"Elliott’s excellent first novel, set in England’s Beckford Gardens, is a gentle yet unflinching look inside the heads of two very different characters. . . the story flows seamlessly between characters and story lines. The characters’ psyches are fascinating and complex, and the plot’s curveballs give enough to keep the reader engaged to the very end." — Publishers Weekly
"Debut novelist Elliott carefully, step by step, draws together the intersecting lives of these people who have let others dictate their identities and storylines. . . A charming portrait of quirky characters who transcend heartbreak." — Kirkus Reviews
"Humour always tempers Elliott's handling of emotion as she points to eccentricities manifest in us all." - Guardian
"Charming and moving, insightful and generous, and a pleasure to read." - Alison Flood, The Bookseller
"Sharp, realistic...charming." - Daily Mail
"An engaging and accomplished debut. Through the interlaced stories of a colourful cast, Elliott asks big questions, and often provides the answers, about our fleeting existence here on earth... This succinct way of summing up a life falling apart is Elliott's gift, supported by a deep understanding of what makes her characters tick... her knowledge of people shines in her fiction. For all its wit, it is the author's gimlet eye on human interaction that will engage readers." - Irish Times
"Whispers Through A Megaphone is not just a great first novel; it's wonderful... a winner." - Bookbag
"An intense psychological drama lightened with humour and tenderness." - The Lady magazine
"Filled with wit and sparkling prose, Rachel Elliott's debut follows the quirky friendship between Ralph and Mirian as they try to make sense of their lives." - HELLO!
"Wise, witty, and utterly delightful. A book with a big, beating heart." - Laurie Penny
"Elliott is an inspired observer - fresh, wry and true." - Liz Jensen, author of The Ninth Life of Louis Drax
"I began this book and couldn’t put it down. The writing's exceptional. It’s wonderful. Dark, so often painful – a story of such depth, beauty and rigour. And I cared for everyone. Such a testament to the fragility in us all. Oh, and funny. Great scenes of funny." – Sarah Winman, author of the international bestseller When God Was a Rabbit and A Year of Marvellous Ways
2017-05-02
One day, 8-year-old Miriam Delaney's mother, Frances, showed up at her school in nothing but athletic socks. Humiliated and shunned by her classmates, Miriam withdrew deep inside herself, speaking only in whispers.Under her abusive mother's thumb, Miriam lost not only her voice, but also all connection to her father, her grandmother, and anyone who might have rescued her. After Frances' death and a dark encounter in the woods, the now-adult Miriam secludes herself in her home for three years, reducing her social world to best friend Fenella and Boo, a track-suited neighbor whose secret love for Miriam has led him to volunteer as her handyman. At last, at the age of 35, Miriam is ready to leave the house, and her steps lead her into the woods, where she runs into Ralph. A reluctant psychotherapist, suppressed gardener, and father to 16-year-old twins, Ralph has just discovered his wife, Sadie, kissing another woman. Realizing that his marriage, indeed his whole post-college life, has been a sham, Ralph has simply walked away. Miriam and Ralph connect, listening to each other's stories, giving each other tacit permission to cast off the shells of fake lives. Meanwhile, Sadie, usually obsessed with blogging and tweeting a perfect life, struggles with her own long-repressed attraction to women. Debut novelist Elliott carefully, step by step, draws together the intersecting lives of these people who have let others dictate their identities and storylines. Abusive parents, traumatized children, sexual confusion—all could lead down clichéd, sentimental paths, but just when the tale risks becoming maudlin, Elliott calls up another character, who's been lurking in the background, underscoring how hyperconnected our lonely world is. As the barriers break down, Miriam, Ralph, and Sadie redraw the lines of relationships, rechart their futures, and rediscover their voices. A charming portrait of quirky characters who transcend heartbreak.
