I am delighted to be taking part in the Random Things blog
tour for Nothing Else by Louise Beech. I received a copy of the book as part of
the blog tour.
Heather Harris is a piano teacher and musician. Music is
central to her life and has always been a form of escapism going right back to her
childhood.
Heather normally teaches teenagers, but decides to accept
eight year old Rebecca as a pupil. However, she realises straight away that she
cannot teach her as the similarity is too close to her own sister Harriet who
disappeared when her parents died.
When a friend mentions a six week contract for a job as a
pianist on a cruise ship Heather applies, not expecting to actually get the
job. Before she leaves, she requests the recently released childhood records
and thinks she will go through them in her free time on the ship to try and find
any clues towards her sisters’ disappearance.
This is an opportunity for Heather to face the past that she
has been trying to forget and to really find out why her sister disappeared.
The novel is told with a dual timeline and goes back to
Heather’s childhood. It is such a powerful novel that shows you the influence
that music can have over people’s lives.
I found it to be a very moving and emotional book that was
gripping to read. It is a story of love, loss and the bond between siblings.
I loved the cruise ship setting and the dual timeline. It
really makes you feel like you get to know the characters.
This is a fantastic book that I highly recommend and I look
forward to reading more from this author.
