Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

What I was most excited about for this book is the vast time line. I usually love generational books and finding out family secrets. I just could not get into the Telegram. I think it was a mix of not connecting with the characters and the pace at some points.

A intriguing historical fiction that takes us on a journey through two World Wars. The ending of the story has us in the year 1960.. The story is based on real life events.
So many secrets await you with reading The Telegram!
I enjoyed getting to know each character. But, I wanted to know more about Violet and Elizabeth.
The story highlights that family is everything. That we should learn to forgive others.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read.
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

One message could change everything...

Spanning the decades, this tale sweeps across three timelines beginning in 1915 with the main story centred in 1943 before wrapping things up in 1959/1960. Whilst no one features predominantly as the main character, which seems a little puzzling at first but once things begin to slot into place we see the story is that of Charles Carmichael, the branches in his somewhat complex family tree and the secret he carries throughout his rather puzzling life. It's a secret that is only uncovered after he has gone though as the reader it's one we had suspected for the most part throughout...all but one tiny piece that became the catalyst for what was to become Charles' life of subterfuge. Intrigued?

1915: It's a beautiful day when the boy delivered the telegram into Tilly's trembling hands. Racing inside, she called to her mother to alert her to the arrival and reading out its contents sent her mother into floods of tears. Her beloved brother - "Bruv" as he was affectionately called - was missing presumed dead. And the in the coming days a letter followed, addressed to her parents written in Bruv's hand. A letter that told them little and gave nothing away yet changed their lives. Bruv was gone.

1943: A chilly day in London as Elizabeth Carmichael readies herself for her post in the War Office, assistant to Captain Valentine, a letch in Elizabeth's opinion who cannot keep his leary eyes or suggestive remarks to himself. She and her mother moved to Notting Hill a year before after much of the city had suffered the deluge of the Blitz and people were escaping to the country and safety. But her mother Madeleine saw an opportunity and built on it. It worked for her as she was posted close by in Whitehall and as a result could remain at home rather than doss in a billet, which were few and far between at any rate.

Elizabeth's eyes strayed to the two solitary photos that always took pride of place on the mantlepiece. Her father in his army uniform and her father holding baby Elizabeth. She never knew her father and whenever she pressed her mother for details, she always clammed up saying she was better off without him. All Elizabeth knew about the man she knew as Paddy was that he had gone to China and stayed there rather than return home. Her mother divorced him and the rest was a somewhat spotted history that Elizabeth failed to untangle.

So when she was walking home from the Tube one evening after work, she was shocked to see a man who resembled her father walk out of the house opposite theirs on Clarendon Road. She called to him "Padraig Carmichael?" The man stopped, turned and looked at her. He paled.

Charles Carmichael had left his past behind him, along with a trail of secrets. So when the pretty young woman stopped him outside his door he was speechless. He tried denying any knowledge but it was clear she was his daughter. She was the image of Madeleine, her mother and his ex-wife. And so the two began to meet and develop a relationship. His next conundrum was telling his wife Violet, who knew nothing of his past, except that he had been married briefly before. And even then only because she saw it on their marriage certificate. How was he to break the news of a daughter to her?

And so life begins to get a little more complicated for the man with so many secrets.

1959: At the age of sixty four, Charles Carmichael - a conundrum himself - peacefully passes away in hospital alone without his wife Violet by his side. And yet she kept his wishes for his funeral and his resting place to be in the village where he was born and grew up. But the man with so many secrets had left her with so many unanswered questions. His sister remained tightlipped and refused to tell her what she knew.

It's not until she is packing away Charles' things that she comes across his diaries, and travels down a rabbit hole and back to 1914 and 1915 where she meets the idealistic young Charles Carmichael in his prose. And as she reads, the pieces thus begin to fall into place and the secrets of Charles' life finally began to surface.

