Braver
Shortlisted for the Writers' Guild Best First Novel Award
Published on 30. June 2022
Book
Paperback/Softback
288 pages
978-1-914148-13-2 (ISBN)
Description
'An inspiring and heart-warming story' -People's Friend
Hazel has learned to survive, but mostly by hiding. Painfully shy and struggling with OCD, she isolates herself from others and sticks to her routines in order to cope. When an accident brings her to the notice of church minister, Virginia, at last she is seen.
Virginia coaxes Hazel out into the world and an unlikely friendship blossoms, but the minister has problems of her own. Having rebuilt her life after a traumatic loss, she has become the backbone of her community, caring for those in need and mentoring disadvantaged young people, and it's wearing her down. When a shock accusation threatens to unravel everything she has worked for, her world is turned upside down. Will Hazel and Virginia's friendship survive, and will it be strong enough to pull them through?
Told with warmth, compassion and gentle humour, Braver is an uplifting story about the strength that can be drawn from friendship and community.
Hazel has learned to survive, but mostly by hiding. Painfully shy and struggling with OCD, she isolates herself from others and sticks to her routines in order to cope. When an accident brings her to the notice of church minister, Virginia, at last she is seen.
Virginia coaxes Hazel out into the world and an unlikely friendship blossoms, but the minister has problems of her own. Having rebuilt her life after a traumatic loss, she has become the backbone of her community, caring for those in need and mentoring disadvantaged young people, and it's wearing her down. When a shock accusation threatens to unravel everything she has worked for, her world is turned upside down. Will Hazel and Virginia's friendship survive, and will it be strong enough to pull them through?
Told with warmth, compassion and gentle humour, Braver is an uplifting story about the strength that can be drawn from friendship and community.
Reviews / Votes
'An inspiring and heart-warming story' -People's Friend'A feel-good story. Easy, heart-warming' -Love Reading
'A charming, lyrical read for fans of good fiction that combines skilful writing with a story that makes you feel hopeful' -Fran Hill, author of Miss, What Does Incomprehensible Mean?
'Deborah Jenkins wonderfully uplifting novel deftly captures the impact of fear, guilt, loneliness and shame on the lives of her characters [...] Utterly human, and deeply compassionate' -Loree Westron, author of Missing Words
'A heart-warming book about how you can change your life, and that of those around you [...] A wonderful story which shows us how it feels to be different and still accepted' -Debbi Voisey, author of Only About Love
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 194 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
236 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-914148-13-2 (9781914148132)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Deborah Jenkins is a primary school teacher and the author of several heart-warming books and stories. Her short fiction has appeared in magazines and anthologies, and she has published a novella, The Evenness of Things, a novel Braver and a collection of short stories called Winter Lights.
Deborah also writes educational textbooks, as well as articles for the TES online and Guardian Weekend. She lives in Sussex and enjoys reading, walking, gardening, travel and good coffee.
Find out more about Deborah by visiting her blog at https://www.stillwonderinghere.net or by finding her on Instagram at @deborah.jenkins.stillwondering.
Deborah also writes educational textbooks, as well as articles for the TES online and Guardian Weekend. She lives in Sussex and enjoys reading, walking, gardening, travel and good coffee.
Find out more about Deborah by visiting her blog at https://www.stillwonderinghere.net or by finding her on Instagram at @deborah.jenkins.stillwondering.