The Hope and Anchor

by Julia Kite

In the depths of winter in West London, Neely Sharpe’s life is turned upside down: Not only has her career reached a dead end, but her girlfriend, Angela, is missing. In desperation, Neely scours the city to try to find out what has happened, traveling from London’s pubs and snowy streets, down to the depths of the sewers. As her hunt continues, networks of friends, family, and old adversaries become entangled and she ends up delving into Angela’s past. Nothing could prepare her for what she will discover about the hidden life of the woman she loves. The Hope and Anchor is an atmospheric debut novel which captures the dreams London holds for its natives and newcomers alike, and what happens when the dreamers finally have to wake up.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

302 pages, Paperback

Published February 8, 2018

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A literary novel highly recommended for those who like a good mystery, and also a strong sense of place. This is definitely a story in which the setting is a character in its own right, and a very compelling one; at the same time, this reminded me of the TV series River (the British version), because while there's a lot of suspense and unanswered questions swirling around that keep the story moving, the real focus is on the characters, who are distinct and unusual and stay with you after the book's end.

[Taylor Haven Holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whenever I want to feel better, I read a book set in London. London is my happy place. This book brought me deep into sections of London both familiar and foreign. Julia Kite has crafted an intricate, complicated story of complicated relationships - all hinging on a missing girlfriend. I loved unfurling the layers of this novel; Neely's pain and want for companionship is relatable for all people. I'm so impressed with this being Kite's debut novel - I look forward to more of her delicate and thrilling writing.
I received this novel through NetGalley, from Unbound, in exchange for an honest review.

[Chris Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you're familiar or not with the geographical setting, it's not hard to recognise author Julia Kite's affinity for the area within which The Hope and Anchor is set. Just a stone's throw away from the millionaire mansions of Maida Vale and Notting Hill exist the worlds of Neely Sharpe and her missing girlfriend Angela Archer who share a small one-bedroom flat off the Harrow Road in a markedly less affluent part of West London.

The Hope and Anchor - also the name of Neely and Angela's local pub at which they're familiar faces for the weekly pub quiz - juxtaposes their distinctly different lives: Neely, a bright young woman from a dependable middle class family, a university degree, and a safe (yet uninspiring) office job, who has found refuge far enough from her culturally lacking small town upbringing in Stevenage - and Angela, born and raised in the area, with a regular job at the local public swimming pool, but with a troubled past from which she is seemingly unable or unwilling to escape. As the story unfolds, the worlds of both Neely and Angela are revealed through Neely's desperate search for missing Angela as unspoken facts are brought to light from Angela's childhood and recent past.

This is a hugely impressive and engaging read from start to finish. You'd be forgiven for assuming Julia Kite was not only native to these shores, but a lifelong resident of the Harrow Road and its surrounding areas. Though no stranger to the city (she was briefly resident here), her virtually encyclopedic knowledge of this patch of town and the cultural climate of modern day Britain is worthy of a resident of 20 years plus, a rarity in itself amid London's increasingly transient population.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neely and Andrea are linked by one woman that they love, but don’t actually know. It’s only when Angela goes missing at the beginning of Julia Kite’s The Hope and Anchor that they realize how little they know about her. Her absence is a huge hole in their lives, especially for her girlfriend, Neely. As Neely wanders the streets, looking for Angela and questioning their mutual acquaintances about where she might have gone, the novel grows ever more tragic. By the end, I was stunned at the emotion pouring out of the book...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.

[Patrick Kincaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia Kite's novel provides more evidence for the argument that it's best to write about your home town when you've moved somewhere else (see also James Joyce, for instance). A thrillingly contemporary London dominates this story of two young women whose lives are shaped by the city's apparent promises of freedom and its actual social and economic limitations. It's also about the stultifying effects of the misogyny which runs through our culture from top to bottom, and which erupts into physical violence at its edges. It's a dark book, then, but written with energy and wit. These aren't the streets of London celebrated in Hollywood rom-coms, but its still alluring, in a dangerous sort of way. Highly recommended.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are two things that will immediately jump out at you as you read Julia Kite’s excellent debut novel 'The Hope and Anchor.' The first is that Julia writes in the local vernacular with great expertise and it significantly enhances the authenticity of the experience. The second is that west London is recreated in meticulous detail and you can expect to read about Polish war memorials, canal pathways, and Harrow Road as you follow Neely Sharpe in her quest to discover what happened to her missing girlfriend Angela. I cannot emphasize enough how important the sense of place is to this novel and the impeccable descriptions are present throughout the story, demonstrating how living in London has affected Neely and Angela’s lives. Along the way the novel deals intelligently with issues of health and class which shape many of the interactions Neely has with the local residents. Oh, and sewer exploration. It has that too.

[Kim Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read The Hope and Anchor stave by stave with The Pigeonhole. The characters and setting are well-drawn and the plot is intriguing.

