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Louise Beech
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How To Be Brave Kindle Edition

by Louise Beech (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 999 ratings

From the number-one bestselling author of Maria in the Moon and The Lion Tamer Who Lost comes a sweeping, beautifully written, tender story of love, courage and the power of words…

***Longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize***

'It's a gentle book, full of emotion and it's similar in tone to The Book Thief, a book that Rose reads with a torch under the bedclothes' Irish Times

'Louise Beech masterfully envelops us in two worlds separated by time yet linked by fierce family devotion, bravery and the triumph of human spirit. Wonderful' Amanda Jennings

______________

All the stories died that morning … until we found the one we'd always known.

When nine-year-old Rose is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, Natalie must use her imagination to keep her daughter alive. They begin dreaming about and seeing a man in a brown suit who feels hauntingly familiar, a man who has something for them.

Through the magic of storytelling, Natalie and Rose are transported to the Atlantic Ocean in 1943, to a lifeboat, where an ancestor survived for fifty days before being rescued.

Poignant, beautifully written and tenderly told, How To Be Brave weaves together the contemporary story of a mother battling to save her child's life with an extraordinary true account of bravery and a fight for survival in the Second World War. A simply unforgettable debut that celebrates the power of words, the redemptive energy of a mother's love … and what it really means to be brave.

______________

'An amazing story of hope and survival … a love letter to the power of books and stories' Nick Quantrill

'Two family stories of loss and redemption intertwine in a painfully beautiful narrative. This book grabbed me right around my heart and didn't let go' Cassandra Parkin

'Louise Beech is a natural born storyteller and this is a wonderful story' Russ Litten

'Beautifully written, intelligent and moving, this book will stay with you long after you reach the end' Ruth Dugdall

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  1. Print length
    367 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    ORENDA BOOKS
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    30 July 2015
  6. File size
    1.8 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product description

Review

'Rarely has a book touched me the way that How to Be Brave has. Louise Beech has written a debut novel that will live long in this reviewer's memory and for those who have read it, for those who are going to read this and I urge you to do just that, your heart will be taken by the sheer natural brilliance of the writing' --Last Word Reviews

'Given that Louise Beech has based her debut on her grandfather's diaries and it is grounded in fact, following her own child's illness, I think her grandfather would be immensely proud of what she's achieved in creating a book that will stay with readers, and listeners, for a very long time' --Linda's Book Bag

'I became absolutely hooked on Colin's story, and just like Rose who counted the minutes to storytime, I sped through the outer narrative just to get to tale of the lost man at sea. Alongside Natalie and Rose the reader learns the true power of storytelling. It is a brilliantly creative work of fiction, and a beautiful thank you letter to the magic of stories and storytelling.' --We Love This Book

About the Author

Louise Beech is an exceptional literary talent, whose debut novel How To Be Brave was a Guardian Reader's Choice in 2015. The sequel, The Mountain in My Shoe was shortlisted for the Not the Booker Prize. Her third book, Maria in the Moon was widely reviewed and critically acclaimed. Her short fiction has won the Glass Woman Prize, the Eric Hoffer Award for Prose, and the Aesthetica Creative competition, as well as shortlisting for the Bridport Prize twice. Louise is currently writing her next book. She lives with her husband and children on the outskirts of Hull the UK's 2017 City of Culture and loves her job as Front of House Usher at Hull Truck Theatre, where her first play was performed in 2012. Follow Louise on Twitter @LouiseWriter and visit her website: louisebeech.co.uk.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00Y15POWO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ ORENDA BOOKS
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 30 July 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.8 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 367 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1910633182
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 999 ratings

About the author

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Louise Beech

Louise Beech

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Louise Beech is the author of nine novels and a memoir, Eighteen Seconds (2023). Her debut, How to be Brave, was a Guardian Readers’ Pick; The Lion Tamer Who Lost shortlisted for the Romantic Novel Awards 2019 and longlisted for the Polari Prize that same year; Call Me Star Girl was Best magazine’s Book of the Year; This Is How We Are Human was a Clare Mackintosh Book Club pick; and audiobook Daffodils shortlisted for the Audies23. Her dystopian thriller, End of Story, is written as Louise Swanson. Swanson’s next one will be released in spring 2024.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
999 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book compelling and beautifully written, with an inspiring semi-autobiographical tale that stays with readers long after reading. The story is full of emotion and heartache, and customers praise the author's skill in creating characters and bonds between them. Customers appreciate the book's realism, with one noting its vivid imagery.

