What do you think?
Rate this book
Hear the Echo: Two Strong Welsh-italian Women... Separated by a Lifetime, Linked Forever
"... A graceful and moving read, an elegy for the Italian cafes of Wales and the author's love for them." Katherine Mezzacappa,
New novel by award-winning screenwriter Rob Gittins who has written for numerous top-rated television drama series including EastEnders, Casualty and The Bill.
In the 1930s, Chiara emigrates from Italy to forge a new and better life in Wales. She encounters bigotry and xenophobia as she and her employer battle to keep their Italian cafe in business in the shadow of World War II. But all that’s soon eclipsed by a love triangle that threatens to destroy everything.
Meanwhile, present-day Welsh-Italian Frankie struggles to find the money and hope to hold her family together in the same Valleys community. Along the way she has to decide how far she’s prepared to go to do that – and whether what she has is actually worth the fight.
The two women never meet. but as their joint experiences begin to resonate down through time, their journeys intersect. And each becomes as real to the other as if they’d physically breathed the same air.
An intriguing and immensely entertaining novel, vividly contrasting life in the 1930s and 1940s with life in the present day through evocative and vibrant prose. This sophisticated dual-narrative story will have you gripped from the start.
"The two intercut stories are both absorbing and sometimes heart-rending." Caroline Clark, Gwales
"This is a superbly crafted and suspenseful thriller which will hold the reader spellbound throughout. It also has much to say on topics of vital contemporary concern such as immigration and integration. - Ceri Shaw, Americymru.com
Hear the Echo is a family saga, a contemporary novel with more than a little mystery all mixed together in a moving, satisfying and ultimately tender read. - Glynn Young, Faith Fiction Friends
New novel by award-winning screenwriter Rob Gittins who has written for numerous top-rated television drama series including EastEnders, Casualty and The Bill.
In the 1930s, Chiara emigrates from Italy to forge a new and better life in Wales. She encounters bigotry and xenophobia as she and her employer battle to keep their Italian cafe in business in the shadow of World War II. But all that’s soon eclipsed by a love triangle that threatens to destroy everything.
Meanwhile, present-day Welsh-Italian Frankie struggles to find the money and hope to hold her family together in the same Valleys community. Along the way she has to decide how far she’s prepared to go to do that – and whether what she has is actually worth the fight.
The two women never meet. but as their joint experiences begin to resonate down through time, their journeys intersect. And each becomes as real to the other as if they’d physically breathed the same air.
An intriguing and immensely entertaining novel, vividly contrasting life in the 1930s and 1940s with life in the present day through evocative and vibrant prose. This sophisticated dual-narrative story will have you gripped from the start.
"The two intercut stories are both absorbing and sometimes heart-rending." Caroline Clark, Gwales
"This is a superbly crafted and suspenseful thriller which will hold the reader spellbound throughout. It also has much to say on topics of vital contemporary concern such as immigration and integration. - Ceri Shaw, Americymru.com
Hear the Echo is a family saga, a contemporary novel with more than a little mystery all mixed together in a moving, satisfying and ultimately tender read. - Glynn Young, Faith Fiction Friends
354 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 16, 2018
1 person is currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Rob Gittins
20 books6 followersRob Gittins is a British screenwriter and novelist.
Rob has written for almost every top-rated network UK TV show from the past thirty years, including Casualty, The Bill, EastEnders, Emmerdale, Heartbeat, Soldier Soldier and The Story of Tracy Beaker. Rob is currently[when?] the longest serving writer on EastEnders and has completed well over 200 episodes of the programme.
Rob co-created and wrote all eight episodes of the BBC1 prime time drama series TIGER BAY as well as a three-part political thriller for ITV, IN THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS.
For S4C, Rob has storylined over two thousand episodes of the popular daily Welsh language drama serial Pobol y Cwm as well as co-creating the drama series HALEN YN Y GWAED (SALT IN THE BLOOD) which ran for four series.
For BBC Radio 4, Rob has written over twenty original radio plays, over a hundred episodes of The Archers and a 10-part children’s drama series. Rob’s radio production LOSING PARADISE, a co-authored six part thriller co-produced by the BBC, ABC in Australia and CBC in Canada, won the Gold Drama Award at The New York International Radio Festival. Rob has also written a four-part radio late night drama serial for Radio 4, NIGHTMOVES.
Rob’s latest radio play, JULIE, a dramatisation of the extraordinary story of the Operation Julie drugs bust transmitted on BBC Radio 4 in September 2014.
Rob has written for almost every top-rated network UK TV show from the past thirty years, including Casualty, The Bill, EastEnders, Emmerdale, Heartbeat, Soldier Soldier and The Story of Tracy Beaker. Rob is currently[when?] the longest serving writer on EastEnders and has completed well over 200 episodes of the programme.
Rob co-created and wrote all eight episodes of the BBC1 prime time drama series TIGER BAY as well as a three-part political thriller for ITV, IN THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS.
For S4C, Rob has storylined over two thousand episodes of the popular daily Welsh language drama serial Pobol y Cwm as well as co-creating the drama series HALEN YN Y GWAED (SALT IN THE BLOOD) which ran for four series.
For BBC Radio 4, Rob has written over twenty original radio plays, over a hundred episodes of The Archers and a 10-part children’s drama series. Rob’s radio production LOSING PARADISE, a co-authored six part thriller co-produced by the BBC, ABC in Australia and CBC in Canada, won the Gold Drama Award at The New York International Radio Festival. Rob has also written a four-part radio late night drama serial for Radio 4, NIGHTMOVES.
Rob’s latest radio play, JULIE, a dramatisation of the extraordinary story of the Operation Julie drugs bust transmitted on BBC Radio 4 in September 2014.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.