The Box

by Anita Griffiths

“I used to like dressing up and dancing too, usually in my mother’s high heels.” Majbritt’s eyes widened. “Did you?” I nodded. “Yes, I was going to be a ballerina. I had classes every Saturday morning. It was such hard work but I loved it.”“Why did you stop?”I thought about it for a second. How to explain.Kristabel was only seven when she was transported to England, to escape the tyranny that tore Europe apart and stamped out her family. It’s not until seventy-eight years later when she befriends her seven-year-old neighbour, that she dares to look back on life and open the door to a past she has always kept shut.

223 pages, Paperback

Published August 27, 2020

About the author

Born in London to a Swedish mother and English father, Anita spent her childhood moving between the two countries. She met her husband when she was eighteen and they laid down roots in sunny Dorset to raise their four children. Anita is proud to be a ‘vintage veggie’; she and her husband gave up meat and dairy over thirty years ago, and raised their family with the same ethics.
With the children now grown and flying the nest, and the family expanding, Anita divides her time between tracing her ancestral roots across Ireland, England and Scandinavia, and writing in her nature filled garden with her cats.
She draws on her own experiences and those of her family and friends for character inspiration and plot lines. She focuses on the ‘what ifs’ in life; on the decisions made in haste or under duress, that have far-reaching consequences down the line. An avid genealogist, she incorporates ancestors names in all of her stories as a nod to their memory.

‘One of my earliest memories is of my great gran reciting poems to me, encouraging me to memorise them, long before I was a confident reader. My uncle would give me book vouchers each Christmas; the joy of perusing the bookstore to choose my own books was immense. My favourite books as a child were the Paddington books, My Naughty Little Sister, the Narnia books and anything by Enid Blyton. The first ‘grown up’ book I read, aged seven, was The Three Musketeers, followed by Little Dorrit, and so a love of the classics was born. I love reading a wide range of books but to this day, Jane Eyre still remains my favourite book, closely followed by Pride & Prejudice, and Jane Austen my favourite author.’

Anita is a massive music fan and compiles playlists on Spotify as writing inspiration for each of her books. Her other loves are reading, theatre, film, gardening and hiking. She hoards far too much tatt (but only of sentimental value!), collects beautiful books and more recently, David Austin roses.

For more information on Anita, on her writing and books, check out her website anitagriffiths.co.uk, read her blog on anitagriffiths.blogspot.com, follow her on Instagram anitaegriffiths and Twitter@anitaegriffiths and join her on Facebook @anita.e.griffiths (Anita Griffiths Writer)

Reviews

[Suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a 5 star book!!

This was an absolutely wonderful story! Bella is getting old and her beloved husband has passed away. Just when she believes her life has passed her by a friend reaches out to her past and finds something she had given up on years ago....friends and family still alive in the world years after the Holocaust. She is afraid and intrigued and worried but moves forward only to find love and acceptance. Heart touching in the best of ways!

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunting but true

How many survivors have hidden their past?
How many never verbalize their memories or felt they had no memories?
So many emotions which make a conversation/discussion difficult or impossible!
I hope anyone with "secrets" can read this one story so it can help them understand.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I’ve read in a long time! It’ll break your heart, then fix it, then break it again, then fix it once more.
It’s one of those rare books that leaves you thinking about it days after, had to stop myself from rereading it again as soon as I’d finished.

Shame I can’t give more than 5 stars, would definitely recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jane Ingram · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Box by Anita Griffiths

The Box is a very well written book. It is told from a very different angle and is very thought provoking.
Well done! I’m looking forward to reading more of your stories.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sad story, that redeems itself in the end. Although Bella had every reason to put the past out of her mind, doing so cost her dearly. The moral: don't put it off, face it now, say it now, don't let it fester. Time is too short.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing story that makes you go through a type of self analysis. The main character boxed her pain and sorrow for so many years but eventually came to realize her pain could teach others.