Meitene vēstulē

by Emily Gunnis, Emīlija Gunnis, Ligita Azovska (Translator)

1956. gads: Aivija Dženkinsa paliek stāvoklī, un, baidoties no sabiedrības nosodījuma, viņa tiek nosūtīta uz Svētās Mārgaretas neprecēto sieviešu klosteri, kur viņas mazulis tiek adoptēts pret viņas gribu.
Mūsdienas: Samanta Hārpere ir žurnāliste, vientuļā māte, kura veido savu karjeru un mēģina rast savu vietu dzīvē, nejauši uzduras vēstulei no pagātnes, kuras saturs viņu šokē un aizkustina līdz sirds dziļumiem. Vēstules saturs izraisa ne tikai empātiju, bet arī virkni jautājumu: kas īsti notika šajā iestādē? Kādi bija tur dzīvojošo sieviešu likteņi? Un vai kāds tagad cenšas noslēpt pagātnes tumšos noslēpumus?
Vēstule ir no jaunas mātes, kura lūdz, lai viņu izglābj no Svētās Mārgaretas, pirms nav par vēlu. Samanta tiek iesaistīta traģiskajā stāstā un atklāj neizskaidrojamu nāves gadījumu virkni ap sievieti un viņas bērnu. Viņa saskaras ar pretrunām dokumentos, ar cilvēkiem, kas baidās runāt, un lieciniekiem, kuri maldina.
Svēto Mārgaretu drīz plāno nojaukt, un laika ir maz, lai atklātu patiesību un sacenstos ar laiku un pagātni.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Book Club, Mystery, Thriller, Historical, Mystery Thriller

308 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2018

About the author

Hello everyone,

Thank you for checking out my author page. Even writing this is a dream come true for me.

I’ve wanted to be a published author since my mother, Penny Vincenzi, got her first book deal, when she and I would walk and talk about everything plots and stories together.

Fast forward thirty years and I have discovered it is slightly more difficult than she made it look. But still, I got there eventually, because it is in my blood, and also, because I have always existed, slightly, in a world of my own, and reading and writing books allows me to make a living from that. I still remember my eleven-year-old self, a little at odds with the world, sitting on the cold parquet floor of St Lawrence Junior School utterly gripped as Mr Thomas read us all Boy by Roald Dahl.

After graduating in Journalism in 1997 I began writing scripts and had two episodes of BBC Doctors commissioned, but I wasn’t keen on all the endless drafts and input from Script Editors and Producers. So, while I worked as a PA at the BBC and the Daily Mirror newspaper I learned as much as I could about storytelling until it all became fodder for my debut novel, The Girl in the Letter.

I really hope you enjoy it, and my follow-up novel which I am busy researching as we speak. I live in Brighton, Sussex, with my husband Steve, an architect, and my two crazy, beautiful girls, Grace and Eleanor. We read a lot of Julia Donaldson and Roald Dahl, in between walking Merlin our whippet on the beach but when I’ve got a deadline I rely on their tablets rather a lot and feel incredibly guilty most of the time.

If you’d like to get in touch, please do visit me on Twitter @EmilyGunnis and Instagram @emilygunnis.

And if you’re really stuck for something to do, feel free to review my book. I would love to know what you think.

Keep reading!

Love Emily x

Reviews

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

The chapters in this story alternate between 1956, telling Ivy’s story, and 2017, following Sam’s research for an article. While this is a story about family bonds, loss, and perseverance, it is also an eye-opening story about the abuse of power and a society whose judgment is more important than the welfare of its children. With issues like those, it’s not surprising that this book has emotional scenes.

I totally lost myself in this incredible, heart-wrenching, and vividly visual story about a mother-and-baby home in 1950s Sussex, and a modern-day journalist touched so much by The Girl in the Letter that she made it her mission to uncover the truth. The letters themselves had me in tears at points; I was willing the characters on and feeling so connected to the relationships. Emily Gunnis is obviously a meticulous researcher. I also enjoyed that this wasn’t your usual "unwed mothers in the Catholic laundry" story. The author really revved it up a notch by adding a murderous twist to this exceptional storyline. Nowhere in any blurb or description of the book did I hear about that, so I was pleasantly surprised.

This is an incredible story that’s very beautifully written. The characters were so real, and all I wanted was to embrace them and steal them away from their separate horrors. Brava, Ms. Gunnis! I set my life aside to read your book and was completely mesmerized by the depth of your characters and the beauty they still managed to somehow weave through their tragic lives. Overall, this is a wonderful read that confronts a horrible time in history head-on.

[Berit☀️✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Mesmerizing Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

This was such a heart wrenching captivating story very reminiscent of “before We Were Yours”; One of my top reads of 2017... i’m not a big fan of comparing books, but in this case it is almost impossible not to... from the duel timelines to the horrific treatment of children steeped in history... if you enjoyed BWWY you will absolutely be entranced by this book as well....

