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Mary Grand
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Free to Be Tegan: Free from the cult...to find love, to be herself Kindle Edition

by Mary Grand (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 358 ratings

FROM THE AMAZON UK NUMBER ONE BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF A CHRISTMAS MURDER

Unlock the secrets of a cult and experience the journey of self-discovery with Tegan, a brave and vulnerable 27-year-old who has been cast out of the only life she has ever known. Join Tegan as she travels to Wales and meets her unknown relations in the wild Cambrian Mountains, an intriguing backdrop to her drama. In this uplifting story of hope and new growth, Tegan must battle the guilt and shadows of her past as she embarks on a journey to find herself and flourish in a world she has been taught to fear. Feel the wild beauty of the hills and the love and happiness Tegan has never known before, and discover the secrets slowly revealed by the cottage. If you enjoyed Maeve Binchy and Diane Chamberlain, you'll love Free to Be Tegan, a gripping story of courage, discovery and joy.
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  1. Print length
    388 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    5 Mar. 2015
  5. File size
    3.9 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product description

About the Author

I was born in Cardiff UK and have retained a deeplove for my Welsh roots. I worked as a nursery teacher in London andlater taught Deaf children in Croydon and Hastings.

I now live on the beautiful Isle of Wight with my husband, where I walk my cocker spaniel Pepper and write. I have two grown up children.

'Free to Be Tegan'was my debut novel. It has been well received, with a review average of4.7 from 91 reviews at amazon.co.uk. The second 'Hidden Chapters' is set on the spectacular Gower Peninsula. I have also published a short bookof short stories 'Catching the Light'.

Do send feedback to me at marygrand90@yahoo.co.uk

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00UC9R1YM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mary Grand
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 5 Mar. 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.9 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 388 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 358 ratings

About the author

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Mary Grand

Mary Grand

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Mary Grand is the bestselling author of murder mysteries set in the current time but in the style of classic whodunnits. These are set on the Isle of Wight where she lives and writes, and the island lanscape is an important feature of her books. The first three novels with Boldwood, starting with The House Party, are stand-alone murder mysteries. The next three are part of a series featuring amateur detective Susan Flynn, starting with A Seaside Murder (originally published as Death At Castle Cove}. The latest, A Christmas Murder, was a number one best seller on Amazon UK.

Mary's writing career started with three self-published novels starting with Free to Be Tegan, which is set in Wales, where Mary was born and grew up, and two anthologies of short stories Catching the Light and Making Changes. These earlier novels are in the women's fiction genre, featuring central characters who find strength in overcoming adversity.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
358 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book engaging from the first page, with a compelling storyline that keeps them involved throughout. The writing is beautifully crafted, with fine descriptions of natural scenery and well-developed characters. Customers appreciate the thorough research and heartwarming approach to the narrative, with one customer noting how the author treats the transition with tenderness.

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64 customers mention ‘Readability’64 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable, describing it as a great first book and a tidy debut novel. One customer mentions being captivated from the first page.

"...for writing such a good, loving family story that can be enjoyed by both men and women." Read more

"...It's a great first novel - I'm looking forward to Mary Grand's next one!" Read more

"This book had me captivated from page one. This novel tells the story of one woman's plight in what I could only say as getting away from evil...." Read more

"good read" Read more

51 customers mention ‘Storyline’51 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's storyline compelling and full of intrigue, with the author successfully hooking readers into the plot.

"...I loved this story, watching Tegan facing her fears in what she perceives is an evil, sinful world, as she tries to make sense of the teachings of..." Read more

"...Free to Be Tegan is NOT a mystery or a thriller. The plot is very obvious because of the strong hints from the very beginning...." Read more

"...The many other characters are lively and realistic and the constantly shifting plot is well controlled and crafted...." Read more

"...The story envelopes you and the characters jump out of the page...." Read more

30 customers mention ‘Writing style’27 positive3 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, describing it as beautifully written and readable, with one customer noting it includes lots of descriptive passages.