This was an interesting tale that I almost read almost in one sitting, leaving the final few chapters till the morning to finish. I wouldn't call it emotional and in a way it wasn't gripping either but it was intriguing. Something kept me turning the pages. I wanted to see how it would all end and learn about the secrecy that surrounded Charles' life for so long. What had lead to it and why? That was the biggest secret of all that was only unearthed in the final chapters. But it made everything make sense. Throughout the book we are given glimpses of Charles' early life in snippets and the secrecy surrounding his later years was an obvious given. It didn't take Einstein to work that one out but it was only confirmed at the end.

The characters weren't completely developed I felt with not a lot of depth to them. But they were still likable enough. I admit to Violet irritating me somewhat though I can't quite put my finger on why that is. Elizabeth I felt had more depth to her than most. It was interesting, if maybe not completely believable, how the two families bonded together, remaining across the street from each other until the end. Charles was difficult to connect with but I think that was intentional as those who knew him even found him an enigma, if not frustrating at times.

The book's description I found a little misleading as it felt as if it were a different book than the one I was reading.

I have only read one other book by this author, "The Secret Letter" which I absolutely loved so I was excited to dip into this one. It was enjoyable, a quick read that took about 5 reading hours, that kept me engaged till the end.

Four solid stars.

I would like to thank #DebbieRix, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheTelegram in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at <a href="https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/</a>.

I love historical fiction that's based on real life events, but sadly, I kind of struggled through this book.
The premise sounded exactly like something I'd really love, and I was definitely invested in the first half of the book. But the second half just fell completely flat and I could no longer bring myself to care about the characters. I'm so sad about this, because the potential this had could've made it a new favourite.

I do see that some people could love it though, so I won't hestitate to bring this up next time someone asks me for a historical fiction recommendation.

I really, really wanted to love this book. The beginning grabbed my interest, and I read the first half of the book very quickly. The second half of the book seemed to drag on. I kept waiting for something exciting and earth-shattering to happen. Now that I've finished the book, I'm still waiting...

The storyline, which was based on real-life events, had such potential. It would have been wonderful if the author had included more about Charles' time in China. The relationships between the characters felt cold and professional rather than warm and loving. I found it difficult to relate to them and feel emotion about what they were going through.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

This was a good work of historical fiction. The storyline kept me engaged throughout the entire book, as I waited for the secrets to be revealed. I was, however, a bit disappointed in the ending, as it seemed abrupt. I would’ve loved to have a little more of the story of Elizabeth and Violet.

The Telegram I believe had great protentional to be a fantastic story, regrettably for me it fell short. Unfortunately, it wasn't gripping or emotional. I felt we, as the reader should have been discovering things as the characters did, however, when they found out we had already read it so in places it was repetitive I found it hard to connect to the character, they seemed to have little emotion (maybe it was the period). It wasn’t an unpleasant read, the actual story is fascinating, which is what made me continue. I enjoyed learning about Charles’s history in Ireland through his diaries. A novel based on a true story does capture the importance of family, forgiveness and love and loss. This is my first book by Debbie Rix and I am interested to read other books by this author.
I would like to thank the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of this novel, in exchange for my honest review.
#TheTelegram #NetGalley

So this was a captivating historical fiction.

I absolutely adored The Telegram. It was beautifully written. It has characters who were extremely likable and easy to empathise with. A definite recommend.

Thanks publisher and netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and isn't influenced by anyone else

A captivating and beautifully crafted story that spans both World Wars and beyond. The characters are wonderfully depicted and their complex and often strained relationships are well portrayed. Whilst the reader initially sees Charles as a cold, secretive and selfish man, we come to learn that he is actually the opposite and hiding a horrendous experience and the associated pain.

Do make sure to read the author’s note at the end - this book is more than fiction - it is the story of a real man who is in fact the author’s father-in-law. The Telegram is deeply personal to the author’s own family and that for me, makes it even more moving and compelling. I highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, via NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Posted on Goodreads 10/5/24:

This was a captivating historical fiction. The author was able to weave a story that spanned two World Wars, and not many books I have read so far were able to so thoroughly pull me into the lives of not just one, but three characters. This novel reveals just how much people can hide from the world, and how some people change but still try to do the best they can for those they love. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley to review, and I hope that other historical fiction lovers will enjoy it as much as I did!

