A Marvellous Debut
The Heart Ladder by Sibby Spencer is a compelling historical novel that I read in just one sitting.
The novel is set during the Vietnam war and in 2003. It is about roots. We all long to know where we come from and where we belong.
It is about actions and regrets. All our choices have consequences. Sometimes we dive straight in without thinking. We are blessed when others think ahead for us. We can spin tales and alter the stories we tell ourselves but we must not be fooled – the truth is always the truth even when we have spent a lifetime telling ourselves lies.
Family is important. As we grow up, we sometimes lose sight of ourselves and our loved ones but blood is always thicker than water.
We see the futility of war. Leaders drag the ordinary person into battle. We witness good hearts who just want to help and to heal.
All the characters were realistic and well drawn. They were complex mixes of good and not so good traits. Sibby Spencer managed to capture the mood of the times – late 1960’s and 2003.
I must confess there were times when I wasn’t totally sure what was going on – but, wow, as the novel sped to its conclusion, my jaw dropped, my heart raced, as I clung on for dear life.
The Heart Ladder was a marvellous debut novel.
I received a free copy from Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
The Heart Ladder
As the war in Vietnam stutters to a close, a heavily pregnant Faith flees America for a new life in England. Leaving behind everything she knew, including the mystery of what happened to the father of her unborn child after he went missing behind enemy lines. Three decades on and her son, thirty-something slacker Dan, knows he’s wasting his life in pubs, nightclubs, and his dead-end job. That all changes, though, when a man with storied eyes and an old army jacket introduces himself as the father Dan never had a chance to know.
But is Jacob, a battered and broken war veteran, really who he claims to be? As Jacob’s true purpose in seeking him out becomes clear, Dan comes to understand that his life is very far from meaningless – and that the choices he makes might have deadly and irredeemable consequences.
Readers who enjoy genre-bending books that play with themes of reality and identity will love The Heart Ladder!
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YFL166K
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08YFL166K
Author Bio –
Sibby Spencer is an author, poet, podcaster and regular book reviewer for BBC Radio Derby. She enjoys playing around with the themes of reality and possibility, and creating characters who are very human in their flaws – yet capable of revelation and redemption. She loves getting lost in a good novel, swimming in the sea, learning new things and dancing in her kitchen. She lives in Derbyshire with her husband and two children.
Social Media Links –
https://www.facebook.com/SibbySpencer
https://www.instagram.com/sibbywrites/
