The Gift of Time

by Julie Walker

Elisabeth’s autism never holds her back unless someone or something disturbs the natural order of her world. Alejandra doesn’t recognise how she has changed, nor had she considered that her husband was a narcissist until she can’t ignore it anymore. Mary Ann lives like a caged bird, through choice and circumstance. She is unable to see further than this but is finally beginning to question her life.

Giuseppe longs to escape his homeland, but his health and his mother are holding him back, or is that just an excuse he uses not to change? Clayton is nearing the end of his life and decides he needs to right the wrongs in his family while he still thinks he has time. Annchi doesn’t know much about the wider world, she doesn’t even know the truth of her own world. She doesn’t know it yet but will find out more than she could ever conceive of.

Then Covid hits.

Six people in five countries are unknowingly and inextricably linked. Love, hate, life, and death. Relationships are put to the test, deceptions are revealed, secrets are kept, lies are constructed. Help is at hand from the least expected sources, but hope is what they all have.

All they each wanted was the gift of time, but this wasn’t what they imagined.

212 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 6, 2022

Reviews

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like a warm hug❤️. A great concept all around 6 different peoples lives during COVID, and ultimately how they are linked despite living all around the world. The descriptions of the characters are beautiful and so well done, with just enough detail so that you feel as if you know them and understand their struggles, but not too strung out and complex. Recommend this to basically anyone looking for some escapism and a good moral in the end.

[Trinity Buckley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great idea for a book and I found it a compelling read. The characters were well formed and their individual stories were created brilliantly. The only issue I had was towards the end of the book where I had to keep looking back over previous chapters to work out the connections the characters had to one another and it became a little confusing. It's not the sort of book you can put down and pick up a week or two later. Overall I enjoyed it.

[Mohit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't put it down until I had turned the final page. A rollercoaster of a read, the pace is relentless, resulting in a denouement that will take your mind away.A stunning debut and the best part is that the plot is designed perfectly.I must say Julie Walker shines in this mysterious and chilling debut .You will fly through the pages of this suspenseful and fast-paced story, and the giant twist in between will leave your mind blown. It's not an ordinary story or written in a ordinary way this is something different which you need to try!!

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five Stars

One of the best books I have read this month!
Highly recommend it! I only leave positive feedback and reviews when I love the book.
Feel free to ask anything regarding this book.
A must read for sure.
I'd recommend this book to everyone who would like to read an amazing book.
The book is written in a very interesting way .
A must read for sure

[Danni Phantom Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I DEVOURED this book in one sitting! I could not put it down, I mean talk about suspense and clutching my pearls😭😂!! The uniquely, wonderfully written style and pace kept my eyes glued to the pages! I loved this book so much, I have found a new favorite author in Julie Walker!

Thank you to NetGalley and Matador for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Robin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly admire authors who have tackled the problem of the pandemic in their fiction and this is a particularly fine example.
A series of poignant vignettes link the various characters, each of them touched in some way by the coronavirus and lockdowns.
I found the whole novel engaging and it was easy to have empathy for these varied character portraits.

[Ryanspaperadventures · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! Reading from all the different perspectives and trying to figure out how they all connected was such an exciting adventure, I also just loved how it all came together in the end! Was a great book to get lost in and had so many unique characters that I won't soon be forgetting.

The only reason I gave it four rather than five stars was because I found myself a little lost at times as the story could jump without me realising it!

[Jane loves to read · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gift of Time follows six characters in five countries all desperate for the gift of time but life is never straight forward as they are hit unexpectedly by a pandemic. This little book is filled full of emotion and so many secrets which you as a reader quickly become consumed by each story. It is not until the end that connections are sensitively revealed.
A thought provoking read.

[Emma Johns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. At first, it felt like I was reading separate stories about different people, but as it went on, I started to see how their lives were linked. The way the connections came together was clever and kept me wanting to read more.

The characters all felt real and each had their own struggles, especially with the pandemic in the background. By the end, I cared about all of them and liked how their stories wrapped up.

A good, thoughtful read that shows how people’s lives can be connected in unexpected ways.