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128 customers mention ‘Story quality’123 positive5 negative

Customers praise the book's beautiful storytelling and compelling narrative, particularly appreciating the intertwining stories and Colin's brilliant account.

"...this book to everyone – it’s a must-read; it really is one of the best books I’ve read this year and it’s one that I want to re-read in the..." Read more

"...It is a thoughtful book yet it moves at a good pace, ensuring the reader is always engaged and wanting to read on. Beech writes very well...." Read more

"...this is not a book to be rushed, rather to be savoured, its story having far more power when you pause to think about every element with a kind of..." Read more

"...all I did really like Beech's writing style - it is fluent and draws the reader in - not all surprised to read that she worked as a journalist..." Read more

60 customers mention ‘Writing quality’54 positive6 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as a well-written story that is poetic and loved throughout. One customer specifically notes its wonderfully precise use of language.

"...Alongside this is the story of Natalie’s Grandfather – the writing is incredible because I really did feel like I was in that lifeboat with those men..." Read more

"...It's very clever how she interweaves together two quite different settings and situations in two different eras and in two very different worlds...." Read more

"First of all I did really like Beech's writing style - it is fluent and draws the reader in - not all surprised to read that she worked as a..." Read more

"...at the beginning of her writing journey, she has still written a really touching and emotional story...." Read more

47 customers mention ‘Inspirational content’47 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspiring, touching their hearts and highlighting the strength of the human spirit, with one customer describing it as an emotional story of hope.

"...I’m going through a lot of medical things and this book brought such a sense of solace to me...." Read more

"...repetition of constantly testing blood sugar and injecting insulin create a real sense of urgency which Beech uses to build an oppressive and..." Read more

"...diabetes, but so beautifully recounted that you will feel every emotion from elation to despair, find yourself transported form a place of heartache..." Read more

"...of mother caring for daughter with a WW2 survival story but it’s absolutely magical, and that’s before you discover how closely it’s inspired by..." Read more

37 customers mention ‘Pacing’31 positive6 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book very moving and gripping from the first page, with the story staying with them long after reading.

"...This novel is stunningly beautiful, it’s devastatingly moving at times but will leave you feeling stronger and braver by the end...." Read more

"...It is a thoughtful book yet it moves at a good pace, ensuring the reader is always engaged and wanting to read on. Beech writes very well...." Read more

"...This is one of the best, most moving and powerful books I’ve ever read...." Read more

"...It stayed with me for days and as I write this, comes back to haunt me...." Read more

36 customers mention ‘Emotional content’34 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the book's emotional depth, describing it as full of heartache and highlighting the complexity of close relationships, with one customer noting how it brought them to tears of understanding.

"...This is such a beautiful novel that explores the relationship between mother and daughter, who are struggling to come to terms with the daughter Rose..." Read more

"...diagnosis on her own is explored in detail with sensitivity and empathy. Any parent will relate to her helplessness and heartache...." Read more

"...The bond between mother and daughter is strong, but, much like the boat on which their forefather sailed, they hit many crashing waves along the way..." Read more

"...her writing journey, she has still written a really touching and emotional story...." Read more

24 customers mention ‘Character development’24 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting the author's brilliant creation of characters and their bonds, with one customer highlighting the realistic portrayal of the daughter character.

"...her readers to explore and consider the relationships and dynamics between the characters and the challenges they face...." Read more

"...the characters in How To Be Brave, including the more minor characters are really well developed and I loved getting to know them...." Read more

"...I couldn't have been more wrong. The characters have real depth and the parallel storyline was very cleverly done...." Read more

"...and mirrored each other so well is testament to the super talented storyteller...." Read more

21 customers mention ‘Beauty’21 positive0 negative

Customers find the book visually appealing, with one noting its illuminating imagery and language, while another appreciates the setting in Hull, East Yorkshire.

"...This is such a beautiful novel that explores the relationship between mother and daughter, who are struggling to come to terms with the daughter Rose..." Read more

"...There were lots of passages that had particularly good descriptions, images and that were almost lyrical...." Read more

"...There is something hauntingly beautiful in the way Ms Beech creates her stories, the way in which the prose just draws you in, subtly at first,..." Read more

"...How To Be Brave is not only a stylish story, it’s a tribute to all the courageous children who live with Type 1 Diabetes and the families who love..." Read more

18 customers mention ‘Realism’18 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the realism of the book, with one noting its vivid imagery and attention to detail.

