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The Silent Chapter: A Heartwarming and Heartbreaking Love Story in Twentieth-Century Britain
THE UNMISSABLE DEBUT NOVEL BY KATHERINE BLAKEMAN... How far can one couple be pushed? On a mud-caked Manchester lakeside at Christmas 1918, the unlikeliest of romance blossoms. One a disturbed ex-soldier and the other a headstrong ex-suffragist, yet Patrick and Dorothy Hammond fit together like pieces of a jigsaw. The quiet village of Little Wychwood is just the place for them to escape the confines of their old lives. There, at last, they are free to realise their restoring a farm and starting a family.
Except it’s not quite as simple as that. Things start to go wrong very quickly, and the Hammonds are swung around and around on an emotional trapeze as they battle their way through the next forty years. With their own families being rocked apart and revealing horrifying secrets, not to mention the wars they fight inside their own minds, will they manage to hold it all together for the sake of their children, their faith... and their village?
Perfect for fans of Rachel Hore and Lyn Andrews, prepare to be swept away as this enchanting tale of love, loss and forgiveness is sure to tug at your heartstrings.
Content domestic abuse, child loss and suicide. PRAISE FOR THE SILENT 'You can feel Blakeman’s heart beat in every well-penned sentence. She gives voice to the challenges faced with a gentleness and realness … and does it so well that readers will forget it is fiction.' ~ REBECCA HOLLAND, HOLLAND MEDIA SERVICES
'This isn't afraid to shine a light onto some difficult subject matters, but does so carefully and thoughtfully, adding to the emotional depth... the ending is just perfect. It is something that will stay with me, and in my opinion, is universally relatable.' ~ EMMA HARDY, BOBS & BOOKS
'One of the best debut books I have read in a while ... The definition of the opposites attract love story.' ~ BRIONY MOLLY, BRIONY MOLLY MEDIA
383 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 7, 2022
8 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Blakeman
7 books23 followersWelcome to my page! I am the author of the Bound By The Rainbow series (Cornwall-based Sapphic novels consisting of The Summer We've Had, Love You However and A Different Kind Of Pride) and The Rainbow Lens, a second-chance Sapphic romance set in rural Italy.
My Instagram is @katherineblakemanwriter, my Twitter is @kblakemanwriter and I also use Facebook. My website is www.katherineblakeman.com, where you can find my blog, and I also have a Kofi page, ko-fi.com/katherineblakeman (which you'll have to copy and paste because apparently the link doesn't want to format correctly...).
Happy reading, everybody!
My Instagram is @katherineblakemanwriter, my Twitter is @kblakemanwriter and I also use Facebook. My website is www.katherineblakeman.com, where you can find my blog, and I also have a Kofi page, ko-fi.com/katherineblakeman (which you'll have to copy and paste because apparently the link doesn't want to format correctly...).
Happy reading, everybody!
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 24, 2022
A stunning read of wartime, bravery and history. This is the story of Dorothy and Patrick back around the time of the first world war and beyond. Patrick came from a rigid middle class family and thought that everyone called their father “ father-sir” such was his father Bruce’s hold on the family. Dotties family, although working class, still wanted to be thought of as “ respectable” and as soon as she was stepping out with Patrick her father threw her out. Prior to this several in the family had lost their jobs as they were “associated” with one of them who spoke out. Sadly such was life for many at that time. Dottie and her friends were suffragists- the non violent, more verbal versions of the suffragette movement starting to want equal rights for women.This tells of their life together and of life's ups and downs, the wars, social history and much more.
This is a well written account of life at that time and the era is portrayed very clearly. Bruce was a patriarchal narcissist who indoctrinated his children- something that sadly can still exist in both genders. I found this was a real page turner whilst despising Bruce and longing for the women to fight back. So well is this written that it stirred such emotions. I felt for Edna, Dorothy and the women in general. Dorothy was made of sterner stuff but society dictated otherwise most of the time. To give an idea of the harshness of that society- women were not “allowed” to speak in church (other than sing and say amen) doing so would bring shame on the whole family. Thankfully, how things have changed due to the bravery of women of that era and beyond in most parts of the world. A brilliantly written emotive read- one I shall not forget in a hurry. Stunning.
