EXCERPT: He imagined crossing the stone bridge over the clear river and seeing the chapel, and the school, and then catching Elin in the village as she left the post office, just by chance. He imagined it as vividly as if he was praying for it, as if he could influence her into appearing in that doorway through the intensity of his hopes. He imagined her doing a double take, stopping still in disbelief, and then running to him, into his arms. Maybe not running. She'll be in her eighties, don't forget, he reminded himself.

The incline was leveling out, and he could hear the rumble of a truck. Rounding the bend and coming out of the lane, he found himself by the edge of a main road that he had no memory of. Across the road, through a dense line of trees, where the village should have been, a startling brightness drew him to it like a vision.

He squeezed the bridge of his nose to blink it away, but it persisted, shimmering, a mirage. He crossed the road, feeling the heat of the asphalt, and entered the line of trees. He found himself at the top of a grassy bank studded with rocks, staring at the glittering lake that filled the valley.

ABOUT 'THE DROWNED VILLAGE: She’s guarded her secret for a lifetime. He’s not ready to let go.

Sixty-five years ago. Pushing aside drooping hollyhocks, Elin Jenkins tosses back her dark hair and runs up the familiar path to the tiny village of Capel Celyn, past the mossy graveyard with its crumbling stones, towards the farm that’s been in her family for generations. Laughing, Al catches her around the waist, squeezing her tight. ‘Marry me,’ he whispers. ‘I’ll use my Navy liberty leave, we’ll go ask your parents. I don’t want this to end.’ Tears prick her eyes as she smiles up at him.

Three days later, Al is on his ship back to Pennsylvania. And in the months that follow, Elin’s frantic telegrams to him go unanswered. Then she receives the wedding invitation. Scribbled on the back are three words: No hard feelings.

Present day. Al Locke, retired Navy Captain, smooths his silver hair and finishes up with a spritz of aftershave. With a spring in his step he hasn’t had for decades, he sets off up the well-worn track through the valley. As he rounds the last bend, his heart begins to race. He has no doubt he will meet her in the village today. He will at last hear the horrible truth of what happened to Elin after he left, and he’ll confess why he couldn’t face coming back… until now.

As Al crests the final, familiar hill, a startling brightness draws him in like a vision. Before him, a glittering lake fills the entire valley. The pretty stone village of Capel Celyn, and all trace of Elin, are gone…

MY THOUGHTS: There were so many interesting things in this book that I really don't know where to start. The story itself is lovely, bittersweet but lovely. It's a story of lost love, family secrets, betrayal, forgiveness, and making the best of things when life, inevitably, goes wrong.

All the time I was reading this I was thinking, 'Why does X have to stick his/her oar in?', because everything that went wrong for Al and Elin is the result of outside interference.

The story itself unfolds slowly, in dual timelines, now and post WWII. The plot is evenly paced but unpredictable. I thought I knew what would happen, but I was wrong, and I'm glad I was wrong. The ending was unexpected but perfect.

There are all sorts of wonderful historical tidbits woven into the storyline, from the Welsh connection in Abraham Lincoln's ancestry to the Welshman who discovered America before Christopher Columbus, and plenty more.

This was a lovely quiet and gentle read with a great range of well depicted characters. Narrator Josh Wichard had me thinking I was listening to a whole cast of narrators.

⭐⭐⭐.9

#TheDrownedVillage #NetGalley

I: @bookouture

T: @TheNormaCurtis @Bookouture

#audiobook #contemporaryfiction #historicalfiction #mystery #sliceoflife #womensfiction

THE AUTHOR: Norma Curtis was born near Wrexham, North Wales, where her family still resides, and now lives in London, England, with her husband and a son. She writes with a unique blend of dry humour, warmth, wisdom and originality.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture Audio via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of The Drowned Village by Norma Curtis for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

I struggled with this book. I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I felt I couldn't root for any of them. I felt that the story was choppy and didn't flow well. There were actually parts of the story that seemed to come out of left field and I missed how it connected or added to the story. I really liked the cover. I thought the narration was really good. I think the book title change was more fitting for the book.