There are so many layers to the story... so many well-developed multi dimensional characters, but one character really stood out to me... Ivy in my opinion was the true hero of this book... her letters really tour at my heartstrings... whisked away from her family to a home for unmarried women.... where she was treated horribly and made to give up her baby.... through all of this she maintained her humanity and her compassion.... and in her darkest of moments her thoughts were not of her self but of another... truly isn’t this The definition of a mother? Well apparently in the 50s and 60s being unmarried trumped unconditional love.... so many parts of this portion of the story were frustrating and sad.... and truly the saddest part of all is it is part of our history.... yes this Book took place in the UK, but we would be remiss to think it did not happen in the US as well....

Where the past timeline of the story was steeped in history the present day timeline was steeped in mystery... Samantha a struggling reporter, finds one of Ivy‘s letters clutched in her grandma‘s hand when she comes across her napping in the rocking chair... curious by nature Samantha doesn’t buy her grandma’s story... so why does Samantha’s grandmother have this letter? and what happens to the girl in the letter? You will need to read this book to find out the mystery and the real story behind these letters.... I guarantee you will be as enthralled as I was... as more and more secrets of the past are revealed I was more and more invested in this story...

Absolutely recommend to fans of a book with a well researched dose of history and a well developed mystery...

*** many thanks to Headline for my copy of this book ***

[Adele Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book grabbed a hold of me for the first three quarters of it. The whole story in regards a Mother and Baby facility in the 1950/60/70, was fascinating but at time hard to read. To think that these types of places actually existed is hard to comprehend. The last quarter of the book dragged on for me and I found it becoming more far fetched the further in, to the point I couldn't wait to get to the end.

[Selena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free e-copy of The Girl in the Letter by Emily Gunnis from Goodreads for my honest review.

Ivy Jenkins is sent to St. Margarets in 1956. She is pregnant but not married and her family is ashamed. She is told that when she has her baby, it will be adopted and then she gets to go back home.

In present-day, Sam, a mother and journalist is exhausted and needs a break in her career. She comes across a letter and decides to investigate the information in it. Further letters emerge come forward and Sam starts to make sense out of the mystery. There are lots of twists and turns in this book all relating to the mothers, children, and the staff from the home for unmarried mothers. The horrible cruelty the mothers were subjected to is cruel and disturbing but based on true events. The house that contain all these secrets is also about to be demolished so the truth needs to be found quickly.

A horrific and heart wrenching read that you can't put down, yet will leave you an emotional mess.
28 likes

[SVETLANA · Rating 2 out of 5]

The history of houses for unmarried mothers is a very depressing one. It has not been discussed enough and should attract more authors to write about it.

In this sense, the book The Girl in the Letter was very welcomed for me. This is a story about very young Ivy Jenkins who fell pregnant and was sent to St Margaret's, a dark, brooding house for unmarried mothers. She wrote a few letters to the boy she loved and was the father of her unborn child. She describes life in St.Margaret and all the events that happened with her there. A journalist Samantha Harper finds these letters and starts her investigation.

From the beginning, I thought that I was going to enjoy this book, but it didn't happen to the degree that I expected. I wouldn't say I liked the author's style. Sometimes facts are a bit confusing and repetitive. The main our days' character (Samantha Harper) was not as likeable as I would expect from such a book.

Another character, who was born and lived in St.Margaret, had a hard life there but this doesn't mean that she had to commit so many murders.

It was better to find another way of writing this book without transforming it into a criminal story.
The book is an example of transforming a good story into a mediocre one.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 2 out of 5]

The prologue starts in 1959 with a letter written to a child called Elvira. The letter written by Ivy helps plan a way of escape for Elvira. Ivy is an unmarried mother whose baby Rose was taken away at birth by the nuns at St Margaret’s where Ivy’s mother and her stepfather who is also Ivy’s uncle sent her. But St Margaret’s and the nuns are far from what her mother dreamed they would be. The other story is that of single mother Samantha Harper, who is a reporter. Sam’s daughter is Emma. At her Gran’s place Sam finds a letter from a young mother begging her lover to help her escape St Margaret’s before it is too late. Who is this girl in the letter? And why does her grandmother have that letter? While Sam works, Emma and is often looked after by Sam’s Nan when Ben, her ex is not around. St Margaret’s is about to be torn down and the truth will be lost, unless Sam can find it out before that happens.
Set in the UK this is a horror picture of the desperate lives of unmarried mothers back in the late fifties and sixties. Where they should have received compassion these young women were treated shamefully. On the cover of this book is a quote by author Lesley Pearse, which says, ’A great book. Truly hard to put down.’ I had no trouble putting it down at times, because the pictures from the young women’s situations, many of them barely more than teenagers were so horrific. Despite the ongoing mystery, the whole book depressed me. Several times I consider giving up. Instead I attempted to solve the problem by finding a lighter book to balance these horrendous scenes.
How the nuns who claimed to love and serve God, could behave in such a cruel and terrifying manner is absolutely beyond me. Yet I know from other historical books set in Ireland, America and Australia that this occurred. This is not the best book I have read on this topic. Not even close. Maybe it’s me, but I found this story confusing at times and hard to follow as it jumps around between different characters and time. I could also have done without the graphic murder scenes.
There are going to be a lot of people who will find this book engrossing but I struggled to get to the end. There was one comment that I really loved though. Words Ivy’s Granddad said, ’If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito in the room.’ While it is important stories like this are told for me this one didn’t really work. I was relieved to get to the end. Others may appreciate it more.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girl in the Letter by Emily Gunnis is the sad story of unmarried girls who are sent by their families to mother and baby homes to give birth and the way they are treated while they are there. This book also tells the story of Kitty who is looking for her sister who was left at the home and Samantha the journalist who will stop at nothing for this story to be told. I would like to thank NetGalley and Headline for my e_copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Selena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free e-copy of The Girl in the Letter by Emily Gunnis from Goodreads for my honest review.

