William decides he must act, so he stands and volunteers to attend. It will be his first job as an embalmer, and it will be one he never forgets. This is a well written debut novel telling a heartfelt story on one man's coming of age after some difficult times. It wasn't so much about the Aberfan disaster as about the effects of PTSD on those who are involved in recovering bodies after such disasters. I felt the novel would have benefitted by dealing with the Aberfan disaster more sensitively by integrating it into the rest of the novel, rather than putting it aside until the end of the novel, when the aftermath and subsequent inquiry had such a big impact on the UK at the time.

I absolutely adored this stunning book! It was only recently that I had even heard of the Aberfan tradegy, so when I read the blurb I was very intrigued to read this novel.A little known but vitally important role in the immediate aftermath of the tragic events at Aberfan on the 21 October 1966, was that of volunteer embalmers, undertakers who made the journey from far and wide to answer the call for help.

Oh my goodness! Being chosen by The Reading Agency for Radio 2’s Book Club is such an honour. I’m incredibly proud not only that A Terrible Kindness will be discussed by this highly respected book club, but also that it will be sitting on library shelves across the country.

Other stories

So, when things go wrong for him, when the flipside of those traits emerge, he finds himself in a safer place than he expects or recognises.

Aberfan is a story that Britain will, and should, find difficult to forget. A natural disaster, caused by official negligence, that took 116 children’s lives; photographs of the giant spoil-tip that swept through a Welsh primary school; schoolgirls praying on the ruins as men dug towards classmates entombed below. What if he’d chosen differently? What if all that had happened could have made him a bigger person? If each disaster had been a crossroads at which he could have taken a better path? It’s too painful to dwell on. Supporting these are friends and family whose patience, acceptance, devotion and love may be unremarked upon but is ever-present. Eyes may well up and throats may clog with emotion in later scenes: only the hard of heard will fail to be moved and uplifted by this exceptional debut novel. William gets his moment in the spotlight, but it is eclipsed by the handing of a telegram to the president, who reads it out: “Embalmers needed urgently at Aberfan. Bring equipment and coffins.” Myfanwy is a song about unrequited love, while Miserere explores penitence and the hope of a new life. What do these pieces signify and what part do they play in the narrative?

Church Times/Canterbury Press:

A beautiful and tender book that I did have a connection with (my dad’s family were miners in a village close to Aberfan). The scenes after the horrible event in Aberfan were so powerful, moving and poignant (I did shed a tear). It was possible to imagine what was happening as the writing was so descriptive, I felt that I was transported into the village. But despite the dark opening chapters the author manages to present such an enlightening and insightful view of kindness and humanity. The central character William is beautifully created and is so believable. Despite the bleakness and sadness central to the story there is a message of hope that really stayed with me. This is essentially a very relevant book with much to think about – essentially how broken communities heal. During recent times this really puts into perspective how events can shape us. There are just so many themes and discussion points that would have such a universal appeal.” About the author

It’s an intriguing beginning, which already prompts questions. Why would a young man choose this of all professions? How did he get to be so proficient at it? Can someone so young and inexperienced deal with the weight of such human tragedy? We find out later on what caused him to change his mind and make him the reflective 19-year-old we meet at the start of the book. “A terrible kindness they did for us” The author’s interest in undertakers first came from her childhood where she lives in a crematorium (her father was a supervisor) and learnt to admire their respectful professionalism. The story of William Lavery - from chorister to embalmer, son to husband - is almost fantastical but also sincerely realistic. The friendships, losses, relationships and family are the core of the story, but underneath it all is the experience that the character has in the first few chapters, and the scars that are carved into him; that of attending Aberfan in October 1966 as a freshly qualified embalmer. Well, I learnt about embalming in the 60s and 70s by just talking to people who were embalming at that time. I also spent many hours with a current-day embalmer. He told me pretty much everything I know about the embalming process, but more importantly, he talked to me very openly and humanely about what it is to be an embalmer as a human being because there is a cost. It's not straightforward doing that sort of thing every single day.’

OTHER STORIES

Well, I had good advice from both my agent and editor. There was an 18-month lag for me from when I signed, to when the book came out. So, the advice was to get on with the next one. Because if it comes out and it's hugely successful, that can make you think, “oh my gosh, I'll never do that again!” If it doesn't go so well, you'll think “Well, I can't do it.” So I've got a shaggy first version of the next one but I've got to do a lot of tidying up in the next few months before I hand it over!’ In the final third of the book a series of set piece scenes and important conversations cause William to come to terms with the hurt in his life, his anger and guilt and to start to forgive himself and others and seek to repair and heal his various broken relationships. Some of the scenes either slightly strain credibility or seem to involve perhaps rather too much coincidence but there is no doubt that they are powerful in their impact and in their message: there is a particularly clever scene I felt when Robert uses the recording of Miserere to convey his understanding of the hurt he has caused to his mother as well as I think starting to understand the need to forgive; and later a very powerful one in Aberfan when he realises that he does not have to stay trapped in his memories.