I’m just not too excited about this book. There are a lot of secrets that come out during the story. I can’t help but feel this is just another book set during the war. Nothing special and it didn’t really keep my attention

I struggled at times with this book, the characters were good but the story just went back and forth. It does give food for thought with it being based on true events.
My thanks as always to Netgalley and to the Publisher Bookouture for the opportunity for the early read

Charles is the focus of this novel that spans both World Wars and ends in the 1960s. He is arguably a selfish man with a secret who caused damage to the women who loved him. It's an interesting take and it's well written but....Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

This book had an intriguing premise and an interesting main character in Charles. I quite enjoyed the first half. Unfortunately I felt the second half dragged and I was much less engaged - I seriously considered not finishing it. I’d guessed the final revelation already long before it came about. I can’t help feeling the author stuck too closely to what happened in real life and so as a reader it rather fizzled out instead of getting the dramatic conclusion Charles deserved.

I appreciate NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review a copy of The Telegram by Debbie Rix. The story spans nearly 40 years of the life of Charles Carmichael. Charles has secrets he's kept from the women who live him. The story starts with his sister receiving a telegram saying he has been killed while still in training for World War 1. Charles had quite a story to hide and we see the story through flashbacks and journals he kept locked away until his death. From faking his death to reenlisting under a different name we see Charles grow from a scared boy to a man with secrets and an ability to blend in wherever he is.

I really enjoyed this book that had three narrators, Charales, Violet and Elizabeth and three different times, WWI, WWII and the book ended in 1960. There were a lot of secrets going on that were not revealed until the end. I did get tired of hearing about Charles' deep dark secret throughout the book. I thought Violet was very submissive and weak when it came to trying to find out what secrets Charles was keeping from her. I did find the storyline a little too convoluted at times and was glad I had kept a log of who was who.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book.

The Telegram by Debbie Rix is a beautiful historical story set over three main time periods – World War I, World War II and 1959. It is a novel that will haunt the reader long after the last page is read.
The novel is about the life of Charles Carmichael, his family, friends and those that he interacts with. All the action is seen through the alternating voices of the lead character, his wife and daughter. We see how one man interacts with those he meets and how these interactions influence events.
Sometimes in life there is a defining moment on which everything else that happens, hangs on. Subsequent actions ride on a moment in time. Charles Carmichael has experienced such an event. The reader is aware that something momentous has happened but we do not know what – although I had my suspicions which proved to be correct. When we do find out what has happened, suddenly the life of Charles Carmichael makes sense. We understand why he acted the way that he did, and why he chose to lead his life as he did.
Charles Carmichael is a complex character but one that I instinctively liked. He is a gentle soul who wants to do no harm. He is a man who loves deeply but cannot always show it. I think his true nature really shines through in the scene on Christmas Eve 1943 with his daughter. He is tender hearted, fiercely protective and moved to act.
We see the strain that secrets have on those who keep them. Lives live looking over their shoulders, always afraid of revealing too much.
I absolutely adored The Telegram. It was beautifully written, with characters who were extremely likable and easy to empathise with. The final scenes were very moving and well written.
The Telegram is a book you do not want to miss.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

This book is a show stopper - one I would give to my friends. I would buy multiple copies of this book for people! Beautifully crafted, richly detailed with captivating characters. I was not fully prepared to completely fall in love with this book!

Charles was ready to serve his country at the start of WWI, but little did he know that his enlistment would lead to a life of secrets. The Telegram, by Debbie Rix, tells the story of Charles Carmichael, or was he Paddy Devereux? How did his secrets impact the lives of those he loved? How did those secrets finally come to light? This is not a book of lyrical prose, but it is an interesting story. I was able to read an ARC on #NetGalley.

Story starts with a telegram then unravels from there. Too convoluted and bizarre with many twists.Characters a mixed bag.