Letters from Alice

Name: Letters from Alice
Brand: Harper UK
Availability: InStock
Author: Petrina Banfield
ISBN: 9780008264727

Author: Petrina Banfield

Narrator: Christine Kavanagh

Unabridged: 7 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 08/09/2018

Categories: Nonfiction, History, Social History, Women, Biography & Autobiography, Historical Biography, Family & Relationships

Synopsis

Two women. One secret. Will they be able to keep it under wraps? It was a stormy evening in 1920s London. When newly qualified almoner, Alice, stepped into the home of Charlotte, a terrified teenager who had just given birth out of wedlock, she did not expect to make a pact that would change her life forever. Thrown into secrecy after an unexpected turn, Alice was determined to keep bewildered Charlotte and her newborn baby safe. But when a threatening note appeared, she realised that Charlotte may need more protection than she first thought. But from who? Based on extensive research into the archive material held at the London Metropolitan Archives, and enriched with lively social history and excerpts from newspaper articles, LETTERS FROM ALICE is a gripping and deeply moving tale, which brings the colourful world of 1920s London to life. Full of grit, mystery and hope, it will have readers enthralled from the very first page.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Miriam

"Letters From Alice" by Petrina Banfield is a very interesting, emotional and informative story based on the London almoners in the early 1920's. Almoners were the equivalent of the modern day social worker and had to deal with many heartbreaking situations when families or people couldn't cope ment......more

Goodreads review by Mairead

‘Two women. One secret. Will they be able to keep it under wraps?’ Letters from Alice is a novel by Petrina Banfield. Published in August 2018 by Harper Element, it is based on comprehensive research into the archive material held at the London Metropolitan Archives. Described as ‘a gripping and de......more

Goodreads review by Petrina

The story follows Alice, a twenty-eight-year-old almoner (a sort of hospital-based social worker), living in East London in the early 1920s. As Alice finds herself in the middle of an intrigue between a teenage mother, a doctor with misgivings about the almoner (and women, generally), a charming fund......more

Goodreads review by Jenny

Alice is a newly qualified almoner in 1920s London. An almoner’s job is varied, incorporating many of the functions of a modern-day social worker with additional responsibilities stemming from the fact that there was a lot of poverty and no free health care so provision had to be found for those who......more

Quotes

‘An enchanting mix of mystery, social history and family dynamics… I was mesmerised.’ Victoria Goldman, Lovereading ‘A brilliantly clever look at the almoners, the pre-cursers to the NHS’s social workers, this story is expertly crafted, blending extensive historic fact with a beautiful, deeply moving story based on real life events. You won't want to put it down.’Christina McDonald, author of The Night Olivia Fell ‘Thought provoking historical fiction with a punch.’ Amanda Robson, No. 1 bestselling author of Obsession and Guilt ‘Powerful and evocative, from the first paragraph I found myself taken back to a period in our history where radical societal changes and everyday hardships went hand in hand. This mesmerising tale of a 20th century Almoner will have you gripped.’ Caroline England, author of The Wife’s Secret 'I loved Letters From Alice. It’s vivid, moving and meticulously researched, and Alice is an engaging protagonist. I’ve learned a lot about the work of the hospital almoner in pre-NHS London from this excellent blending of fact and fiction.' Kate McQuaile, author of What She Never Told Me ‘An extremely interesting readers with an element of mystery that will grip readers to the very end… a strong debut from Banfield.’ Rachel Cotton, author of Nowhere Else But Here