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When I First Held You Audiobook
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Silence tore them apart. Can the truth bring them back together?
In 1960s Glasgow, anti-nuclear activists Judith and Jimmy fall in love. But their future hopes are dashed when their protestors’ squat is raided and many, including Jimmy, are sent to prison. Pregnant and with no word from Jimmy, Judith is forced to enter an unmarried mothers’ home, give up their baby and learn to live with her grief.
More than half a century later, Judith’s Mending Shop restores broken treasures, just as Judith herself has been bound back together by her late, much-missed partner, Catherine. But her tranquillity is shattered when Jimmy—so different and yet somehow the same—reappears, yearning to unpick the painful past.
Realising they each know only half of the other’s story, Jimmy and Judith finally break the silence that tore apart what might have been their family. Amid heartbreak and hope, how much can now be mended?
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"This is a hauntingly beautiful novel. The painful story of Judith and Jimmy is told with deep sensitivity in lyrical prose that was a joy to absorb, and the plot unfolds at a pace that keeps you turning the pages—such a winning combination."
— Imogen Clark, million copy selling author of Impossible to Forget
Quotes
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“This profound story of loss delivers an emotional gut punch but also displays human resilience. Recommended for fans of Jodi Picoult.
— Library Journal (starred review) -
Evocative, emotional and original, every word has been expertly crafted.
— Catherine Isaac, author of The World at My Feet -
When I First Held You is a wonderful kaleidoscope of passion, love, grief and misunderstandings. Heart-breaking and yet hauntingly beautiful…A stunning book—one to read and re-read many times.
— Celia Anderson, bestselling author of 59 Memory Lane -
I loved this gorgeous, poignant novel about loss and love and how over time we are both broken and mended.
— Sara Sheridan, author of The Fair Botanists -
Compelling...A story of broken dreams and unexpected healing. You’ll want to read this.
— Sarah Ward, author of The Shrouded Path -
It is brilliantly written, so many brilliant phrases which made me smile…I shall keep my fingers crossed that it is a huge hit. It ought to be, it’s marvellous. I shall be recommending it to all.
— Lesley Pearse, #1 bestselling author of The Woman in the Wood -
Anstey Harris never disappoints. When I First Held You is gripping, heart rending and extremely satisfying, from start to finish.
— Katie Fforde, bestselling author of A Wedding in Provence -
A powerful, compelling and affecting read.
— Heidi Swain, bestselling author of The Summer Fair -
This book has a very big heart. Full of hope and so beautifully observed.
— Samuel Burr, author of The Fellowship of the Puzzlemakers
When I First Held You Listener Reviews
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About Anstey Harris
Anstey Harris teaches creative writing for Canterbury Christ Church University and in the community with her own company, Writing Matters. Harris’s short stories have been widely published in anthologies and online and she was the winner of the H.G. Wells Short Story Prize in 2015. She is a three-time winner of the Faber Academy’s #quickfic competition. Anstey lives in Kent, England, and is the mother of the singer-songwriter (famous for her stint on The X-Factor) Lucy Spraggan.
About the Narrators
Helen Lloyd is a British actor and voice artist who recorded her first voice-over at the age of fourteen. Since then, she has spent much of her life interpreting other people’s words and bringing characters to life. A classically trained actor, she has performed with many of Britain’s leading repertory theaters, as well as at the Edinburgh Festival, the Roundhouse, and on the West End.
Billie Fulford-Brown is a London-based actress, voice-over artist, and AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator.