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The Trick to Time

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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Trick to Time by Kit de Waal, read by Fiona Shaw.

Mona is a young Irish girl in the big city, with the thrill of a new job and a room of her own in a busy boarding house. On her first night out in 1970s Birmingham, she meets William, a charming Irish boy with an easy smile and an open face. They embark upon a passionate affair, a whirlwind marriage - before a sudden tragedy tears them apart.

Decades later, Mona pieces together the memories of the years that separate them. But can she ever learn to love again?

The Trick to Time is an unforgettable tale of grief, longing, and a love that lasts a lifetime.

 Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Tear-jerking Feel-Good Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking Emotionally Gripping

Critic reviews

Weaving tragedy and joy, big themes and the minutiae of life, this is a love story to take on the classics
Tender with a fierce undercurrent of tension and heartbreak (Jane Shemilt, bestselling author of 'Daughter')
Authentic and beautiful, urgent and honest, this novel does what only the best do: it quietly makes room in your heart (Chris Cleave on 'My Name is Leon')
Tender and heart-breaking (Rachel Joyce on 'My Name is Leon')
A touching, thought-provoking debut (Guardian on 'My Name is Leon')
A beautiful story told with compassion, urgency and wit (Stephen Kelman on 'My Name is Leon')
Startlingly funny. Balances the gritty with the feel good (Observer on 'My Name is Leon')
Deeply moving, compulsively readable and, despite the heart-rending subject matter, often funny (Irish Times on 'My Name is Leon')
A story that's full of care; even in its saddest moments it is tender and kind. It feels like a book about all the best parts of being human, about family and friendship, and the way that loss only hurts the way it does because it's grounded in love. (S K Perry)
All stars
Most relevant
This book is not easy. There is a lot of pain but the pain is 'coped with' and eventually overcome. I felt that I had shared Mona's journey. The writing is wonderful and Fiona Shaw's narration is spot on.
Highly recommended.

Time flies....and shrinks....

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A beautifully written story, with intrictaly imagined detail, of love and loss and true kindness.

Exceptional

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Can’t believe I haven’t read any more of Kit de Waal’s books since My Name is Leon. This is just as good, better even. It’s so good to read a book where there is no real villain (although your man was a bit creepy), just love, kindness, and yes, loss and heartbreak. It’s a beautiful story, entirely human, and gripping too. I was so invested in all these characters. I’m now a big fan of this author and will be reading many more of her books.

Absolute perfect

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Kit De Waal writes with quiet beauty and restraint, letting the emotional weight of the story unfold naturally,a poignant and quietly powerful novel about grief, love, and healing.Through alternating timelines, we learn about Mona's youthful romance, a tragic loss, and the long emotional journey that follows.
I'd say it's a reflective and often heartbreaking novel, but it ultimately offers a sense of hope and the idea that healing is possible . It took a bit of time for me to truly appreciate this book but when it hits you oh my goodness!

An Intricate story of a woman who really battles on

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Patchy, found the first half hard going- bit dull and saccharine and not helped by the narrator's dodgy English accents (I know she's a Great Actor but ...) and I took a break.

However I'm glad I went back to it because the second half is much better, harsher, absorbing and faster paced.

Some reviewers have mentioned a twist at the end but I didn't notice a twist so don't be disappointed by its absence.

Worth persevering

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