An event that shook the world.

William Lavery has graduated as an embalmer and out celebrating his graduation when news of a landslide at a coal mine break. This landslide buried a school in Aberfan, Wales. He immediately volunteers to help prepare the bodies of the children who have been recovered.

There are certain events that happened in England which have affected not just England, but the world. One such incident was the news of these pupils all being swallowed up as tons of mud and debris swept down the hill. Jo Browning Wroe has crafted this beautiful storyline on how William, along with volunteers, help to embalm all the children for burial.

Jo Browning Wroe describes the process involved in the embalming. The affect that this tragedy has on his personal life. How his new wife, Gloria managed to help him eventually recover. It certainly gave me lasting insight into the event and wonder how a town like Aberfan ever recovers.

Elite Reviewing Group

I really loved this. It's terribly sad and distressing of course, with the subject matter at the start, but the back story and the 'forward' story were cleverly threaded into the Aberfan tragedy, making for an ultimately uplifting read.

“A Terrible Kindness” is a deeply moving and evocative novel that explores the impact of the 1966 Aberfan disaster on a young embalmer named William Lavery. The novel alternates between William's formative years and his harrowing experiences in the aftermath of the tragedy, painting a poignant portrait of grief, duty, and redemption.

At its core, the book is a profound exploration of how a single, tragic event can ripple through a person's life, influencing their choices and shaping their future. William's decision to volunteer as an embalmer during the disaster is both an act of immense compassion and a journey that leaves him haunted by the memories of the tragedy. This dual timeline approach enriches the narrative, providing a comprehensive view of how past experiences and personal relationships contribute to one's current state of being.

The novel's portrayal of William’s early life, including his time as a chorister and the complex dynamics with his family, adds depth to his character. These elements are intricately woven into the story, creating a rich tapestry that highlights his struggles and growth.

Wroe's writing is both lyrical and impactful, capturing the emotional weight of the story while also offering moments of tenderness and insight. “A Terrible Kindness” is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the ways in which people cope with and find meaning in their suffering. It is a beautifully crafted and thought-provoking read that resonates long after the final page is turned.

Everything you’ve heard about this book is true. Deeply moving, emotional and heartfelt I cannot recommend it enough. Thank you so much for the opportunity to enjoy this wonderful read. Other readers are going to love it just as much as I did!

This was a beautifully written novel based in the aftermath of the Aberfan disaster
.William a young embalmer joins others to help with the many casualties.
I learned a lot about the facts of embalming and couldn’t failed to be moved by the sensitive William and the respect he showed to the victims.

The first few chapters of this book nearly broke me, it was heart wrenching. William gives up his time to help in the aftermath of Aberfan as an embalmer, he struggles with events from his past and this is clear when writing you do feel for William.
This was so well written and kept me gripped.

Oh my. How do you start to describe a book that stays with you like A Terrible Kindness? I can only say that as soon as I finished it I wanted to start it all over again. And that I’ve recommended it to friends and family and complete strangers. Don’t be put off by the references to Aberfan, which cast shadows across so many lives. Of course some of it is gut-wrenching, especially for those of us who recall seeing the black & white images flicker across our tv screens. But ultimately this is an uplifting read, beautifully and sensitively written. Thoughtful and thought provoking. A gem.

A beautifully written book, touching upon a horrific disaster in a respectful way. I loved the main character and wanted to keep reading to find out what the future had in store for him after witnessing aftermath of the mining tradegy.

A beautiful and moving story, well written, emotional, sad and heart warming. A place to lose yourself, it's hard to put down once the story captures you. Recommended read.

On the 21st October 1966 the Primary School Abergan in Wales had been buried in a landslide from a local coal mine killing 116 children and 28 adults.

William Lavery aged 18 is at a flashy black tie event celebrating his qualification as an embalmer. The celebration is interrupted by an appeal from Aberfan for help after the unspeakable disaster and William instantly volunteers.

William leaves for Wales but his days they're tending to the bodies of the children are traumatic and will have lasting repercussions in the years that follow.

A well written debut novel that pulled at my heartstrings and had me gripped from the start. The characters were unforgettable and I loved how the plot moves along at a good pace.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thought A Terrible Kindness was going to be about the rebuilding of a community following tragedy, but it's a bit different than that.

The majority of the book is about William’s, the MC, time at a choir school, as he has a talent for singing. His mother takes him there after the death of his father, determined to stop him following his father’s footsteps as an embalmer. We know from the start ‘something’ happened that caused a rift between William and his mother, and for him to stop singing, but we don’t find out what this is until really late in the book. It’s hard to sympathise with William in a situation he created. Throughout, we see William act selfishly, whether it’s the way he treats his best friend at school, the way he looks down on another boy during his embalming training, or how he later treats his wife. His mother isn’t much better, her homophobia driving a huge wedge between her and her brother-in-law, who quite honestly puts up with way too much from her and is an absolute saint about the whole thing.