"...in Wales, among the hills, surrounded by nature, is where the lyrical writing brings this book to life...." Read more

"...I liked the way this story was told. The writing is articulate and of quality...." Read more

"...It is written beautifully, the description of the landscape and surrounding environment is not just a pretty backdrop but an integral part of the..." Read more

"...the seriousness and horror of life in a cult she has made a readable and, at times, exciting story. The characters are extremely well drawn...." Read more

20 customers mention ‘Character development’20 positive0 negative

Customers praise the well-developed characters in the book, with one noting how the local character and voice really shine through.

"...The characters are well conceived, the musical storyline is fascinating but the setting in the cottage in Wales, among the hills, surrounded by..." Read more

"...The writing is articulate and of quality. Character development is good and I quickly developed an empathy for Tegan...." Read more

"...The many other characters are lively and realistic and the constantly shifting plot is well controlled and crafted...." Read more

"...The story envelopes you and the characters jump out of the page...." Read more

14 customers mention ‘Beauty’14 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's descriptions of the beautiful Welsh countryside and natural scenery, with one customer noting how it evokes the feeling of the Welsh mountains.

"...but the setting in the cottage in Wales, among the hills, surrounded by nature, is where the lyrical writing brings this book to life...." Read more

"The beautiful painting of a Welsh poppy on the cover of this debut novel promises much - a promise generously fulfilled...." Read more

"...of the landscape and surrounding environment is not just a pretty backdrop but an integral part of the story and weaves into the plot seamlessly...." Read more

"...The vibrant descriptions of the Welsh countryside compared to the dark central place of the cult in London brings the novel to life in the first few..." Read more

12 customers mention ‘Heartwarming’12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book heartwarming and emotional, with one customer noting how the author treats the transition with tenderness.

"...But all this was told in a light, gentle and loving manner. Being an Atheist I found the religious aspects of this story funny...." Read more

"...The novel explores; amongst other things; human dilemmas, grief, adjustment and how we learn...." Read more

"...The author treated the transition with tenderness as she takes the reader through Tegan’s passage from the fearful girl to a slow acceptance of the..." Read more

"A disturbing but uplifting novel. It seems to be fact-based...." Read more

5 customers mention ‘Research quality’5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the thorough research in the book.

"...Every aspect has clearly been thoroughly researched; I particularly liked how Ms Grand explored how Tegan will adjust to her life and what help and..." Read more

"A disturbing but uplifting novel. It seems to be fact-based...." Read more

"...I found it a fascinating subject, and the characters were so well written, I found it hard to put down. Totally took my mind off of lockdown!!!..." Read more

"Excellent book, well written and researched. Heart warming, moving and touching. Could not put book down...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Tribalchick
    5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 July 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Tegan is cast out from the closed community in which she has lived with her mother, Sarah and father, Philip, since she was a small child. At the age of twenty seven, she is flung onto the London streets to fend for herself. Her only connection with the outside world is a letter hidden in her suitcase by her mother, with the telephone number of her aunt and uncle in Wales.

    I loved this story, watching Tegan facing her fears in what she perceives is an evil, sinful world, as she tries to make sense of the teachings of Daniel, the leader of the community, against a backdrop of kind family and well meaning village people. The characters are well conceived, the musical storyline is fascinating but the setting in the cottage in Wales, among the hills, surrounded by nature, is where the lyrical writing brings this book to life.

    I had a few editing niggles and there were a few too many adverbs for my taste, but this story was a compelling read and I hope there is a sequel.
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  • Stephen Clynes
    4.0 out of 5 stars A tidy debut novel.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 August 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Tegan is 27 years old and suddenly she is thrown out of her home within The Last Week Community in London. Tegan has lived with this religious cult for 22 years, so how will she manage alone in the big wild world? Thankfully relatives living near Aberystwyth in west Wales give her a hand to cope with modern secular life. Follow Tegan on her journey to Wales, freedom and love.

    I was put onto Mary Grand by a friend on Goodreads which was welcome as she had not crossed my radar before. Mary was born in Cardiff where I have lived since 1991, so I felt a connection there. When I started to read this book, I fell in love with Mary’s writing style. My wife Gail has lived in Cardiff all her life and Mary writes the way Welsh women talk and tell stories. That local character and voice really shines through, even to an Englishman living in Wales, like myself. Free to Be Tegan was her debut novel.

    Free to Be Tegan is NOT a mystery or a thriller. The plot is very obvious because of the strong hints from the very beginning. There are no surprises in this story. But what you do get is a warm, cosy, loving tale of a young woman thrown into modern day life from one of religious oppression.

