Paper Chains

by Nicola Moriarty

From the acclaimed author of The Fifth Letter and Those Other Women comes this touching story of secrets, friendship, family, and forgiveness—and the serendipitous twists of fate that shape our lives.

Accept a letter…

Hannah has been running—literally and figuratively—from her life back in Australia. Whenever she’s not working, she’s pounding London’s streets, putting the past behind her. Then she meets a fellow Australian named India, and Hannah’s entranced. For India is confident, exotic, and charming—qualities that Hannah feels she’s desperately lacking.

Pass it on…

India has a secret, too – one beyond any remedy. For it’s a secret that is currently sealed in a love letter and is making its journey across Europe in the most unconventional way—through the hands of strangers as they pass on the street.

And who knows where it will lead…

Before the letter with India’s deepest, darkest secret reaches its destination, can the women find the connection that will take each of them exactly where they need to go….

 

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Chick Lit, Womens Fiction, Romance, Family

336 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2013

About the author

Nicola Moriarty lives in Sydney's north west with her husband and two small daughters. She is the younger sister of bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Jaclyn Moriarty. In between various career changes, becoming a mum and studying teaching at Macquarie University, she began to write. Now, she can't seem to stop.

Hello there people in the world of books,
I Would love to hear from you either here on Goodreads or perhaps at Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/NicolaMoriart...

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short, light and enjoyable read about two women with big secrets. Overall I enjoyed the story but occasionally felt irritated by how long it took to discover what the secrets were. In the meantime Hannah in particular became increasingly exasperating with her melodramatic statements and actions. So much so that by the time I discovered her problem - which was indeed a serious one - I did not have much sympathy left for her. India on the other hand was much more likable and was just totally mixed up by something beyond her control.
The conclusion was achieved through a series of massive coincidences but that was okay. It was romantic and sad and there were some tearful moments. A good book for a rainy Saturday afternoon.

[Bianca thinksGRsucksnow · Rating 2 out of 5]

An indulgent 3 stars. Reconsidered - it's a 2 star, as it belongs on my misery porn virtual books shelf.

It wasn't bad in the beginning, but as time progressed, I found myself being irritated, especially with one of the characters, Hannah. It's not a good sign either when I feel bad about feeling irritated with someone who was going through a hard time. I'm generally less judgemental when it comes to fictional characters, but I don't know, it all felt too melodramatic and overwrought. Despite being a very short novel, I couldn't wait to be done with it. This had the feel of a new adult novel.

Not my jam.

[Suz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this story to be an odd and unlikely scenario, but I will always read the Moriarty siblings as I think they are great. Each with a distinct style, and as they should.

Two young women, both with troubled and complex pasts, intersect in a way that is quite far-fetched. Hannah is running from something and doesn’t want to stop, and India (this name suits her character) cross paths in London.

Hannah likes being the fixer and actively seeks those who she can help, and of course Hannah seemed to need lots of this. Hannah is a runner and doesn’t stop – this is her void for refusing her troubles, and Hannah has her void for fixing and avoiding hers.

There’s lots to this and I didn’t enjoy it, I am probably judging the very unlikely events - to me - that were from start to finish.

There were heart-warming moments and serious themes, but just wasn’t for moi.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah had recently arrived in London from Australia, and fairly quickly found herself a job at the gift shop in a Museum…she wanted to work every day, but her boss insisted she have at least one day off. But when she had that day off, she punished herself by jogging, running everywhere. Beside the Thames, down the sidewalks and between the cafes. She ate very little, told herself she needed the punishment, that she was a bad person and didn’t deserve anything that would give her happiness.

At a shift one day, a toddler was throwing a tantrum and Hannah froze…she broke out into a sweat, and didn’t know what to do. When the young, stressed Mum was rescued by a total stranger, a young woman who calmed the toddler down very cleverly, much to the bemusement of onlookers, Hannah wished she was like her. She oozed confidence and charm, seemed to be full of life.