Ivy Jenkins is sent to St. Margarets in 1956. She is pregnant but not married and her family is ashamed. She is told that when she has her baby, it will be adopted and then she gets to go back home.

In present-day, Sam, a mother and journalist is exhausted and needs a break in her career. She comes across a letter and decides to investigate the information in it. Further letters emerge come forward and Sam starts to make sense out of the mystery. There are lots of twists and turns in this book all relating to the mothers, children, and the staff from the home for unmarried mothers. The horrible cruelty the mothers were subjected to is cruel and disturbing but based on true events. The house that contain all these secrets is also about to be demolished so the truth needs to be found quickly.

A horrific and heart wrenching read that you can't put down, yet will leave you an emotional mess.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

What an emotionally, harrowing novel! The Girl in the Letter was much darker than I expected and so, so sad but I very much enjoyed it. For me, knowing that it is based on historical facts, made the book all the more emotional, moving, and disturbing, especially since the facts are almost too horrific to think about! I honestly had no idea that there were mother and babies homes like this in the UK in the middle part of the 1900s (and after research of my own apparently ones run by the Salvation Army in the United States around the same time) and appreciate Emily Gunnis shining a light on the abuse, cruelty, and utter brutality in these homes in her debut novel. 

The novel is told in dual timelines; it begins in 1959 at the St. Margaret’s Mother and Baby Home in Sussex with one of many heartbreakingly devastating letters by Ivy Jenkins that tell of the horrors suffered not only by her but of the other unwed mothers and children at the mercy of the nuns, doctors, and others at St. Margarets. Ivy is a young girl sent by her family to the mother/baby home only for the "sin" of becoming pregnant without a husband; the stigma of illegitimacy was too horrid for them to bear taking care of their daughter and grandchild. Instead, she's been at the home for three years because she has to work to pay off the debt of her "care" while her baby has been forcefully taken away from her and put up for adoption.

In 2017, journalist Samantha Harper discovers the letters Ivy wrote while at St. Margaret's, many of them addressed to the baby's father begging him to rescue her from the daily abuse she sufferers and the last one addressed to a mysterious child named Elvira. Sam, looking for her big break, knows that there's a huge story behind the letters, especially since St. Margaret's is about to be demolished any day and there's a link to a high profile celebrity if she can just figure out what it is. Sam is determined to find out the truth behind the letters and the more she digs, she finds mysterious deaths for everyone mentioned in the letters. Who is Ivy? Who is Elvira? And where are they now?

The letters in the novel are what really makes this such an emotional read. Sam, of course, is a brilliant character and her quest to bring justice for all the mothers subjected to the abuses at the hands of these nuns, who you would think would have been compassionate but were vile, evil, and abusive monsters, and bring some answers to the children given up for adoption was so admirable! But truly, the letters―they make you feel like you are right there with Ivy and experiencing what she does, and the fact that this is all historical accurate just makes it all too real! I cried reading several of them. I was four months pregnant when I married my husband, and I sat here and thought how blessed I was to have the support of my husband, family, and friends at the time because I just can't imagine being pregnant, alone, and treated so inhumanely! 

Definitely, this one is a hard read, but I believe historical fiction should educate us about the past and this one does. The author's notes were very enlightening too and just showed how expertly this one was researched. I loved The Girl in the Letter and thought it a heartbreaking but beautiful debut. I highly recommend it if you enjoy historical fiction and eagerly await Gunnis' next book!

**Thank you Headline/Quercus USA for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.**

[Justina Neliubšienė · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kokia liūdna,šokiruojanti, bet stipri ir gera knyga. Verta paskaityti,man tikrai patiko.♥️

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5* --> 5*

Wow! The Girl in the Letter has left me rather speechless and let me tell you that doesn’t happen very often. I feel quite lost for words and slightly incapable of forming any kind of coherent sentence, nor do I have a clue as to how to do this novel justice.

In her debut novel, Emily Gunnis tackles one of the most disturbing topics in history. That of the mother and baby homes, where single expecting mothers were sent to give birth away from the disapproving eyes of relatives and neighbours. They were often forced to give their babies up for adoption with no hope of ever seeing them again.

The story starts in 1956 when young Ivy is sent to St. Margaret’s. Abandoned by her family and the boy who got her pregnant, the circumstances in which she finds herself are utterly devastating. Sixty years later, reporter Samantha stumbles upon letters written by Ivy while at the mother and baby home. Samantha senses there’s a story here that needs to be told. What happened to Ivy? Where is Ivy’s baby? What secrets and lies hide behind the walls of the home?

I don’t want to give too much away about the plot. Yes, there are a few mysteries to be solved and questions to be answered but to be honest, they all kind of melted into the background for me. This was all so realistic and believable, as history has proven it to be, that it near had me in bits. Ivy’s letters are immensely harrowing and the events she describes are incredibly disturbing. I can’t even begin to imagine the hardship of daily life at the home, the loss of a child. Not just at the home but also in later life. It’s devastating to realise that so many people got away with these atrocities.

The Girl in the Letter is a thought-provoking, moving and utterly heartbreaking novel that nearly had me in tears. It made me sad, it made me angry and it’s a novel I won’t be forgetting in a hurry. I’m not entirely sure I’ve managed to get across the impact this novel had on me but I do so hope I’ve said enough to make you want to pick this one up. This is an absolutely incredible debut novel by Emily Gunnis and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m speechless ,this was a thought provoking this book. book which keeps you gripped and leaves you thinking about it even after you’ve finished it.
It’s not a subject I know a lot about, but I found it heart breaking that in the 50’s till the 70’s unmarried mothers were sent away to give birth & have their babies adopted, but what saddened me was that when these girls needed love and support,they were treated so coldly and expected to work hard. It seems crazy that they sent them away to avoid stigma when nowadays it is commonplace to see unmarried mothers, it’s as if back then it was a different world.
If you are after a story that is beautifully written, with strong characters this is the perfect book that long after reading will stay in you’re thoughts.
Thank you to netgalley for letting me review

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book tells the harrowing story of a mother and baby home for unmarried mothers. I think this is an important issue and the notes at the end were very interesting about the older children and doctors (without giving any spoilers)

I enjoyed the fast moving plot. However, I think it was rather obvious in places and perhaps if less clues were given the big reveals could've been less expected. I would also have liked the characters to have been more developed about their backgrounds and motivations for their behaviour. Also more of the back stories such as Kitty's relationship with the footballer and Nanas relationship with her parents.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*

Oh my. What to say about this book. When I first saw the description it was one that absolutely appealed to me. Dual time, historical fiction – just the sort of book I love. What I wasn’t expecting was such an emotional, harrowing and dark read, bordering on the thriller genre.

The story begins with a prologue in 1959 and a letter from Ivy Jenkins addressed to someone called Elvira. This is the first of many heart-breaking letters that we see from Ivy. Ivy’s backstory is gradually revealed but it appears that she has been incarcerated since 1956 in St Margaret’s Mother and Baby Home in Sussex, simply for the ‘crime’ of falling pregnant and being unmarried. Because her family were unable/unwilling to pay the required fee, Ivy has been forced to remain at the home to pay off the debt.

It is 2017 and Samantha Harper, a young journalist, is desperate for a break and feels overlooked by her boss at the local newspaper. Separated from her husband, she lives with her Nana and 4 year old daughter Emma. Samantha comes into the possession of some letters and intrigued, she wants to find out more. It becomes clear that there is a mystery of suspicious deaths involving the Home and if Sam wants to delve deeper, she is up against the clock. Time is against her as St Margaret’s is due for demolition in a few days.

Emily Gunnis does not pull any punches here over the cruelty and brutality of these homes. Run by nuns, wouldn’t you naturally expect them to be kind and compassionate? Forget it. Most of the nuns at St Margaret’s are cruel and sadistic without a shred of humanity or compassion in them. Having read about the horrific treatment of women and children in the Magdalen laundries in Ireland, this wasn’t a totally unexpected revelation but I didn’t realise that the UK had its share of these brutal homes too. In the author’s notes at the back, she refers to a convent in Essex, my home county, being run like a ‘Victorian workhouse” where mothers were forced to give up their babies.

Of course, the nuns wouldn’t have been able to continue with their vile practices without the collusion of others. The families may possibly have been deceived as to the reality of sending their daughters to such places but doctors, priests, adoption agencies and the like knew exactly what kind of hellhole these girls were going to and many did very well financially from the arrangement. Nobody in a position of authority comes out well in this story and although some may be more culpable than others, they all have questions to answer. A book rarely makes me angry but this one did and fair play to the author for invoking that reaction.

The Girl in the Letter is a stunning debut from Emily Gunnis. It has clearly been well researched and factual and historic knowledge has been woven seamlessly into a fictional story, with each chapter ending with an intriguing hook. The threads of the story go back and forth in time and involve various characters over a timeline of 60 years and although, like me, you may initially wonder how a particular character fits in to the story, they are pulled together to a dramatic conclusion. What I particularly liked is the way that Ivy’s story is mainly told by way of her letters. Ivy is a very engaging character that I felt much sympathy for and the helplessness of her desperate situation came across so clearly.

It’s quite difficult to define the genre of the story, and I suppose it could be described as a historical thriller/mystery with touches of the paranormal. If I were to be really very picky, the paranormal aspect (and to be fair this only appears now and again in the story) is the only part which didn’t really work for me (but then it rarely does, whatever the book). However this didn’t spoil anything and certainly didn’t stop me from being completely engrossed and wanting to shed tears for Ivy and the other young women and children like her.

It is no secret that the author is the daughter of the late Penny Vincenzi, one of my all-time favourite authors. The talented writing gene obviously runs in the family. The Girl in the Letter is a powerful and gripping read which will stir emotions and deserves to be a huge success. I loved it and do hope there is another book to come from Emily.

[Katie Lumsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this. The mystery is interesting and the main characters compelling, though I did at times struggle with believably - not many four-year-olds have a great-great-great-grandmother still living, for example.

[Georgiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am fost captivată de “Fetița din scrisoare”.
Povestea aceata e cutremurătoare, convingătoare, sfâșietoare. M-a ținut cu sufletul la gură, acțiunea se desfășoară într-un ritm accelerat, dar am citit-o cu ochii în lacrimi, e atât de dură și emoționantă fiind inspirată din realitatea șocantă a Irlandei secolului XX , despre care nu știam suficiente lucruri și am mai căutat informații.
Aceast roman se simte ca un tribut adus tuturor mamelor tinere care au trecut pragul căminelor catolice pentru mame necăsătorite și copiilor pierduți ale acestora. Nu poți să rămâi imun în fața nedreptăților din acest roman, cred că ar trebui citit și recitit, și să nu uităm că deși oamenii care lucrează într-o instituție sunt imaginea acesteia, nu ei sunt cei care sunt vinovați că tu ai ajuns acolo, ci cei care te-au abandonat, care te-au dus acolo: părinți, unchi, iubiți...
Mi-a plăcut și partea de mister-thriller, multitudinea personajelor și legăturile dintre acestea te ține "captiv" în paginile cărții, aceasta fiind precum un puzzle.
Pentru mine, aceata e genul de poveste pe care nu o voi uita într-o lună, din contră,va rămâne cu mine.

“Orice om e vinovat de tot binele pe care nu l-a făcut.”

“No, it’s not a cliché to want to feel loved for who you really are. But if you don’t show them the real you, how can they love you? Perhaps”

[Gabrielė|Kartu su knyga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mėgstu romanus, kurie kažką po savęs palieka. Apmąstymus, geras emocijas, kartais galbūt ir liūdesį.. Tačiau manau, jog tokiu atveju autorius būna savo darbą atlikęs puikiai. Knyga suranda savo skaitytoją. Taip man nutiko su šia Emily Gunnis knyga.

Tai istorija, kurios epicentre yra vienišos motinos bei jų kūdikiai. Veiksmas vyksta Šv. Margaritos namuose į kuriuos atkeliaudavo nėščios merginos, kurios buvo netekėjusios, o kūdikių tėvai, deja, bet nenorėdavo turėti nieko bendro.. Taip nutiko ir Aivei Dženkins. Mama merginai atsuko nugarą, o patėvis mielai "sutvarkė" šį reikalą. Būdama Šv. Margaritos namuose Aivei gimė nuostabi mergytė, kuri pateko į naują šeimą.
Žurnalistė Samanta Harper labiausiai už viską trokšta tokios istorijos, kuri priblokštų skaitytojus. Tai buvo tik graži svajonė.. Kuomet netikėtai į Samantos rankas patenka laiškai, kuriuos Aivė rašė savo mylimajam būdama Šv. Margaritos namuose. Laiškų turinys moterį šokiruoja.. Ji supranta, jog tai, ką užčiuopė išties verta dėmesio. Dabar Samanta yra pasiryžusi išsiaiškinti kas nutiko Aivei bei jos vargšei dukrelei..

Tikrai puikus romanas, kuris mane taip įtraukė, jog buvo nelengva knygą padėti į šoną. Man labai patinka knygos, kurios yra parašytos dvejomis skirtingomis laiko linijomis. Šioje istorijoje jos abi tikrai buvo puikiai išvystytos ir skaityti nebuvo nuobodu. Ryškūs veikėjai, dinamiškas siužetas bei sukrečianti istorija. Manau, jog tai yra viskas ko reikia geram romanui. Skaitydama šią knygą sužinojau, jog ją parašė žymiosios Penny Vincenzi dukra. Dabar jau aišku, jog Emily tokia pat talentinga kaip ir jos mama. Tikrai nuoširdžiai rekomenduoju šią istoriją tiems, kuriems norisi jaudinančios bei sukrečiančios knygos. Aš jau nekantrauju perskaityti ir naują šios autorės knygą "Prarastas vaikas".

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Convoluted and nonsensical. Samantha Harper, a cub journalist, comes across a cache of letters from Ivy, a soon-to-be mother at St. Margaret's Home for Mothers, which is slated for demolition. As she begins to uncover more and more sinister secrets about the home, she discovers more threads connecting her to the home.

Convoluted in the sense that not every character in the story could somehow be connected to this mysterious home. Nonsensical in that they are. Just an example of how nonsensical this novel actually is- here is a direct quote from the book: "heaving it [a cart] into the dry, humid room." Hmm, a room that is both dry and humid? How can this be? There were times when I actually found myself saying aloud as I was reading, "Oh, for Pete's sake."

Best to pass this one over.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel conflicted about how to rate this book. While the writing style and subject matter kept the story moving along at a good pace, events in the latter chapters required too significant a suspension of belief for this reader.

