive an advance copy through NetGalley.
I wasn’t disappointed – in fact I think it’s amongst the best books I’ve read this year.
It’s historical fiction, one of my favourite genres, beginning in 1939 just before the outbreak of the Second World War when a bomb went off in Coventry, killing some people and injuring many others. One of those injured was a girl who had seen a man prop a bicycle outside a store just before the bomb exploded. Her description led to his conviction and execution.
The action then moves forward to 1992 with Sara and her older sister Polly living in their family home in Oxfordshire on the banks of the Thames, with their grandfather and housekeeper (formerly their childhood nanny). The sisters’ parents had been killed in a car crash when they were very young. Polly is eighteen and is just about to leave home for university. All is not well and Polly hints that she knows a secret that she is not telling Sara – and then goes away with Michael, Bridie’s nephew, without saying where they are going or for how long.
Years later, in 2005 Sara returns to her family home, taking refuge from the London 7/7 bombings. Polly has now been missing for 13 years, their grandfather has died and Bridie is in a care home. The family secrets are still buried – until Polly returns!
Another Day Gone is a book about families, relationships and realising and living with the consequences of your actions. I loved the structure of this book with its different strands and time periods and all the twists and turns that kept me guessing about the nature of the secret that had remained hidden for so many years. I particularly liked the way it is only revealed drip by drip that meant I had changed my mind about what it was several times until fairly near the end of the book. The characters are so well drawn and sympathetically portrayed that I felt I knew them as people. It’s the type of book that I can get so involved with and whilst wanting to discover its secrets I just don’t want it to end.
I wasn’t disappointed – in fact I think it’s amongst the best books I’ve read this year.
It’s historical fiction, one of my favourite genres, beginning in 1939 just before the outbreak of the Second World War when a bomb went off in Coventry, killing some people and injuring many others. One of those injured was a girl who had seen a man prop a bicycle outside a store just before the bomb exploded. Her description led to his conviction and execution.
The action then moves forward to 1992 with Sara and her older sister Polly living in their family home in Oxfordshire on the banks of the Thames, with their grandfather and housekeeper (formerly their childhood nanny). The sisters’ parents had been killed in a car crash when they were very young. Polly is eighteen and is just about to leave home for university. All is not well and Polly hints that she knows a secret that she is not telling Sara – and then goes away with Michael, Bridie’s nephew, without saying where they are going or for how long.
Years later, in 2005 Sara returns to her family home, taking refuge from the London 7/7 bombings. Polly has now been missing for 13 years, their grandfather has died and Bridie is in a care home. The family secrets are still buried – until Polly returns!
Another Day Gone is a book about families, relationships and realising and living with the consequences of your actions. I loved the structure of this book with its different strands and time periods and all the twists and turns that kept me guessing about the nature of the secret that had remained hidden for so many years. I particularly liked the way it is only revealed drip by drip that meant I had changed my mind about what it was several times until fairly near the end of the book. The characters are so well drawn and sympathetically portrayed that I felt I knew them as people. It’s the type of book that I can get so involved with and whilst wanting to discover its secrets I just don’t want it to end.
December 5, 2016
I received this advance copy from net galley & Lake Union for a fair & honest review.
After a slow start, I figured out the 3 time periods & the 3 generations of people & then the book just took off for me.
The story starts out with a bombing in Ireland literally days before the start of WWII, a case of mistaken identity ( or is it) & a family left to pick up the pieces.
We move ahead to another bombing, this time in England on July 7th, 2005. Sarah is in the tube when the bomb goes off, little does she know that her family is somehow connected to the bombing in Ireland all those years ago.
& then in the years in between we learn about what happened to the family affected by the 1939 bombing & how it all ties together with people in 2005.
There are family secrets & some twists & a few surprises, one that really surprised me!
I liked seeing everything fit together over the years like long lost pieces of a puzzle. & I liked connecting the dots along the way.
I look forward to reading more books by Eliza Graham
After a slow start, I figured out the 3 time periods & the 3 generations of people & then the book just took off for me.