On Hannah’s next day off, while running through a nearby park, she spotted the same young woman on a rug on the grass, and was totally startled when she called out to her. Hannah hesitantly went over, and that was how she met India. But Hannah didn’t stay long…she had no idea what to say to India, and she was terrified of becoming friendly with her..

India had a gut feeling that Hannah needed help, so she decided to make it her job to find out what was wrong, and fix it. She was a people person, and with her friendly nature, always seemed to know when someone was hurting, when someone needed a friend.

But it seemed India also had a secret! Who was Simon that she kept writing to, but never posted the mail? What was devastating Hannah so much? What had she done that was so shocking? And what was India’s secret…why did she move from one place to the next after only a few weeks?

This book was my first by Nicola Moriarty, and I really enjoyed it! A little suspense, a little mystery along with some romance…a great combination which worked extremely well!

I would definitely recommend this novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley for my copy.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was charmed by Nicola Moriarty's debut novel, Free-Falling and I have been looking forward to the release of Paper Chains. This wonderful contemporary adult novel reveals the secrets of two young Australian women, India and Hannah, who meet while in London.

The deceptively lighthearted introduction to Paper Chains slowly gives way to a compelling tale of heartbreak, loss and hope.
As backpacker India considers her next travel destination, she chooses to befriend the shy and fragile Hannah, seeing her as "...an opportunity, a new project - someone to fix, someone to save" but in truth, Hannah is a distraction for India whose open facade hides heartbreaking secrets of her own.
Hannah is drawn to India's confidence and warmth, despite being uncomfortable with accepting her attention. Her life in England is a self administered punishment and friendship offers her solace she doesn't feel she deserves.

With careful timing and sensitivity Moriarty reveals Hannah's painful secret, one that saw her flee Australia for London, hiding in a grimy flat and punishing herself for her regrets. It focuses on an issue that surprised me for a number of reasons, though none I can reveal without inadvertently giving too much away, and is explored with compassion by the author.
Hannah's palpable misery distracts from India's own secret - one that is drifting around the world in the form of a letter addressed simply to Simon, The Aella, a journey we follow in between chapters of the story. There are hints that not all is as it seems with India, from her conflicted feelings about the aforementioned Simon to her determination to rescue Hannah and I was probably more prepared for India's shocking secret than Hannah's, but that doesn't lessen the impact of tragedy, even though it is tempered with hope and love.

Written with compassion and genuine insight, Paper Chains is a poignant tale of friendship, family and forgiveness that will touch your heart. Fans of Monica McInerney, Cecilla Ahern and Anna McPartlin should embrace Nicola Moriarty, and expect more great things to come from this talented author.

[Nomes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paper chains has so much cool going for it:
Set in London! And Australia :) and other snippetty travel scenes and flashbacks.

Two mysterious girls (ladies) both holding secrets. What is going on?

Those gorgeous moments of serendipity that I adore.

Chain letters.

Prose that you sink Ito, sentiments perfectly captured.

Most ever so importantly, characters to care about. To get under your skin. Two gorgeous girls, so different. And all their worlds (including their sexy, at times, estranged men) and family.

It also has bone crushing moments of absolute despair. At times, I felt it was hard to breathe, smothered with the weight of it. Paper Chains tackles some very real, and very depressing issues. But Moriarty would bring flashes of whimsy and the shyest of smiles to lighten the load.

There were moments of silliness and absolute charm. Flashbacks to the cutest and sexiest of meet-cutes (crazily love that Luna park scene). And then there was complete devastation and broken-heartedness of the kind that you are not sure anyone can ever really recover from.

There's a rare moment where I go from being cocooned in a fictional story and soaking it up, to suddenly realizing I have completely placed myself in the story and am crying right alongside the characters. This book didn't just include certain issues, it feels like the author poured her soul and ever fibre of her emotions into bringing Hannah's feelings to the page. It was, at times, unrelenting and eye opening. It kind of ripped me wide open.

Now for the cheesy confession: I don't like to wax poetic about reading being therapeutic or whatever. I honestly read because I happen to love reading, but Paper Chains went above and beyond and I felt so liberated, so affirmed after finishing. From things I didn't even realize I was holding onto. Failures or perceived failures. Secret thoughts and pressures. Doubts and expectations. I just felt like everything is okay, is going to be okay, and life is good. Those final chapters with Hannah were just perfect. And India, just LOVE.

