An Unknown Woman

Description:

Self-Published Book of the Year 2016, awarded by Writing Magazine/the David St John Thomas Charitable Trust

Short-listed for Book Viral’s 2016 Book Award

A SELF-e Top Book of 2016

‘An intensely human story that feels ripped from the pages of someone’s personal diary.’  The Chocolate Lady’s Book Reviews

‘An Unknown Woman is my favorite angsty teen book all grown up. And I loved my teen angst books, so I promise that is a compliment. It is insightful, authentic, and heartachingly beautiful.’ ~ TLR Book Reviews

If we are what we own, who are we when we own nothing?

Look in the mirror and ask yourself a question.
Who are you?
Do you know the answer?

At the age of forty-six, Anita Hall knows exactly who she is. She has lived with partner Ed for fifteen years and is proud of the life they’ve built. They go out into the world separately: Ed with one eye on the future in the world of finance; Anita with one foot in the past, a curator at Hampton Court Palace. This is the life she has chosen – choices unavailable to her mother’s generation – her dream job, equal partnership, free of children, living in a quirky old house she adores. She is happy. Their foundations are solid and their future seems secure. That was before the fire.

Anita stands in the middle of the road watching her home and everything inside it burn to the ground. She and Ed have nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Fifteen years of memories gone up in smoke.

Before she can come to terms with the magnitude of her loss, hairline cracks begin to appear in her perfect relationship. And returning to her childhood home in search of comfort, she stumbles upon the secret her mother has kept hidden, a taboo so unspeakable it can only be written down.The reflection in the mirror may look the same. But everything has changed. She thought she knew who she was. But not any more.

Authentic and heartbreaking, this intoxicating new novel by award-winner Jane Davis is an exploration of identity, not as a fixed point, but as something fragile, shape-shifting and transient.

‘An outstanding publication in every way.’ ~ Jonathan Telfer, Writing Magazine

An Unknown Woman has been enjoying a very good run. Not only was its cover design recognised with awards from Book Expo America’s Indie Author Fringe and Book Viral, but it has been named as the overall winner of the Writing Magazine/David St John Thomas Charitable Trust Self-Published Book of the Year Award 2016. Read all about my reaction here.

It was also shortlisted for Book Viral’s 2016 Book of the Year Award. You can read their review here.

‘For readers looking for a novel with a deeper subtext, this is as good as it gets.’ ~ Book Viral 

And in other news, three of my titles have appeared on Self-e’s list of top reads in 2016.

More praise for An Unknown Woman

‘Exemplary writing. An outstanding publication in every way.’ Writing Magazine

‘Few writers are so adept at capturing the emotions of their characters.’ Book Viral

‘A thought-provoking story that examines loss, identity and secrets, An Unknown Woman will have you turning the pages right to the end.’  Bookmuse

‘Simple, elegant and stunning’ – Peter Snell, Bookseller

‘I just adored it!’ Liza Perrat, author of Spirit of Lost Angels

Ready to buy?

An Unknown Woman is now available on Kindle Unlimited. Click here for universal link (all available formats, including audiobook).

Click here to add to Goodreads

Read a preview

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Questions for book clubs

An Unknown Woman: Questions for Book clubs

Read an interview about the issues raised in An Unknown Woman 

Read my interview with Alison Morton, author of the Roma Nova series.

For more interviews, visit my archive of news and reviews.

Shortlisted for Book Viral’s 2016 Book Award

Prefer Audiobooks?

An Unknown Woman is now available as an audiobook from Saga Egmont, narrated by Melanie Crawley.

Click here to listen to a sample or to buy.   

Selected for inclusion in the US Library Catalogue

Recommended by Bookmuse