Not for me. I started the book three times, and at the same point each time the story became convoluted. While I did continue, unfortunately grasping occasionally pieces of interest, I was bored. I never connected with the story, the characters, or the narrator.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for accepting my request to read and review the previously titled The Captain's Wife.

"Nothing compares you for the isolation of grief."

The above line is the soul of The Drowned Village by Norma Curtis but there is an underlying message of hope by the end of this heartbreaking audiobook.

Sixty five years ago young naive Elin falls in love with Al a U.S. sailor on leave in her picturesque Wales village. They have instant chemistry, sexual attraction and a love of ancestral history. Before he leaves to go back to Pennsylvania he proposes knowing he must go home and break the heart of the girl he left behind. In the meantime Elin tries to save money for her trip to Al's homeland.

Then her village, her family farm and all the history there is threatened to be washed away from a proposed reservoir that will literally wash away all she has ever known. She can't leave now and her tragic miscommunicated telegram to Al sets off a chain of misunderstandings that alters many lives.

Now in the present Al has finally made it back to Elin but as he happily strolls towards her home he sees nothing of her village or any sign of her existence.

With the help of neighboring townsfolk Al searches for a place in time when he knew true love. Narrator Josh Wichard brought tears to my eyes as he tells Al's story still not knowing what really happened to Elin and where her journey brought her in life. His swallowed sobs and held on anger were very real.

The writer brings this story full circle with a message that life is made of moments and we often must let go and enjoy the life we are having rather than yearn for living what we thought would be our life.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

In The Drowned Village, by author Norma Curtis, a tragic miscommunication changes the path taken by two lovers planning to be married. This novel was a bit slow for me in the beginning, but the story itself was very good and very much worth the read.

This is a story of falling in love and then experiencing an unexpected life event bringing with it hurt, sorrow and lasting disappointment.

I think the takeaway from this moving story of losing a much anticipated love-filled life, is that communication is everything! Love is worth the risk of learning the truth. Not knowing the truth might save us from hurt. However, not having the courage to seek out the truth will surely break our hearts.

I listened to the audio book and the Narrator did a great job in portraying each character. There are so many misunderstandings between people in love when we have a long distance romance. This risk increases tremendously when they didn’t have all possible communications that exist today. Missed communications with the airmail letter send and received late. With the limited opportunity to explain one’s actions through the use of a telegram and the instant reactions after reading the telegram. Both Elin and our American sailor made an instant reaction decision without thinking it through. They mean well but that doesn’t make it the correct action even if they both felt they were doing the right thing. We have two time periods. We have the first encounter with the developing romance and 65 years later. Can our retired sailor tract down his first love and realize what happen back when. You have to read the book to find out. This is much more than a love story.

This was a wonderfully written story of heartbreak, lost love, unrealized & unfulfilled dreams, history, miscommunications and so much more. What happens when you live your life always wondering “what if” wanting something more, different? When you settle because of said miscommunications? We join retired Navy Captain Al Locke on his journey 60 years later to back to find his long lost love and rediscover the past. Its a sad and haunting story and yet a wonderful touching listen.

This story works well as an audiobook. The narrator brings each of the main characters to life in a believable way, drawing the reader into their world. It's a dual timeline story set in WW2 and the postwar period and then in present times. The revised title is apt because it concentrates on the opposition to a proposed reservoir that involved the drowning of the village.

The story's heart is the short and tragic romance between a young village girl Elin and an American Navy sailor, Al. The novel captures the intensity of their relationship and its sad aftermath beautifully. This story has a mystery, friendship, lies, and secrets and shows first love can resonate for a lifetime.

The gently paced story is full of emotion and historical detail. The ending is poignantly romantic yet realistic.

I received a copy of this audiobook from Bookouture audio via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Sixty five years ago, a love story bloomed, Al Locke an officer in the Navy met Elin Jenkins the Welsh nurse who captivated him from the first look. An interest in Abraham Lincoln's ancestery, he followed her to her home town where she showed him Abraham Lincoln's grandmother's grave.
A love story so beautiful ended with plan for marriage but a misunderstood telegram ruined it all.
Elin's side is so sad and heartbreaking, I felt her pain deep inside my heart.