I am sorry to be cryptic but I don't want to spoil anything in any way.

I so thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had the perfect little addictive pull that my favourite reading experiences require. It had so much emotion and heart and just the perfect amount of whimsy. It had characters I am still buzzing about and I will, for sure, be revisiting it again soon and passing my copy onto all my fave reading buddies, who I only pass the absolute best books on to :)

Paper Chains is on my favourites list for 2013 and my favourites list for always.

[Natalie M · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very sadly issued 2.5 stars because I love Aussie authors and love the Moriarty clan of writers even more!

An overly melodramatic tale, with far too many serendipitous moments to be logically possibly. I really don’t like disliking a character with serious mental health issues, but Hannah and her problems were frustratingly demanding, and somewhat overwrought.

India was easier to like, but oddly she was not the one who was supposed to garnering sympathy.

The upside - short and sweet, perfect for a rainy afternoon if you have little else on your TBR list.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this beautiful and moving story. Paper Chains is about two Aussie girls who meet in London – both have secrets (which does get a little frustrating at times, but does keep the pages moving to find out what they are!) . This story delves into some really tough issues but I loved it all – the friendships and family, and the journey that brings it all to a heartbreaking ending. 5 stars for sure……what a talented author!

[Bree T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah is living in London, working all the days she can in a gift shop when she meets India. Hannah is amazed by India’s ability to go up to anyone she sees, introduce herself and become their friend. It’s been a long time since Hannah had a friend, but it seems like India is going to fulfill that role.

Both are Australian and both have found themselves in England for quite similar reasons. India knows that Hannah is hiding a secret. There’s a reason why Hannah is so withdrawn from life. She works 6 days a week and when she’s not working, she’s running, punishing herself by running all day long. India is determined to get to the bottom of Hannah’s mysterious behaviour and get her to spill her secret. But as time goes by, Hannah seems to resist the powerful allure of India and India begins to wonder if she can fix Hannah after all.

Hannah is on the run and she doesn’t want to think about what she’s left behind and she doesn’t want to talk about it either. She doesn’t deserve sympathy or help. She deserves punishment of the worst kind for what she has done. Unbeknownst to Hannah, India has a secret too. She’s left behind a wonderful man in the Greek Islands, to keep up her bohemian, traveling lifestyle and Hannah can’t understand why, especially as India seems so affected by it. India writes letters to the man she left behind but she doesn’t post them – she puts them in the hands of other backpackers, other travelers and hopes that they make their way back to him. If they do, then maybe, just maybe, its meant to be. India has taken a huge risk and written down her big secret. Now its time to see if its going to reach its destination.

Before she can move on, India has to help Hannah make an important decision and start her on the path to forgiveness of herself. And in return, Hannah might be able to help India find her own way to happiness.

Paper Chains is the second novel from Nicola Moriarty and it’s every bit as enjoyable and a roller-coaster of emotion as the first. When we meet Hannah, she’s in London, alone. She has no friends, hasn’t met any people and she knows nothing but work, cheap unappetizing food and running to punish herself. Hannah is filled with guilt and self-loathing because she has run away. It’s well clear what Hannah has run away from before it is revealed within the story – the reader sees it coming before Hannah herself does as she flashes back. It’s a heartbreaking situation for Hannah – I ached for her when I read what she was going to. I consider myself so blessed that I didn’t struggle the way in which she did (oh I struggled in plenty of other ways though!) but I know people that have. I think it would be too easy to judge, or blame someone in Hannah’s situation. But this novel takes an in depth look at her frame of mind, her disconnection, the way that she felt and how that was the only option for her at the time. There were clearly other options, but Hannah wasn’t ready to acknowledge her need for them until later. I don’t want to give too much away about what she’s running from (people who read the book will guess for themselves) but I do want to applaud the way in which it is portrayed. There’s so much pressure these days – to do things a certain way, to fit in, to juggle everything with ease. And when you can’t, that’s a crushing feeling of failure. And there’s judgement everywhere – judgement in every decision you make and every failure, real or imagined. And Hannah imagines a lot.

