A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe

When we go through something impossible, someone, or something, will help us, if we let them…

It is October 1966 and William Lavery is having the night of his life at his first black-tie do. But, as the evening unfolds, news hits of a landslide at a coal mine. It has buried a school: Aberfan.

William decides he must act, so he stands and volunteers to attend. It will be his first job as an embalmer, and it will be one he never forgets.

His work that night will force him to think about the little boy he was, and the losses he has worked so hard to forget. But compassion can have surprising consequences, because – as William discovers – giving so much to others can sometimes help us heal ourselves.

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A Terrible Kindness is a novel that I picked up on a whim – I didn’t know much about it beyond the blurb, but I was intrigued, not least from having read a little about the Aberfan disaster in The Premonitions Bureau by Sam Knight, albeit in a very different context.  I’m so glad I took a chance on it – I absolutely loved this novel, and the ending had me welling up a little, which was slightly unfortunate as I was on a train at the time.

The novel is split into five sections that move around in time.  We first meet William as a newly qualified embalmer at the age of 18 as he volunteers to help those at Aberfan.  It then moves back some 8 years or so to his time at Cambridge as a chorister, before moving forward again to show us his time as a trainee embalmer.  The final two sections deal with what comes after.  While it’s not a unique structure, it’s used to great effect here.  I was completely drawn into this young man’s tale from the very first page, at least partly because of his somewhat unusual career choice, and I loved the way in which each section gradually reveals a little more about William and the defining moments of his life, yet holds enough back to keep the reader wanting to know more.

Throughout, William comes across as a brilliantly realised character, and I loved seeing him grow and develop over the course of the novel.  While he’s an engaging protagonist, he doesn’t always do the right thing or behave admirably – he can be kind and cruel, selfless and selfish.  I found him to be a proud individual, both in his role as an embalmer where he seeks to do his best for those who are placed in his care, but also in his dealings with friends and family.  Jo Browning Wroe portrays him brilliantly throughout the novel, in his good and bad moments, and I couldn’t help but feel for him throughout, even as he bad makes some bad decisions and hurts – not always intentionally – those around him. 

The section dealing with the Aberfan disaster is handled with great sensitivity, showing the impact on Aberfan’s residents as a slag heap crashes down a hillside, destroying several properties and burying the local school, unfortunately occupied at the time.  The work of rescue teams and volunteers is expected in such an event, but I’ve previously given little thought to those who care for the dead, making them ready for their families to say their goodbyes.  William’s work here, while perhaps not the most obvious form of support, is greatly appreciated and brings a degree of comfort to those affected by the accident, and it’s a fascinating insight into an embalmer’s work.  It’s a harrowing event and one that, understandably, has a significant effect on William, barely into adulthood himself, and one that leaves him with PTSD-type symptoms in all but name. 

My favourite section was the second.  At 10 years old, he’s identified as having a superb vocal talent and is accepted to Cambridge as a chorister, despite being a little older than the usual intake.  With his new friend Martin – who is the most delightful troublemaker! – a new side to William emerges.  He seems happy and carefree (yes, I know, he’s a child), and the joy he takes in singing is palpable.  The contrast to the young man who goes to Aberfan, and the one that comes back, is quite stark and those differences go beyond him achieving maturity.  I also loved seeing his relationship with his mother at this age, from whom he’s estranged by the age of 18.  I had so many questions from this snapshot of William’s youth and desperately wanted to know more – why he and Martin fell out, what happened to the relationship with his mother, but also why he gave up something that brought him so much joy.  It’s a fantastically engaging novel from start to end and I felt completely drawn into William’s world. 

A Terrible Kindness is a beautiful, poignant novel, tracking one young man’s journey into his early twenties – a journey that proves to have many ups and downs.  I liked that it stopped there, hinting at what comes next for William and his family, but leaving the reader to imagine how it might play out.  For me, this is a novel that highlights the importance of forgiving others, lest we’re left with no one remaining close to us in our lives.  It’s an absolutely beautiful novel, and one that I can’t recommend enough.