Braver focuses on the stories of three individuals:
Hazel, a young woman who is fairly isolated, struggling with OCD and anxiety
Harry, a teenage boy with an alcoholic mother, also facing bullying at school
Virginia, a minister who has suffered tragic loss and who is accused of inappropriate behaviour with a minor
The three stories coincide in a way that testifies to the power of community and points to hope in the midst of life's challenges.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Each of the characters was likeable and well-painted, and the book pointed to hope in a way that was uplifting but realistic. I also appreciated the way Christianity is presented in a positive light without being at all preachy.
I'd highly recommend this book and I hope to read more from the author.

What a read! A story that highlights how important it is to be part of a supportive community, with characters that have difficulties, problems and history that are part of most people’s lives to a greater or lesser extent. It revolves around three main characters, Virginia, Hazel and Harry, and their involvement in a single incident; as it is unfolds through the revealing of their individual stories and the other characters who become their friends, it becomes increasingly difficult to put down as you want to know how it will all link together and how it will end.
Thoroughly recommend it.

Some days we need a book that’s open-hearted and uncynical, and Deborah Jenkins’ novel Braver is just that – a warm and generous story of unlikely friendships that I read in one big gulp because I couldn’t put it down.

Jenkins’ three main characters, Hazel, Harry and Virginia, couldn’t be more different, and she creates their voices beautifully, cleverly twining their plots together so that we see what they can’t, carrying us along with them as they discover their own strengths, and the supportive arms of the community around them, as they face what feel like impossible challenges. You’d have to be a hard-hearted reader indeed not to love them and to wish you had friends as generous and kind as theirs.

Jenkins writes despair beautifully, in phrases such as “Time hangs in clumps around the flat”, and in her description of Virginia’s not knowing what to do with herself as life goes on for everyone else even as hers seems to be falling apart. But she’s gently funny too, juxtaposing unlikely characters, catching their voices and their small actions, deftly creating a whole community of individuals.

Not everything is rosy in the garden of Braver: its characters deal with alcoholism, accusations of abuse, mental illness, loss, bullying and fear, but this is a novel of hope and love and the value of friends and community when everything seems bleak. When I finally put it down, I had a smile on my face.

Inspiring and uplifting read about the power of community and acceptance. There aren't enough everyday books about church ministers with a positive influence who aren't too preachy. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Hazel is a Teaching Assistant who struggles with anxiety, OCD and is on the autistic spectrum. Virginia is a church minister who gives her life to help other people and as a result of not following safeguarding rules carefully enough, is falsely accused of abusing a young person. Harry is a teenage boy navigating the challenging waters of having an alcoholic, manipulative mum to deal with at home and bullies at school. All three characters find themselves mixed up in Virginia's accusation in one way or another, along with a delightfully rag tag bunch of unique individuals from Virginia's local church who all pull together in a brilliant way to support Virginia at her lowest point.

I absolutely loved this novel. The characterization is so rich, the characters so empathetic and lovable, and the journeys that our three protagonists go on are so emotionally satisfying. In addition, the values of bravery, love and acceptance leave you with a warm feeling on the inside. Jenkins doesn't shy away from tackling difficult issues, but does so in such a hope-filled, honest way. You come away from the book feeling ready to take on your own giants!

Set in London in recent times, this novel's clear, unpretentious style draws the reader in. Small moments of felicitous expression, often about quite ordinary things, bring the setting to vibrant life.
The principals - Harry, Hazel and Virginia, three very different people - are presented with acute understanding and empathy. As also with the minor characters, there is no flinching from the real darknesses and pain in people's lives, past and present, nor from current crises; but over all there is heart and hope, loyalty, sympathy, generosity and encouragement. This story is a tribute to the liberating power of kindness and friendship, and a delightful read.