For all of Hannah’s crippling self-hatred and guilt, India by contrast, is light and energy. She makes everything seem easy to Hannah – meeting people, becoming friends with them, caring about them. Hannah isn’t sure why India has decided to become her friend and she doesn’t make it easy for India either. But India persists, her desire and ability to fix other people hiding a secret about herself. India mourns the man she left behind and she sends him letters, but not by post. Her thinking is that if they get to him, then she’s meant to see him again. But if they don’t, well then that’s the way things are meant to be. India is seeing the world, traveling light, meeting people, exchanging stories and absorbing as much as she can.

Goddamn I loved this book. Nicola Moriarty does grief and hope in equal amounts so well. I always tend to look upon a novelist’s second book with interest – it can be a difficult exercise, especially when the first one has been successful and well received. I really loved Free Falling, Nicola’s first novel and I think I might even like this one just a fraction more. It made me cry (more than once actually) but it was that sort of cathartic cleansing sort of cry where you’ve become so invested in the characters that you’re caught up in their journey and feel what they do. There’s lots of humour and hope in here too as well as some sad moments and they made me want to cry too sometimes. I was so immersed in this story and the characters that the leap of faith “small world” wasn’t hard for me to make and often I am that person who can’t believe the coincidences in a book. But when it’s written well and the stories really make you feel, then you can buy into anything and believe that things were meant to be this way for a reason. I especially loved the idea of the way that India was sending her letters – passing them around, like a chain letter, trusting fate that they’d get to the person she intended.

Highly recommended.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you want to know what "true love" is? It is Nicola Moriarty's newest book, Paper Chains. I absolutely fell in love with India & Hannah. These two women's story just tugged at my heartstrings and left a permanent scar in my heart. Ms. Moriarty pens a beautiful story of loss, love, friendship, and second chances.

India had a mystery about her. It was due to her letters. The little snippets throughout the book had me intrigued to learn her "secret". One that I could see why India wrote her letters. Than there is Hannah. The more I got to know her story; the more I felt for her as well. She was in between a rock and a hard place. So glad that she took her time to discover what was really important in her life.

Warning: Some tissues were used during the reading of this book .

[Helen McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hannah is not your usual twenty-something Australian living in London. Unlike the thousands of other travellers and working holidayers that make the city home for a time while they party their way around Europe, Hannah spends her nights alone in her flat and her days off jogging all over the city to the point of exhaustion. By a stroke of fate she meets fellow Aussie India, who is as outgoing and funloving as Hannah is serious and reclusive. Although an unlikely friendship it flourishes and enriches the lives of both the young women in amazing ways.

It doesn't take long for India to work out that Hannah is hiding a secret and she makes it her mission to discover and get it sorted out - after all in her own words "everything is fixable". In the meantime India is dealing wtih her own matters of the heart. Although she has adopted a "here for a good time not a long time" attitude to travel and the people she meets along the way, India can't stop thinking about Simon who she met in Greece and continues to correspond with via an unorthodox method that sees her letters hand transported via other travellers. Yet a secret of her own keeps her from following her heart and committing to a relationship with him.

Although written in a style that is very engaging and easy to read Paper Chains has a lot of hidden depth, exploring a few difficult subjects with sensitivity and compassion. Through the characters of Hannah and India, Nicola Moriarty demonstrates that nobody is immune to difficulties of some kind in their life - even if they outwardly appear to have it all together.

Moriarty's characterisation of Hannah and India is fantastic and the way she introduces them in such a light-hearted way works really well. At first Hannah's constant berating of herself is a little bit grating, but as you come to know her better and the reasons for her self loathing are revealed this aspect fades away.

A delightful blend of suspense, poignancy, romance and well-placed humour, Paper Chains is a fabulous read that demonstrates Nicola Moriarty will be a continuing presence in the literary world.

