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Rough Music

A gripping and evocative story of a Cornish holiday, and the dark secrets of family life
By Patrick Gale
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3.97 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 2,641 ratings, 243 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Rough Music by Patrick Gale intertwines the lives of two families living on separate timelines in a Cornish holiday cottage. As layers of family secrets and personal struggles unfold, the narrative explores themes of memory, love, and the enduring impacts of the past on present relationships. The story beautifully captures the emotional complexities of human connections and the power of forgiveness.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2499
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you enjoy stories that intricately weave past and present, exploring secrets within family dynamics and the complexities of human relationships, this book might capture your interest. With its beautiful prose and emotional depth, it delves into love, loss, and the long shadows cast by hidden truths. This novel could appeal to readers who appreciate a profound exploration of character and place.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Gripping and rich with emotional insight and intelligence, Patrick Gale's 'Cornish novel', ROUGH MUSIC is a beautiful portrait of a marriage and family life

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Truly compelling and rich with emotional insight, Patrick Gale's Cornish novel, Rough Music, is a beautiful story of a marriage and the secrets a family holds.

'Sparkling with emotional intelligence. A gripping portrait of a marriage and the quiet, devastating fall-out of family life' Independent

Julian is a contented if naive only child, and a holiday on the coast of North Cornwall should be perfect, especially when distant American cousins join the party. But their arrival brings upheaval and unexpected turmoil.

It is only as a seemingly well-adjusted adult that Julian is able to reflect on the realities of his parents' marriage, and to recognise that the happy, cheerful boyhood he thought was his is infused with secrets, loss and the memory of betrayals that have shaped his life.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Patrick Gale's Rough Music is praised for its emotional depth and insightful portrayal of family dynamics. The narrative, with its clear and compelling prose, draws readers effortlessly into the story. Critics commend the author for his attention to detail and his ability to deliver a harmonious and believable tale, making it a captivating read.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781472255402

Publisher: Headline Publishing Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 19 August 2018

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Tinder Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 320g

Pages: 464

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Patrick Gale

About the Author

Patrick Gale was born on the Isle of Wight. He spent his infancy at Wandsworth Prison, which his father governed, then grew up in Winchester before going to Oxford University. He now lives on a farm near Land's End. One of this country's best-loved novelists, his most recent works are A Perfectly Good Man, the Richard and Judy bestseller Notes From An Exhibition, the Costa-shortlisted A Place Called Winter and Mother's Boy. His original BBC television drama, Man In An Orange Shirt, was shown to great acclaim in 2017 as part of the BBC's Queer Britannia series, leading viewers around the world to discover his novels.

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  • Mother's Boy
    'Tender, evocative' TLS 'Richly engaging' Spectator A Radio 4 Serial Fiction Book of the Week 'A characteristically tender novel about a young man growing up in the shadow of one war and the whispers of the next' Observer 'A wonderful novel about relationships, particularly between a mother and son. A compelling read, beautifully crafted and sensitively written' Irish Examiner Laura,...
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  • A Perfectly Good Man
    Devastatingly moving and full of psychological insight, A Perfectly Good Man is a warm, humane Cornish novel from the bestselling author of A Place Called Winter. 'A convincing, moving account of man's struggle with faith, marriage and morality' Sunday Times On a clear, crisp summer's day in Cornwall, a young man carefully prepares to take his own life and asks...
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  • Notes from an Exhibition
    A bestselling 'Cornish' novel, Notes from an Exhibition is a moving, intuitive novel of artistic compulsion, marriage, and the secrets left behind. It was a Richard & Judy bestseller. 'Poised and pitch-perfect throughout' Mail on Sunday Celebrated artist Rachel Kelly dies alone in her Penzance studio, after decades of struggling with the creative highs and devastating lows that have coloured...
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  • Take Nothing With You
    'Absolutely one of his best - a wonderful, wonderful read' Stephen Fry 'Funny and heartfelt' Spectator From the bestselling author of A Place Called Winter comes a compassionate, compelling new novel of boyhood, coming of age, and the confusions of desire and reality. 'An incredibly beautiful story told with compassion. Nothing is wasted. Each sentence is beautifully crafted' Joanna Cannon...
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  • Love Lane
    With Love Lane, Gale gets right to the secret joys and hidden heartbreaks of ordinary, flawed family life. A tender, delicately devastating novel. Sarah Waters Love Lane moved me greatly. The novel has a great sweep, in its story, and in the richness and vividness of each of its characters. This is a book about secrets and lies, yet Gale...
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  • A Place Called Winter: Costa Shortlisted 2015
    A Place Called Winter: Costa Shortlisted 2015
    In the golden 1900s, Harry Cane, a shy, eligible gentleman of leisure, is drawn from a life of quiet routine into courting and marrying Winnie, the eldest daughter of the fatherless Wells clan, who are not quite as respectable as they would appear. They settle by the sea and have a daughter, and conventional marriage does not seem such a...
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