It is 21 October 1966 and nineteen-year-old William Lavery, a recently graduated embalmer, now a member of his family firm of funeral directors, is at an annual dinner dance. The primary school at Aberfan in Wales has been engulfed in the black slurry slippage from a coal mining dump on the hill behind the town. Children and adults have been killed in the school and nearby houses. Embalmers are desperately needed and an urgent call goes out to which William responds. Jo Browning Wroe's writing is fluid, the characters are tremendous and believable and the story is chock full of raw emotion. The story covers William's own family loss and his musical singing gift in one of Cambridge’s college choirs. A remarkable read.

A special thank you to Faber & Faber, Jo Browning Wroe, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read. This review is my unbiased opinion.

I am finding this a very difficult book to review. As a piece of writing, as a story, it is worthy of at least 4 stars. The characters are well-written and the handling of the experience of William, as an embalmer at the Aberfan disaster, and as someone living afterwards with the effects of that experience, is done well. But I expected much more of a focus on the events at Aberfan, and it feels like this book is being promoted as being "about" Aberfan - and it is very much not. 90% of the book is the story of William ​and I finished the book feeling that the Aberfan disaster was very much a plot device - and therein lies my difficulty in writing a review.

I wish the author had chosen a different traumatic event on which to hang William's story. The consequences for William of having volunteered to help at Aberfan were not specific to Aberfan. His trauma could have been the result of any one of many events, real or fictitious. As far as the author addresses the Aberfan disaster, she does so sensitively, but it is almost incidental to William's story. There is almost nothing about the disaster itself, or about the experience of the people of Aberfan - those most directly affected. The book does not feel conscious enough of the Aberfan story, or of how much the Aberfan disaster is still carried on the shoulders of the community.

That is not to say there is any disrespect or exploitation shown - rather it feels like an absence of understanding of what a devastating event did to a small, insular community. I have some familiarity with the Aberfan area, and I am aware - but only as far as an outsider can be - of how that community was changed forever in 1966. The Aberfan disaster is still too raw, too deep, too much, to be used as a hook on which to hang the story of a life which was, really, only tangentially connected to it.

A Terrible Kindness but a wonderful book!
It tells the story of William - a fomer chorister and a world class embalmer at just 19 who volunteers at the Aberfan tradegy embalming bodies which has an long lasting impact on him. The story goes backward and forward between William's days a chorister, his expereinces at Aberfan and current life and eplores the relationship between with his mother, his uncle and his wife.
Such a lovely story - I loved William!

A Terrible Kindness recalls a day in October 1966 when coal and mud slid down a Welsh mountainside and engulfed the school in the village of Aberfan. More than 100 children and scores of adults, were killed in the disaster, dug out by relatives and volunteers who worked tirelessly for days even when they knew there was no hope.

A Terrible Kindness is ultimately a tale of humanity, showing how love and compassion endure even in the most difficult of situations. This is not an easy read and can resurrect emotions if you have ever been through trauma. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

A beautiful and heart-warming novel. It's structured so it opens and closes with scenes set around the Aberfan mining disaster, but the major part of the book goes from present to past, with main character William dealing with the trauma he has experienced in life.

I thought William was a flawed but believable character - his friends and family are very tolerant of his avoidant behaviour, but he's so well written that you understand the reason people make allowances.

Any book that references Aberfan, is going to be painful, but this is written in a very sensitive and non judgmental manner. The facts are widely known, a coal slurry tip, that towered over the village of Aberfan, became waterlogged, due to days of heavy rain, and slid downhill, engulfing the junior school at Pantglas, killing 116 children and 28 adults.
This story looks at an aspect that is not often considered, the work of those in the funeral trade who answered the call for embalmers, morticians, coffin makers and the suppliers of embalming fluids, the need for people who were willing to help excavate all that slurry, priests and vicars, the Salvation Army who supplied endless cups of tea and refreshments, so the searchers could carry on the grim work. Some children were only identified by their clothing, as I read this, I briefly thought what it would have been like if all had been in school uniforms, but then, most junior schools didn’t have this requirement.
Aberfan happened on 21st. October. 1966, three days before my 12th birthday. Our geography lessons at school turned to Wales and the coal fields and miners, which was a real education. Growing up in flat, rural Lincolnshire, all we knew, was that coal arrived on a horse drawn cart, in sacks. Watching the funerals on television was sobering, there was a long, black, snake like procession of coffins in hearses, and mourners in black, wending their way past ruined and partially covered buildings, but it was dignified and respectful.
William is an unwilling hero, newly qualified as an embalmer, he answers the call and goes to Aberfan. What he sees that day will stay with him and affects his future life. We would call it PTSD today, but then, it was just put down to shock, there wasn’t any counselling, and you just worked through it.
The detail in some areas can be considered graphic, the embalming process was very well researched, but not portrayed in a sensational way.
We learn more about the conflicts in Williams’s life, he was a gifted chorister, but went into the family business.
My only niggle was some of the dates didn’t make sense! An example was that in 1966, one page has William at Cambridge, in the choir as a 10 year old. Later on 1957, William is in his second year, followed by 1961, in his final year, aged 13. I’m sure all will be rectified for publication.
I found this to be a powerful read, concentrating upon an angle not considered in other books. I visited the memorial gardens many years ago, it was a eerie experience, the wind was gently blowing, and it almost sounded like voices. A broken community pulled together in quiet dignity to mourn the dead. Tears spring unbidden to eyes, the sheer enormity of this devastating event , that could have been avoided.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, Faber and Faber for my digital copy, in exchange for my honest, unsolicited review.
A five star read. I will post to Goodreads and other outlets later.

