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The Awakenings

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What to expect

An immersive and compelling novel that explores the struggle by two women, divided across centuries, for control over their lives, set against a beautiful historical backdrop.


'An echo of Daphne du Maurier' Independent


Yorkshire, 1890. Having lost her father and brothers in tragic circumstances, Olwen Malkon is forced to leave her childhood home to live with her uncle's family. In his chill vicarage, however, she fears that she is also losing her mind, as strange dreams take her into the life of Ælfwyn, a woman from a distant past whose fate is overshadowed by menace and betrayal.

In the grip of these afflictions, Olwen finds sympathy with the local doctor, John Osbourne, who is intrigued by her case. Suspecting darker undercurrents are at work, John comes into conflict with Olwen's family, who dismiss her as a hysteric and, when he seeks to protect her, with the law.

As the dreams intensify, danger awaits them both. But when they begin to mirror reality, she and John start to suspect that it is these visions of the past which hold the answers . . .

(P) 2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critics Review

A captivating tale of a brutal betrayal that eerily harks back to an ancient wrong, and of a love determined to defy the constraints of time. A most enjoyable read!
Anita Frank
In this absorbing and evocative novel, Maine weaves a compelling tale of love, power and betrayal that echoes through the centuries . . . An engaging and immersive novel, featuring a little-known period of British history, with two vibrant and sympathetic women at its heart.
Nikki Marmery
The Awakenings is an epic timeslip story that had me spell-bound from start to finish . . . I simply couldn't put it down - brilliant!
Christina Courtenay
An intriguing and mesmerising story by the brilliant Sarah Maine
Sue Lawrence
The reader is plunged in two vividly drawn worlds as the author takes us back in time to Yorkshire in 1890 and 790, skilfully inter-weaving the stories of two women as they struggle against the constraints and very real dangers of society across the centuries. The Awakenings is a haunting and compelling mystery.
Maggie Ritchie
Praise for Sarah Maine:
An echo of Daphne du Maurier
Independent
Maine writes beautifully about the wilderness
The Times
Maine reworks the conventions of historical romance in a narrative that regularly undercuts expectations of what is to come
Sunday Times
Worth reading for its occasional streaks of brilliance and insight
Telegraph India
Author Sarah Maine
Narrator Sarah Durham
Duration 12 hours and 52 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781529385120
Format Audiobook
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Genre Historical adventure fiction, Historical romance
Availability AU, GB, IE

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