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ver0n1ca6's review against another edition
5.0
A heart wrenching story but so worth reading. ☹️
“If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito in the room.”
“Staying with someone who had seen you at your worst, and thrown it back at you, was soul-destroying.”
“If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito in the room.”
“Staying with someone who had seen you at your worst, and thrown it back at you, was soul-destroying.”
jenniamysuzy's review against another edition
4.0
Read this one for book club. The story itself was good (though I will need to re-listen to the end again since Randall was talking to me while the audiobook was playing at the same time). But the story also had me feeling things and I'm not sure this was the greatest book to read while pregnant. 🙃
ashleysilver7's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book, and didn't realize there was a mystery/thriller aspect to it.
"The girl in the letter" is a poor young woman named Ivy who got pregnant out of wedlock in the 1950s in England. Needless to say, it was a hard time for young women and girls who found themselves in "the family way" out of wedlock. Poor Ivy received zero support and was sent to a convent for young mothers, where she was subject to slave labor, general cruelty, and forced to give her baby up for adoption. Years later, the letters she wrote to the baby's father, Alaister, are discovered by a young up and coming journalist named Sam, and she tries to uncover a mystery tied to this convent. The horrors described in Ivy's letters are extremely hard to fathom, and there are definitely some twists. I recommend this novel and look forward to reading more books by this author.
"The girl in the letter" is a poor young woman named Ivy who got pregnant out of wedlock in the 1950s in England. Needless to say, it was a hard time for young women and girls who found themselves in "the family way" out of wedlock. Poor Ivy received zero support and was sent to a convent for young mothers, where she was subject to slave labor, general cruelty, and forced to give her baby up for adoption. Years later, the letters she wrote to the baby's father, Alaister, are discovered by a young up and coming journalist named Sam, and she tries to uncover a mystery tied to this convent. The horrors described in Ivy's letters are extremely hard to fathom, and there are definitely some twists. I recommend this novel and look forward to reading more books by this author.
calandra_hudson's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kathythelibraryteacher's review against another edition
5.0
This book was absolutely engrossing. I could not put it down. This story is tragic and enlightening. If you’re looking for a fast paced page turner, this is it.
evamarie1488's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cathyatratedreads's review against another edition
4.0
This story was based on the true events and experiences of young pregnant women who were shut away in homes and generally forced to place their babies for adoption, given no support from their families or communities. It’s heartbreaking, and the conditions they lived in and the way they were treated (slave labor, essentially, and regular abuse at the hands of administrators) were just abominable. The novel brings those stories to life and sheds light on the times while just being a great page-turner. It brings in some mysteries about how the stories and people are connected and just who is responsible for the suspicious deaths. I enjoyed it.
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/girl-in-letter-fiction-book-review/
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/girl-in-letter-fiction-book-review/
annecarts's review against another edition
3.0
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.
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.