This is a well written account of life at that time and the era is portrayed very clearly. Bruce was a patriarchal narcissist who indoctrinated his children- something that sadly can still exist in both genders. I found this was a real page turner whilst despising Bruce and longing for the women to fight back. So well is this written that it stirred such emotions. I felt for Edna, Dorothy and the women in general. Dorothy was made of sterner stuff but society dictated otherwise most of the time. To give an idea of the harshness of that society- women were not “allowed” to speak in church (other than sing and say amen) doing so would bring shame on the whole family. Thankfully, how things have changed due to the bravery of women of that era and beyond in most parts of the world. A brilliantly written emotive read- one I shall not forget in a hurry. Stunning.
August 31, 2022
I’m currently trying to branch out and read different genres and so I purchased a load of indie books recently, and I am so glad that this was the first one I decided to read! It took me a while to get through the first part, not because of the book but because I was really busy, but once I had more time I sped through the second half, and couldn’t put it down during the last quarter!
The book spans over many years, and tells a wonderful story in which a young couple, as would be during those times, marry young and start a family. They come from very different backgrounds, he from a very religious family which heavily promotes the idea of a woman obeying her husband, and she a former suffragist. The way that they interact, support and love each other is so sweet! But the issues that arise, PTSD from the war, grief from losing children, and in general the roles of both women and men during those times was fascinating to read about and was portrayed in such a real and respectable way.
The characters were really well portrayed and thought out meticulously, and each tragedy that the couple overcame, and the after effects of each of those tragedies were so real and emotional. I love Dorothy and Patrick as characters, and finished the book wanting more of them :)
Really great and memorable read that will swim around in my mind for months to come. I highly recommend for lovers of historical fiction and romance!
The book spans over many years, and tells a wonderful story in which a young couple, as would be during those times, marry young and start a family. They come from very different backgrounds, he from a very religious family which heavily promotes the idea of a woman obeying her husband, and she a former suffragist. The way that they interact, support and love each other is so sweet! But the issues that arise, PTSD from the war, grief from losing children, and in general the roles of both women and men during those times was fascinating to read about and was portrayed in such a real and respectable way.
The characters were really well portrayed and thought out meticulously, and each tragedy that the couple overcame, and the after effects of each of those tragedies were so real and emotional. I love Dorothy and Patrick as characters, and finished the book wanting more of them :)
Really great and memorable read that will swim around in my mind for months to come. I highly recommend for lovers of historical fiction and romance!
January 20, 2022
Ah, where to begin? A story that spans across the wars so delicately and beautifully. I felt invested in Patrick and Dorothy's relationship from the off and it was emotional to see them grow as a couple, and a family. This isn't afraid to shine a light onto some difficult subject matters, but does so carefully and thoughtfully, adding to the emotional depth.
My only teeny criticism is that a couple of the chapters are quite long (60 odd pages) which meant I couldn't stop in a natural place a couple times when I had to stop reading. I definitely did want to read on though.
The ending is just perfect. It is something that will stay with me, and in my opinion, is universally relatable. No spoilers though!
My only teeny criticism is that a couple of the chapters are quite long (60 odd pages) which meant I couldn't stop in a natural place a couple times when I had to stop reading. I definitely did want to read on though.
The ending is just perfect. It is something that will stay with me, and in my opinion, is universally relatable. No spoilers though!
February 2, 2022
Thank you for the early copy.
It's a cracking debut novel. You follow the lives of Patrick and Dorothy through two world wars. These characters who draw you in from the very start. It's a story that explores the themes of forgiveness, hope and love.
There are subjects in the book that are at times difficult reading but they are handled delicately and with respect. I read A Silent Chapter in just 3 days as it left me wanting to know what would happen next.
It's a cracking debut novel. You follow the lives of Patrick and Dorothy through two world wars. These characters who draw you in from the very start. It's a story that explores the themes of forgiveness, hope and love.
There are subjects in the book that are at times difficult reading but they are handled delicately and with respect. I read A Silent Chapter in just 3 days as it left me wanting to know what would happen next.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews