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Second Chapter
A collection of three novels from an award winning author
'Jane Davis crafts imaginative ideas into beautiful prose. Each book is a jewel so this box set is a trove of treasures.' J J Marsh, Founder of Triskele Books and Author of the Beatrice Stubbs Series
Like Margaret Atwood, Davis seems to be able to conjour a fresh, new voice and style for every story, be it a man's rediscovery of his mother through her photographs, the taboo of pupil/teacher relationships outside the classroom or a haunting tale of a young girl and her visions. But what do the featured novels have in common? Says Davis: ‘It took me some time to work out that the common theme running through my novels is the influence that missing persons have in our lives. In my experience, that influence can actually be greater than that of those who are present. In I Stopped Time, it was an estranged mother. I addressed the theme head-on in A Funeral for an Owl which considers teenage runaways. And in These Fragile Things mother Elaine is obsessed by the child she lost, almost to the exclusion of the child she has. Fiction is never going to provide a complete answer, but it does force both writer and reader to walk in another person’s shoes. And, in many ways, it is the exploration and not the answer that is important.’
I Stopped TimeWouldn't you feel cheated if the woman you'd imagined was the villain of your childhood turned out to be someone rather extraordinary?
A Funeral for an OwlA powerful exploration of the ache of loss, set in a landscape where broken people can find each other.
These Fragile ThingsLife can change in a split second. And there will be nothing you can do to stop it.
Praise for the author'When a story pulls you into it so you care about the characters and believe in every moment you’re with them, and in addition the quality of writing enriches your experience, you’ve found something special. That’s how I feel about Jane Davis’ work.’ Jean Gill, Author and Photographer
'You'll love this if you enjoy books with great characters such as those by Maggie O'Farrell, Ann Patchett and Anne Tyler.' Bookmuse
‘Intellectually and emotionally engaging.’ James Metcalf, book blogger and reviewer
'That Jane Davis is an important new writer is a given.’ Grady Harp, reviewer
‘Davis is a phenomenal writer, whose ability to create well rounded characters that are easy to relate to feels effortless.’ Compulsion Reads
'Jane is not afraid to get stuck into some meaty themes and present her characters with thought-provoking emotional dilemmas.' Sharon Avidreader
'I read all Jane's novels and I could not pick my favourite. They are all different, but they hold one similarity, namely the author's gift of storytelling.' Anna from Poland
'This author never fails to make you think about wider issues.' MIF
'Clever stories, brilliantly told.' Sarah Diss
'Jane Davis has the insight and sensitivity of a great writer.’ Awesome Indies.
‘Davis has an incredible knack for making everything count.’ Amie McCracken
'A brilliantly imaginative and quirkily fresh take on the world. Brimful of originality and creativity.’ The Literary Consultancy
’An elegant and understated prose style with a very satisfying rhythm. This is really very good writing indeed.
880 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2021
6 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Jane Davis
14 books160 followersHailed by The Bookseller as 'One to Watch', Jane Davis writes thought-provoking page-turners, exploring a diverse range of subjects, from pioneering female photographers to relatives seeking justice for the victims of a fictional disaster. Interested in how people behave under pressure, Jane introduces her characters when they're in highly volatile situations and then, in her words, throws them to the lions. Expect complex relationships, meaty moral dilemmas and a scattering of dark family secrets!
Her first novel, 'Half-Truths and White Lies', won a national award established by Transworld with the aim of finding the next Joanne Harris. Further recognition followed in 2016 with 'An Unknown Woman' being named Writing Magazine's Self-Published Book of the Year as well as being shortlisted in the IAN Awards. In 2019 'Smash all the Windows', won the inaugural Selfies Book Award. Her novel, 'At the Stroke of Nine O'Clock' was featured by The Lady Magazine as one of their favourite books set in the 1950s and was a Historical Novel Society Editor's Choice.
Jane lives in Surrey, in what was originally the ticket office for a Victorian pleasure garden, known locally as 'the gingerbread house'. Her house frequently crops up in her fiction. In fact, she burnt it to the ground in the opening chapter of 'An Unknown Woman'. Her latest release, 'Small Eden', is a fictionalized account of why one man chose to open a small-scale pleasure garden at a time when London's great pleasure gardens were facing bankruptcy.
When she isn't writing, you may spot Jane disappearing up the side of a mountain with a camera in hand.
Find out more about Jane at:
Website:jane-davis.co.uk
Get a FREEcopy of her time-slip, photography-themed eBook, I Stopped Time, when you signup to her mailing list at jane-davis.co.uk/newsletter
Her first novel, 'Half-Truths and White Lies', won a national award established by Transworld with the aim of finding the next Joanne Harris. Further recognition followed in 2016 with 'An Unknown Woman' being named Writing Magazine's Self-Published Book of the Year as well as being shortlisted in the IAN Awards. In 2019 'Smash all the Windows', won the inaugural Selfies Book Award. Her novel, 'At the Stroke of Nine O'Clock' was featured by The Lady Magazine as one of their favourite books set in the 1950s and was a Historical Novel Society Editor's Choice.
Jane lives in Surrey, in what was originally the ticket office for a Victorian pleasure garden, known locally as 'the gingerbread house'. Her house frequently crops up in her fiction. In fact, she burnt it to the ground in the opening chapter of 'An Unknown Woman'. Her latest release, 'Small Eden', is a fictionalized account of why one man chose to open a small-scale pleasure garden at a time when London's great pleasure gardens were facing bankruptcy.
When she isn't writing, you may spot Jane disappearing up the side of a mountain with a camera in hand.
Find out more about Jane at:
Website:jane-davis.co.uk
Get a FREEcopy of her time-slip, photography-themed eBook, I Stopped Time, when you signup to her mailing list at jane-davis.co.uk/newsletter
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November 22, 2021‘Jane Davis crafts imaginative ideas into beautiful prose. Each book is a jewel so this box set is a trove of treasures.’ J J Marsh, Founder of Triskele Books and Author of the Beatrice Stubbs Series
Like Margaret Atwood, Davis seems to be able to conjour a fresh, new voice and style for every story, be it a man’s rediscovery of his mother through her photographs, the taboo of pupil/teacher relationships outside the classroom or a haunting tale of a young girl and her visions. But what do the featured novels have in common? Says Davis: ‘It took me some time to work out that the common theme running through my novels is the influence that missing persons have in our lives. In my experience, that influence can actually be greater than that of those who are present. In I Stopped Time, it was an estranged mother. I addressed the theme head-on in A Funeral for an Owl which considers teenage runaways. And in These Fragile Things mother Elaine is obsessed by the child she lost, almost to the exclusion of the child she has. Fiction is never going to provide a complete answer, but it does force both writer and reader to walk in another person’s shoes. And, in many ways, it is the exploration and not the answer that is important.’
I Stopped Time
Wouldn’t you feel cheated if the woman you’d imagined was the villain of your childhood turned out to be someone rather extraordinary?
A Funeral for an Owl
A powerful exploration of the ache of loss, set in a landscape where broken people can find each other.
These Fragile Things
Life can change in a split second. And there will be nothing you can do to stop it.
Praise for the author
‘When a story pulls you into it so you care about the characters and believe in every moment you’re with them, and in addition the quality of writing enriches your experience, you’ve found something special. That’s how I feel about Jane Davis’ work.’ Jean Gill, Author and Photographer
‘You’ll love this if you enjoy books with great characters such as those by Maggie O’Farrell, Ann Patchett and Anne Tyler.’ Bookmuse
‘Intellectually and emotionally engaging.’ James Metcalf, book blogger and reviewer
‘That Jane Davis is an important new writer is a given.’ Grady Harp, reviewer
‘Davis is a phenomenal writer, whose ability to create well rounded characters that are easy to relate to feels effortless.’ Compulsion Reads
‘Jane is not afraid to get stuck into some meaty themes and present her characters with thought-provoking emotional dilemmas.’ Sharon Avidreader
‘I read all Jane’s novels and I could not pick my favourite. They are all different, but they hold one similarity, namely the author’s gift of storytelling.’ Anna from Poland
‘This author never fails to make you think about wider issues.’ MIF
‘Clever stories, brilliantly told.’ Sarah Diss
‘Jane Davis has the insight and sensitivity of a great writer.’ Awesome Indies.
‘Davis has an incredible knack for making everything count.’ Amie McCracken
‘A brilliantly imaginative and quirkily fresh take on the world. Brimful of originality and creativity.’ The Literary Consultancy
Like Margaret Atwood, Davis seems to be able to conjour a fresh, new voice and style for every story, be it a man’s rediscovery of his mother through her photographs, the taboo of pupil/teacher relationships outside the classroom or a haunting tale of a young girl and her visions. But what do the featured novels have in common? Says Davis: ‘It took me some time to work out that the common theme running through my novels is the influence that missing persons have in our lives. In my experience, that influence can actually be greater than that of those who are present. In I Stopped Time, it was an estranged mother. I addressed the theme head-on in A Funeral for an Owl which considers teenage runaways. And in These Fragile Things mother Elaine is obsessed by the child she lost, almost to the exclusion of the child she has. Fiction is never going to provide a complete answer, but it does force both writer and reader to walk in another person’s shoes. And, in many ways, it is the exploration and not the answer that is important.’
I Stopped Time
Wouldn’t you feel cheated if the woman you’d imagined was the villain of your childhood turned out to be someone rather extraordinary?
A Funeral for an Owl
A powerful exploration of the ache of loss, set in a landscape where broken people can find each other.
These Fragile Things
Life can change in a split second. And there will be nothing you can do to stop it.
Praise for the author
‘When a story pulls you into it so you care about the characters and believe in every moment you’re with them, and in addition the quality of writing enriches your experience, you’ve found something special. That’s how I feel about Jane Davis’ work.’ Jean Gill, Author and Photographer
‘You’ll love this if you enjoy books with great characters such as those by Maggie O’Farrell, Ann Patchett and Anne Tyler.’ Bookmuse
‘Intellectually and emotionally engaging.’ James Metcalf, book blogger and reviewer
‘That Jane Davis is an important new writer is a given.’ Grady Harp, reviewer
‘Davis is a phenomenal writer, whose ability to create well rounded characters that are easy to relate to feels effortless.’ Compulsion Reads
‘Jane is not afraid to get stuck into some meaty themes and present her characters with thought-provoking emotional dilemmas.’ Sharon Avidreader
‘I read all Jane’s novels and I could not pick my favourite. They are all different, but they hold one similarity, namely the author’s gift of storytelling.’ Anna from Poland
‘This author never fails to make you think about wider issues.’ MIF
‘Clever stories, brilliantly told.’ Sarah Diss
‘Jane Davis has the insight and sensitivity of a great writer.’ Awesome Indies.
‘Davis has an incredible knack for making everything count.’ Amie McCracken
‘A brilliantly imaginative and quirkily fresh take on the world. Brimful of originality and creativity.’ The Literary Consultancy
February 8, 2022
It took me a long time to read the three books in this box set. Not because they were difficult to read or boring or anything like that. Each of them filled me with SO very much emotion that I needed to sit with each story for quite some time, reading much lighter fare, before I could go on to the next one. These stories are not my every day go-to kind of book. There are no guaranteed happily ever afters and the mysteries aren't wrapped up in a neat little bow in the last chapter. These books smack of real life full of turmoil and grief and unexpected friendships. My life has been enriched. Thank you Ms Davis.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews