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Paper Chains
by
From the acclaimed author of The Fifth Letter and Those Other Women comes this touching story of secrets, friendship, family, and forgiveness—and the serendipitous twists of fate that shape our lives.
Accept a letter…
Hannah has been running—literally and figuratively—from her life back in Australia. Whenever she’s not working, she’s pounding London’s streets, putting the pa ...more
Accept a letter…
Hannah has been running—literally and figuratively—from her life back in Australia. Whenever she’s not working, she’s pounding London’s streets, putting the pa ...more
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Paperback, 336 pages
Published
September 3rd 2019
by William Morrow Paperbacks
(first published February 1st 2013)
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A short, light and enjoyable read about two women with big secrets. Overall I enjoyed the story but occasionally felt irritated by how long it took to discover what the secrets were. In the meantime Hannah in particular became increasingly exasperating with her melodramatic statements and actions. So much so that by the time I discovered her problem - which was indeed a serious one - I did not have much sympathy left for her. India on the other hand was much more likable and was just totally mix
...more

Hannah had recently arrived in London from Australia, and fairly quickly found herself a job at the gift shop in a Museum…she wanted to work every day, but her boss insisted she have at least one day off. But when she had that day off, she punished herself by jogging, running everywhere. Beside the Thames, down the sidewalks and between the cafes. She ate very little, told herself she needed the punishment, that she was a bad person and didn’t deserve anything that would give her happiness.
At a ...more
At a ...more

Paper chains has so much cool going for it:
Set in London! And Australia :) and other snippetty travel scenes and flashbacks.
Two mysterious girls (ladies) both holding secrets. What is going on?
Those gorgeous moments of serendipity that I adore.
Chain letters.
Prose that you sink Ito, sentiments perfectly captured.
Most ever so importantly, characters to care about. To get under your skin. Two gorgeous girls, so different. And all their worlds (including their sexy, at times, estranged men) and fami ...more
Set in London! And Australia :) and other snippetty travel scenes and flashbacks.
Two mysterious girls (ladies) both holding secrets. What is going on?
Those gorgeous moments of serendipity that I adore.
Chain letters.
Prose that you sink Ito, sentiments perfectly captured.
Most ever so importantly, characters to care about. To get under your skin. Two gorgeous girls, so different. And all their worlds (including their sexy, at times, estranged men) and fami ...more

I was charmed by Nicola Moriarty's debut novel, Free-Falling and I have been looking forward to the release of Paper Chains. This wonderful contemporary adult novel reveals the secrets of two young Australian women, India and Hannah, who meet while in London.
The deceptively lighthearted introduction to Paper Chains slowly gives way to a compelling tale of heartbreak, loss and hope.
As backpacker India considers her next travel destination, she chooses to befriend the shy and fragile Hannah, seei ...more

I highly recommend this beautiful and moving story. Paper Chains is about two Aussie girls who meet in London – both have secrets (which does get a little frustrating at times, but does keep the pages moving to find out what they are!) . This story delves into some really tough issues but I loved it all – the friendships and family, and the journey that brings it all to a heartbreaking ending. 5 stars for sure……what a talented author!

Dec 20, 2012
Bree T
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc,
aww2013,
contemporary,
favorites,
australian,
netgalley,
kindle-version,
mental-illness
Hannah is living in London, working all the days she can in a gift shop when she meets India. Hannah is amazed by India’s ability to go up to anyone she sees, introduce herself and become their friend. It’s been a long time since Hannah had a friend, but it seems like India is going to fulfill that role.
Both are Australian and both have found themselves in England for quite similar reasons. India knows that Hannah is hiding a secret. There’s a reason why Hannah is so withdrawn from life. She wor ...more
Both are Australian and both have found themselves in England for quite similar reasons. India knows that Hannah is hiding a secret. There’s a reason why Hannah is so withdrawn from life. She wor ...more

Do you want to know what "true love" is? It is Nicola Moriarty's newest book, Paper Chains. I absolutely fell in love with India & Hannah. These two women's story just tugged at my heartstrings and left a permanent scar in my heart. Ms. Moriarty pens a beautiful story of loss, love, friendship, and second chances.
India had a mystery about her. It was due to her letters. The little snippets throughout the book had me intrigued to learn her "secret". One that I could see why India wrote her lette ...more
India had a mystery about her. It was due to her letters. The little snippets throughout the book had me intrigued to learn her "secret". One that I could see why India wrote her lette ...more

Hannah is not your usual twenty-something Australian living in London. Unlike the thousands of other travellers and working holidayers that make the city home for a time while they party their way around Europe, Hannah spends her nights alone in her flat and her days off jogging all over the city to the point of exhaustion. By a stroke of fate she meets fellow Aussie India, who is as outgoing and funloving as Hannah is serious and reclusive. Although an unlikely friendship it flourishes and enri
...more

