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The Key

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About this listen

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. Contemporary Contemporary Romance Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Romance Women's Fiction Heartfelt Tear-jerking

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)
All stars
Most relevant
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

A mixed bag

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This was a brilliant read, really enjoyed it! It was hard to put down and sorry it ended......

Great book

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I really enjoyed the back and forth nature of the boom and discovering new things each time. It didn’t have the cliche kind of ending which I enjoyed. Really well written & narrated

Really enjoyable and not cliche

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Loved this story, beautifully tragic and sensitively addressing a part of our history often conveniently forgotten. Couldn’t stop listening to it and beautifully narrated.

Gorgeous

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Brilliant story and the narrator was out of this world!! She was unbelievable👍🏽♥️i will for SURE be looking for more books by kathryn and also the narrator joanne! I think she deserves a medal for her brilliant reading of this!💯🗣🥇🏆👏🏽👏🏽and also a medal to kathryn for an AMAZING book!✍🏽💯🥇🏆♥️♥️♥️♥️I couldn’t stop listening and im VERY fussy!🙄🤦🏽‍♀️😂thank you audible!!💯💯👏🏽🙌🏽your the best👏🏽🥇xxx

WOW!♥️lovely story!couldnt stop listening🥰

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