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The House of Broken Bricks
- Narrated by: Ben Allen, Jessica Hayles, Lee Braithwaite
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
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The House of Broken Bricks
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Summary
'An almanac for the heart.' EVIE WOODS, author of The Lost Bookshop
'Haunting prose that cracks the English pastoral novel and lets the darkness in. A pleasure to read.' SARAH MOSS, author of Ghost Wall
'A clever, heartbreaking, heartwarming depiction of family love, grief and the possibility of hope.' JO BROWNING WROE, author of A Terrible Kindness
'Poignant and unexpected . . . brave and subtle.' EMMA HEALEY, author of Elizabeth is Missing
'Wonderful . . . brave in its deep truths about loss and love.' INGRID PERSAUD, author of Love After Love
Ain't nothing wrong with being broken. Nothing at all. You're like these houses, not a whole brick in em and look how strong they are.
As Tess traces the sunrise over the floodplains, light that paints the house a startling crimson, she yearns for the comforting chaos of life as it once was. Instead of Max and Sonny tracking dirt through the kitchen - Tess and Richard's 'rainbow twins' - Tess absorbs the quiet. The nights draw in, the soil cools and Richard fights to get his winter crops planted rather than deal with the discussion he cannot bear to have.
Secrets and vines clamber over the broken red bricks and although its inhabitants seem to be withering, in the damp, crumbling soil Sonny knows that something is stirring . . . As the seasons change, and the cracks let in more light, the family might just be able to start to heal.
This is the story of a broken family, what they see and what they cannot say laid bare in their overlapping perspectives. It is a tale of life in the cracks, because in the space for acceptance, of passing and of laying to rest, the possibilities of new energy, light and love, are seeded.
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What listeners say about The House of Broken Bricks
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mrs. Jennefer Lee
- 18-08-24
a beautiful read
very atmospheric and a great story. Looks at how we can convince ourselves that others feel 'against' us in some way and potentially destroy relationships in feeling that way.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- gillyj
- 17-07-24
wonderful read
It was so interesting to listen to the journey of grief from the perspective of different members of one family.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- curtainhanger
- 03-08-24
Tess’s survival instinct as an outsider enduring tragedy in a small and insular rural community
The beautiful prose carries you into Tess’s and her family’s world and her dignity and fortitude under extremely difficult circumstances are humbling; but despite her situation as an outsider she takes strength from her ancestors and hope prevails. An uplifting read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Susan Morris
- 02-02-24
loved the narrators
I loved the story and the vivid descriptons that made me feel I was there with them. very evocative.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Beteboop
- 01-07-24
Outstanding
Wow I absolutely loved this audio book. The shift between the story and the descriptions of the natural world were beautiful. I felt I was listening in technicolor. What's a clever writer. I can't wait to discover more of Fiona Williams work. I recommend 100%
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Andy, West Sussex
- 27-03-24
Sweet nature
I listened. The performances by the kids especially were very, very good. The trouble is I listened in bed so a complex story, including marital and race issues, was made more so by my continually falling asleep and having to rewind. Even as I write this, I am not clear whether one of the twins drowned or not. I must rewind yet again. There is no denying the quality of the writing though. Only my receptivity is in question. As a writer myself, so-called, I know I will never succeed the way Fiona Williams has here. And what an ending.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Chip
- 26-02-24
Engaging story and performance
The performances take a simply tale of a small family struggling with life in a rural town and allow you to immerse yourself in the experience of each character from their point of view. It’s beautifully emotive and within giving anything away, the story of the past unfolds just a little with the present story without any clumsy twists or tacky drama that might spoil an unusually thoughtfully and well constructed immersive read. Get the kettle on and prepare to listen and focus on the detail the author adds throughout the book to connect with the characteristics experiences.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 08-03-24
Warmth & characters
I liked how the characters came to life & listening to their voices made them so real. I could imagine the house & garden quite easily. Tess's mum & sister were a joy to listen to & gave the listener a true image of their family way of life. I didn't want the story to end....
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 29-09-24
Beautiful
Beautiful story read beautifully. I normally like fast paced thriller type books but this was captivating and I found the narration soothing (particularly Sonny).
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Hilary T
- 08-10-24
Nearly heartbreaking
Very interesting structure, having the story narrated by four speakers, each with a distinctive voice. I was afraid the thing would fall apart after a tragic event and that each of the characters would become broken brick. But the unexpected end was uplifting.
A mesmerising story.
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