The Separation cover art

The Separation

Discover the perfect escapist read from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Tea Planter’s Wife

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A country at war with itself,
a family divided and betrayed. . .

Malaya, 1955. Lydia Cartwright returns from visiting a sick friend to an empty house. The servants are gone. The phone is dead. Where is her husband Alec? Her young daughters, Emma and Fleur?

Fearful and desperate, she contacts the British District Officer and learns that Alec has been posted up country. But why didn't he wait? Why did he leave no message?

Lydia's search takes her on a hazardous journey through war-torn jungle. Forced to turn to Jack Harding, a man she'd vowed to leave in her past, she sacrifices everything to be reunited with her family.

And while carrying her own secrets, Lydia will soon face a devastating betrayal which may be more than she can bear . . .

 20th Century Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Literary Fiction War

Critic reviews

An utterly captivating story of love and loss. Thrilling, gripping and intelligent (Kate Furnivall)
A tense and steamy 1950s Malaya, beautifully described. I loved it (Lucinda Riley)
All stars
Most relevant
This was a very colourful book. Sights and sounds of Malaya were vividly portrayed. A good ending but did she ever meet her Malayan friend again?

A good listen

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This was so realistic with excellent performances. I couldn’t stop listening to this story that took you from Malaya to England. From the description of the heat in Malaysia, to the freezing cold in the UK. The characters in this book was brought to life with such care and attention. They became real people as you listened to their stories. I can honestly say this is one of the best stories that I’ve heard. The performances as the story was revealed, was so lifelike, you could almost feel you were there listening to the characters.

Fascinating story. Highly recommended.

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