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The Girl in the Letter

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The Girl in the Letter

Written by: Emily Gunnis
Narrated by: Jane McDowell
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About this listen

Perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Kathryn Hughes, this gripping novel of long-buried secrets will stay with you for ever.

A heartbreaking letter. A girl locked away. A mystery to be solved.

1956. When Ivy Jenkins falls pregnant she is sent in disgrace to St Margaret's, a dark, brooding house for unmarried mothers. Her baby is adopted against her will. Ivy will never leave.

Present day. Samantha Harper is a journalist desperate for a break. When she stumbles on a letter from the past, the contents shock and move her. The letter is from a young mother, begging to be rescued from St Margaret's. Before it is too late.
Sam is pulled into the tragic story and discovers a spate of unexplained deaths surrounding the woman and her child. With St Margaret's set for demolition, Sam has only hours to piece together a sixty-year-old mystery before the truth, which lies disturbingly close to home, is lost for ever...

Remember her story...

©2018 Emily Gunnis (P)2018 Headline Publishing Group Ltd Historical Fiction Mystery Fiction Suspense

What the critics say

"A great book, truly hard to put down. Fast paced, brilliantly plotted and desperately sad at times - all hallmarks of a best seller." (Lesley Pearse)

"I was gripped by The Girl in the Letter. The story is compelling, twisty, heart-wrenching and thought-provoking. A novel that stays with you." (Sophie Kinsella)

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the narrator did a great job of reading but... the story is so hard to follow and it's very confusing to decipher the characters. the story is harsh in places which is what keeps you on the edge of your seat, but you dont really get to know who is who until the end of the book.

A difficult read.

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I found it a little hard to follow the timeline. I get that the author was trying to create suspense and curiosity but it created some confusion

A little confusing

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I really enjoyed this but struggled with all the awful realities in the story. great mystery.

sad but very great story. kept me very interested.

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I couldn't listen to this fast enough. It had me in my seat literally and I was surprised a lot with the twists and turns, and that does not happen often. Highly recommended

Fantastic read!

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This book kept me thoroughly engrossed from start to finish. Not the obvious turns of a predictable novel. Very well narrated. Helped me to further understand the plight of young pregnant girls at the hand of the powerful Catholic Church.

Riveting

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A heart breaking novel about our past and the brutal consequences to the "sins of the flesh."

In 1956, Ivy, was sent to St. Margaret's to have her baby as all young and unwed mothers went. For Ivy, it was an unpleasant time for her and the others, as they were made to work from day till night, in the hot laundry up to the time of delivery and then after. All the time, at St. Margaret's she wrote her love, letters of the condition, unhappiness and loneliness she felt there. Letter after letter she begged for her love to come and rescue her and their baby from inhumane circumstances. However, day after day her hope was dashed with no response from her true love.

Present day (2017)- Sam Pope is a journalist and finds Ivy's letters. Upon reading them, she is distraught and wants to find out what really happened at St. Margaret's, however, she has a limited time as the home for Mothers and Babies is about to be demolished. Will Sam find the answers she seeks in time? And at what cost?

The Girl in the Letter, is a beautifully written novel of the past we often forget. The birth of a child should be the happiest time of a woman's life, just not to unwed mothers in 1956.

P.S The narrator didn't change voices for different characters, which made it difficult at times to know who was speaking.

Heartbreaking

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going and forward in time in and audiobook can seem confusing and disjointed but overall good performance and compelling story.

confusing but enjoyable

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This has been hanging around in my wish list for awhile now until I finally purchased it. It’s a story that pulls you in and you can’t stop thinking about it. A real treasure read

The Girl In The Letter

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The descriptions are great, I’m not sure the author quite fits the quality of they story but it’s worth persevering the story becomes so engaging

Love this book, wish it was a movie too

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This is the first audio book I have read. What a wonderful first pick (#audible1). The story keeps you wanting to learn more as the story unfolds. The characters and plot are well developed with lots of twists and turns. The story unfolds in the past and the present and this works really well to set the background to the events that come to light in the present. The narrator is wonderful and she was also instrumental in contributing to my enjoyment in listening to this book. I can highly reccomend The Girl in the Letter to other Audible members.

A great story with an excellent narrator

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