Mona has just turned 60 and is a doll maker. In her shop by the sea she sells lovingly handcrafted dolls and toys which are made by the local carpenter. She worries about being on her own and has tragedies in her past which she finds hard to let go. She helps grieving women who have lost babies come to terms with what they have lost.

She married young to William and totally fell head over heels for him but tragedy struck and he lost his way and Irish immigrant Mona had to start again. She has a sort of romance with Karl but it doesn't go anywhere as her heart belongs to someone else. It has a twist I didn't for one moment see coming. A beautifully written book.

Review for the trick of time.
The trick time normally isn't the type of book I would read.
however I did enjoy it, the book was very engaging and heart-rending.
Mona is a talent dollmarker but she also makes dolls for mothers who have lost babies. She has a few secrets of her own.
the book shifts from three time periods , Mona growing up, the 70's and the present time. There was a few times where this got a bit confusing. there is always a love story running throughtout the whole book. There is also a big surprise that happens.
I enjoyed The Trick to Time, there were moments where I smiled and it's of moments where I cried. In all its a very moving book.

I have just finished this, and after two very long nights am completely exhausted. having picked up the book to write a review I didn't know about the subject matter until I started reading it. Despite its traumatic subject, Kit de Waal has woven a beautiful story of love, suffering and life that entangles and enraptures the reader. The main character is so incredibly sad and lonely, yet at the same time is so strong and so full of life, you cannot help but feel drawn into her life.
Having been raised by her father on the east coast of Ireland following her mother's early death, Mona finds herself in Birmingham in the early 70s, where she meets the love of her life. Following a fairy tale romance Mona gets pregnant, and the loss of the child tears her life apart. We encounter Mona on the verge of turning 60, at this point a successful yet very lonely doll maker with her own doll shop on the coast of England. The dolls are made by the taciturn and serious carpenter, who seems to hold sway over Mona. As a side occupation she helps other people who have gone through the loss of a child at birth. A series of chance encounters and a belated life crisis propel the story to its dramatic conclusion.
This is a heartbreaking story of love and life, of trauma and loss, and as the title suggests, the ability or perhaps need to make the time stretch and contract as our mind requires. This ability and our imagination allow us to deal with grief and loss better and find solace in what could have been. It is incredibly well written and is a story that will stay with you for a while.

A warming heart breaking cleverly written novel. Takes you on a journey that immerses you in a wrenching story so beautifully written that to find another novel that stirs such emotions a difficult task.

A poignant, but ultimately uplifting read based around the misery of stillbirth and how it affects Mona, the main character, and those around her for years to come. We follow Mona's progress throughout her life through a series of flashbacks and 'rewindings' of what happened from different perspectives. I like the gentle way the story is handled and the eventual coming to terms with her life's traumas through helping others to do the same. An interesting and thought-provoking book which treats a desperately sad event with a sensitive yet positive.touch.

I loved this book, I loved the plot and the characters. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Kit de Waal for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Starts in Ireland,then moves to Birmingham also moves between past and present. At times heart wrenching,at times heart warming and a serious twist at the end.

This is already one of my favourite books of 2018. Superbly written, this poignant, utterly unique story of love and loss is brought vividly to life by its rich collection of characters and wonderful depth of prose. An outstanding read.

Mona is facing her sixtieth birthday with trepidation. She lives an unusual life - she makes dolls and does a little therapy on the side. The story is interspersed with flashbacks of her rather tragic young life with William, her husband. There are a couple of surprises as the stories unfold and merge. I loved this, It was told with sensitivity and suspense and my interest did not flag at all. The ending was poignant and moving.

