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Back A Terrible Kindness
Chapters (77)
  1. Landing Page
  2. A TERRIBLE KINDNESS
  3. Dedication
  4. Contents
  5. ABERFAN
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. CAMBRIDGE CHOIR
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. FAMILY BUSINESS
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. MIDNIGHT CHOIR
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. 58
  67. ABERFAN
  68. 59
  69. 60
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. 63
  73. 64
  74. 65
  75. Acknowledgements
  76. About the Author
  77. Copyright

From the dignified, dedicated world of undertaking, thanks to Billy Doggart, who coordinated the extraordinary volunteer effort at Aberfan, and fellow embalmer Peter Gaunt; two heroes who entrusted their stories to me right at the beginning. Thanks to James Skeates, for the window on to the inner life of an embalmer, and to Matthew King for letting me watch him at work. To Adrian Haler, for answering many questions about embalming in the 1960s (any mistakes are mine). To Huw Lewis, author of To Hear the Skylark’s Song and child of Aberfan. To Tom Davies, reporter at the disaster and author of The Reporter’s Tale, and to photographer Andrew Whittuck.

Thanks to Mark Tinkler, Alastair Roberts and Jonathan Hellyer Jones; all generous with their chorister stories. To Helen Robbins and Millie Cant for advice on all things musical, and to Tim Boniface, whom I watched at work with another unconventional choir. To Derek Rice from the Tate, for information on London galleries in the 1960s.

To Arun Midha, Barbara and Chris Matthews, my Swansea advisers. To Adrian Rees for a decisive conversation about the title. To Willie Williams and David Keleel, for the dream writer’s retreat and without whom none of this would have been possible. To Jacki Parris, whose spare room was my study for a season and whose friendship has been for all seasons. To Miriam Ware for her wisdom.

Thanks to Carol Holliday and Steve Shaw, Julia and Martin Evans, for so many conversations and much laughter about life and the mysteries of the human condition. To festival companions Lesley Thompson and Kate Grunstein. To my Thursday morning writers and Friday lunchtime readers. To Isobel Maddison and the Lucy Cavendish community, and Cathy Moore and Cambridge Literary Festival friends; my nourishment over many years.

To my mum and sister, to Liam and Ada. To my magnificent, beloved daughters, Alice and Ruby, whom I’m so pleased to make proud.

And finally, my thanks start and end with John, my best friend for thirty-eight years, who frankly bordered on the ridiculous in his belief that this day would come.

About the Author

JO BROWNING WROE grew up in a crematorium in Birmingham. She has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia and is now Creative Writing Supervisor at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge. Her debut novel, A Terrible Kindness, was shortlisted for the Bridport/Peggy Chapman-Andrews award. She has two adult daughters and lives with her husband in Cambridge.

Copyright

First published in 2022
by Faber & Faber Limited
Bloomsbury House
74–77 Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DA

This ebook edition first published in the UK in 2022

Design by Faber

The right of Jo Browning Wroe to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988