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How It Was Janet Ellis

How It Was By Janet Ellis

How It Was by Janet Ellis


£3.80
New RRP £16.99
Condition - Very Good
Only 3 left

Summary

A new, darkly compelling novel from the author of the highly-acclaimed The Butcher's Hook. It's the 1970s and in rural Kent nothing much is happening, except a woman has lit a fuse under her marriage and the explosion is coming.

How It Was Summary

How It Was: the immersive, compelling new novel from the author of The Butcher's Hook by Janet Ellis

'IMMERSIVE, AMAZING, REMARKABLE' MARIAN KEYES 'WONDERFUL' EMMA KENNEDY
'JANET ELLIS WRITES WITH TENDERNESS AND WISDOM' ERIN KELLY
'AN ATMOSPHERIC, CLEVER NOVEL THAT WILL GET UNDER YOUR SKIN' RED

Marion Deacon sits by the hospital bed of her dying husband, Michael. Outwardly she is, as she says, an unremarkable old woman. She has long concealed her history - and her feelings - from the casual observer. But as she sits by Michael's bed, she's haunted by memories from almost forty years ago . . .

Marion Deacon is a wife and mother, and not particularly good at being either. It's the 1970s and in her small village the Swinging 60s, the wave of feminism, the prospect of an exciting life, have all swerved past her. Reading her teenage daughter's diary, it seems that Sarah is on the threshold of getting everything her mother Marion was denied, and Marion cannot bear it - what she does next has terrible and heart-breaking consequences for the whole family.

Janet Ellis writes of the exquisite pain of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, the complexity of family and a mother-daughter relationship that is as memorable as it is utterly believable.

'ELLIS WRITES BEAUTIFULLY' DAILY MAIL 'AN EMOTIONAL EPIC' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'AFFECTING, ENGAGING AND READABLE' OBSERVER 'A TALE OF SILENCES, SECRETS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'ENGROSSING' MIRROR

How It Was Reviews

You will love this - immersive, amazing, remarkable, I could barely breathe. I cried - and I never cry. * Marian Keyes *
Ellis has a knack for depicting the way in which families struggle to communicate . . . engaging and readable * Observer *
Ellis writes beautifully, with a great eye for detail. She has a wry comic touch and all the emotions are spot on. * Daily Mail *
An atmospheric, clever novel, which will get under your skin -- Sarra Manning * Red *
A tale of silences, secrets and misunderstandings, of marital infidelities and of paths not taken . . . A fluent, convincing depiction of the poignant intricacies of family life * Mail on Sunday *
An emotional epic. The former TV presenter's debut novel, The Butcher's Hook, was great, and this second one is also terrific, particularly in the way she writes about mother-daughter relationships. * Good Housekeeping *
An engrossing read . . . a story of family secrets and twisted relationships * Mirror *
An emotional read with humour and heartbreak in equal measure * Daily Express *
Gripping . . . an engrossing read from a talented writer * Daily Express *
Cataclysmic * Radio Times *
Poignant, cleverly nuanced and funny * Sunday Post *
It's wonderful. A brutal tale of a fraught mother-daughter relationship. The writing fizzes along. Loved it. * Emma Kennedy *
Explores the human condition with pin-sharp precision, so accurate it hurts. It's a raw read, complex and compelling in its structure, with emotions laid bare. Written with empathy and integrity. * Lynne Parker *
A brilliantly written, dark domestic noir * Simon Savidge *
Heartbreaking - I would definitely recommend. It's going to be a very popular summer read. * Jen Campbell *
Wonderfully evocative, immersive and beautifully written * Kate Eberlen *
I absolutely loved it. The careful evocation of an era is incredibly seductive . . . These are real, believable, fragile people whose lives the reader becomes totally immersed in and gripped by. * Imogen Parker *
I ate this up in one day . . . it has such great characters and very realistic, imperfect relationships. A thoroughly immersive story that I would heartily recommend. * Bookish Chat *
Lolita meets Madame Bovary . . . Ellis writes fantastically * Herald Publicist *
It's equally as compelling as her first. I can't put it down! * My Weekly *

About Janet Ellis

Actress, presenter and author Janet Ellis trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Best known for presenting Blue Peter, she stars in numerous radio and TV programmes and in 2018 appeared at the Edinburgh Festival. In 2016 Janet was awarded an MBE for services to charities and theatre.

A graduate of the Curtis Brown creative writing course, her debut novel, The Butcher's Hook, was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize.

janetellis.com
twitter.com/missjanetellis
instagram.com/missjanetellis

Additional information

GOR009948794
9781473625174
1473625173
How It Was: the immersive, compelling new novel from the author of The Butcher's Hook by Janet Ellis
Used - Very Good
Hardback
John Murray Press
20190808
448
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - How It Was