"...The narrative here is beautiful, so rich in vivid imagery that you can almost taste the salt water as it hits the sailor's lips, and feel yourself..." Read more

"...conveyed just the right mixture of mystic spirituality with a balancing realism. I love that the grandfather's story is factual...." Read more

"...although heroic, are also flawed, which makes them not only likeable but real, and I couldn’t help but root for them as they learn how to be brave...." Read more

"...Super-real and emotional, I couldn't put this book down." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Hayley C
    5.0 out of 5 stars An incredibly moving and beautiful debut novel!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 March 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This book has been on my TBR for a little while now; it was one of those books that I strongly felt had to be read at the right moment for me. I was so right and I’m really glad that I waited until now to read it. As a lot of you know, I’m going through a lot of medical things and this book brought such a sense of solace to me.

    This is such a beautiful novel that explores the relationship between mother and daughter, who are struggling to come to terms with the daughter Rose’s diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Rose’s father is deployed overseas and isn’t allowed to come home to support them so the two are left on this journey to come to terms with their new normal. An old journal of Natalie’s late Grandfather is found by Rose and this becomes the glue that holds the two together. Natalie promises to share her Grandfather’s story with Rose during the times when Rose is having her injections.

    I hadn’t expected this novel to immerse me in the worlds of these characters quite so much. I felt the love and the fear and the angst in Natalie and Rose’s relationship. I felt such sadness at how detached they were becoming from each other whilst both still longing for the old connection before everything changed. I felt the pain Natalie was going through at having to keep her daughter well by putting her through the thumb pricks and injections, that Rose was constantly fighting against. It must be awful to know that you have to do it to keep your child alive but to not have any way to make a 9 year old comprehend that her life depends on this being done. I also felt for Rose – she is such a strong-willed girl, who loves books and learning; I was willing her on to find a way to cope with the diabetes.

    Alongside this is the story of Natalie’s Grandfather – the writing is incredible because I really did feel like I was in that lifeboat with those men. I could smell the decay, I could feel the horrible dry skin and the swollen, dehydrated mouths as if it were me going through it. It’s inspired writing how his battle for survival mirrored Rose’s with the thirst and the longing for the things you can’t have, and mostly with the coming to terms with what life has thrown at you. The stories are woven together so beautifully, they occasionally intermingle in a magical, and yet somehow always believable, way.

    This novel is stunningly beautiful, it’s devastatingly moving at times but will leave you feeling stronger and braver by the end. I recommend this book to everyone – it’s a must-read; it really is one of the best books I’ve read this year and it’s one that I want to re-read in the future.

    How to be Brave is published by Orenda Books and is out now.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Katherine Sunderland
    4.0 out of 5 stars A great read, great balance of sadness, joy and hope
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 November 2016
    Verified Purchase
    The book is about Rose who is diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when she is nine. Her mother, Natalie, struggles to help Rose come to terms with this life long condition, as well as accepting it herself. Then they both start to receive visits from a hauntingly familiar figure, a man in a brown suit. They discover a book from 1943 which tells an extraordinary tale and in time, gives them the strength to come to terms with the challenges life has thrown at them and what it means to be brave.

    My brother was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when he was 10 years old so this story had quite an effect on me as being 15, I remember very clearly the impact his new medical condition had on the whole family, both emotionally and also practically. To begin with there was a lot of fear, worry, panic and upset. Then it affected our food shopping, our diets, our routine. At times it has given us some scary moments and a few panicked trips to the doctors, the chemists and A&E. Diabetes is a condition that doesn't stop someone having a 'normal' life- advances in medicine are constantly improving the way a diabetic can manage their insulin and diet - but initially, particularly with children, it is a difficult thing to accept and all the emotions Beech explores in her novel, from sadness, fear, anxiety and frustration to hope and bravery, were things that I have seen my brother (and the rest of us) go through.

    But this novel is about more than a child becoming ill. Although there is a lot about Natalie and her guilt as a parent, the strain on her marriage and the fact she is having to handle such a frightening diagnosis on her own is explored in detail with sensitivity and empathy. Any parent will relate to her helplessness and heartache. Any parent will recognise Rose's frustration, lack of understanding and fear about what is happening to her. The repetition of constantly testing blood sugar and injecting insulin create a real sense of urgency which Beech uses to build an oppressive and intense atmosphere. The relentlessness of the treatment is well conveyed.

    "My life was a series of circles, spinning faster and faster. Prick, pain, blood. Harvest the crimson flow onto the strip. Read the black numerical digits...."

    As Natalie says, repetition can often be a comfort but here it is something that she will never enjoy nor ever feel any sense of comfort from.