The story starts out with a bombing in Ireland literally days before the start of WWII, a case of mistaken identity ( or is it) & a family left to pick up the pieces.
We move ahead to another bombing, this time in England on July 7th, 2005. Sarah is in the tube when the bomb goes off, little does she know that her family is somehow connected to the bombing in Ireland all those years ago.
& then in the years in between we learn about what happened to the family affected by the 1939 bombing & how it all ties together with people in 2005.
There are family secrets & some twists & a few surprises, one that really surprised me!
I liked seeing everything fit together over the years like long lost pieces of a puzzle. & I liked connecting the dots along the way.
I look forward to reading more books by Eliza Graham
February 3, 2017
The book revolves around the repercussions of three different terrorist bombings, all set in different eras, one in 1939, one in the 1990s and one in 2005.
Sara witnesses the most recent of these, and shaken, returns to her home to find that her sister Polly, absent with no word for ten years, has returned. Why she disappeared for all that time, and where she went is the first mystery of the novel.
The second is why Bridie, their Irish Nanny and housekeeper (now in a care home) will not tell them anything of her past.
The third is why a man was wrongly convicted on an atrocity he did not commit.
This is a multi-faceted novel with characters that feel real, and interact with the sort of complexity only real people do, carrying their guilts, their lies and their hurts - the interior life that affects all their relationships in the family in ways the others do not understand.
I really enjoyed this novel, and could not wait to get back to my kindle to finish it. Classy and compelling, I highly recommend it.
Sara witnesses the most recent of these, and shaken, returns to her home to find that her sister Polly, absent with no word for ten years, has returned. Why she disappeared for all that time, and where she went is the first mystery of the novel.
The second is why Bridie, their Irish Nanny and housekeeper (now in a care home) will not tell them anything of her past.
The third is why a man was wrongly convicted on an atrocity he did not commit.
This is a multi-faceted novel with characters that feel real, and interact with the sort of complexity only real people do, carrying their guilts, their lies and their hurts - the interior life that affects all their relationships in the family in ways the others do not understand.
I really enjoyed this novel, and could not wait to get back to my kindle to finish it. Classy and compelling, I highly recommend it.
December 9, 2016
Finished reading: December 2nd 2016
“Come on, sweetheart, or it'll be another day gone.”
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
December 1, 2016
Set against two separate time frames and three different story tellers, this was a story of family secrets and the irreparable damage that can be done by keeping such secrets. Sara and Polly brought up by their grandfather and Bridie their nanny after the tragic death of their parents are very different as siblings. Though as children they cling together against all outsiders, this they feel as their duty after their parents death. It is a kind of loyalty but this begins to be tested the sooner they grow up.
Very early on in the story one realises that Polly has discovered something amongst her grandfather's papers but she is not letting on to Sara what she knows. It causes a slight shift in their feelings and Sara though she knows it does not know the reason for this. This is one part of the story. The life of the two sisters from the time of their childhood to young adulthood form one part of this book.
The other part is that of Bridie who has been the mainstay of the girls' lives.
She too is hiding many secrets and her secrets cover the earlier time frame but the effects are felt by all today as this is what has given her, her taciturn airs.
Bombings of the 2005 era in which Sara is effected as against the Coventry bombings of 1939 where Sara's grandfather was convicted are part of the many strands of this story.
It is a complicated read with no fairy tale ending. It is hard hitting and realistic and a book which keeps one's interest going till the very end.
My first read of this author. Will not be my last.
Very early on in the story one realises that Polly has discovered something amongst her grandfather's papers but she is not letting on to Sara what she knows. It causes a slight shift in their feelings and Sara though she knows it does not know the reason for this. This is one part of the story. The life of the two sisters from the time of their childhood to young adulthood form one part of this book.
The other part is that of Bridie who has been the mainstay of the girls' lives.
She too is hiding many secrets and her secrets cover the earlier time frame but the effects are felt by all today as this is what has given her, her taciturn airs.
Bombings of the 2005 era in which Sara is effected as against the Coventry bombings of 1939 where Sara's grandfather was convicted are part of the many strands of this story.