Unlikeable characters are one thing, but in a novel that hinges so heavily on emotion, it feels overdone. And William’s love interest (later wife) is one-dimensional, another character who comes in purely to serve William and nothing else. For the most part, so much of the book just felt like it dragged on, with William’s whining, self-pitying, nothing is ever my fault attitude becoming boring too quickly.

October 1966 and William Lavery has passed his embalmer exams with flying colours. He's at a prestigious dinner with his friend Gloria when they learn of the tragic mine collapse at Aberfan which kills 116 children and 28 adults. He thinks nothing of rushing off to help, a kind act which will have a lasting effect on everything he does.

The story jumps back in time and we meet with William and his joker pal, Martin at boarding school in Cambridge. He's joined the choir and hoping against hope to be lead chorister before too long. His mother, Evelyn has been pushing for him to use his voice rather than end up at the family business.

She has a love hate relationship with Robert as she's still grieving her husband, his identical twin. She detests his friend Howard - they just don't see eye to eye. She always feels they are trying to steal her boy which causes some friction! And then that day at school happens and William banishes her from his life.

Dear Gloria is always there for William, wanting and wishing for that one thing. It takes him going back in time to realise life is sweet. I really enjoyed the story which made me cry. Would recommend.

What a book, and what beautiful characters! From the larger than life Martin, to the haunted William, the beautiful Gloria, the grieving Evelyn and the heartwarming Howard and Robert. The book had unexpected turns but was wrapped up beautifully at the end. However I cannot imagine what the people at Aberfan must have felt after that awful event. This story has also highlighted the incredibly important and invaluable job that embalmers have that is not widely talked about / known.
All in all a beautiful book.
Thank you to Netgalley for the arc and the opportunity to read this.

Weirdly, I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I really did enjoy it, but i feel it's a tad misleading. The descriptor really leans on the Aberfan tragedy,however I really found that in terms of the story it was such a small part of it that I felt it was just a little unnessary to use such a horrific tragedy to give it 5 mins space within the actual book.

The story actually focuses more on the life of William growing up, where he'as a choir boy in Cambridge. Now this bit I did really like as I learned a fair bit about the songs famously sang by the Cambridge boys Choir. It made me go listen to the songs mentioned.
I also enjoyed the relationships and the friendships William had growing up and his inevitible career as an undertaker.

The writing is excellent, the story is engaging and I really did enjoy the story, I just felt that the premise was just a little misleading overall.

The wee book lady xx

William Lavery is 19 and has just qualified as an embalmer when the Aberfan disaster occurs. He is one of a group of volunteer embalmers who go to the Welsh village to help but it has terrible repercussions for William. Combined with events in his childhood, he puts obstacles in the way of his happiness - can he overcome this?
A poignant tale but a good read.

What a great book! It was both an eye-opener and an enjoyable read. The book centres on the life of an embalmer whose first real job is dealing with the aftermath of the Aberfan coal mine disaster. Being only 19 this comes as a great shock. The day's events come back to haunt him and we learn how and why he became an embalmer. Mixed in with this part of his life is an unexpected twist. As a young man he was a chorister. His life starts out very different and veers off course due to the relationship with his mother. Two unlikely stories that meld together as you venture deeper. I really enjoyed this even if a few bits were uncomfortable to read .Don't be squeamish!

Absolutely stunning, heart-rending and immersive read, following newly-graduated William through dual timelines before and after volunteering to help at the Aberfan disaster where a landslide at a coal mine buries a school.

William's mother has always been against him joining the family business and is overjoyed when he receives a choral scholarship to a prestigious school in Cambridge. But the experience is marred for William by the unease between the members of his small family, with far reaching consequences.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, we alternate between past and present, learning how William came to be where he is and how the tragedies in his life affected him and shaped his future.

This book will stay with me for a long time and even more astounding that this is a debut novel.

Absolutely stunning. Heartbreaking yet reassuring, completely immersive, an absolute gem of a book. Even more impressive that it's a debut. All I can say is read it.

I found the sections of this book relating to Aberfan emotional. The story is of William a young embalmer who goes to help following the tragedy and how it impacts his life. There are sections where we learn about William’s early life and how he became an embalmer.

I enjoyed the book, not sure the link to Aberfan is as strong as the publicity around the book made out.

I loved this book! I love all of Joanna Cannons stories and this one did not disappoint. I actually bought a copy as I know I will read it again!