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

'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

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

Good story Narrator not so good

Story was great but the narrator made so many noises with her mouth and loud swallowing that I almost stopped reading it multiple times.

had potential

I read this book in about two days. couldn't put it down. It starts well and the historical component is enthralling. but then it becomes a dramatic soap operaish horror story. I wish it had stayed basic and consistent. it is a beautiful story, but the author tries too hard to make it into something else that was not necessary.

Attention grabber

Completed in one week. It was something I woke up thinking about and we to sleep dreaming about. Very good story and the narrator was a pleasure to listen to.

Couldn’t put it down from start to finish

I never wanted this book to end. The characters seemed real, believable and easy to care about.
To think things like this really happened breaks my heart, yet I might read it a second time, the subject matter is that important

Amazing story!!!

Riveting and such great story telling. Audio narrative was very good as well. Would highly recommend reading it.