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Ghost Wall

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Ghost Wall

By: Sarah Moss
Narrated by: Christine Hewitt
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About this listen

Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2019

A story at once mythic and strikingly timely, Sarah Moss's Ghost Wall urges us to wonder how far we have come from the 'primitive minds' of our ancestors.

Teenage Silvie is living in a remote Northumberland camp as an exercise in experimental archaeology. Her father is an abusive man, obsessed with recreating the discomfort, brutality and harshness of Iron Age life.

Behind and ahead of Silvie's narrative is the story of a bog girl, a sacrifice, a woman killed by those closest to her, and as the hot summer builds to a terrifying climax, Silvie and the Bog girl are in ever more terrifying proximity.

©2012 Sam Millar (P)2018 Bolinda Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction

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All stars
Most relevant  
Somehow slightly naive, rather predictable. Maybe works as teen
fiction. It was not as interesting as I had anticipated.

Teen Fiction ?

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Great story, of gathering momentum. Sarah Moss has become one of my favourite authors for her melding of current and past, with more than a hint of menace.

The narrator did a very good job, flipping from one accent/voice to another with ease. I’ll even forgive her pronouncing nuclear as newkyoolar.

Hard to put down

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This story was dark and very compelling. The setting was very well-described and I felt completely surrounded by the nature that was described. The character of Sylvie was likeable and my heart broke for her at the abuse she suffered from her father. I was glad for the character of Molly who cared for her as without her things could have felt very hopeless. There were a lot of interesting historical things described in the novel, but it was wanting to find out what happens for Sylvie that drove me to finish this in one sitting - at just under 4 hours it worked well, which I was glad of since I couldn't have beared it to have to wait to see if she was okay. I cried at the end and parts of it felt horrible, but that's due to the emotions it brought up rather than any issue with the novel itself. I thought it was read well and I enjoyed the northern accent which was lovely and warm.

A dark and compelling listen

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This is a slim novel and a brief 3 hour download, but apart from getting fewer hours listening for your download credit, this is superb. I reviewed Sarah Moss's Tidal Zone and Signs for Lost Children on my Audible Listening Page on 28/8/16 and 15/8/16 iwhere I said Moss 'is achieving acclaim fast'. She still is but deserves more mainstream attention. This is her 5th novel and is as powerful, delicately written and unforgettable as her previous work.

This one is set in Northumberland where Silvie is part of a small part of iron age reiinactors spending time in their iron age camp. The group includes Silvie's downtrodden mother, a few students and a fanatical professor all keen to create an iron age way of life foraging for roots and nuts, fondly imagining that they can create a totally authentic experience of the past. The most sinister member of the group is Silvie's father Bill who has taken time off from his bus driving to take part in this activity with which he is obsessed to the point of insanity. One of the students, Molly from England's comparative soft south, befriends Silvie. Part of the themes of the book is the North South divide expressed through Silvie and Molly, beautifully presented by the skillful narrator who conveys the chasm through accent without a trace of caricature, helped by Moss's use of northern words (clarty / keks) and syntax deftly woven into the narrative.

The core of the novel gathers pace as hints are to be gleaned about the relationships within Sivie's family, hints which are picked up by the more worldly Silvie ( who slips off to Spar to buy icecreams and biscuits which Sylvie doesn't dare to do). The buildup to the climax is frightening and the ending is almost explosive. But even the ending is not the end: the very last few moments leave you on yet another level of perception.

The whole is beautifully read and written with a rare awareness of the suggestions and economy of words.

3 hours of brilliance!

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I loved this book. A number of different themes woven together skillfully and it exceeded my expectations. I've not heard of Sarah Moss before but will definitely read or listen to her other books.

Multilayered and intriguing

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This book was on my book club list and I don’t think I would have chosen it otherwise, but what a treat! Thoroughly researched and well written it was very compelling and different. The character of Sylvie’s dad and their relationship was fascinating though disturbing. The book is very well read by Christine Hewitt and I liked the music which added to the atmosphere. The book is short and it was over too quickly. Thoroughly recommend it and will be looking for more books by Sarah Moss.

Atmospheric and engaging

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So exciting to discover this writer. I’m now going to get all her books. And Ghost Wall was read beautifully read.

Brilliant and terrifying

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Unputdownable... if you know what I mean. I loved every minute of this fast-paced and beautifully written account of experimental Iron Age archaeology gone awry.

Unputdownable!

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I listened to this in two long sessions and found it addictive, mainly because the quality of the writing and narration were so good that I just could not press the stop button.

Sarah Moss writes exquisitely and in this short novella she has created yet another believable world where humanity's fault lines are ruthlessly exposed.

Silvie, the teenage daughter of a self-taught expert on Iron Age survival skills, accompanies her parents on a summer trip to a remote camp in Northumberland where an experimental archaeological project is taking place. We soon discover that Silvie's father is a brutish, bigoted, misogynistic, racist man who bullies his wife and daughter and physically abuses both of them. Both women will say and do anything for a quiet life but they still bear the marks of his violence.

During the camp it becomes evident that Silvie's father is determined to impose the harsh reality of hunter-gatherer Iron Age life on his family and the female students working on the project; he demands subservience from the women whilst the men enjoy an easier existence and are in charge. Silvie, who is named after an Ancient British goddess, is befriended by one of the students, Molly, who soon begins to question the motives and actions of the bullying father.

Tensions rise between Molly and Silvie's father and when Molly discovers that he and the Professor leading the project plan to subject Silvie to a re-enactment of a ritual sacrifice conducted by ancient Bog People, she intervenes to save her friend from the mens' ambitions and delusions.

A thought-provoking exploration of domestic abuse, family life and friendship set against an examination of the lives of ancient Britons.

A wonderful read. Tense, dark and shocking.

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The narrator suits the text perfectly. The book is so well written can be listened to in one sitting. A dark and troubling subject matter expertly executed.

Compelling

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