"A beautiful and heartbreaking story about lost love, forgiveness and family secrets." It is exactly that

The story is a historical romance taking place in two different timelines. Al Locke is an American Sailor whose ship comes to dock in the Welsh Village of Capel Celyn for repairs. The first weekend he goes to dance in town where he meets Elin Jenkins, a Welsh nurse. The story first takes place during the early time of their quick romance and falling in love. They are making plans for marriage when Al ship leaves to head home early. A telegram is misinterpreted and life for both changes. Sixty five years later, Al comes back to find everything he left behind, only to find the Village has been drowned. He seeks answers. The story is filled with love, heartache and family secrets. The narration is done very well. The novel was first titled “The Captain’s Wife”

Thank you #NetGalley, #Bookouture, #NormaCurtis #TheDrownedVillage and #JoshWichard for the audiobook for my honest review.

In the 1950s, an American sailor meets a Welsh student nurse in Liverpool. They fall in love and he proposes.

Elin takes Al to meet her family in the tiny village of Capel Celyn. He is captivated by the beauty of the village and welcomed by her family.

Alas, before the wedding be arranged, Al is called back to his ship and sets sail for Philadelphia.
Elin will follow him and they will wed in his home town.

Then Capel Celyn comes under threat of being flooded for a reservoir. Elin chooses to postpone her departure to help campaign against the flooding.

Sadly, her telegram is misinterpreted as ending the relationship. Al is heartbroken and seeks solace in marrying a close family friend.

Meanwhile, Elin eagerly awaits letters from Al, but becomes increasingly desperate at the silence.
Finally, she is informed of his wedding.

Her life quickly spirals out of control.

Sixty-five years later, retired Naval captain Al Locke returns to Capel Celyn. He is devastated to find the village drowned and no trace of Elin.
He stays for a week and the story is slowly revealed.

The book is heart-breaking at times, but finally Al finds the answers he sought and a lasting sense of tranquillity.

The narration was excellent.

I received a free copy of this audiobook via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All views expressed are my own.

The Captain's Wife, also known as The Drowned Village was a heartwrenching story about love lost & the years that you can't replace. But everyone needs closure and that's exactly what this book is about.

First off the cover of this book is beautiful! That was one of the things that intrigued me about this book, besides the description. Although a slower-paced book, I appreciated the two timelines in the book going back and forth to tell the story of Al & Ellen. At times, this book gave me "The Notebook" vibes. I thought the backstory in Wales was lovely as I haven't read many books that take place in that location. There was also a good element of history relating back to Abraham Lincoln that was interesting and I wonder if actually true.

I think in these books you always hope for more of a happy ending rather than closure, but I think it felt right. It was an enjoyable read overall but nothing that I'll be thinking about for weeks.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.
Synopsis
She’s guarded her secret for a lifetime. He’s not ready to let go.

Sixty-five years ago. Pushing aside drooping hollyhocks, Elin Jenkins tosses back her dark hair and runs up the familiar path to the tiny village of Capel Celyn, past the mossy graveyard with its crumbling stones, towards the farm that’s been in her family for generations. Laughing, Al catches her around the waist, squeezing her tight. ‘Marry me,’ he whispers. ‘I’ll use my Navy liberty leave, we’ll go ask your parents. I don’t want this to end.’ Tears prick her eyes as she smiles up at him.

Three days later, Al is on his ship back to Pennsylvania. And in the months that follow, Elin’s frantic telegrams to him go unanswered. Then she receives the wedding invitation. Scribbled on the back are three words: No hard feelings.

Present day. Al Locke, retired Navy Captain, smooths his silver hair and finishes up with a spritz of aftershave. With a spring in his step he hasn’t had for decades, he sets off up the well-worn track through the valley. As he rounds the last bend, his heart begins to race. He has no doubt he will meet her in the village today. He will at last hear the horrible truth of what happened to Elin after he left, and he’ll confess why he couldn’t face coming back… until now.

As Al crests the final, familiar hill, a startling brightness draws him in like a vision. Before him, a glittering lake fills the entire valley. The pretty stone village of Capel Celyn, and all trace of Elin, are gone…

A beautiful and heartbreaking story about lost love, forgiveness and family secrets. Fans of Fiona Valpy, Kate Morton and Kathleen McGurl will love this book.