[Ophelia Sings · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to believe that The Hope and Anchor is Julia Kite's debut novel. Twisting and gripping, it's never strays into hackneyed thriller territory; this is an altogether more literary, accomplished offering.

When Neely's girlfriend, Angela, goes missing, her search for answers results in the painful knowledge that the woman she lived with and loved is not the woman she thought she was. Kite takes us on a journey through the streets of London, an The Hope and Anchor is a love letter to that incredible city - but it's a love of the warts-and-all kind. This is the London where those who arrive thinking the streets are paved with gold soon find something altogether more unpleasant lining the pavements - and those who've lived there forever and have always known the truth can find no means of escape.

Authentically and beautifully written, Kite has woven a tale full of memorable and credible characters; she has accurately and affectingly drawn, too, the feeling of isolation it's only possible to experience in the tide of humanity that is London. A truly remarkable debut which promises great things.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sherry Chiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fabulously layered book, in which even seemingly inconsequential characters contain multitudes and London is a character in its own right. Nothing and nobody are as you first think they are, so that you want to zip through the story to reach the denouement, but at the same time you don't want to skim over any of the precise prose. I'm already looking forward to Julia Kite's next book.

I received a free copy from NetGalley and Unbound (thank you both!) in exchange for an honest review.

[Tricia Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll admit that I’m a slow reader and it usually takes me months to get thru a book, but I’ve sat and read that last 150 pages of this book in just a few hours because I was so caught up in the story. The details of all of the places transport you straight to London even if you’ve never been and it’s so easy to get lost in the characters themselves. I felt their anxiety and the urgency of each moment. Highly recommend this book, I could never predict what came next and I loved that about it.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Julia Kite's promising debut novel of storytelling, belonging and unsuspected strength reminds us that we're constantly weaving and re-weaving narratives about places and people — ourselves as well as others.

Shortly before Christmas, Neely comes home to an empty apartment. Her girlfriend Angela isn't answering her phone and has left her epilepsy medication on the kitchen counter. Until that moment, Neely had believed that they were happy together; could she have been mistaken? Confident that she is "brighter than most," persuaded that no one else cares, she embarks on her own investigation and soon comes to a painful realization: the woman she loves bears little resemblance to the Angela her old friends know.

This original twist on literary crime fiction has its roots firmly planted in London's soil and is peopled by an interestingly diverse cast of characters. Although Neely occupies centre stage, it's Angela's sister Andy — steadfast in her Mother Bear role — who outshines them all.

I was provided with a free electronic copy of this book through NetGalley by the publisher, Unbound, in exchange for an honest review.

[Piers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A confident debut novel, which starts from a very simple point, somebody is missing and their girlfriend does not know why, and expands out into an examination of class, otherness, being an outsider, and how the past weaves its tendrils into everything that happens in your future.

There were stylistic things I didn't particularly get on with, such as the hammered repetition of the character's names, which got me to a point where the names were starting to lose meaning and I wasn't really making the connections I was supposed to be when I was supposed to. Also, the way the city of London plays a role, also very much as a character in the drama, I felt tipped over from evoking a place, a setting, to being so specific as to be a bit inaccessible to me as someone who's not spent much time there.

However, those were relatively minor things. This is not the sort of thing I would normally pick up, but did so because I (very vaguely) know the author, but having turned the final page I asked myself if I had enjoyed it. And I did. I look forward to reading whatever Julia writes next, as I think this book shows great potential to reach still greater heights.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

London is my favourite city in the world, and reading books that really dive into its mysterious beauty is by turns comforting and exhilarating for me. Nicci French's Freida Klein series did a tremendous job of excavating London for me, and its network of secret underground rivers. The Hope and Anchor by debut author Julia Kite, is another book that grabs London by its heart and refuses to let go.

The Hope and Anchor (also the name of the pub that MC Neely and her girlfriend Angela frequent) is delicately, gorgeously written. Neely is searching for Angela, who is missing - and begins the difficult task of contacting her friends and family, wanting answers as to what's happened, and where Angela might be. As she searches, facts about Angela begin to emerge, and Neely's caught in a web of misogyny, darkness and tragedy.

An accomplished literary mystery, The Hope and Anchor is one to be savoured. I hope it isn't Kite's final novel as she has real, raw and focused talent.

[Bobblehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when you're not really a local, but have to get into everyone's business? Neely Sharpe definitely isn't from West London, but wound up in the arms of Angela, a local girl. Now, after a year of living together, Angela has gone missing, forcing Neely to push her way into her girlfriend's family, her friendships, and her past.

I thought this was really daring for a debut novel. It covers so many subjects--love, sense of self, life expectations, class, sexuality, belonging--all in the format of a page-turning mystery with a strongly-rooted sense of place. Neely's search for Angela takes some unexpected turns, and the pace kept me going. (I read it in two sittings.) Kite has a good ear for dialog, and while the inner voices and other descriptions get longish, they never bog down.