[Charlotte Burt · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story but this is a debut novel and it shows sometimes. I found the multiple point of views a little distracting.

[Susana Frazão · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5/5!!!

Peguei neste livro com o intuito de ter uma leitura "leve" para uns dias de praia...bem...surpreendeu-me o quanto eu gostei deste livro!
A história é simplesmente envolvente, não conseguimos largar o livro a querer saber mais e mais..e quando o largava ficava a pensar nas personagens e no que poderia ser o desfecho da história..é um romance/policial e simplesmente muito bem conseguido, desde o relato da história, às personagens existentes e a toda a trama.
Adorei!!!

[Jan Rice · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I was a child, reading for me was a life line through which I was getting some element of air that was missing otherwise. Then, I didn't read to learn, I read to live. Was it addictive? I have joked sometimes that being addicted to books is a fortunate addiction, being both cheap and legal. When I first started reading this book-club selection, I was trying to remember what it had been like to read as a child, since the book did seem addictive, although it wasn't good. By that, I mean I wasn't learning anything, except maybe a few Briticisms. It was not as poorly written as some, although it did break the "guffaw" rule: certain words such as "guffaw" should not appear more than once in a book. The word in question in this case was "phlegm." And in this book, all the coincidences were related, the way they aren't in real life. I had both the audio and the Kindle version so I could get it read ASAP. The audio version was better, as the voice of the narrator smoothed over some of the rough spots. The book was addictive in the sense that, while listening, my resolve to do other more demanding activities was weakened, yet if not for the book club, I may have abandoned it. The assignment made it okay. Then, the gory murders.... Those were not pleasant. They were stomach-turning. I had one brief nightmare during the time I was reading the book--last night, in fact. That's kind of unusual since I don't get enough sleep and so don't remember my dreams as much as I once did. Therefore, positive in a way: better out than in. For the most part I was reading these retaliatory murders (not listening) and could skim through posthaste. Were we supposed to enjoy them because the victims deserved it? I thought of the murders in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (done according to Levitical sacrifices, as I remember) and those in The Dante Club (done according to Dante's Inferno). I am not meaning to say the murders in this book proceeded according to some outside narrative; they didn't. What I mean is that I didn't think the murderers in those cases were supposed to be sympathetic characters to the extent the one in this chick-lit version was. The murders in this book were too drawn out. But, reader, I finished the book.

[Joanna Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was a stunning read! I really can’t believe this was a debut novel, the book is so well written and paced perfectly that makes it very hard to put down. I instantly felt involved in the characters lives and stories and wanted to know more about them.

This is an incredibly poignant and emotional story made even more so because it is true. The events in this book actually happened, unmarried women were treated this way and their babies were taken from that which is truly heartbreaking to read about. The mind boggles as to how these people got away with this awful treatment of so many young women and worse how their loved ones let it happen. The author has clearly done her research into these homes and doesn’t sugar coat anything for the reader, which might be a bit if a trigger for some people. J certainly found myself crying at parts. I thought, niavely, that such stuff only happened in Ireland so I was shocked to learn it was common in England too.

This story is very gripping and their were lots of twists which surprised me and made me keep reading long into the night. Sam’s investigation was well described and I really enjoyed reading about her emotional journey. Sam handled the situation with great sensitivity but didn’t allow herself to be put off the story which I really admired about her.

As mentioned above, this unbelievably is Emily’s debut novel and I really look forward to reading more from her. I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone as I think it is a very important book for everyone to read.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Headline for my copy of this book via Netgalley. If you like gripping, emotional reads about a harrowing part of Britain’s history then you’ll love this book.

[Taisia Crudu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nu știu ce am citit… Thriller sau dramă? Probabil nici autoarea nu a decis pe care parte s-o ia. Cert e că am intuit finalul pe la jumătatea cărții. Cumva intriga nu este păstrată, se oferă prea multe detalii într-o fază incipientă.

✍️“O mamă nu-și poate uita copilul, tot așa cum nici copilul nu-și poate uita mama.”

Autoarea povestește istoria din două planuri cel al trecutului, anul 1956 și cel al prezentului - 2017. Povestea începe atunci când tânăra Ivy Jenkins rămâne însărcinată și este trimisă la St Margaret. Aceasta este o casă administrată cu strictețe de către biserica catolică și este destinată fetelor necăsătorite. Acolo fetele sunt puse la lucru, au parte de tratamente inumane, sunt maltratate și pedepsite pentru “păcatele carnale”, iar atunci când nasc, copii le sunt luați pentru a fi dați spre adopție.

Revenim în prezent unde jurnalista Samantha Harper descoperă printre lucrurile bunicilor, scrisorile scrise de Ivy. Aceste scrisori care conțin durere și groază, o motivează să pornească într-o cercetare și luptă contra cronometru, dat fiind faptul că așezământul St Margaret urmează a fi demolat în următoarele zile.

Probabil am avut eu așteptări prea mari și acestea nu mi-au fost atinse. Istoria interesantă, însă ceva n-a mers. Indiferent ce a vrut autoarea să scrie, dramă sau thriller, sau poate un amalgam din cele două. Cert e că aici ceva a lipsit, un fel de mâncare care arată bine, însă căreia îi lipsește sarea și piperul.

