Annie Byrne was born during one of the worst winters Lancashire has ever remembered. When the Doctor finally got through the nine-foot drifts if snow, mother and daughter were in a pretty bad way. Annie's father was killed in the war and her mother, Nancy married again. But Nanay's new husband, Eddie Higson turned into a nightmare of a man, terrorizing the young girl.

This is the story of a young girl who has to try and survive her step-father's brutality. We follow her jouney through to adulthood. We are back once again in Bolton and the cotton mills. Annie has a stubbirn streak running through her. The book has a steady pace with characters who are likeable and unlikeable. You will find yourself rooting for Annie. I did feel the bookdragged on longer than necessary, but it's still a good read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #RandomHouseUK #TransworldPublishers and the author #RuthHamilton for my ARC of #AwhisperToTheLiving in exchange for an honest review.

This novel captures the flavour of that era, the cotton mills and the women whose lives were mapped out by men. It was then that Annie grew up after losing her father in the war. Annie had to face evil but her stubborn spirit kept her going.

It seems wrong to say one enjoyed a book that deals with abuse, which "A Whisper to the Living" does. I did find myself engrossed by the characters, their relationships, and especially the setting, which was evoked brilliantly. Ruth Hamilton was a natural-born storyteller, if this book is any indication. I could have lived without the brief third section of the story, which felt more like wish fulfillment than anything else to me. And in the second section, which switches from wonderful first-person narration to third, the protagonist, Annie, comes across as a Mary Sue—too good to be true. But this was a fast-moving, never-boring, utterly absorbing read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Transworld, for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have not read anything from this author for ages and I am kicking myself. I really enjoyed this, well written with absolutely great characters and also attention to detail. Loved it.

Very touching story in the manner of Catherine Cookson. Young girl loses father in the war and gets a truly evil stepfather. You follow her from childhood to womanhood and cheer her all the way. A very good story and a good author.