A Terrible Kindness feels like two books merged into one. It starts with the Aberfan disaster. A shocking and emotional read discovering the horrors of being a volunteer in the aftermath. We then get to know William, find out about how he arrived there, and his time after Aberfan. This is a much slower pace and a complex piecing together of who he is as a person in a coming of age story. We lose Aberfan for the majority of the book to focus on William himself. I was left wanting more Aberfan; the survivors and the families who rebuilt their lives. I wanted to hear their story.

4.5 Stars

Part historical fiction, this is a truly beautiful, intimate, and very human story of tragedy, love lost and rediscovered, friendship, professional duty and emotional toil. It is sensitively written, and in my opinion, at least, not at all exploitative as some readers have claimed.

We follow the life of William as he struggles with the mental anguish of several traumatic incidents from his past, and we experience his yearning to reconcile the ghosts that have burdened him for so long. The author skillfully captures the mind of a ‘damaged’ character who is rather shy and sensitive yet ‘terribly kind’. He’s in need of friendship, sympathy, healing and care in equal measure.

As a native of South Wales, the events, language, camaraderie, characters, and settings resonated with me. The actual horrific events upon which the story is based were conveyed sympathetically and delicately. Don’t be put off by the apparent ‘heavy’ subject matter. Debut author Jo Browning Wroe weaves a realistic narrative that is never cloying and one that ultimately delivers a message of hope.

At times the plot did flit around and was a little less ‘linear’ than it might otherwise have been, which lessened the pace a tad in the middle of the book, especially. Also, I often wondered why the women in William’s life - his mother and girlfriend, remained steadfastly loyal and loving despite his relatively frequent vitriolic jibes, unconventional behaviour and mood swings. I’d wager in reality; few would have hung around. But these were minor observations in what was otherwise a profoundly emotional, moving and enjoyable read.

My thanks as ever to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am sitting here with red itchy eyes having ugly cried my way through this impressively touching and brilliantly written story based on the true-life tragedy of Aberfan. I found this incredibly difficult to put down and finished it in just over 24 hours. This had me up till late and has barely left my hands for most of the day!

This plot focuses on a fictional character William, who volunteers with the embalming process for the victims. I do not have any knowledge of this skill, so I am unable to comment on the realism, however, despite William's flaws, he is incredibly likable. The impact that this event has on him is very apparent, and the author takes the reader on a remarkably emotional ride.

Be prepared for a heart-wrenching beginning, which is harrowing. The author has clearly carried out intense research for this, and I commend that. To write this could not have been easy. Despite the sadness surrounding this sensitive topic and other matters discussed within it's pages, this was a great read and I enjoyed it immensely. It will be a book that I will find hard to forget.

Can not recommend this enough, although be careful when reading in public - will induce tears!

This just broke my heart. Anything about the Aberfan disaster is going to be a heart wrenching of course. This novel is beautifully written following William- a mortician who is called in following the disaster. Showing the affect this had on Williams life this is a beautiful story that everyone should read.

We follow the life of William, a talented chorister in his youth, and now a newly qualified embalmer. At 19 he volunteers to help in the aftermath of the Aberfan Disaster and we follow his journey from then.
Although I didn’t find this a brilliant, challenging novel, it is a compelling, emotional read. It tackles the themes of family, grief, love and kindness in a sensitive way and the characters are well-drawn: flawed but real. The details about embalming and music are interesting and the writing about Aberfan is strikingly beautiful but other parts of the story seemed a bit cliched by comparison, and left me a little underwhelmed.
All in all, A Terrible Kindness is well worth reading but perhaps wasn’t the book for me. Don’t let that put you off!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All views are my own.

A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe is based on the horrific disaster which occurred, in the coal mining village of Aberfan, Wales on 21 October 1966. Embalmers were the unsung heroes of Aberfan, with volunteers rushing to the small Welsh village to ensure that the 116 children and 28 adults who perished were cleaned, identified and embalmed to keep them from deteriorating and thus saving their loved ones from further distress.

This book follows the fictitious character of William Lavery, from his young life as a chorister in Cambridge, through to him working for the family business as an embalmer which led him to Aberfan, right after he first qualified. The story jumps from 1966 and Aberfan, back to when William was a child and then forward again as he learns how to deal with the aftermath of the tragedy he witnessed and how it affected his life moving forward.

It has been clear from the book, that Jo Browning Wroe has carried out a great deal of research on the role of the embalmers at Aberfan, and how many suffered with their mental health and the effects such a tragic disaster can have on a person but also on their friends and family surrounding them.

I related personally to places in the book as, like the author, I grew up in Birmingham and I went on my holidays to South Wales every year, staying just outside Mumbles in a road just off Plunch Lane!

Sensitively written, I can thoroughly recommend A Terrible Kindness to anyone who is interested in the role the embalmers had in Aberfan but also to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe.

This book brought back lots of memories and feelings of how it mustve been for those at the time. Well written lovely emotional book

A Terrible Kindness opens with William Lavery at a celebration of him becoming the youngest embalmer to pass his training. It should be a defining moment in his career, and it is…but not for the reasons we might think.
During the course of the evening, news filters through about an awful event that has taken place in Aberfan. The school has been buried, and many lives have been lost. Embalmers are needed to help with the identification of the dead, and the preparation of their bodies. William volunteers, and it becomes a night that he cannot forget.
The portrayal of a community suffering was done sensitively. Accounts of this tragedy are many, and there will be some that offer more factual detail. However, this setting is more of a backdrop for us, helping to explain the way our character develops. After the start, it remains a moment that helps to shape William but is not really addressed until much later.
Having had such a monumental start to his career, we then learn a little more of William’s past. We see how his background helped shape the man he becomes, and we are - very slowly - given the details that help us to understand the significance of some of the events we witness.
I found William something of a strange character, but the gradual peeling back of his layers was very natural. Learning about his childhood as a chorister was both entertaining and moving, and the descriptions of the role music played in his life was powerful. There was plenty of detail given about the embalming process (perhaps a little more than I might have wished to know) but I found myself struck by the kindness and care shown by William to those he works with. The latter stages, where William has his breakthrough moments, we’re awash with acts of kindness and compassion that has me tearing up, it never felt mawkish or overly sentimental.
As the book moves towards the end, we know William is going to have to face his ghosts. This is not easy by any means, and yet there was a beautiful sense of a man learning to accept himself and his situation.
Thanks to the author for this sensitive exploration of the human condition, and thanks to the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read it in advance of publication.

William is a truly unforgettable character and this is a book bursting with sympathy nd love. The tragedy at Aberfan is dealt with very respectfully, and the characters in the story are rounded and well explored. I found the mixed timelines a little obtrusive and artificial but overall this is an engaging novel, filled with hope

A story both tender and harrowing, told with compassion. Balanced between conveying the realities of a horrific disaster while avoiding being insensitive or dramatic.

William is a newly qualified embalmer, and at nineteen years old, he is the youngest in the country. During a black tie event celebrating his graduation, a devastating announcement is made: volunteer embalmers are desperately needed to help in the aftermath of the Aberfan disaster. A coal waste landslide buried everything in its path, including Pantglas Junior School. The fact that this is based on a real event makes these chapters deeply painful. William is a quiet volunteer, who slips in to offer the only kindness he can give the dead, his respect and care. He does not expect his first job to haunt him as this one will.

This is a difficult read at times, which is something to be aware of before picking up this book. The narration doesn’t shy away from the realities of what volunteers would have witnessed, identifying the bodies of children, and the unimaginable loss of the families. While most of the book is set away from Aberfan over the following years, William struggles to process what he has seen, and this triggers other memories to resurface. The past and present day narratives, and how previous events affect his adult life, weave together in an easy to follow way. The echos and contrasts in William’s life build, keeping each event a mystery until it’s ready to surface. While Aberfan is not the primary focus for much of the book, the tragedy has repercussions throughout William’s life, even as an outsider to the town.