    I liked the way this story was told. The writing is articulate and of quality. Character development is good and I quickly developed an empathy for Tegan. Nicely explored within the story was the place for women within religion and society in general. Religious cults were explained and how leavers can adjust to mainstream society. But all this was told in a light, gentle and loving manner.

    Being an Atheist I found the religious aspects of this story funny. But then most of this book is told in a light mocking tone for example…

    ‘I hope you’re right.’ Hannah looked at her watch. ‘OK, you two, out of here. Someone needs to make an effort for this evening. I shall be wearing this season’s Ralph Lauren. Impressive, eh?’ She looked at their blank faces. ‘No, you don’t get it, do you? Might as well be Primark.’

    ...And...

    She tried to block out the cold rainy days back in Wales, those endless bloody fields, people always wrapped up in layers of clothes.

    ...So as I read through Free to Be Tegan, her life got better, she recovered from her time with the religious cult and she found love in Wales. This story has a happy ending. The really nice thing about this book is the feel good factor that leaps out from the pages. From the start, although Tegan has been thrown out onto the streets of London, there is hope that family back in Wales would make things right.

    Ah, there’s lovely. I think that Free to Be Tegan is a 4 star TIDY read. Thanks Mary for writing such a good, loving family story that can be enjoyed by both men and women.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Rachel Redford
    5.0 out of 5 stars The beautiful painting of a Welsh poppy on the cover of ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 May 2015
    Verified Purchase
    The beautiful painting of a Welsh poppy on the cover of this debut novel promises much - a promise generously fulfilled. The central story of Tegan making a new life for herself after expulsion from her cruel cult where she has lived since a child is both unusual and totally convincing. I became more and more engrossed as the story went on and Tegan's painful yet heart-warming recovery progressed. The backdrop of the Welsh hills, the birds and flowers make the landscape part of Tegan - and the man she comes to love - ensuring that she will endure and triumph. The many other characters are lively and realistic and the constantly shifting plot is well controlled and crafted. The very last chapter to this life-affirming story is beautifully crafted, surprising and genuinely moving. It's a great first novel - I'm looking forward to Mary Grand's next one!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • louisemalyan24
    5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating and uplifting.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 March 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This book had me captivated from page one. This novel tells the story of one woman's plight in what I could only say as getting away from evil. The story envelopes you and the characters jump out of the page. You will shout with frustration and you will cry, you will laugh and you will get sucked in to village life.
    This book opens your eyes to the fact that we don't know what goes on behind closed doors, and compassion and empathy and kindness go a long way.
    I enjoyed every page and really want to read more!
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  • Susan Marie
    3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 October 2017
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    good read
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  • LINDSAY T POWELL
    5.0 out of 5 stars I particularly liked how Ms Grand explored how Tegan will adjust to ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 March 2015
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    This debut novel is a triumph and I cannot wait for Ms Grand’s next novel. Everything in the story has a purpose; it is a very thoughtful work. The novel explores; amongst other things; human dilemmas, grief, adjustment and how we learn. Every aspect has clearly been thoroughly researched; I particularly liked how Ms Grand explored how Tegan will adjust to her life and what help and understanding she needs. It is written beautifully, the description of the landscape and surrounding environment is not just a pretty backdrop but an integral part of the story and weaves into the plot seamlessly. The characters are incredibly well developed, a passage of dialogue between Tegan and her mother (Sarah) moved me to tears. The interactions between the characters and the conversations are real and not contrived, it’s easy to imagine being in the pub with them or sat by the fire in the cottage. The story is fast paced and I could not put it down. I highly recommend it.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Kelly Scott
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well balanced and riveting, Would love a sequel!!
    Reviewed in the United States on 6 April 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Very well told story of a young woman coming into her own. Scared, Scarred, wickedly abused mentally and stunted emotionally Tegan finds herself alone in a scary new world. Having been brainwashed all her life she is now realizing bit by terrifying bit that all she knew was a lie and a horrible manipulation by the so called leader. She soon begins to find her way and starts to live a seemingly average life but with years of torment and abuse how can it be average? She had some stumbles and realizations and eventually you realize your cheering her on and hoping she slaps a few people in her new life but being she is ever a true lady she does not. Dang it...lol... Did not include horrible physical abuse detailed out to make a reader uncomfortable but enough suggestions to show there was some physical abuse. Religious references as you would expect but not shoving religious beliefs onto the reader. Just enough insight into the organized community to know its a cult but not so that it swallows the story. Very good balance of culture, religion. therapy, independence, strength, family and even a little romance. Definitely look forward to reading more by this author.
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  • Caprice
    4.0 out of 5 stars Learning to Live
    Reviewed in the United States on 25 September 2016
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    Free to Be Tegan Review

