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The Key

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The Key

By: Kathryn Hughes
Narrated by: Joanne Froggatt
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A hidden note. A lost love. A second chance....

From the number one best-selling author of The Letter, Kathryn Hughes, comes The Key, an unforgettable story of a heartbreaking secret that will stay with you for ever.

1956

It's Ellen Crosby's first day as a student nurse at Ambergate Hospital. When she meets a young woman admitted by her father, little does Ellen know that a choice she will make is to change both their lives for ever....

2006

Sarah is drawn to the now abandoned Ambergate. Whilst exploring the old corridors she discovers a suitcase belonging to a female patient who entered Ambergate fifty years earlier. The shocking contents, untouched for half a century, will lead Sarah to unravel a forgotten story of tragedy and lost love, and the chance to make an old wrong right.

©2018 Kathryn Hughes (P)2018 Headline Publishing Group Ltd. Contemporary Contemporary Romance Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Romance Women's Fiction Heartfelt

Critic reviews

"A wonderful, enthralling story; one that I didn't want to end." (Lesley Pearse on The Key)

"Gripping." (Good Housekeeping on The Secret)

"Hughes creates a sense of time and place effortlessly. The social context is incredibly important and once again, conveyed so well that the reader feels immersed in the world of Ambergate. Even though some of the story is set in the past, it still feels relevant and still raises questions about attitudes to mental illness, trauma, motherhood and grief." (Bibliomaniac on The Key)
Engaging Historical Fiction • Excellent Narration • Emotional Storytelling • Seamless Timeline Transitions • Pleasing Voice
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This is my most favorite kind of books! A story that holds your interest from the beginning! Sara's need and desire to research an old insane asylum, brings to light the stories of horror and kindness. Worth a credit!!

Wonderful storytelling

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The Key
To do this is the time when so many things were planned not to help so many who would be struggling with mental illnesses. The time of this story is when so many things were going to happened to everyone. Some of this took time when so many things were set aside in the mental hospital. The care that was going on to the health of the patients. Who were suffering from some type of mental disorder. There was Amy who was there with her problems, and no one would believe her.
This story was telling in difference parts of the story when there were some things were going on with. Traditional time people were there for finding difficult things to help patients. Who was left asIde with mental abuse and what was going on with them.
The Doctor he himself, now was finding himself with some perspective things, he had to leave hospital. Now latter without his daughter; she would help in finding things from information, informative information about what there. Also who was a homeless boy and the baby that was born in the mental hospital.

The Key

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I was completely enraptured by this book. I typically enjoy the multiple character perspective books, but this was great because the author stuck with one longer than just a chapter. When reading I don't find the rapid switch as difficult, but for audio I do- the author wrote this perfectly for an audio book. The story was amazing overall and I definitely recommend. Separately, I usually don't like Bristish narrators, but for some reason I really enjoyed this one.

Excellent.

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As with her other suspenseful romantic novels, this one is unsurpassable. It journeys the heart from beginning to end with unexpected fulfilling summary. Thank You.

Truly amazing

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This book is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Very well written and read. Wish I could give it more than 5 stars!!

Great Book!!!!!!!

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I loved this book! Great story and a perfect narrater! Kathryn Hughes always does a wonderful job!

Read this book or listen to it!

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This is such a sad story, but I loved it. There is a good ending of sorts, but the lives of the people in this asylum haunts me. This story is definitely an eye opener to what institutional life was like not so long ago.

Bittersweet and haunting

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This writer really knows how to give us a long history of stories and bring it to a great ending. Everything was realistic and Very well done

Very good story and narration

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This was not as good as either The Letter, or The Key. The research that went into this was very evident which enhanced the minute details of the time. The story itself was just not as fresh as the other two.

Good story, but not great.

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wonderful story .. had me hooked before the 1st chapter ended .. just buy it

outstanding

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