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The Vanishing of Margaret Small

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The Vanishing of Margaret Small

By: Neil Alexander
Narrated by: Annie Aldington, Rachel Atkins
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About this listen

 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 Detective Fiction Mystery Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Heartfelt Exciting Feel-Good Suspense

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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)
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I loved this book. It is an entirely simple read- no clever or particularly sophisticated writing, in my opinion- but that is precisely it’s charm. Raw, honest, unfiltered, heartbreaking and heartwarming. I laughed and cried. It is told through the eyes of Margaret- a pure and gorgeous soul - who was taken into an institution at such a young age. She describes her journey through life without self pity and with a factual acceptance of her experiences. Having myself worked in one of these institutions in the ‘80s and been witness to some extent to the people who lived in them at the time (although much kinder practices then) - this book had a profound effect on me and I believe is a story that needs to be told.
This book should be a must read for us all - to understand the importance of the reality that faced and likely still faces so many who live “ unseen”. The touches of light in human kindness and acceptance are wonderful and heartwarming too.
Shout out to the fantastic Annie Aldington whose gift for narration is the reason I chose this book in the first place!! She does not disappoint, giving yet again, a marvellous performance.
What a beautiful, important, and moving book.
Thank you too for the people whose lives have been shared and heard and on whose experiences the author has drawn.

Beautiful, moving, simple, profound

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Thank you for such a lovely story, it’s important to bring these stories out and make us appreciate what our families went through to help us appreciate where we are now too. Well read and kept me “in” the whole way through

Lovely story and eye opening

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What a charming story this was. So many difficult issues covered in such a beautiful and simplistic way. Margaret had my heart from the beginning, especially when she commented ‘there’s no need for language like that, especially not in Sainsbury’s’.

This book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster, with plenty of laugh out loud moments and a few gasps of pure sadness. The ending note from the author is very poignant. Thank you Neil Alexander for raising such an important issue.

Oh Margaret!

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Don’t normally write reviews but this will go down as one of my favourite books. Beautifully written and heartbreaking and warming

Brilliant

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Beautifully told story, the narration was superb to match. I found myself getting really attatched to Margaret and being really invested in her story. Thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book

Fell in love with Margaret

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this captured my heart, made me sad, made me glad and it finished with a deep sigh from my heart...I have very very few books that I plan to read again but this joins that very small shelf

oh wow

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A beautiful read. Both heart breaking and heart warming. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Lovely book.

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What a book, I loved it so much. Margaret Small - belittled and ignored, yet strong enough to go through life and get just what she deserved in the end. I was rooting her right from the very start. That little light inside of you that keeps you going - well done Margaret, you were a star in my eyes.
Thank you Neil Alexander for believing in your story and persevering in bringing Margaret to life.
I listened to the audio version and it’s superbly narrated too.

A Strong Woman

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This has been such a wonderful story to listen to and so beautifully told. Brought forward the awful experiences of the past in a sensitive way.

Wonderful!

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This is definitely the best book I’ve listened to in 2024 so far,
You can’t help but love the protagonist.
The story is unpredictably charming and simultaneously heartbreaking.
The narrator definitely deserves a lot of credit for making the character believable.
Overall,
I’m so glad I got the pleasure of listening to ‘The vanishing of Margaret Small’

I loved this book, it was alike no other. 5/5

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