    Free to Be Tegan is the story of a young woman who has grown up in a cult, but at age 27 is thrown out. She only knows one person outside of the cult, a man who works at the library. When she goes to him for help, she discovers that although he encouraged her to leave the cult, he doesn't want to help her. Tegan had believed that he would care for her and help her get on her feet, if not build a life with her. In desperation, she does the only thing she can. She calls the phone number her mother smuggled out with her - that of the aunt and uncle in Wales that she has never met. Her uncle agrees to let her stay in a cottage on their estate, and it is there that she begins learning to live away from the mind control of the cult, with the help of her cousin.

    I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the detailed character development of Tegan, and I really admired her for trying so hard to overcome her fears as she adjusted to life outside. I also thought that Cerys, her cousin, and Sam, the local veterinarian, were fairly well developed. The small village and the entertaining gossip that went around constantly was fun to read. There were several unexpected surprises throughout the book. They kept me interested in the story and kept me turning pages.

    I would have liked to see more development of some of the other characters, especially Ellis and Hannah. There was a little bit, but mostly they were just there. Ellis is portrayed as an absent minded musician who escapes into his music to avoid any conflict. Hannah is shown to be a bored, rich, and arrogant women who has to have things her way or she wants nothing to do with them. The other village residents that are involved in the story are given a few details, but not many. I sometimes got confused about who was who and had to look back at try to figure it out. I thought there could have been a little bit more of Tegan's life in the commune described, especially what she did to get thrown out. It took forever to find out why she was made to leave. Also, it seemed like the talk therapy was working way to fast.

    Keeping these things in mind, I was not ready for the book to end. I would be interested in reading a sequel, becaus when the book ended, I felt that Tegan had just started to get her life together and had just started to scratch the surface of living.
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  • Miriam Drori
    5.0 out of 5 stars Moving and Believable
    Reviewed in the United States on 3 April 2016
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    I was with Tegan all the way, silently encouraging her to find the right path for herself and to learn to recognise lies, wherever they come from. From the very beginning, where she’s among people she has grown up with but is now shunned by; to the outside world where she’s all alone; to people who care for her but don’t understand her and others who want to use her to further their own agendas; to the end, which I won’t reveal; I never stopped believing in Tegan and her story.

    Several other characters feature in this novel, taking major or minor parts. Some of them seem all good or all bad at first. But as the story progresses, the good ones turn out to be not so good and the bad ones not so bad. In other words, the characters, like the plot, are true to life.

    This novel should be read for its interesting and well-written story line. It can also be read to learn about the inside of a cult, as well as the difficulties of leaving one and acclimatising to the world outside. Highly recommended.
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  • Cec
    5.0 out of 5 stars A vivid picture of control to freedom
    Reviewed in the United States on 3 May 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This was a great read and for one who has left a very exclusive group, where on leaving you are shunned and rejected, and considered as "dead" some parts of this story were parallels of my own experience in some ways. I've had to keep reading, and found it hard to put down. I've had tears and smiles as I've followed Tegan on her journey to freedom. For anyone who wanted to get an understanding of how traumatic it is to leave a very closed controlled group, and find how to live life in the big wide world outside the group, this paints some very graphic and real life pictures that many escapees could identify with.
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  • Mary Kay Tortorice
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story
    Reviewed in the United States on 23 October 2015
    Verified Purchase
    The characters were so well-developed. I wanted to get to know each one better. I knew Tegan would make the right choice for her life. I'm so happy to find a new author I can follow. I especially enjoy stories set in UK. I have always lived in the US but my grandparents were from Ireland and I have always been interested in reading about the land and the scenery in that area of the world.
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