    I also liked it when Natalie says Rose is not just any child, and the persons she's telling acknowledges that of course not, "She is your child." I thought that captured how every parent feels about their child. There are times when suddenly no other child matters. Whatever might do for another child, will not do for yours. You do not want your child to be a statistic, a name on the appointment book, an example. You want them acknowledged as precious, important, treasured. This is the power and strength and enormity of a mother's love for their child.

    Beech interjects these passages about Natalie and Rose coming to terms with the diabetes with a haunting figure of man in a brown suit. His presence does not upset the girls, or disturb them. He seems familiar in some way. Beech also starts to refer to finding a book, searching for a book, needing a book which builds a sense of suspense and mystery as well as a hint of the supernatural.

    I liked the description of the leather bound book Natalie discovers.

    "I just had to untie the ribbons and free the words."
    "the handwriting was in neat sentences of someone over the worst, someone looking back."

    There were some lovely descriptions of the weight of books and stories and the power of stories to heal. It was really interesting to see the effect the story of Grandad Colin stranded in the Atlantic Ocean in 1943 had on both Natalie and Rose.

    The novel is nearly 370 pages long and this gives Beech plenty of time to allow the reader to become completely immersed in both story lines. It's very clever how she interweaves together two quite different settings and situations in two different eras and in two very different worlds. She really allows her readers to explore and consider the relationships and dynamics between the characters and the challenges they face. It is a thoughtful book yet it moves at a good pace, ensuring the reader is always engaged and wanting to read on.

    Beech writes very well. There were lots of passages that had particularly good descriptions, images and that were almost lyrical. It is easy to feel as if you are with the characters, wherever they are and whatever they are involved in whether this is something you have any experience of or not. There are also lots of passages that are full of emotion and heartache. The reader identifies with Colin, Natalie and Rose and is prepared to invest in their story until the last sentence.

    This is also a tale of hope and of bravery. There is a message of positivity, of being saved and of learning to be brave. It is not a depressing read. There are many quotes that would inspire and reflect a sense of optimism and hope. There is enough about the magical power of story telling to keep any bibliomaniac satisfied.

    If you enjoyed Love Anthony, any Jodi Picoult or Diane Chamberlain, you will enjoy this novel. It really does seem as though the acclaim is well deserved and it is a book that you will enjoy, learn from, be inspired by and want to read again. A great combination of family drama and history, the anxiety of the present and the message of the past.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • R. Natacha
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful
    Reviewed in France on 9 August 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is the kind of book that stays with you long after you've finished it. This is a story you don't forget easily. Perfect pace , great characters and despite a slow start I couldn't put down the book . A first book but certainly not the last for Louise Beech! I can't wait for the next one
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  • Kay Christophers
    5.0 out of 5 stars True Bravery
    Reviewed in Australia on 23 December 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Fourteen in a boat, a girl with straw blonde hair and the man in a brown suit. A great slightly suspenful read. Based on a true story I was griped from the start. when nine year old Rose is diagnosed with diabetes her mother doesn't know how they will cope until "she finds the book",
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  • Alidottir
    5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book
    Reviewed in the United States on 30 January 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I loved this book. It is moving, atmospheric and beautifully-written. The two strands of the story are very original, based on the writer's own experiences and a family diary. The characterisation is excellent - the people came alive and I particularly liked 9-year-old Rose who actually spoke like a real child. I'm sure this is a book that will remain with me for a long time. I'm very much looking forward to Louise Beech's next book.
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  • Christiane
    2.0 out of 5 stars At least we learn something about diabetes
    Reviewed in Germany on 9 September 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I seem to be swimming against the stream here. The number of rave reviews by readers who were moved to tears by this book leaves me speechless. Words like beautiful, moving, inspiring, unforgettable, stunning, mesmerising, haunting etc. etc. crop up in most Goodreads reviews. I’m almost ashamed to say that I didn’t even get very far into the story because I was so appalled by the amateurish writing, the unlikeableness of the spoiled daughter, the hysterics of the mother and the contrived magical aspect. What’s wrong with me ??

    P.S. Just had more luck on Amazon where I found three reviews with the words “precocious brat” which express my feelings about the daughter entirely !
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  • tam
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enduring family
    Reviewed in Australia on 4 November 2018
    Verified Purchase
    An interesting story of struggles, sadness, hope & family bonds. It made me wonder, how far does a family legacy live on in those yet to come? Do we really impact our future generations? Lovely read!
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