Fictionophile’s OCTOBER 2023 #BookHaul #Bookbloggers #ForthcomingTitles #TBR #AnticipatedReads October 31, 2023 History Makers: Female Writers Dominate the 2023 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award Shortlist

What a wonderful book! The story of Margaret Small will stay with me forever. She was abandoned, lied to, ridiculed and mistreated terribly. But she never lost her optimism and kindness. I won't retell the story as I believe everyone should read this and feel humbled. So many of us complain about the smallest of grievances, and yet there are so many, much, much worse off and just get on with it. Congratulations to the author, your caring heart shines throughout this story xx I really hated the way those nuns behaved at the special homes***, but I also understand it was important for the story to show that aspect of people.This poignant story tells of people whom life has denied any of the advantages that we take for granted today. People with few or no choices about their own lives. It speaks to the unfairness of life, while simultaneously being hopeful thanks in no small part to Margaret’s naivety and positive outlook. Okay, call me gender-biased, but I am not a fan of men writing women; most of the times, they mess up female representation. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that this is written by a man! What a beautiful and sensitive portrayal of the female characters! There was no scene where I felt like the writing went stereotypical. So yeah, I admit, there are some good male writers in contemporary fiction. I hope some more of them come my way. ( Sorry for being so presumptive in my dismissal of male authors! It’s a case of ‘Multiple times bitten, perennially shy.’)

But someone is sending her notes with cash, signed with “C x”: she believes it’s Cilla but, except for the one read to her by the young man in Sainsbury’s, she has no idea what they say, and she’s reluctant to ask Wayne, because he will probably think she’s lost it. She likes the life she has now, her routine and the people in her life, and the last thing she wants is to be put away again.We are always delighted to hear from authors. We are currently open for review requests and we are happy to review a wide variety of genres. Please submit your information below and we will be in touch asap. The Vanishing of Margaret Small is a story that tore at my heart, had me shedding tears in places, but also had me laughing out loud in others. The chapters are short, adding to the pace of the novel. (I was a bit apprehensive to see eighty-seven chapters at first! Needn’t have worried.) This is where Margaret remains until, at thirty-two years old, she's told she can leave St. Mary's to live in a small group home while receiving guidance from an assigned Support Worker. Best Books Set in the 1920s — from Stories That Shimmer with Champagne and Social Change, to Rip-roaring Reads Covering Crime, Colonialism and Beyond.

An evocative , endearing , entertaining and thoroughly delicious character portrait and a terrific first novel' - Donal MacIntyre, TV presenter Vanish is exactly what happens to seven-year-old Margaret in 1947 when her maternal grandmother and Mr. Gray decide she should be 'dropped off' at St. Mary's Hospital, a long-stay institution for children with learning and physical disabilities. Alexander throws the reader a little surprise before a most satisfactory resolution to Margaret’s story. He gives his characters wise words and insightful observations. “Don’t judge yourself the way others judged you in the past.” Funny, moving and uplifting, this is an outstanding debut novel.There are some memorable secondary characters as well, both good and bad. Wayne was among my favourites. Plans for Novellas in November #NovNov23 #NovellasInNovember #Fictionophile#novellas October 28, 2023 Told in two timelines, this story is an intensely emotional journey with top-notch characterizations. It's impossible not to love Margaret, as she's definitely the one who holds this story together. She may be a bit slow but she has an inner beauty that's impossible to resist.

Ich brauchte meine Zeit, um in die Geschichte zu finden. Doch je weiter ich gelesen habe, desto mehr wurde ich in den Bann dieses Buches gezogen. Compelling and authentic . . . Margaret's story is quiet but her voice is mighty' - Julietta Henderson As the mother of a daughter with a learning disability, some of Margaret’s experiences cut me to the bone.There’s only one problem if you opt for the audio version, which is brilliant in every other way. Through the narrator's voice, you will discover at least the gender of the mysterious ‘C’, which eliminates half of the potential suspects from the list. Reading the book would have helped retain the mystery better. Margaret Small is intellectually challenged, but she more than makes up for this with spades of common sense, far more than many so called intelligent people. She is kind and willing but easily taken advantage of. What she does she does well and she takes pride in her work. Where do I even begin? Everyone and I mean everyone needs to read this book! I defy anyone to not fall in love with Margaret Small, she is the most loveable character you could ever meet and once you know her history you can’t help but love her more. This story is told in a dual timeline. We have present-day Margaret who is struggling to understand why she keeps receiving letters from someone called ‘C’ and Margaret as a child/teen/ young woman telling us her story inside the walls of St Mary’s.