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A Terrible Kindness
- Narrated by: David Dawson
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
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A Terrible Kindness
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Summary
*INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*
*AN OBSERVER DEBUT OF 2022*
*AS FEATURED ON FRONT ROW*
When we go through something impossible, someone, or something, will help us, if we let them . . .
It is October 1966 and William Lavery is having the night of his life at his first black-tie do. But, as the evening unfolds, news hits of a landslide at a coal mine. It has buried a school: Aberfan. William decides he must act, so he stands and volunteers to attend. It will be his first job as an embalmer, and it will be one he never forgets. His work that night will force him to think about the little boy he was, and the losses he has worked so hard to forget. But compassion can have surprising consequences, because - as William discovers - giving so much to others can sometimes help us heal ourselves.
Biography: Jo Browning Wroe grew up in a crematorium in Birmingham. She has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia and is now Creative Writing Supervisor at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge. Her debut novel, A Terrible Kindness, was shortlisted for the Bridport Peggy Chapman-Andrews award. She has two adult daughters and lives with her husband in Cambridge.
Critic reviews
"It's a long time since I've read a debut novel that moved me so much." (Rachel Joyce)
"Extraordinary." (Sophie Hannah)
"A brave and tender novel." (Joanna Glen)
What listeners say about A Terrible Kindness
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Val alcock
- 15-02-22
Easy listen
This was an easy listen, taking place in another era, so for me it was quite nostalgic and sad as I remember well the tragedy that took place in Aberfan, although this is not the sole focus of the novel.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 13-04-22
Wonderful wonderful read
This book is just wonderful and the narration was superb. Do read it to lift your soul
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andie Broomfield
- 31-05-22
Incredibly moving
Wonderful book. I was totally absorbed within minutes and enjoyed every second of this story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sioux
- 06-06-22
Loved this book. A lucky find.
If you try and explain what happens in this story to someone they’ll ask you why on earth you read it but it is beautifully written and a joy to listen to. I loved it. I thought I had anticipated exactly what would happen but there were still some surprises which were so much better. Great title too for a service one doesn’t necessarily give much thought to.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- SamanthaK
- 03-07-22
A heartwarming tale of a terrible event
A beautiful story read so lovely thst I actually cried.
Out of such a terrible circumstance is the story of how it affected a young man's life and how he overcame the horrors no one should ever witness or endure.
Fantastic narration and throughly fab story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- nannapops
- 22-01-23
Beautiful sad story
I cried at the beginning of this story and at the ending. It was beautifully told about a young man’s life and the sadness he felt after his terrible experiences during the Aberfan disaster. I was a girl at a school in London when it happened and I remember the whole school being taken to Mass to pray for them all. It was all everyone could talk about and read in the papers. Yes it was sad and moving but it wasn’t until I had a child starting school the full extent of their grief hit me. I know this book is a work of fiction but it is beautifully told. William’s childhood, the loss of his father and his mothers shame and resentment of his uncle and his partner. A book that I will listen to again in time.
Also thought the narrator was very good.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miss Rebecca H Hope
- 23-06-23
Beautiful and Heartbreaking
A book that explains the human condition and our ability to love, hurt and be kind to others. None of us are special and we all need to be able to forgive, be forgiven, love and be kind.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bearded Wonder
- 18-05-23
Persevere through the obviously horrific elements.
Well worth getting to the end.
Awful background story just for credibility - certainly not publicity or notoriety ,
On a lighter note - it's funny when Norma from Fireman Sam emerges (ok it's Naughty Norman's mum in Postman Pat) !
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 03-02-23
Great listen
Really enjoyed this book, showed the power of friends and love. Also what a difference an excellent embalmer can make to a sad time at the moment of death of a loved one.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mrs. Ir Wilson
- 23-04-23
Marvellous
I thought my cowardlyness for hearing about such a dificult subject would have me fall at the first hurdle. But it is handled with such empathy and knowledgeable insight that you can thoroughly relate to the well drawn characters. Humour too...briliant!
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