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The House of Broken Bricks

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The House of Broken Bricks

By: Fiona Williams
Narrated by: Ben Allen, Jessica Hayles, Lee Braithwaite
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About this listen

'An almanac for the heart.' EVIE WOODS, author of The Lost Bookshop

'Haunting prose that cracks the English pastoral novel and lets the darkness in. A pleasure to read.' SARAH MOSS, author of Ghost Wall

'A clever, heartbreaking, heartwarming depiction of family love, grief and the possibility of hope.' JO BROWNING WROE, author of A Terrible Kindness

'Poignant and unexpected . . . brave and subtle.' EMMA HEALEY, author of Elizabeth is Missing

'Wonderful . . . brave in its deep truths about loss and love.' INGRID PERSAUD, author of Love After Love

Ain't nothing wrong with being broken. Nothing at all. You're like these houses, not a whole brick in em and look how strong they are.

As Tess traces the sunrise over the floodplains, light that paints the house a startling crimson, she yearns for the comforting chaos of life as it once was. Instead of Max and Sonny tracking dirt through the kitchen - Tess and Richard's 'rainbow twins' - Tess absorbs the quiet. The nights draw in, the soil cools and Richard fights to get his winter crops planted rather than deal with the discussion he cannot bear to have.

Secrets and vines clamber over the broken red bricks and although its inhabitants seem to be withering, in the damp, crumbling soil Sonny knows that something is stirring . . . As the seasons change, and the cracks let in more light, the family might just be able to start to heal.

This is the story of a broken family, what they see and what they cannot say laid bare in their overlapping perspectives. It is a tale of life in the cracks, because in the space for acceptance, of passing and of laying to rest, the possibilities of new energy, light and love, are seeded.

©2024 Fiona Williams (P)2024 Faber & Faber
Best of 2024 Family Life Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt Tear-jerking Inspiring

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What listeners say about The House of Broken Bricks

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a beautiful read

very atmospheric and a great story. Looks at how we can convince ourselves that others feel 'against' us in some way and potentially destroy relationships in feeling that way.

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3 people found this helpful

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loved the narrators

I loved the story and the vivid descriptons that made me feel I was there with them. very evocative.

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1 person found this helpful

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Outstanding

Wow I absolutely loved this audio book. The shift between the story and the descriptions of the natural world were beautiful. I felt I was listening in technicolor. What's a clever writer. I can't wait to discover more of Fiona Williams work. I recommend 100%

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  • Overall
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wonderful read

It was so interesting to listen to the journey of grief from the perspective of different members of one family.

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2 people found this helpful

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Tess’s survival instinct as an outsider enduring tragedy in a small and insular rural community

The beautiful prose carries you into Tess’s and her family’s world and her dignity and fortitude under extremely difficult circumstances are humbling; but despite her situation as an outsider she takes strength from her ancestors and hope prevails. An uplifting read.

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1 person found this helpful

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An ode to the countryside

Beautifully written, wonderful warm characters. Even racism was dealt with delicately. Loved the descriptive language

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Exquisitely beautiful

The imagery in this book is exquisitely beautiful. The structure is carefully, feels tenderly, crafted to lead us to the novel's conclusion. I love the different narrator's points of view both leading the reader and yet gently disguising the truth. The voices in this recording enhanced the experience.
What a debut!

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Beautifully narrated book

Listened to it all in one sitting. Characters were brought to life by superb narration.

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1 person found this helpful

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Outstanding book

Really well written, fantastic characters. I really enjoyed this book and didn’t want it to end.

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Held my interest throughout

Beautifully written and didn’t want it to end and so well read by everyone. More please

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