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The Key cover art

The Key

By: Kathryn Hughes
Narrated by: Joanne Froggatt
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Summary

A hidden note. A lost love. A second chance.... 

From the number one best-selling author of The Letter, Kathryn Hughes, comes The Key, an unforgettable story of a heartbreaking secret that will stay with you for ever.

1956 

It's Ellen Crosby's first day as a student nurse at Ambergate Hospital. When she meets a young woman admitted by her father, little does Ellen know that a choice she will make is to change both their lives for ever....

2006

Sarah is drawn to the now abandoned Ambergate. Whilst exploring the old corridors she discovers a suitcase belonging to a female patient who entered Ambergate fifty years earlier. The shocking contents, untouched for half a century, will lead Sarah to unravel a forgotten story of tragedy and lost love, and the chance to make an old wrong right.

©2018 Kathryn Hughes (P)2018 Headline Publishing Group Ltd.

Critic reviews

"A wonderful, enthralling story; one that I didn't want to end." (Lesley Pearse on The Key)

"Gripping." (Good Housekeeping on The Secret)

"Hughes creates a sense of time and place effortlessly. The social context is incredibly important and once again, conveyed so well that the reader feels immersed in the world of Ambergate. Even though some of the story is set in the past, it still feels relevant and still raises questions about attitudes to mental illness, trauma, motherhood and grief." (Bibliomaniac on The Key)

What listeners say about The Key

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow, Fantastic read

Beautifully narrated by the talented actress Joanne Froggatt. Such a moving story - had me gripped from the start. Rarely does a book stay with you and have you thinking about it long after you've finished it. I didn't want it to end.

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22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The Key,Amazing book that deserves 6 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Most definitely yes

Any additional comments?

The Key, an unforgettable story of a heartbreaking secret that will stay with you forever.

😊 OMG If I could give this book more then 5 stars I would..It sure deserves it, Having read Kathryn Hughes other books “The letter” and “The secret” I couldn’t wait for this one to be released knowing that it would be just as beautifully written and heart a warming story as her other books.
Kathryn has created a even more beautiful, heart wrenching and moving story with this one.

Whilst researching into the abandoned Ambergate Asylum, Sarah discovers a suitcase in an attic belonging to a female patient who was admitted to the asylum fifty years earlier. The shocking contents lead Sarah to unravel a forgotten story of tragedy, lost love and an old wrong that only Sarah maybe able to put right. We then travel down the 1956 timeline of the Ambergate County Lunatic Asylum meeting Ellen Crosby, a student nurse starting her first day at work.
The 'then and now' works really well and easy to follow as they come together at the end in some shocking revelations. I was totally amazed by the brilliant twists all the though the story from the first chapter to the very last.

"The Key" ( just like Kathryn Hughes other books) is a totally amazingly engrossing, addictive and emotional story that you wont want to stop listening to.
It will leave you both smiling and sad as you follow the life’s of the amazingly thought of characters that will sure stay will you long after you finish listening.👌🏼😊 Make sure to have some tissues at hand for the last few chapters you will need them.

The author always knows how to capture the hearts of the readers and she has certainly succeeded again with this powerful well written beautiful book. ❤️

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18 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Incredible!

This is such a wonderful story. I have listened to The Letter and The Secret and I was looking forward to listening to The Key.

Joanne Foggart is an exceptional narrator, she really can draw you into the story.
Despite the present, past and present (again) aspect of the book, there is no constant shift back and forth in time, making the book very easy to follow.
The characters are so vivid and the environment is so vivid, you can really imagine being there.
I listened to this book in 1 and a half days and I was gripped from the start.
A wonderful, wonderful story.

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14 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely perfect in every way

I don’t think I have ever enjoyed a book as much as I did this one. It made me laugh and cry and I just didn’t want it to finish. Kathryn Hughes is a truly gifted storyteller and one of my very favorite authors. Joanne Froggatt did a wonderful job of the narration, much better than her previous attempts, in my opinion. The book is truly wonderful and is a must read.. don’t miss it!

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

What a fantastic book. Read it in a day and a half. Didn’t want it to end.

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent

captivating book really enjoyed it well read couldn't wait to get back into the car

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

This could have been so much better......

An interesting & unusual storyline with lots of potential. There were quite a few twists & turns but as the end approached I felt it became somewhat predictable.
My main reason for the low marks is because I really disliked the presentation. I've seen Joanna Froggatt act & she's undoubtedly clever & talented in that field. But she doesn't do narration well - it should be more than somebody reading out loud in different voices. In fact her changes of volume & delivery were sometimes literally startling, which was irritating & unecessary. And in many cases the delivery (shouting, anger, frustration) didn't match the context in which the character was supposed to be speaking.
The result for me is that I was fighting the desire to give up almost all the way through.I kept going because it is an unusual story & I wanted to see what happened, but it was a close thing.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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Full of inaccuracies

The only thing that got me through this book is Joanne Froggets performance, which was superb. The story itself was rubbish. This was a story about an asylum in the 50's..yet words like 'Challenging' and 'Lottery' were used. Those words were not used in the 50's. Secondly, a pregnant mother ' knew' she was having a boy?! HOW? Thirdly, the 'student nurse' was extremely insubordinate. I trained as a nurse late 70's 80's and you DID NOT question a Sister! You DID NOT speak to a Sister unless she asked you directly to respond. So this ' maverick' nurse is unbelievable. Then the relationship between a Dr and a patient was too Mills & Boon.. all lowered lashes and ' brushing' of fingers. I was so exasperated at times! Don't waste a credit. it's not worth it!

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Bit of a weepie...

..not that I like weepies much. I'm not really sure why I bought it.

This is about Sarah who is researching a book that she wants to write on the topic of a 1956 Manchester Lunatic Asylum.

We cutback to 1956 and learn what what actually happening to real people who were interned there in 1956, and the disgraceful way in which they were treated.

Eventually we find what became of those people from 1956.

Joanne Froggatt does a great job of the voices - even managing to "age" the voices as their characters got older between 1956 and 2006.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Jj
  • 06-04-18

A mixed bag

Lots of emotions in this audio book. Lots of twists and anticipation for next part. Joanne Froggatt is an amazing narrator she brings life to audio books. This is the second audio I have listened to I wish she had done more. I'd quite gladly listen to her narration on every book. The Key is. Very good hard to stop listening to I stayed in car longer after engine off j is there to listen to end of chapter

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3 people found this helpful