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The Hand That First Held Mine
- Narrated by: Karen Cass
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
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The Hand That First Held Mine
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Summary
An unforgettable novel of love and motherhood from best-selling author Maggie O'Farrell.
Winner of the 2010 Costa Novel Award and a Sunday Times best seller, The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell is a gorgeously written story of love and motherhood from the author of This Must Be the Place.
When the sophisticated Innes Kent turns up on her doorstep, Lexie Sinclair realises she cannot wait any longer for her life to begin and leaves for London. There, at the heart of the 1950s Soho art scene, she carves out a new life. In the present day, Elina and Ted are reeling from the difficult birth of their first child. Elina struggles to reconcile the demands of motherhood with her sense of herself as an artist and Ted is disturbed by memories of his own childhood that don't tally with his parents' version of events. As Ted begins to search for answers, an extraordinary portrait of two women is revealed, separated by 50 years, but connected in ways that neither could ever have expected.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- SharonRAmreview
- 11-06-22
Slow burner but worth your time
I didn’t love this novel immediately and particularly found the narrator a little jarring but i warmed to the characters, their stories started to weave together & it became far more engaging…really quite lovely all in all!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- LC
- 30-01-24
Beautifully constructed story
Narration was excellent. Very clever intertwining storyline with interesting characters. I’ve listened to several by this author and can highly recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Melanie
- 21-08-21
Slow start but ultimately a moving story
Beautiful story-telling, excellent narration. Not as compelling as I was expecting but a wonderful story of motherhood and loss.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Olive Kennedy
- 10-06-21
intriguing
a story from two different eras, well told and held me until the end of the book
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Julia
- 02-09-20
Very enjoyable
An intriguing idea with believable characters. I shall now look for another of Maggie Farrel’s books.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Elaine G
- 21-11-22
A beautifully written story, well told
I loved this book, the second one by Maggie O Farrell that I have read. A wonderful depiction of motherhood that really resonated with me.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 23-11-22
Great
Another brilliant Maggie O’Farrell, her books are just brilliant, so well observed and excellently fleshed our characters- it was beautifully read too.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Madeleine R. Van Zyl
- 21-05-21
Couldn’t be more honest
About the often complex and contrasting feelings of new motherhood. The added mystery and tension of Ted’s storyline made it an addictive and intriguing read. I’m not at all good at writing book reviews but wanted to try since I really enjoyed this and will be recommending it to all my girlfriends. Especially those with young children. It is validating to have the bare truth of how having a baby’s changes you and your relationships profoundly and not all of them are nice to adjust to.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Joanna
- 08-06-16
Clever writing
One of the best books I've "read" this year. A cleverly constructed plot, beautifully written & narrated.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Homeland problem
- 05-06-17
Five star all round
This is a book that I will think about for a very long time. I loved it
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