This story is unusual in its focus on the undertaking and embalming family business. It’s not a subject that many people think about. William offers a glimpse into the often overlooked aspect of life and death, and the compassion, patience and strength of those who care for the dead. This aspect of the book could easily be too graphic, or over sentimental, but it is handled sensitively and with respect.

While this is a book about tragedy and trauma, broken families and regret, it is also a book about love, forgiveness and healing. It is a heavy and difficult read, especially the first section which focuses on the aftermath of disaster. This skilfully crafted debut intertwines very different narrative threads into something that makes perfect sense as a whole. It is a deeply affecting book which closely follows a character struggling with PTSD and a life which has fallen apart in many different ways.

This book was reviewed by Cathy.

With thanks to Faber & Faber and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Shelves: General Fiction (Adult); January 2022

William has just qualified top of his class as an embalmer. At a swanky dinner celebrating successes in the business those present hear that there has been a terrible accident in Wales. The slag heap has slipped in Aberfan engulfing the primary school. Embalmers are urgently needed to assist with the victims. William is determined to go. What he experiences will never leave him. As a young boy William was a chorister at Cambridge- much to the delight of his widowed mother who was set against him joining the family business, set up by his dead father, his father's twin Robert & his friend Howard. His mother dislikes the two men intensely & he feels torn between the two. He enjoyed being a chorister & made a good friend in Martin. When his choir time is cut short he eventually chooses his uncle.

The author gradually tells William's story, answering the questions that the reader asks. I wanted to shake William but he was a man of his time, there was no counselling for him- something he really needed. It was a wonderful read & I was sorry to leave these people I had become so involved with. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book

A beautiful book about the long-lasting effects of trauma on the body and emotions. It flits between time-frames so well and is very engaging.

A Terrible Kindness, Jo Browning Wroe’s debut novel, tells the story of William Lavery, a young man who gives up a promising musical career to join the family undertaking business as an embalmer, and is called upon to assist at one of the nation’s most tragic and poignant disasters.

The novel opens with William attending a professional dinner when word reaches the assembled undertakers that a terrible disaster has occurred in Wales and embalmers are required to assist with the bodies of the young victims. William immediately volunteers and drives through the night to provide assistance and support. The disaster was Aberfan, where 116 young children and their teachers were killed when their school was engulfed by a landslide of colliery waste. This tragic and traumatic event would come to haunt William and have a profound effect on the rest of his life.

Throughout the book we see flashbacks to William’s childhood when he was a promising Cambridge chorister but his homelife was difficult following the death of his father and William was caught in the middle of a battle of wills between uncle who wanted him to take his father’s place in the family business and his grieving mother who was desperate for him to escape and pursue a career in music.

It's a very gentle and observant book focuses on William and his family rather than the Aberfan disaster itself, and the horrific events that William experienced there are dealt with sensitively and respectfully. It’s very evocative in terms of 1960s and 70s period detail and some very likable characters. It was hard to believe it was a debut novel and I really look forward to reading more by this author.

Jo Browning Wroe's 'A Terrible Kindness' is a harrowing and thoroughly moving portrayal of the life of William Lavery. At the beginning, we see him at the age of nineteen graduating top of the class from embalming college and answering the call to assist at the coal heap tragedy in Aberfan. As he embalms the bodies of children pulled from the crushed primary school, we see his gentle and kind work amongst the horrors of the death and destruction wrought on this small community. William and his fellow embalmers using scraps of clothing to identify the bodies highlighted from the very start how very stark the tragedy and trauma of this book was going to be throughout.

The Aberfan tragedy is only a portion of the story, bookending the narrative as we move through William's childhood as a chorister, exploring the way childhood trauma and the Aberfan disaster haunt him and shape his future. Each new section of this non-linear narrative reveals a fresh layer of William's personality. At first, he is merely a gentle man helping out in an impossible situation. However, every new phase of builds him into a complex and disturbed character, struggling to process and move past his trauma.

It becomes more difficult to sympathise with William as he makes self-centred decisions in the name of 'saving' the people around him, both in the past and following his experiences in Aberfan. This is what makes his character arc so satisfying by the close of the novel. I also relished his interactions with his childhood chorister friend Martin and his love Gloria. They were strong personalities who William desperately needed in his life to love him but also give him difficult home truths when needed.

Overall, this is an emotional story of family drama and loss, bookended by the Aberfan disaster and the wide reaching impact of the trauma for all involved. It is a well written and absorbing story which I would highly recommend. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.