Am mai citit cărți în care se intercalau scrisori din trecut, citite de către cineva din prezent. Aici, în mod surprinzător prin mijlocul scrisorii intervine naratorul la persoana a treia pentru a da detalii despre momentul din trecut în care era redactată scrisoarea. Aceasta, după părerea mea, strică firul acțiunii și deci credibilitatea istoriei. Cred că trecutul putea fi reprezentat aici doar prin scrisori. Sau dacă autoare a ținut cu tot dinadinsul să ofere mai multe detalii și deci să folosească și naratorul la persoana a treia, aceste pasaje trebuiau separate de scrisori. Așa am simțit eu din perspectiva mea de cititor…

Totuși am apreciat scoaterea în evidență a unui fapt istoric necunoscut pentru mine și probabil pentru mulți cititori. Am aflat aici despre Spălătoriile Magdalene din Irlanda care au existat până în 1996. În 1993, 155 de morminte fără nume au fost descoperite în terenul mănăstirii uneia dintre spălătorii. Se estimează că peste 10 mii de femei și fete au fost închise în aceste spălătorii. Ele veneau din surse diferite, din închisori, școli de corecție, dar și fete care suferise abuzuri sexuale, violuri, bolnave mental, sau pur și simplu gravide și nemăritate.

Este vorba de o perioadă în care biserica catolică avea o mare influență asupra comunității. Cu toate astea, sunt de acord cu autoarea care afirmă la final că nu “călugărițele diabolice” au permis aceste atrocități, ele erau doar un mijloc, o instituție. Vinovați de abuzurile la care au fost supuse mii de femei, se fac toți membrii comunității: familii, rude, autorități locale care au trecut cu vederea aceste grozăvii.

La final autoarea ne redirecționează și către sursele de inspirație care au stat la baza acestui roman. Am luate note, posibil printre ele să fie cărți care au tratat acest subiect într-un mod mai pe placul meu.

“Fetița din scrisoare” de Emily Gunnis

Recenzia și pe:
https://booknation.ro/fetita-din-scri...

[The Book Review Café · Rating 4 out of 5]

After I finished reading The Girl In The Letter by Emily Gunnis I was left with a heavy heart, not because I didn’t enjoy the book, in fact it was quite the opposite, it made for a highly emotional read, it’s a book that is based on disturbing historical facts and for me personally this made the read far more poignant, knowing that the terrible things that happened to unmarried mothers in the book actually occurred. It’s hard to imagine an unmarried mother being sent away by her family to give birth to her baby, a family more concerned about the stigma surrounding illegitimacy, than their own child’s well being. A woman forced to live in the most awful conditions, abused, and then forced to hand their babies over for adoption. The Girl In The Letter certainly makes for a hard hitting and emotional read.

Single mother journalist Sam Harper discovers some heartbreaking letters from a girl called Ivy which are linked to a now derelict mother and baby home, St Margaret’s which was run by nuns. Sam like any good journalist realises there’s a story to be told, as she begins to investigate she doesn’t just see it as a job, she becomes emotionally involved and is determined to share Ivy’s story not only for Ivy and all the other mother condemned to St Margaret’s, but for the baby’s snatched from their mothers.

It’s the letters that make this book such an emotionally charged read, you get a sense of the stigma surrounding unmarried mothers, you feel Ivy’s pain, fear and her love for a baby she will never be allowed to keep. It’s difficult to believe that the very nuns who were there to support unmarried mothers were beyond cruel, punishing them for their “sins”, both physically and mentally, but as historical documents show this was very much the case, and makes Ivy’s story all the more credible and one which is unbearably sad.

Emily Gunnis writes with such conviction and emotion that it’s difficult to separate fact from fiction, the two blend perfectly together resulting in an emotionally charged read. The letters, the harrowing and heart breaking scenes, and the overwhelming need to find out what happened to Ivy will keep you captivated until the last page. This is Emily Gunnis debut novel which really surprised me, as it’s a very accomplished debut, not only is it beautifully written, but it’s a book that sensitively looks at a subject that was buried for far to long. Highly recommended.

All my reviews can be found at http://thebookreviewcafe.com

[citesc_cu_sufletul · Rating 5 out of 5]

O autoare de la care, cu siguranță, voi mai citi cărți! Povestea este una tulburătoare și, din păcate, ideea de la care a pornit are un sâmbure de adevăr, unul foarte mare și foarte amar! Casele (sau căminele, sau numiți-le cum vreți) pentru tinere însărcinate și necăsătorite chiar au existat, iar condițiile de trai din acele locuri au fost de-a dreptul inumane. Muncile pe care le făceau aceste femei, pedepsele și bătăile pe care le încasau și, mai ales, faptul că erau forțate să renunțe la bebelușii lor....totul este de o cruzime de nedescris!

