Sunday 15 April 2018

The Key - Kathryn Hughes


Best Sunday morning, cuppa, tea bread and last few pages of my latest book


1956
It's Ellen Crosby's first day as a student nurse at Ambergate County Lunatic Asylum. When she meets a young woman committed by her father, and a pioneering physician keen to try out the various 'cures' for mental illness, little does Ellen know that a choice she will make is to change all their lives for ever...

2006
Sarah is drawn to the abandoned Ambergate Asylum. Whilst exploring the old corridors she discovers a suitcase belonging to a female patient who was admitted fifty years earlier. The shocking contents lead Sarah to unravel a forgotten story of tragedy, lost love and an old wrong that only she may have the power to put right . . .


I came across the author Kathryn Hughes purely by accident whilst thumbing through books to purchase on my kindle.   The Letter  was the first novel released by Kathryn Hughes in 2015 and I just couldn't stop reading till I got to the end.  Her second novel The Secret released in 2016 was equally as spellbinding. I have been eagerly awaiting the release of her third novel The Key, which is currently available on Kindle with a release date in paperback in September 2018.

I like the style of Kathryn Huges writing. Her stories usually move between the present in the past and The Key is no different. in 1956 Ellen Crosby is a student nurse whose first placement is at Ambergate Asylum. The patients she cares for all have their stories some have been their for many years. Amy is a young girl committed to the asylum by her father, he says she is mentally disturbed where as these days Amy would probably be classed as a troubled teen, who having lost her mother when she was young and blames herself
for her mothers death isn't happy to share her father with his new wife and compounded by the arrival of a new baby things at home escalate and Amy makes a bad decision and finds herself certified and put into the care of a young psychiatrist at Ambergate Aylum.  Ellen takes to Amy and when an event happens that will effect Amy for the rest of her life Ellen decides she has a choice to make.  In 2006 Sarah works at the library. Her father was at Ambergate for 4 years. He won't talk to her about his time there and isn't happy when she tells him she has been back to the now abandoned building and discovered a suit case belonging to a patient, there is no name only a number but he immediately knows who this patient is.  He realises that if her suitcase is still there then Amy never left or did she.

The Key will have you riveted from start to finish and I would definitely recommend you read this and  Kathryn Hughes two previous novels I don't think you will be disappointed.




Thank you to everyone who commented on my Grandmother's iced tea bread post and I hope some of you have had time to try it. 

Hope you all have a lovely week till then stay safe

Mx

16 comments:

  1. This sounds right up my street, I really enjoy stories which switch between times like this. I've never heard of this author before but I'll definitely seek her out. I've just downloaded Anna by Amanda Prowse onto my Kindle, it's only 99p at the moment, though I've still got The Art of Hiding to read yet.

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    1. I’m reading the art of hiding at the moment only started today and oh my goodness is it good definitely gets your thought processes going as to what you would do in The same situation. Not got Anna and Theo yet

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  2. Thanks for the recommendations. I haven't read any of her books but have now added them to my 'would like to read' list on Goodreads.

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    1. They are all stand alone novels so you don’t have to read them in order

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  3. If you haven't already come across her.....Rachel Hore is another whose books go back and forward in time.

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    1. I’ve read one or two of hers Sue as well as Katherine Webb and Kate Morton who also flick between the past and present I like that style of writing.

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  4. Hi, just thought I'd say hello - thanks for commenting on my blog! Fingers crossed we just might get some warmth this week...
    The Key sounds a good read - might just give that a go! S

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    1. Hi Sandra thank you for coming over to say hello. I do hope we get some warmer weather this week I am fed up with the rain now and grass is getting longer and longer . Hope you enjoy The Key it’s £1.99 on kindle at the moment.

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  5. I haven't come across any of these novels, so thank you for the recommendation. It's always a delight to discover a new author. xx

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    1. They are all stand alone novels so you don’t have to read them in any order x

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  6. That sounds quite fascinating and like someone I’d enjoy, I shall search her out xx

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    1. I hope you enjoy reading her books as much as I do x

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  7. I shall have to think about adding the book to the ever growing list on my Kindle!

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    1. That can become a problem can't it. You start off looking for one book and then up pops those that bought this also liked and before you know it you a huge collection of books to read. The one saving grace is that you don't have to confess to your other half at just how many new books you have as they can't see them sitting on your little kindle cloud not quite so easy to try and cram more books on the already bulging book case.... I still have some favourite authors whose books I have been collecting for years so even though it means waiting for the paperback to come out, as they always seem to be on the kindle first I have to wait and have the paperback. Daft really but there we are don't think I'll be able to change that habit.
      Mitzi

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  8. Sounds like a great book!

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    1. Didn’t make me cry Angela but you certainly felt the desperation of the residents

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Thank you for stopping by today I hope you enjoyed your cuppa and may be a biscuit or slice of cake too. Please leave a comment, I do read every single one and will reply to you all as soon as possible.

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