This book was a pleasure to read. Set in both the present day and in 1970's it provided an insight into a life I hadn't thought about before - being young, Irish and in Birmingham at the time of the pub bombings. It also described loss, mental illness and growing older in a sensitive and moving way.
The book is really well written and I loved the main character. She came alive on the pages. She invoked feelings of both respect and sympathy in me. I would like to meet her!
Kit de Waal is a talent writer and as a reader I felt like I was there in the world she creates. Thank you for allowing me to read and review The Trick to Time. I will be whole-heartedly recommending it. #netgalley #TheTrickToTime

The story of the twists and turns of an Irish couple from first love through to their 60's. Their troubled start with married life weighed down with sorrow and depression. Telling the whole story of the wife's, Mona, life from childhood through to her 60th birthday. A loving family upset by tragedy, the Northern Ireland troubles (part of the book is set in the 1970's) and loyalty. The time frame jumps around in the book from childhood to newly marrieds to present day, keeping the reader alert and engaged. The characters are well developed and one feels that you can understand their personalities. Clearly much investigation went into certain aspects of the story, as I felt the situations were very plausible. A sad tale really, but the reader is left with hope.

This is a well written, easy to read book which flits backwards and forwards between the present and the past. It tells the story of (Desde)Mona and her loves and losses. I have to admit to feeling a little confused by the final chapter. I suspect I'm meant to... there are certainly a number of different interpretations to the ending. I'm afraid, if there was a twist (or two) I guessed it/them but was nice to have my suspicions confirmed. I'd definitely recommend this book!

I didn’t know if the author could pull off another amazing read after the fantastic my name is Leon, but I needn’t have worried. The trick to time is a fantastic heartfelt story of love and loss, spanning 60 years in the life of Mona, how she deals with her loss in life and with love. Beautifully written. Fully recommend this book. An amazing author, can’t wait for the next one!

The Trick to Time is an unforgettable tale of grief, longing, and a love that lasts a lifetime.. It’s engaging from the very start,tastefully and sensitively focusing on the heart wrenching subject of stillbirth. I liked how it was told from two different timescales and found the changes in time easy to follow.

Not my usual genre but I like to break out of my comfort zone occasionally , and I liked the sound of this book.It is basically a story of a woman looking back at her life and is very character driven, I did enjoy this step into the unknown and although I am keen to get back to my usual thrillers and Sci Fi it is really good to be able to read new authors and enjoy a new writing experience, I did read her first book and I like her thinking so will be looking out for more books .

Kit de Waal’s writing deals with emotionally harrowing themes with a sensitive and delicate touch. This is a sad, sad story of stillbirth and its effect on the people involved. Without any hint of lecturing her audience, she shows how social attitudes to stillbirth and the counselling care available to parents have changed since the 1970s.

The two main characters cry out equally for our sympathy - though they handle it very differently, Mona and William’s lives are defined by their experience. Mona is such an appealing character - resourceful and resilient for herself, caring and practical for others, she is just the friend anyone would want. Following her journey over half a century was a real pleasure. If there was a downside to the story for me, it would be the character of Karl - the only jarring note in an otherwise truly engaging read.

A worthy follow-up to the magnificent achievement of ‘My Name is Leon’, one of my favourite books last year, and highly recommended.

Review copy courtesy of Penguin UK, Viking via NetGalley, many thanks.

I rarely award five stars, but The Trick to Time is so deserving of all the accolades it will surely get. I started it yesterday, finished it today and it will live with me for time to come. It will make an excellent choice for Book Club reading. There is seamless movement back and forth through the time marking Mona's life as we live with her what was, what is and what would or could be. It is a story of loss and love. The ending was unexpected and left me agreeing with the poet Robert Browning that "All's right with the world". Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read what will surely be a Best Seller.

Normally when I sit down to read, I have a rough idea of what I think of the book...this one I'm still having mixed thoughts about.  

The story itself is heartfelt & quite interesting, with an eclectic mix of characters that all have their own tragic story.  This obviously made for an engaging read, however the uncorrected proof copy I was sent & read felt a bit...disjointed as a result of the layout. The layout seemed a bit erratic, as it jumps between the present day and the past without any real indication (at the beginning of each chapter/flashback) of the time period. I found this a little frustrating, as one of the central features of this novel is the contrast between Mona's present day experiences, and her memories from the early 1970's, of the tragic past that tore her and William apart.  

Overall I did enjoy this novel, and it was a relatively quick read too, with plenty of plot content to keep you entertained.

***stars from me!

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully written second novel about waiting, being lonely and loving. I did guess the 'twist' less than half way through the novel but I didn't feel that I lost anything. The emotions were so fresh and raw. I also loved Mona. Enjoyable and well written.