[Bent.viena.puslapi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mano pažintis su Emily Gunnis absoliučiai sėkminga! Knyga nuo pat pirmųjų puslapių įtraukė savo paslaptingumu ir šiurpą keliančiais veikėjais. Detektyvo elementai tik dar labiau kurstė mano smalsumą ir norą sužinoti knygos atomazgą. Wow tikrai verta dėmesio knyga, rekomenduoju.
Kadangi ją skaičiau dėl to, jog buvo sąraše skaitauirverkiurudeni25 galiu pasakyti, kad manes ji nepravirkdė. Taip, jasutru, skaudu, bet mano akys liko sausos.
Manau kitais metais tikrai skaitysiu ir kitas šios autorės knygas, kurios guli mano lentynoje

[Ghost of the Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

I basically read this in about 3h...mind is still processing everything...review to follow.

Review (edited for typos mostly)
What does a ghost do when insomnia sets in?....go on Goodreads and catch up on reviews slightly overdue.
Anyone who's paid attention to my lists and profile will know I don't normally go for contemporary fiction, I like my authors dead...like me :)
However, once in a blue moon a book comes along that catches my eye, the wind is blowing in the right direction, and I find myself reading something like this in 3 hours... give or take.
Anyone wanting to know what the book is about can find the appropriate description, so I won't bother you with one of my own.
An epistolary novel is something always appealing to me, the joy of receiving a letter something I recall fondly and at times miss.
In this case the letters are of a somewhat more somber tone, and yet filled with such life and such passion that one can't be unmoved by the plight of all these girls and wish, even knowing from the start it's highly unlikely, a happy ending for all.
The single mothers homes that the book speaks off where honestly a plague, a haven for very bad people to get away with horrible deeds in the name of …yep, you got it...God and "morals" and society.
What the author does here, quite well I think, is show just how much more complicated reality was...and please hear me out, I'm not defending anyone but the dead girls (real and fictional) here.
It's simple enough, we've all heard the stories, to say the Church is too blame, the nuns and priests were horrible and mean and downright cruel in a way that defies all logic and common sense, and makes you wanna become an atheist.
However, and that is what resonated with me more directly, the rest of society was equally to blame for locking up these girls...parents, significant others, doctors, neighbors.... everyone played a part, even if just in turning away from those doors locking behind these girls and choosing to believe what their minds knew were lies.
The author, in a way that appealed to me quite deeply, seeks trough this book to set wrongs right by uniting past and present through letters...it's fairly easy to grasp early on what the connections are, she tells a story that engages you, scares you, angers you and ultimately makes you cry your heart out for all these lost lives.
This won't be an easy read, and I purposefully leave out any summary of plot, but this is a needed read that albeit not perfect, certainly seeks to do right by so many lives treated so wrong.
This will remain with me for a long time to come.
Good Readings!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story flicks between present day and also to the past where we get a glimpse into the awful life at St Margaret’s. My heart literally broke for the children who had to endure time there. Life certainly was far from a loving, stable environment for them and I wanted to wrap them in my arms and take them all to safety.

In present day we meet journalist Sam, who, after uncovering Ivy’s letters, makes it her mission to find out more about her as well as the going on’s at St Margret’s. Wow, does it make for some powerful and very intriguing reading. Like Sam, I had to find out more and was like a dog with a bone. Not being able to let it go.

At times this was quite a sinister read, packed full of mystery and suspense. Yet at the same time it was also an emotional roller coaster of a read. My heart went out to quite a few of the characters. I did feel slightly hardened to the people that had previously worked there though that either made these children’s lives hell or did nothing to stop it.

The Girl In The Letter was a mesmerising novel that I struggled to put down. I got so wrapped up in what was happening that I didn’t want to go back to real life until I knew how it was all going to end. There were lots of twists and turns that make for some surprising as well as shocking reading. Will certainly be looking out for more books by the author.

[Sandra Deaconu · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 steluțe. Âh, aceeași rețetă găsită și în Se numea Sarah și mult prea multe alte cărți care umplu inutil rafturile! Se ia un subiect din trecut și se aruncă în prezent, unde o tipă anostă se împiedică de el și devine brusc obsedată de cercetarea acestuia.

Planul narativ din trecut m-a făcut să mă zgribulesc și m-a ținut captivată, dar tot ce a ținut de prezent a fost forțat și greu de crezut. Poate dacă protagonista, Sam, ar fi fost altfel, mi-ar fi plăcut mai mult, însă ea își tot aruncă fata de la mama ei la soțul irascibil și iresponsabil de care s-a cam despărțit (nici ea nu știe sigur, iar pe mine nu m-a interesat), ca să poată merge la serviciu și apoi să se plângă de cât de mult își detestă șeful și cât de greu e. Totuși, nu încearcă să se angajeze în altă parte.

Plus multe coincidențe care insultă fără jenă neuronii cititorilor. Câteva au avut o explicație aproape logică la final, dar petrecusem deja prea mult timp iritată de insultă, ca să mă răzgândesc. Găsim chiar și un fraier dispus să își riște viața și cariera doar pentru că o place pe Sam, care e măritată și nu face decât să îl folosească și să profite de sentimentele lui nejustificate.

Mediocră, asortată cu ce am mai citit din colecția Buzz Books. Păcat de povestea despre acele adăposturi, care mi-a dat fiori!

,,[...] orice om e vinovat de tot binele pe care nu l-a făcut..." (pag. 318)