It is a complicated read with no fairy tale ending. It is hard hitting and realistic and a book which keeps one's interest going till the very end.
My first read of this author. Will not be my last.
December 11, 2016
Another Day Gone by Eliza Graham
I received the Kindle edition through a free giveaway on Goodreads.
The story begins pre WWII in Coventry with an explosion set by the IRA. The wrong man is tried and found guilty of the murder of innocent bystanders. He is hanged for the crime and years later his granddaughter goes searching for clues. Can she find him innocent?
In a second twist to the story two sisters, Sara and Polly discover a family secret related to a car accident that killed their parents before Sara's birth. After their grandfathers death do they find out the real story of the past.
The book started out slow laying out the many characters then near the middle of the book the story picks up and quickly entrenches the reader into a ending that will shock you and tie death, murder and lies all together.
This book is historical fiction and takes place over a time period of six decades. It's also the first book I have read by the author and I liked it because it had several storylines with twists and turn every chapter that kept the book interesting.
I received the Kindle edition through a free giveaway on Goodreads.
The story begins pre WWII in Coventry with an explosion set by the IRA. The wrong man is tried and found guilty of the murder of innocent bystanders. He is hanged for the crime and years later his granddaughter goes searching for clues. Can she find him innocent?
In a second twist to the story two sisters, Sara and Polly discover a family secret related to a car accident that killed their parents before Sara's birth. After their grandfathers death do they find out the real story of the past.
The book started out slow laying out the many characters then near the middle of the book the story picks up and quickly entrenches the reader into a ending that will shock you and tie death, murder and lies all together.
This book is historical fiction and takes place over a time period of six decades. It's also the first book I have read by the author and I liked it because it had several storylines with twists and turn every chapter that kept the book interesting.
November 21, 2016
In 1939 a bomb goes off in Coventry killing 2 people and maiming many others - a young girl draws and artist impression of a man she saw outside with a bike and he is hanged for it.......but was he the right man!
Sara and Polly were sisters whose parents were killed in a car crash when they were babies and they have been brought up by their grandfather and his housekeeper Bridie....but Polly discovers a secret and leaves home and apart from the occasional postcard no-one sees her few years - she doesn't even come home for her grandfather's funeral - so why has she suddenly turned up again and what are the secrets that Bridie has been keeping for years and what has Coventry got to do with anything
A great story with lots of different story lines linking in together - a bit slow to start but once I got into it it was a real page turner
Sara and Polly were sisters whose parents were killed in a car crash when they were babies and they have been brought up by their grandfather and his housekeeper Bridie....but Polly discovers a secret and leaves home and apart from the occasional postcard no-one sees her few years - she doesn't even come home for her grandfather's funeral - so why has she suddenly turned up again and what are the secrets that Bridie has been keeping for years and what has Coventry got to do with anything
A great story with lots of different story lines linking in together - a bit slow to start but once I got into it it was a real page turner
November 28, 2018
I see what did happen ...now I realize when I was doing the other review for "The Lines We Leave Beyond" I could have swore that I did read another book by Eliza ...now I get it ...this book. this is a read or listen book ...love those and I love this book cover. ((maybe because I love kayaking, being out on those waters, I love boating, so fun, freeing of your mind, relaxing and calming for the soul and everything other part of your world)) such a great read. great style. I will read more from Eliza soon enough!
October 27, 2017
This was an interesting story but I found it a bit disjointed. It jumped about and didn't develop each character as I wanted so I felt as though I was left hanging waiting for more.
December 18, 2023
The synopsis and cover caught my eye. Very good, but switched back and forth in time a lot which made it difficult to follow at times. A very clever novel. I plan to read others by her.
June 26, 2019
Pretty meh. Stilted, forced, contrived, boring.
December 30, 2016
I'm not sure what I'm missing but this book just didn't read well to me. I tried to keep the characters of the different generations straight but it seemed a new one was introduced with every new chapter. I wanted to know about Birdie and learn more about her life. But it seemed like an impossible maze to me. I'm sorry, I tried. I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review. Thank you both.
