by Dani Atkins
We turned to walk back down the aisle. Joined together at last. Together for ever. As we passed the end of the pew where my father was sitting he reached out and grasped my hand, squeezing it hard. I looked at him and smiled. I held onto his hand even as we began to walk away, maintaining the contact until only our fingertips were left touching.
‘She’s gone,’ the doctor said quietly into the man’s ear, as the machine behind them confirmed his diagnosis with a long, lamenting, continuous tone.
A long and continuous note sounded from the church organ behind us, before tumbling into the lilting strains of one of my favourite love songs.
As we approached the entrance, the ushers flung open the doors. Unusually bright February sunshine sliced through the doorway, dazzling us with its intensity after the cool darkness of the church.
Jimmy and I exchanged a deep and meaningful look before walking together into the light.
Book Club Notes
When we first meet Rachel, she has cut herself off from her family and friends. Do you think she is ‘punishing’ herself for Jimmy’s death?
Why do you think Rachel feels so responsible for the outcome of the restaurant accident? Do you think she would feel differently if Matt had died in Jimmy’s place?
When Rachel refuses to be her bridesmaid, Sarah asks her to reconsider. Rachel ‘answers her’ by showing her scar. Are there other places in the story where her scar plays a role? How do you think Rachel really feels about it?
The novel begins with an accident. To what extent is Rachel’s future shaped by events outside her control?
Did you guess what would happen at the end of the novel? Did you finish the book feeling uplifted or sad?
The story moves backwards and forwards in time. How does that affect what you feel about Rachel?
Would you feel differently about Rachel if the book began as she woke up in hospital?
By the end of the novel, do you feel any sympathy for Matt? What about Cathy?
Which of Rachel’s relationships do you think is most important to her – Jimmy, Matt, Sarah or her father?
The characters encounter mirrors and reflections at several points during the story. Do you think the idea of mirror images relates to the way the author organises the story?
Acknowledgements
There are many people I would like to thank for making a dream I have had for a very long time, come true.
Firstly, I owe a huge debt of thanks to my incredible agent Kate Burke from Diane Banks Associates. Thank you Kate for loving Fractured the way you do; for finding me and taking me on the first steps of an exciting journey into a whole new world. Thanks also to Diane and Olivia for the very warm welcome and for all your help and support, I really appreciate it.
I would also like to thank my fantastic editor Laura Palmer at Head of Zeus, for her guidance, wisdom and patience, and for never making me feel that I was asking stupid questions (even when I know I was!). Thanks also to the amazing team at HoZ, whose warmth, friendliness and professionalism know no bounds.
When writing Fractured, I took the names of friends and colleagues and used them in a hybrid mash-up for my characters. Many of you didn’t even know I was doing this, so apologies if finding a version of your name left you feeling a little surprised. Thank you for lending them to me, you are: Jimi Randall, Rachel Boyd, Matt Cooper, Cathy Johnson, Louise Boyd, Janet Boyd, John Kendall, Phil Wiltsher, Trev Chengabroyen, Jessica Sacco, Scott Tulloch, Dave Kelly, Sam Corcoran, Emily Frost, Laura Winter, Jamie Hunt, Max Isham, Joe Thorpe, Debbie Keyworth, Sheila Ellis, Kim Webb, Dee Whittock, Janet Brady, Ann MacRae, Megan Freeman and last, but not least, Kizzy the cat.
There are few things more important in life than really good friends, and for no other reason than that I would like to thank Hazel for always being there for me (even if, unfortunately, ‘there’ now happens to be in Australia).
Lastly I would like to thank my wonderful family for simply being the three best people in the entire universe. Ralph, Kimberley and Luke, I could not have done any of this without you.
And finally for my mum, Riv. I really wish you had been here to see all this happen for me, but I hope news of it has managed to reach you, wherever you are.
About this Book
The night of the accident changed everything...
Now, five years on, Rachel’s life is crumbling.
She lives alone in a tiny flat, working in a dead-end
job, desperate with guilt over her best friend’s death.
She would give anything to turn back the clock.
But life doesn’t work like that... Does it?
~
The night of the accident was a lucky escape...
Now, five years on, Rachel’s life is perfect.
She has a wonderful fiancé, loving family and friends
around her, and the career she always wanted.
But why can’t Rachel shake the memory
of a very different life?
Can two different stories lead to
the same happy ending?
Or will Rachel stay fractured forever?
About the Author
DANI ATKINS lives with her family in a small village in Herfordshire with two elderly cats and one very excitable border collie. Fractured is her first novel. Dani is currently working on her second novel, due to be published in 2014.
A Letter from the Publisher
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HeadofZeusBooks
Dedicated to great storytelling
First published in the UK in 2013 by Head of Zeus Ltd
Copyright © Dani Atkins, 2009
The moral right of Dani Atkins to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
9 7 5 3 1 2 4 6 8
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN (E) 9781781857106
ISBN (MMP) 9781781857113
Head of Zeus Ltd
Clerkenwell House
45-47 Clerkenwell Green
London EC1R 0HT
www.headofzeus.com
Contents
Cover
Welcome Page
Dedication
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Book Club Notes
Acknowledgements
About this Book
About the Author
An Invitation from the Publisher
Copyright