The Girl in the Letter: A home for unwed mothers; a heartbreaking secret in this historical bestseller inspired by true events cover art

The Girl in the Letter: A home for unwed mothers; a heartbreaking secret in this historical bestseller inspired by true events

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The Girl in the Letter: A home for unwed mothers; a heartbreaking secret in this historical bestseller inspired by true events

By: Emily Gunnis
Narrated by: Jane McDowell
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About this listen

 'A great book, truly hard to put down. Fast paced, brilliantly plotted and desperately sad at times - all hallmarks of a bestseller' Lesley Pearse on The Girl in the Letter

'I was gripped by The Girl in the Letter. The story is compelling, twisty, heart-wrenching and thought-provoking. A novel that stays with you' Sophie Kinsella

Perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Kathryn Hughes, this gripping novel of long-buried secrets will stay with you for ever.

A heartbreaking letter. A girl locked away. A mystery to be solved.

1956. When Ivy Jenkins falls pregnant she is sent in disgrace to St Margaret's, a dark, brooding house for unmarried mothers. Her baby is adopted against her will. Ivy will never leave.

Present day. Samantha Harper is a journalist desperate for a break. When she stumbles on a letter from the past, the contents shock and move her. The letter is from a young mother, begging to be rescued from St Margaret's. Before it is too late.
Sam is pulled into the tragic story and discovers a spate of unexplained deaths surrounding the woman and her child. With St Margaret's set for demolition, Sam has only hours to piece together a sixty-year-old mystery before the truth, which lies disturbingly close to home, is lost for ever...

Read her letter. Remember her story...

(P)2018 Headline Publishing Group Ltd©2018 Emily Gunnis Historical Fiction Mystery Women's Fiction Fiction Exciting Heartfelt Scary Suspense

Critic reviews

A great book, truly hard to put down. Fast-paced, brilliantly plotted and desperately sad at times - all hallmarks of a bestseller (Lesley Pearse)
Compelling, twisty, heart-wrenching and thought-provoking. A novel that stays with you (Sophie Kinsella)
What a heartfelt emotional story, made even more so because it's based on a shocking truth. I raced through it, involved, moved and gripped
All stars
Most relevant
A sad tale of things that really did happen to so many girls in the 1950’s & 60’s. Couldn’t put it down

Gripping & sad

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This was not a story that I would usually read. (Normally my genre is romantic novels) but I was hooked after the first chapter.
The characters came alive in my head and I couldn’t wait for the story to unfold.
An excellent ‘read’

Captivating story

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book, whilst so much of it is heart wrenching as these institutions did exist and these unimaginable horrors were inflicted on innocent mothers and babies. I enjoyed the stories twists and turns and how the characters lives intertwined with each other. I really do feel their stories do need to be told and they aren’t forgotten. Thankyou for writing this book x

Such a good read

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Loved the story. Thought the narrative should have been less hurried and a bit slower.

Loved the story

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Engaging but at times predictable and rushed. I loved how the author have tried to portray the mental struggles of the protagonist. Not easy to achieve with only words.

Gripping

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