Very silly and completely unbelievable story about serious issues. I listened to the audiobook as I ran in the night, and it helped to pass the time. I kept going with the book despite its faults, partly because one of the characters spent much of her teenage years in the suburbs where I was running, giving me some sort of connection with the story that I probably wouldn't have had otherwise ( )

Super quick read - and pretty predictable, but still enjoyable for a light read on difficult subjects.
Hannah is working in a museum gift shop when she first sees India, a free spirit. India and Hannah become friends, saving each other in the process.
Hannah has a secret, and so does India. Each of them slowly reveal their secrets in this novel, and each of them helps the other to process the secret and work their way back.
India is in love with Simon, and sends him letters, but gives them to people to deliver, rather than mailing them. It is a serendipitous way to get her mail to her love, and it is possible that he won't receive them.
This book centers on some difficult issues, but is rather light in the way it delves into them.
Light, contemporary women's fiction.
#PaperChains #NicolaMoriarty ( )

Why do I do this to myself? Got a touch of homesickness when I finished this one- it has Kate Miller-Heidke references ( )

An enjoyable light read. ( )

I was charmed by Nicola Moriarty’s debut novel, Free-Falling and I have been looking forward to the release of Paper Chains. This wonderful contemporary adult novel reveals the secrets of two young Australian women, India and Hannah, who meet while in London.

The deceptively lighthearted introduction to Paper Chains slowly gives way to a compelling tale of heartbreak, loss and hope.
As backpacker India considers her next travel destination, she chooses to befriend the shy and fragile Hannah, seeing her as “…an opportunity, a new project – someone to fix, someone to save” but in truth, Hannah is a distraction for India whose open facade hides heartbreaking secrets of her own.
Hannah is drawn to India’s confidence and warmth, despite being uncomfortable with accepting her attention. Her life in England is a self administered punishment and friendship offers her solace she doesn’t feel she deserves.

With careful timing and sensitivity Moriarty reveals Hannah’s painful secret, one that saw her flee Australia for London, hiding in a grimy flat and punishing herself for her regrets. It focuses on an issue that surprised me for a number of reasons, though none I can reveal without inadvertently giving too much away, and is explored with compassion by the author.
Hannah’s palpable misery distracts from India’s own secret – one that is drifting around the world in the form of a letter addressed simply to Simon, The Aella, a journey we follow in between chapters of the story. There are hints that not all is as it seems with India, from her conflicted feelings about the aforementioned Simon to her determination to rescue Hannah and I was probably more prepared for India’s shocking secret than Hannah’s, but that doesn’t lessen the impact of tragedy, even though it is tempered with hope and love.

Written with compassion and genuine insight, Paper Chains is a poignant tale of friendship, family and forgiveness that will touch your heart. Fans of Monica McInerney, Cecilla Ahern and Anna McPartlin should embrace Nicola Moriarty, and expect more great things to come from this talented author. ( )