[Lauredhel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content note for postnatal depression, suicidality, child abandonment, character death

Oh, this book. This book. It shattered me into tiny pieces. And not from what you who've read it already might expect. No, it was the first-person view of postnatal depression that got to me. We hear what it is (for some) like from the inside, the feeling that your body has turned to rotting wood and torn cardboard, the feeling that you have no love for your child, that you're losing chunks of time, that you need to be punished, that your children would be better off without you.

The book starts deceptively light, though it is rapidly revealed that both of the main characters have secrets. Two young Australian women meet by chance in London, and strike up a friendship. As their secrets are slowly explored, we sink deeper and deeper into the mire of Hannah's secret. India's story seems cheerier. But the clues slowly mount, until the reveal late in the book that her cancer story isn't quite as she's represented it.

At the heart of this book lies an unlikely coincidence, a deep female friendship, and a core of hope and love, and I'm a sucker for that every time. I'm already a huge fan of Nicola Moriarty, and will definitely be picking up her next book.

[Paula Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ordered this book at the library after reading Nomes' fabulous review on Inkcrush. I'll admit, when I took a closer look at the cutesy cover, I thought the library had wrongly marked it as adult fiction, because it definitely had a YA vibe (and while I'd read the synopsis and knew the story appealed, I obviously didn't read it enough to realise it wasn't YA).

I should know better: don't judge a book by its cover. The nature of the relationships and emotional struggles are definitely for an older audience, and Nicola Moriarty handles her story in a way that brings together a difficult issue with unexpected moments of serendipity.

I enjoyed getting to know Hannah and India, drawn in by their respective mysteries and what it is they're running from. And when the truth about each is revealed, their stories - and that of their families/other halves - become even more compelling. There were moments of honesty that resonated with me and I was well and truly caught up in the emotion of the final chapters.

Paper Chains tackles themes of friendship, family, forgiveness and twists of fate in a way that's original, with a subtle Australian flavour. I found it hard to put down.

For a far more articulate review, check out Nomes' here: http://www.inkcrush.blogspot.com.au/2...

[Leanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 --was definitely heading towards a four there for a while but I felt the ending was a bit rushed and I never totally warmed to either character. I feel like I didn't get to know Hannah or India -and I really should have. I've read another book that deals with a similar subject matter as this one and it pretty much ripped my heart out -repeatedly- so it's not just because I'm cold and emotionally disconnected that I didn't cry at this one. Okay.

[Alison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t finish this. Hannah is the most dislikable character ever her secret turns out to be ridiculous and her arguments and issues preposterous. India is almost as bad such a know it all with a savior complex. Maybe people like this exist but to find them both in the same book is over the top

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful story. This was my first Nicola Moriarty and I really enjoyed it. A story about friendship,family,love and forgiveness. I found it hard to put down. I would certainly recommend it.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Plot: Living in London and working behind the counter at a Museum's store was not exactly where Hannah planned to be in her late twenties, but she doesn't have much to choose from since she ran off from her life in Sydney and doesn't want to think about or remember what she left behind.

Meeting fellow Australian India one day at the Museum, and later at the park was a surprise, as Hannah doesn't believe she deserves friends, or fun or anything good happening to her, but India is around to stay - for a while at least.

See, India likes to fix people, she has been doing it for the past year, traveling from place to place, staying a few days, maybe a few weeks, fixing people and moving on. So she's determined to find out what Hannah's story is, only that Hannah isn't as easy to figure out.

Through out their interactions, little pieces of both women's pasts start to come out to the light. For India also has her own secrets that she slowly doles out as she writes love-letters to a guy she meet in Greece, and sends them in a very unconventional fashion.

First Date: I'm not sure if I like India or Hannah but I can't put this book down. Hannah is a bit of a martyr and India is a bit too much - I'm starting to suspect India is a manic pixie dream girl and MPDG is my second most hated female archetype, only behind TSTL- but I'm intrigued. Love the snippets about the letters India writes, though.