[Richard Hensley · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE HOPE & ANCHOR is a suspenseful coming-of-age story in which two young women confront class and gender challenges as well as personal tragedy one dark winter—the West London setting itself a pivotal character. Neely and Angela love each other, but do they really know each other? They’ve only been together a year when Angela disappears. Family and friends have competing interests and provide little help as Neely strives to learn what has happened to her girlfriend. Several dramatic surprises throughout her quest lead to deeper understanding and, eventually, a measure of closure. Along the way, readers will enjoy vivid descriptions, empathetic characterization, and rich internal monologue.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

I loved the descriptive nature of this book and this really made me feel that the author was letting me in to parts of London I had never visited or seen before.

The characters are good and they work really well together to carry the plot through. I liked the writing style and it is a really good debut novel!

3.5 stars from me, rounded up to 4 stars for Amazon and Goodreads!

[Michelle Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read via PigeonHole. Found it a little hard to follow in places, sometimes the jump in the character telling their part of the story threw me. But otherwise very descriptive in-depth writing of a place well known to the author. Great first book .

[Gail Wylde · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me, sorry. I didn't warm to the characters at all.

[Karen Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

To follow

[amanda eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Well-written, beautifully atmospheric, but the plot is stale.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, being a newcomer to London and living North West, it was great to see and read about places that I know/have heard about!
I think that the book covers a lot of big issues rather than just being a mystery novel - I feel that the whodunnit side of the novel becomes a bit of an aside and deals with far bigger issues - love, disability, class - I enjoyed the book a lot and would recommend!

[Jill Elizabeth]

I just could NOT get into this one... Normally, a good crime thriller, nothing-is-what-it-seems London story grabs my attention and holds it - but for some reason I could not find myself interested in the story here. Neely just felt flat to me; I couldn't find myself interested enough to care about what might have happened to Angela - let alone what Angela may have been hiding from her... After repeated pick-ups and put-downs, I finally had to concede. This was not a book for me...

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Angela Archer and Neely Sharpe are in love. They've been girlfriends for over a year, and live happily together.

Or do they?

One day Angela goes missing, and as events unfold Neely learns a whole new side to Angela that she never saw herself. Can Neely trace what has happened to Angela?

For a thriller, this wasn't fast-paced enough for me, and neither were the characters particularly exciting or interesting. Therefore just an okay read, nothing to write home about.

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

So you wake up from a dodgy night on the tiles and find your girlfriend’s missing. What happens next?



Julia Kite’s debut asks this question – with a hefty dose of self-examination – in the streets of London, where madnesses real, imagined and inflicted, contend. It’s the story of Neely and Angela: partners separated by carelessness, which becomes much more.

The novel takes the missing person story – a crime novel standard – and adds a more literary lens to it. The Hope and Anchor is about identity, about who we are versus who we’re meant to be, and how either version deals with loss, either imagined or actual.

You couldn’t just become somebody else in Kensal Town. Camden and Hackney were full of people reinventing themselves as easily as they bought chicken and chips, wearing out their identities like their box-fresh jackets, but not here.

The title, of course, is the name of a pub. It’s a pretty standard one, as far as London boozers go. But there’s two other meanings that wormed their way out during the length of the text. It’s a shorthand for London itself: the hope of change and the anchor of reality - the reality of London Itself versus whatever you think it’ll be before you get there. And, perhaps most importantly, it refers to the way hopes act as an anchor. How one’s hopes, ones dreams, act to hobble one’s ability to actually be happy. Both the novel’s main characters engage with hopes and dreams: but the way they seek buoyancy is very different, indeed.

I must admit, I was drawn to the book because of the surrounding. It didn’t hurt, sure, that a good friend of mine read it and was impressed. But when I checked it out, I knew I needed to read it, purely because I’d spent a couple of years of my life in the streets covered within. Kite’s story, then, read to me like something that might’ve happened to my neighbours, to people down the road. It took me back to the flats I’d lived in, the chill in the bones of winter and the don’t-look-at-that-guy guy from the local down the road.

It was a portrait that meshed with my own. And while I don’t think you need to be someone who’s spent time in London to enjoy the book, there’s a lot of unlovely portraiture – written with naught but affection, though – here that will ring true if you’ve ever been one of the Great Wen’s denizens. There’s grot here, but it’s familiar grot. I mean:

She thought that she shouldn’t be in a flat with the gas and electricity on a meter. That was for people in Mike Leigh plays set before she was born.

But within that hard place, there’s softness: friendship and love, yes, but also the personal altars we make from our surrounds. The places we go which are our own; the places which are special for us alone. This is a psychogeographically charged book, as much as any Sinclair or Ackroyd, and a key component is the way those surrounds impact their residents and visitors. And, ultimately, how those individuals react. Bending? Breaking? Leaving?

I’ll visit again. You should, too.

(A postscript: The Hope and Anchor was the first novel I’ve read that was published through Unbound’s backer-driven process. Their idea of publishing for everybody is a good one, and if Julia Kite’s debut is an indicator of the quality therein, I’m intrigued to see both the company and the author produce in the future.)