Sep 26, 2019
Donna Hines
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
borrowed-library-books
This has that chain letter feel as we delve into two characters who are first glance seem worlds apart yet in there own way are connected.
It turns out that this letter has truly brought them together with two Australian women named Hannah and India.
Not to spoil the fun here but one of them doesn't have long to live with stage 4 terminal cancer while the other is running from her past and the family she left behind because of postnatal depression.
There's also a bit of romance involved as India h ...more
It turns out that this letter has truly brought them together with two Australian women named Hannah and India.
Not to spoil the fun here but one of them doesn't have long to live with stage 4 terminal cancer while the other is running from her past and the family she left behind because of postnatal depression.
There's also a bit of romance involved as India h ...more

Content note for (view spoiler)
Oh, this book. This book. It shattered me into tiny pieces. And not from what you who've read it already might expect. (view spoiler) ...more

Feb 19, 2013
Paula Weston
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary,
australian
I ordered this book at the library after reading Nomes' fabulous review on Inkcrush. I'll admit, when I took a closer look at the cutesy cover, I thought the library had wrongly marked it as adult fiction, because it definitely had a YA vibe (and while I'd read the synopsis and knew the story appealed, I obviously didn't read it enough to realise it wasn't YA).
I should know better: don't judge a book by its cover. The nature of the relationships and emotional struggles are definitely for an olde ...more
I should know better: don't judge a book by its cover. The nature of the relationships and emotional struggles are definitely for an olde ...more

3.5/5 --was definitely heading towards a four there for a while but I felt the ending was a bit rushed and I never totally warmed to either character. I feel like I didn't get to know Hannah or India -and I really should have. I've read another book that deals with a similar subject matter as this one and it pretty much ripped my heart out -repeatedly- so it's not just because I'm cold and emotionally disconnected that I didn't cry at this one. Okay.
...more

The Plot: Living in London and working behind the counter at a Museum's store was not exactly where Hannah planned to be in her late twenties, but she doesn't have much to choose from since she ran off from her life in Sydney and doesn't want to think about or remember what she left behind.
Meeting fellow Australian India one day at the Museum, and later at the park was a surprise, as Hannah doesn't believe she deserves friends, or fun or anything good happening to her, but India is around to sta ...more
Meeting fellow Australian India one day at the Museum, and later at the park was a surprise, as Hannah doesn't believe she deserves friends, or fun or anything good happening to her, but India is around to sta ...more

As the star rating indicates, it was OK. A vanilla romance with two young Australian women, India and Hannah who meet by chance in London. Both are running away from a traumatic event in their lives which they do not wish to reveal. Spoiler alert; India has terminal cancer and Hannah has walked out on her loving husband and two very young children. I guessed India's secret on page four and it took me rather longer to realise that Hannah's problem was postnatal depression.
It's a competently writ ...more
It's a competently writ ...more

Dec 13, 2012
MarciaB - Book Muster Down Under
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
aussie-authors,
netgalley
The Blurb
“India smiled. ‘Everything is fixable, Hannah …’
Hannah and India are new best friends. Although true friendship means always telling each other the truth, doesn’t it?
Hannah, you see, is running from her life back in Sydney. Now in London, she’s trying to put the past behind her, and finding this amazing new friend is a positive step forward. If only she could stop punishing herself for what she did.
India knows Hannah is hiding something big, and she’s determined to figure it out. Fast.
B ...more
“India smiled. ‘Everything is fixable, Hannah …’
Hannah and India are new best friends. Although true friendship means always telling each other the truth, doesn’t it?
Hannah, you see, is running from her life back in Sydney. Now in London, she’s trying to put the past behind her, and finding this amazing new friend is a positive step forward. If only she could stop punishing herself for what she did.
India knows Hannah is hiding something big, and she’s determined to figure it out. Fast.
B ...more

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars -- See the full review at HarlequinJunkie.com
Set mainly in the UK and Australia, this reissue of Paper Chains was a poignant look at how two troubled women’s lives intersected and the lasting effect they had on each other.
I’m not going to lie…I have mixed feelings about this book. Not because of the writing itself, which flowed as beautifully as anything else I’ve read by Nicola Moriarty. I even liked the way she wove in snippets of the past, teasing us with what big sec ...more
Set mainly in the UK and Australia, this reissue of Paper Chains was a poignant look at how two troubled women’s lives intersected and the lasting effect they had on each other.
I’m not going to lie…I have mixed feelings about this book. Not because of the writing itself, which flowed as beautifully as anything else I’ve read by Nicola Moriarty. I even liked the way she wove in snippets of the past, teasing us with what big sec ...more