February 25, 2017
Thought provoking read into how terrorism impacts on so many lives not just those solely involved be it victims or terrorists for decades.s d
I couldn't put this book down. It was very interestingly from a historical point of view regarding the IRA. It was a mystery that came together well. I was sad that Sara and Polly never got to know they were half sisters and I really wanted to know what happened to Michael. So worth reading.
I couldn't put this book down. It was very interestingly from a historical point of view regarding the IRA. It was a mystery that came together well. I was sad that Sara and Polly never got to know they were half sisters and I really wanted to know what happened to Michael. So worth reading.
June 20, 2018
Stick with it .
The premise to this novel is good . I liked the characters and also the different timelines . It's a good story however I did find the actual relating of the tale rather convoluted , particularly so in the early stages . Eventually everything does come together and makes sense so it is worth bearing with it . There are a some twists to the tale one of which did take me by surprise , really didn't suspect that one at all .
The premise to this novel is good . I liked the characters and also the different timelines . It's a good story however I did find the actual relating of the tale rather convoluted , particularly so in the early stages . Eventually everything does come together and makes sense so it is worth bearing with it . There are a some twists to the tale one of which did take me by surprise , really didn't suspect that one at all .
December 13, 2016
I had no idea that this book would start with a young woman caught up at Edgware Road in the 7/7 bombings, as I was myself - and how well she captured the emotions of that day. She then continues a somewhat complicated family story using a number of flashbacks -well done if a little too long, some judicious editing would not have gone amiss. A good read, though!
December 6, 2016
The story was very indulging, though I did get confused with all the time jumping each chapter took. I wish the ending was longer and more fulfilling.
October 22, 2020
Another Day Gone by Eliza Graham 8/29/2020 Kindle
The backdrop to this book is the multi-decade conflict between England and Ireland and the bombings and killings of innocent citizens. When family members have different roots on both sides of the undeclared war, trouble is a sure result. Sarah and Polly, close in age, were inseparable growing up. After a terrorist bomb killed their family when they were infants, they were raised by a caring nanny at their grandfather’s Oxfordshire home. When Polly left home as a teenager, Sarah was devastated, and hurt. After ten years of no contact, the girls were reunited, under trying circumstances. Polly is terminally ill.
Bridy, the girl’s Irish nanny, now suffering from dementia, is brought back from a care facility to the homestead. Family secrets begin to emerge, one by one. Relationships are far different than believed for lifetimes, and long buried guilt is exposed.
The story contained frequent time-jumps which, to me, required pauses to re-set the ages and character relationships at the different periods. While the writing and story line were well done, I thought some of the hints were too obvious. Overall, it is a good read with interesting reflections on misplaced guilt.
The backdrop to this book is the multi-decade conflict between England and Ireland and the bombings and killings of innocent citizens. When family members have different roots on both sides of the undeclared war, trouble is a sure result. Sarah and Polly, close in age, were inseparable growing up. After a terrorist bomb killed their family when they were infants, they were raised by a caring nanny at their grandfather’s Oxfordshire home. When Polly left home as a teenager, Sarah was devastated, and hurt. After ten years of no contact, the girls were reunited, under trying circumstances. Polly is terminally ill.
Bridy, the girl’s Irish nanny, now suffering from dementia, is brought back from a care facility to the homestead. Family secrets begin to emerge, one by one. Relationships are far different than believed for lifetimes, and long buried guilt is exposed.
The story contained frequent time-jumps which, to me, required pauses to re-set the ages and character relationships at the different periods. While the writing and story line were well done, I thought some of the hints were too obvious. Overall, it is a good read with interesting reflections on misplaced guilt.
April 2, 2018
Well written, but with a slow start. Easy to put down but also easy to pick back up again. Found it confusing to follow the three different generation perspectives as they were all written very similarly, intermingled together. I only clicked at the end they were placed around three different bombings.
The characters were wonderfully three dimensional and well written, each with their own perspectives and thoughts and idiosyncrasies.
It felt like a lot of this book incorporated moments of happenstance - just like in the real world, which I enjoyed. Small little moments that lead up to much larger circumstances. It was all interwoven with secrets that come with pride and fear and just wanting the best for people, which created the structure of the book. I liked the way everything came out slowly, as if it had to be teased out gently.
