Things That Bounded

by Fiona Graph

Ellen and Kate were best friends and committed suffragettes. On the eve of the Great War, Kate burned down a church. A man died and she disappeared. Sixteen years later, Ellen and her brother Freddie have rebuilt their lives after the trauma of war and loss. She is overjoyed when Kate reappears. But Kate is consumed by remorse over the death. They enlist the help of Alec, Freddie's ex-lover, to find out what happened that day in the church. There are ties from the past that bind them all: guilt, fear, pride. Can they break free from these and reclaim the lives they deserve?

276 pages, Paperback

Published October 30, 2020

About the author

Fiona Graph was born in Sydney. Once she had obtained a degree in Psychology and Ancient History, she travelled before settling in north London. She worked variously as a psychologist, for an LGB organisation and as a librarian, before ending up at the Foreign Office. Her youthful interest in writing came back strongly about seven years ago.

Things that Bounded, published in October 2020, was her first novel. Her second novel, Beloved Ghost, came out in May 2022.

Reviews

[Billy Buttons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Things That Bounded
Author: Fiona Graph

Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 7/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 7/10
Of the 15 readers:
12 would read another book by this author.
10 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
13 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the plot’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
11 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
13 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
“This is a fascinating novel, particularly if you are interested in the suffragette movement. There's also an LGBT element to the story that's sensitively written. I suspect most readers interested in historical fiction will find this a good read.” Male reader, aged 43
“I was thoroughly engaged by this historical novel. I felt the author was a strong writer who knew her subject and characters through and through. The two central female characters develop throughout the story, and the historical setting is well-described, but not obtrusively so.” Female reader, aged 52
“This is a story about discrimination and how the characters face it and often battle with it. The writing style is accessible, although I did find it a bit slow in the middle. I would recommend it to anybody interested in the suffragette movement and relatively recent UK history. Also, anybody who just enjoys a strong, character-led story, will find this gripping. The best character was Ellen by far!” Female reader, aged 58
”A story which attempts to explore the relationship of women who believed in a common cause. A thought-provoking read; the author, I think, did her research well, and this shows in the quality of the writing and the depth of the characters.” Male reader, aged 62

To Sum It Up:
‘An inspiring story filled with courage and the search for truth. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suffragettes who lived on till after the full vote was granted in 1928 were marked by many things, such as imprisonment, their memories and their experiences in the First World War. This beautifully written book of two women who meet up again is full of memories and more, set in a vibrant London of streets, gardens and parks. Ellen lives and works in a clothes shop with her brother Freddie, who designs the women’s clothes that they sell.

The book begins with sadness, as she is preparing to go to the funeral of one of the most inspiring suffragettes, Hilda, but her meeting with Kate sets off more than one trail around London in search of the truth of events that happened several years before the book’s narrative. Ellen comes to realise that she has triggered a series of events that imperils her friend, but also that of her brother and others. The London setting comes alive as the author recalls the streets and people that would have been familiar to Ellen, as she walks and looks on the sunrises and sunsets in a crowded city. There is romance and grief, regrets and guilt in this gentle story of the new world after a War and some battles for women’s equality have been won, but there is still a long way to go. I was pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this well written book.

Ellen is a fascinating character whose life had been devoted to the cause of the vote for women, together with her friend Kate. While marching, breaking windows and other campaigning tactics were acceptable to her, she drew the line at deliberate arson for the cause. Hilda and Kate, however, had deliberately set light to a church in London. When the newspapers reported that a body had been found in the ruins of the burnt out church, Kate had run away to France, and had not been heard of since. When Ellen met her at the funeral she begins to wonder if the news reports were true, and whether her friends were truly guilty of a man’s death. However, in order to get to the truth she must risk everything, especially when Freddie’s ex lover is the only person who can help. In order to discover the truth, will Ellen have to risk everything, including her relationship with Kate?

This well written book makes many revelations about the real lives of suffragettes, beyond the perception of them simply breaking windows. It shows how they formed strong bonds of friendship as they supported each other through such challenges as imprisonment. However, it also shows how women continued to suffer discrimation and lack of choice, especially within marriage, and how the streets of London were dangerous places for women. It also looks at the issue of same sex partnerships, and how they were still dangerous choices for men. This is a powerful work of historical fiction which has much to say about love, risk and the values of the truth. It takes a mature look at the development of relationships in challenging circumstances, and the difficulties of discrimination. I found this a moving book, with so many fascinating conversations and ideas, including the ongoing debate about practical clothing for women and the way they are treated differently in everyday life. I recommend this as a fascinating novel about the suffragettes and the relationships between the women united in a common cause.

[Cathi Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book, well researched and full of love for its characters and for the streets and parks of London, and a celebration of a time of social changes in the UK. Women have won the vote and the right to parliamentary representation, the war gave them the chance to pursue financial and social independence, and they are enjoying new found freedom in dress and in lifestyle. The 4 gay (or queer as they are usually referred to in the book) characters find love with each other while solving a mystery that caused one of the women to flee London prior to the outbreak of WW1.

I loved the main characters, Kate and Ellen, the former suffragette campaigners, and their friends Freddie and Alec as they solve the mystery, and find love and resolution of their individual issues.

There's a cosiness to the novel and its mystery. Over dinners, walks and investigations they explore London, talk fashion and sexual politics and the mystery of the past that has brought them together, and talk about the events of their time apart; their love affairs, their war work and their experiences. Kate's life in Paris, socialising with famous Parisian lesbians; Freddie's loves and combat experiences. Altogether the novel presents a vivid picture of gay life pre WW1 and between wars.

But the politics, the social restrictions and the conditions of most women's lives are expressed as well. The suffragettes' actions, campaigns and the brutality of their treatment by the law and street mobs and police are described as characters are arrested, beaten, and jailed. The novel also presents different points of view on activities undertaken by the suffragettes, as this is a factor in the event that separates the women initially. In the investigation they also encounter different attitudes to their activities in the past, from both women and men.

Although this novel has a serious side, it wears its research lightly, making this an enjoyable thoughtful book.