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The Vanishing of Margaret Small

By: Neil Alexander
Narrated by: Annie Aldington, Rachel Atkins
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Summary

Meet Margaret Small: 75, plain spoken, Whitstable native and a Cilla Black super fan. Shortly after the death of her idol, Margaret begins receiving sums of money in the post, signed simply 'C'.

She is convinced it must be Cilla, but how can it be? To solve the mystery of her benefactor Margaret must go back in her memories almost 70 years, to the time when she was 'vanished' to a long-stay institution for children with learning disabilities.

An absorbing and page-turning mystery with a dual timeline, The Vanishing of Margaret Small takes readers into a fascinating past, and introduces an unforgettable literary heroine.

Perfect for fans of Libby Page and Gail Honeyman.
©2022 Neil Alexander (P)2022 Bonnier Books UK
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Critic reviews

"An evocative, endearing, entertaining and thoroughly delicious character portrait and a terrific first novel." (Donal MacIntyre, TV presenter)

"A tender, thought-provoking and totally gripping novel from a wonderful storyteller...deserves to be a huge hit!" (Matt Cain, author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle)

What listeners say about The Vanishing of Margaret Small

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Wonderful !

Absolutely wonderful writing . Couldn’t stop listening to find out what happened too .,A joyful heroine at the fore .

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6 people found this helpful

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Beautiful Story!

Heartfelt, heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time! This book keeps you guessing and intrigued while the emotional connection to Margaret is so strong. To think this was founded in the real life stories of others!

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4 people found this helpful

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Fabulous story, beautifully narrated

Couldn’t stop listening to this book. In the past we treated people very harshly and without compassion. This book tells it as it was. Sad, funny and heartwarming. A brilliant narrator who brings the character to life.

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3 people found this helpful

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Beautiful, compassionate story

Wonderful narration, story handled with compassion but not over sentimental.
Dad but happy, terrible time to if lived through, thank goodness we are not as cruel today.
Highly recommend

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3 people found this helpful

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A story with a truthful heart

Although this is a work of fiction, the thread of truth and injustice that holds it all together is undeniable.
Heart warming, and heart sore. Lovely and awful. A lovely twist at the end.

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3 people found this helpful

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Five Sparkly Stars

What a wonderful book. Okay I knew which direction the book was moving in but such a journey to get there. I loved Margaret and I’ve met people who would were treated just like her so sad…. Thankfully times have changed! I would love a couple of loose ends to be tidied up in a follow up book….so worth a credit :)

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2 people found this helpful

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Beautiful Account of a True Story

This is the most beautifully written and narrated audio book I have listened to in a long time. The story of Margaret is written in such a way that the listener can fully imagine the trauma and life changing encounters without it being graphic in its description.
One can’t help but empathise with the protagonist and want the absolute best for her in following the account of her journey. It was a truly compelling story and one I will listen to again and again. Can highly recommend.

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1 person found this helpful

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A fantastic book.

A fantastic book that is informative and an excellent story. It is both sad and also makes you laugh. I am the same age as Margaret and remember well the way things used to be and glad I am still here to see how attitudes have changed for the better.

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1 person found this helpful

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Beautiful story

Lovely heartwarming but sad story, good to see how things have changed very good story

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Lovely

What a wonderful story. Hits hard- things that happened to people in long term hospitals/institutions is difficult to listen to. But a great story, written well and the audio is a masterpiece.

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