Well, where do I even begin, set around ww11 this is a heartbreaking tale of love and loss. I thoroughly enjoyed the book I have to say. It was a slightly different tack for me, but it was beautifully written and narrated. Without adding a spoiler, a poignant ending where not every story is wrapped in a happy ever after bow. Loved it!
I can’t lie the title change from when I downloaded to when I completed and prepared to review completely threw me off.

I absolutely loved this contemporary romance audiobook.

Such a great book with a solid storyline and great characters.

I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author.

A definite recommend

I just listen to/read The Drowned Village (previously The Captain's Wife) and while I found the setting and historical aspects of the book incredibly interesting, I didn't quite fall in love with any of the characters. It left me with a slow moving book, that ultimately I just wanted more from.

I 100% agree with the change in title. The drowned village is definitely a more intriguing and apt name for the novel.

I absolutely loved the setting in Wales and that redeemed many aspects of the plot for me. The deterioration of Al and Elin's relationship was forced to me and I just didn't see that happening in reality. So I ended up having a hard time with the overall concept of the novel.

I do love when novels make me want to go and find out more about history, and that is exactly what I did upon finishing the book. I loved learning more about Wales and the drowning of Capel Celyn.

Elin Jenkins mets the dashing Al Locke from the American navy. The young woman from Capel Celyn falls hard Al and they enjoy a whirl wind romance culminating in a proposal. After his boat is sent home Elin makes her plans to follow him to Pennsylvania for their marriage. However, tragedy is to befall her home and she sends a telegram to cancel the wedding. Following it up with a letter of explanation.
Elin then recieved a wedding invitation through the post. For Al’s wedding to another woman on the date that should have been their wedding. Al has written ‘no hard feelings’
Sixty five years later Al returns to Wales in the hope of finding Elin. He’s ready to meet Elin to answer all those unasked questions. However, as he reaches the village he discovers Capel Celyn is no more. The valley has been flooded. It would appear he will never get the answers he craves.

I was engrossed in this book. The narrator carried me on the journey and I felt invested in the characters. A thoroughly enjoyable story told in two timelines.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audiobook.

A little slow moving but full of emotions. Truly shows how much the smallest moments can change everything. Narrator was great. I would definitely recommend giving this a try!

This was my first audio book and I so struggled to get into the story. It took me a while but so pleased I persevered. Loved the story and the characters, and the history behind the story. Will definitely buy the book to read at leisure again.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio, Bookouture for the early read.

Slow moving, but excellent story of love, lost and endurance, secrets and solving a mystery. So much emotions are packed in this story. The narrator was riveting, did a fantastic job. Al Locke after 65 years goes on a quest back to Wales. Trying to trace Abraham Lincoln mother’s roots. his passion, but also trying to reconnect with his first love. When he gets back to the village where they met, the village had disappeared under water along with the mystery of where Ellen went. The ending was not expected. A definite must read or listen too!
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheCaptainsWife #Bookoture

Searching for the Past

It's wartime and a handsome Navy captain Al Locke meets a young English nurse Elin Jenkins in a small English village where they are docked. They fall in love and agree to marry, but his ship needs to leave. Elin is to travel to Pennsylvania to marry Al, but family matters keep her from going. She sends a telegram to let him know she will not be coming right now and awaits a letter.

Instead of a letter she gets a wedding invitation with the words written on it "No hard feelings". Now she must hide a secret from Al and the world.

Sixty years later Al returns to the village to find Elin and find out what happened all those years ago when she sent the telegram cancelling the wedding.

This is a story of miscommunication and heartbreak. Two people love each other, but because each thinks the other has changed their mind they marry someone else and live different lives in different countries.

It is a bit sad, but it does stress the fact of how important communication can be, how one mistaken word or action can change a future. How easy it is for outside interference to change a course of someone's life. How people move on after a break up or a tragic event and that no matter how you plan sometimes things just don't work out.

This was a beautiful love story and I enjoyed listening to it. The audio book was narrated very well and I like the story and the narration. I would recommend this story.

Thanks to Norma Curtis for writing a great story, to Josh Wichard for the great narration, to Bookouture Audio for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it ava