A Whisper of Life

Harvey Family Saga #6

by Gloria Cook

The new book in the popular Harvey series - It is 1948, and the village of Hennaford is struggling to recover from the war. Johnny Harvey is disillusioned; injured in the war and disturbed at the changing society; life seems to be passing him by. Meanwhile, sixteen-year-old Tess Viant, crippled with polio and abandoned by her family, is befriended by Jill Harvey. Jill is delighted to be pregnant after four years of marriage to Tom, but when complications arise, it's Tess who has to help Jill . . .

220 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2007

About the author

Gloria is the author of well-loved Cornish novels, including the Pengarron and Harvey sagas. She is Cornish born and bred, and lives in Truro, a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England.

Reviews

[Ruth D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Soapy.

[Diane Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last in the Harvey family saga books and I've thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Once I picked one up I couldn't put it down. The series spans the two world wars and gives an insight to life in those difficult times, it's also set in Cornwall so was interesting to relate it to places I know well.

[Lou Sutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t realise that this book was one in a series of 6. And this was the final book in that series! And yet, I didn’t feel that this detracted in any way from not having read the others; you generally get a strong awareness that there’s stuff missing, stuff that’s often integral to the whole saga. But this didn’t leave you confused; because the way it cleverly and succinctly encapsulates important relevant pasts , without overwhelming the reader with long and protracted explanations about it, it has a stand-alone quality of its own. I only discovered there were 5 previous, when I read the reviews of this story and after I’d finished it! That’s a clever quality for the writer to pull off. It’s a harsh and yet uplifting story; parts of it are so desperately sad, and heart-stoppingly scary, but it’s also filled with warmth, love for humankind (not only family), and it kept me turning the pages and wanting more until I’d finished the book. I throughly enjoyed it.
Only thing I wished differently was that Jonny’s love for Kate was not unrequited. Sad that it was and I felt the pain off of him (sob!) But really great book in all :)

[Alison Hydes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most enjoyable read of this family saga. Sad to come to the end.

[Bronwyn Rykiert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last book of the Harvey family of Hennaford, Cornwall – it has been a good series and it is sad that we didn’t get to if Jonny Hervey to find a mate.

It is 1948 and Tom and Jill Harvey have been married for 4 years and Jill has at last fallen pregnant but it was not to be and she loses the baby. Into their lives comes Kate Viant, after she is left homeless after her grandmother’s death and her family’s desertion. Jill and Tom take her in and give her home so she can be a companion to Jill.

Abbie Rothwell comes to visit, she is friend of Emilia Boswell’s childhood friend Honor and Jonny Harvey comes home on leave from the RAF – he is depressed and not sure what he wants to do with his life. He and Abbie have a bit of fun together with no ties and Jonny falls in love with Kate who is 19 years younger than him.

As with others in this series lots of things happen, Mark Fuller, who was featured a lot in the last book marries Jonny’s half sister Louisa. Something happens to Abbie that changes her outlook on life and Jonny falls in love for the first time. Emilia and Perry are still happily married and have their young son Paul.