Second Date: Okay, gut me why don't you? Oh, Hannah, now that I know what you did and why, you make a lot more sense. Some of it hits a little close to home, so I kind of get it. I'm liking India a little better, she's still a little too MPDG for my taste but she tells Hannah what she needs to hear, much as it hurts. I'm suspecting her secret already, though.

Third Date: Twist the dagger a little more, why don't you? Honestly. What is it with Aussie authors that take my heart, tear it into a million little pieces, make me cry like a baby and yet I keep coming back for more? WHY MUST YOU AUSSIE AUTHORS? WHYYY???!!

Relationship Status: I CAN'T QUIT YOU!!
Okay, drama aside, Paper Chains was quite brilliant. I couldn't put it down because from about page two I became so involved with Hannah and India and even when I didn't like them I couldn't help myself and I couldn't leave them. I had heard from fellow blogger Inkcrush that Nicola Moriarty was a terrific writer and the girl got mad skills, let me tell you. In so many ways Paper Chains is such a quiet novel but the drama and the heartbreak are based on such every-day/commonplace things that it just hits you, you know? how easy it is for things to go wrong.

I don't think Paper Chains is a perfect novel, but it definitely has reading crack and, unless Moriarty decides to start writing Twilight fanfiction, I can't imagine a future where I don't keep reading her stories.

Please note that Paper Chains is currently only available in Australia (wherever books are sold). This side of the pond it's available via Fishpond World.

[Susan Wishart · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the star rating indicates, it was OK. A vanilla romance with two young Australian women, India and Hannah who meet by chance in London. Both are running away from a traumatic event in their lives which they do not wish to reveal. Spoiler alert; India has terminal cancer and Hannah has walked out on her loving husband and two very young children. I guessed India's secret on page four and it took me rather longer to realise that Hannah's problem was postnatal depression.
It's a competently written, perfectly adequate novel but I'd expect something more challenging and exciting for a library book club choice. I'll await the comments of my fellow book clubbers.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this story confusing at first; I like other readers had the impression that the main characters were younger than they turned out to be. I also found the range of characters a little bland, without the diversity existent in both London and Sydney and the ending a little pat.

[Marg · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

Going to be difficult to review this one without spoiling!

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it! I think Nicola might be my favorite Moriarty ;) beautifully told story in a short book

[MarciaB - Book Muster Down Under · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Blurb

“India smiled. ‘Everything is fixable, Hannah …’

Hannah and India are new best friends. Although true friendship means always telling each other the truth, doesn’t it?

Hannah, you see, is running from her life back in Sydney. Now in London, she’s trying to put the past behind her, and finding this amazing new friend is a positive step forward. If only she could stop punishing herself for what she did.

India knows Hannah is hiding something big, and she’s determined to figure it out. Fast.

Because India has a secret of her own … One that is currently sealed in a love letter that’s making its journey across Europe in the most unconventional way.

Before it reaches its destination, can India help Hannah learn to forgive herself? And will Hannah wake up and realise that India needs rescuing too?”

Overview

Having fled from her home in Australia, and placed herself in self-imposed exile in London, Hannah finds herself working in a museum gift shop, going home every night to a lonely flat to eat microwave dinners – her punishment.

At work one day, a toddler throws a tantrum in the middle of the shop and she sees a young woman approach and deal with it in the most unlikely manner. Whilst Hannah’s reaction to the toddler’s tantrum is extreme and she attempts to hide it, she finds it bizarre that the very next day she crosses paths with the same young woman from the shop – India - and wonders if this friendship is fated, even though she doesn’t deserve to have any friends after what she has done.

India, highly intuitive, decides to insert herself into Hannah’s life, having noticed her reaction to the tantrum. Her first thoughts on noticing Hannah’s peculiar reaction were of opportunity, “a new project - someone to fix, someone to save” and of course, she turns out to be everything that Hannah feels she is not – charming, confident and free-spirited.

Having not had a close friend since the end of year Nine when her parents had split up, Hannah finds herself embarking on a friendship built on lies and secrets, and whilst India attempts to draw Hannah into confiding in her, towards the end of Part One we see Hannah contemplating the unthinkable. The novel then segues into Part Two and Hannah’s true story begins to unfold with the real reason behind her strange reaction to the tantrum-throwing child in the store becoming clearer. My sympathies and emotions were stirred and, without giving too much away, I could relate to her in so many ways, because I, myself, have been there! Part Three will rock your world, as India, with good reason, launches an emotional tirade against Hannah who finally begins to reveal her secrets.

But Hannah’s is not the only story to be told here. India, too, has a secret, but refuses to reveal it in words, instead, placing the unthinkable in writing, addressed only to “Simon – The Aella”, and relying on the kindness of travelling strangers - and fate - to safely deliver it.

My Thoughts

Having never read a book by Nicola Moriarty before, when I picked up this novel and started reading, I had to double-check the genre on Goodreads and ensure it was in fact Contemporary and not Young Adult, and whilst you may experience this too, please persevere, because as the story progresses, the content is definitely adult.

Told in third person from multiple points of view, it is broken up into six parts with many threads skilfully tied up in this beautifully written novel and some elements of the unique plot calling to mind two of my favourite movies, Sweet November and Pay It Forward.

Nicola Moriarty has a strong character voice which is compassionate throughout, and totally necessary in dealing with the issues within, which are both delicate and heart-breaking and lend themselves to the final unselfishness and extraordinariness of India - and the relationship between all the characters will bowl you over.

Powerful and evocative, Ms Moriarty has created a heart-warming tale of unlikely friendship, hope and divine providence with characters that are so well drawn that the ending left me reflecting on a very true saying, “people come into your life for a reason, a season, a lifetime”.

This novel has earned 5/5 stars from me and I highly recommend it.

While I have yet to read her first novel Free-Falling, after reading Paper Chains, I have placed this on my TBR as I firmly believe that Nicola is a writer who is going to go places and I will most certainly be on the look out for further novels from her.

I wish to thank both the publisher, Random House Australia and NetGalley for providing me with an uncorrected proof of this novel.

A Little About the Author (taken from the Author’s website)

Nicola Moriarty lives in Sydney's north west with her husband and two small (but remarkably strong willed) daughters. She is the younger sister of bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Jaclyn Moriarty. In between various career changes, becoming a mum and studying at Macquarie University, she began to write. Now, she can't seem to stop.

Paper Chains is her second novel.

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some weighty subjects disguised as chic lit. This was a well-written, well-constructed novel with somewhat interesting characters, but I was bogged down instantly by Hannah’s obsessive self-hatred which was neither entertaining nor believably solved by India’s exhortation to “lighten up.” The concept of India's letters being delivered haphazardly and serendipitously started off being fun and promising but when I found out what was in them it was a colossal hoof to the gut. We were told everyone’s backstory believably, but the ending threw everything up in the air for me. I also wondered if the event that forms the start of the book’s resolution - everyone getting together near the end - is based on coincidence. However I’m not motivated to reread any of it to find out if this is true. I enjoyed the writing itself and would seek out more of this author’s work. 2 1/2 stars.

[Charis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t enjoy this one. It started off pretty well, but I felt that not a whole lot happened. I really did feel for Hannah and I thought it was a good read about mental health specifically in the sphere of motherhood, but I guess the speed at which the story was “resolved” put me off. I also just really don’t like the cancer trope. Mainly because it always ends the same way, and this book specifically reminded me a little bit of a thousand boy kisses which I didn’t enjoy at all. Some important messages in the book but I thought it was quite rushed and because of that I didn’t enjoy it.

[Mel Raschke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabbed me immediately. I read it over a period of two days.

[Bookish Enchantment (Katherine Quirke) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, life, family, mental health this book has it all and just when you think you have it all sussed it twists again with life's craziness.
I very good read.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the intersection of relationships in this book. It did feel like it dragged on a bit though.

[Kelly Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable enough to continue reading and developed more empathy for the characters as the story developed, but it was difficult to get into.

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Godshite

[Jasmine's · Rating 4 out of 5]

Letter chain with a difference. This was a fun read with a sad ending. Loved the MCs.