I don’t know if I’d read it again, but I definitely enjoyed the first read through.
The characters were wonderfully three dimensional and well written, each with their own perspectives and thoughts and idiosyncrasies.
It felt like a lot of this book incorporated moments of happenstance - just like in the real world, which I enjoyed. Small little moments that lead up to much larger circumstances. It was all interwoven with secrets that come with pride and fear and just wanting the best for people, which created the structure of the book. I liked the way everything came out slowly, as if it had to be teased out gently.
I don’t know if I’d read it again, but I definitely enjoyed the first read through.
January 19, 2019
I had read a couple of Eliza Graham’s earlier novels (Playing with the Moon and Restitution) and found them excellent so was keen to read more from her. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t nearly up to the same standard, in my opinion. The concept of the story was great, but the novel wasn’t as well constructed as it might have been as far as I’m concerned, so the story lacked the necessary development. There were things that were left unexplained and other issues that were glossed over or just dropped in when they should have been part of a big reveal. I did really enjoy parts of the book, particularly the sections from Bridie’s point of view, but some of the earlier sections made me want to give up as depth and emotion were lacking. As I said, I think that the concept of the story was good, but the book just wasn’t nearly as well executed as it needed to be. I found this disappointing as I know that Ms Graham can produce the goods.
March 13, 2021
I'm glad I persisted with this book, despite the fact that the first third was a little convoluted and repetitive. Once the Bridie story begins, everything becomes clearer and, above all, more interesting. There are several mysteries to be solved, different timelines, different terrorist attacks, but eventually we find the order. I enjoyed how the ending still left questions in the air but found a sweet balance that hadn't been there before.
May 23, 2025
I like stories about sisters. There are some interesting memories in this book. There are also a lot of feelings and experiences, which are very well shown. The book is so immersive. Both sisters are very different.
I'm interested in the location of Oxfordshire since I grew up in Oxfordshire.
4 stars
Thanks to Eliza Graham and Lake Union Publishing for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
I'm interested in the location of Oxfordshire since I grew up in Oxfordshire.
4 stars
Thanks to Eliza Graham and Lake Union Publishing for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
May 28, 2017
1.5 stars. I was not a fan. This novel felt too segmented and never flowed as one storyline. Each person and their timeline felt like it's own story that had appearances in everyone elses but never completely created a full story. There were a couple of interesting twists and points but overall I wouldn't recommend or choose to read another book by Eliza Graham.
August 6, 2017
The story of the rippling effects terrorism has on those involved and their families sometimes for generations. This one is about an IRA bomb in England and the fictional story of it's results for the family of one of it's victims. I liked Bridie despite her rigidness which was a result of her experience in an orphanage and as a Irish Catholic in England.
May 17, 2020
Lovely story.
Lovely story, skipping backwards and forwards over about 80 years . Portrays the emotions attributed to religion, properness, and duty. A poignant commentary on rights and wrongs and family secrets. Not fully resolved... but as in life, so many things aren’t!
Lovely story, skipping backwards and forwards over about 80 years . Portrays the emotions attributed to religion, properness, and duty. A poignant commentary on rights and wrongs and family secrets. Not fully resolved... but as in life, so many things aren’t!
March 2, 2018
An ok read, but there was a lot of jumping around with the chronology in an attempt to create a mystery. It’s confusing for the reader to have characters with the surnames Jennings, Jenkins and Jenkinson, and it rather smacks of laziness.
April 18, 2018
Compelling
Really drawn into this book wanted to uncover the story behind the story. Cared about the characters and what they were going through and, had gone through. I would recommend to anyone whose family has its own secret!!
Really drawn into this book wanted to uncover the story behind the story. Cared about the characters and what they were going through and, had gone through. I would recommend to anyone whose family has its own secret!!
May 29, 2018
Mediocre read. There were too many characters put in at the last minute who had their perspectives written in, which was confusing and unnecessary. The dialogue dragged on and on and so did the story. 2.5/5 stars.
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