For the last two months, Hannah has been living in London and working in a museum shop. She has run away from her life in Sydney, Australia, and has been punishing herself because of something she did back home. Then she meets India, who is also an Australian travelling overseas. India is the complete opposite of Hannah – outgoing, friendly, and wants to help people. The two become friends and India makes it her mission to prise Hannah’s secret from her so that she can fix it. India though, is h
...more

Absolutely loved it!
Australian women Hannah & India meet by chance in London and forge a friendship marking the beginning of a insightful, sensitive, heartwarming journey of serendipity.
A story of contrasts, much like Hannah and India ... Hannah a deep well of pain & self-loathing, fragile, and withdrawn, India intuitive, outgoing, bubbly and confident. As first Hannah then India's secrets are slowly revealed this highly emotive novel addresses deeper issues with touching insight and honesty an ...more
Australian women Hannah & India meet by chance in London and forge a friendship marking the beginning of a insightful, sensitive, heartwarming journey of serendipity.
A story of contrasts, much like Hannah and India ... Hannah a deep well of pain & self-loathing, fragile, and withdrawn, India intuitive, outgoing, bubbly and confident. As first Hannah then India's secrets are slowly revealed this highly emotive novel addresses deeper issues with touching insight and honesty an ...more

Well, all I can say is Nicola Moriarty knows how to pull on those heart strings. I don't think I have cried so much for a very long time reading a book. I was so invested in the characters of this book, and being the time of my life that I am, I could really relate to the subject matter.
The thing I loved most about this book was it's pace. Each chapter was just long enough to read and really enjoy. So much so that I could read a bit each night, and go to sleep thinking about the latest turn of ...more
The thing I loved most about this book was it's pace. Each chapter was just long enough to read and really enjoy. So much so that I could read a bit each night, and go to sleep thinking about the latest turn of ...more

Mar 09, 2013
Sallyann Van leeuwen
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
chick-lit,
australian-author
A sweet book of two Aussie girls who meet in London, one an introvert, the other an extrovert. Both have secrets. India skips from one country to the next, experiencing all she can, whilst Hannah is holed up in London dealing with self-worth issues. Quirky fun read of girls running from love, only to have it chase them down! However the cover made me think they were closer to teenage years not mid 20s. Therefore I was surprised with Hannah's secret! Looking forward to more of this author's work.
...more

WARNING - do not read the final chapters of this book in public. Unless you don't mind sobbing brokenheartedly in public that is :)
Paper Chains is the story of two Aussie girls who meet in London. I loved the way Nicola slowly revealed each of the girl's secrets - it kept me turning the pages wanting to find out more. I also loved how the story of the letter was woven between the chapters - each of those glimpses could have been a story in themselves.
This is the first book of Nicola Moriarty's t ...more
Paper Chains is the story of two Aussie girls who meet in London. I loved the way Nicola slowly revealed each of the girl's secrets - it kept me turning the pages wanting to find out more. I also loved how the story of the letter was woven between the chapters - each of those glimpses could have been a story in themselves.
This is the first book of Nicola Moriarty's t ...more

Great book with a difficult topic which was handled very well. I really liked the characters of Hannah and India and thought their friendship moved along quite well. I was disappointed with the ending - too coincidental and a bit rushed but over all I really enjoyed this story and would read something else by this author.

Wasn't that sure about this book to begin with, but the middle to end really got me in. Very moving story.
...more

Editorial note: I received a copy of Paper Chains in exchange for a review. For full review, please visit: https://bookclubchat.com/books/review...
Paper Chains by Nicola Moriarty is an emotional story about friendship, family and secrets. While the major themes are relatable to all—the story is told in an unique style. It features the present, flashbacks and even major plot points told via letter form.
Stories that revolve around secrets are typically very engaging as you’re not only getting to ...more
Paper Chains by Nicola Moriarty is an emotional story about friendship, family and secrets. While the major themes are relatable to all—the story is told in an unique style. It features the present, flashbacks and even major plot points told via letter form.
Stories that revolve around secrets are typically very engaging as you’re not only getting to ...more

Every Nicola Moriarty book I have read thus far has inspired me to excitedly mark it with a five-star rating! I am so proud of you for these books! A good book walks around with you for a little while, or even a long while, after you're done reading it, and I know this one will be with me just like that. A really good book inspires all these new questions you want to ask, not because it left anything out--no, not at all--but because you want to savor it and let it live longer. No, you don't nece
...more
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Nicola Moriarty lives in Sydney's north west with her husband and two small daughters. She is the younger sister of bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Jaclyn Moriarty. In between various career changes, becoming a mum and studying teaching at Macquarie University, she began to write. Now, she can't seem to stop.
Hello there people in the world of books,
I Would love to hear from you either here ...more
Hello there people in the world of books,
I Would love to hear from you either here ...more
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