Oh, my heart, so much tenderness. 💔 I'm in love with the forgiveness of it all. And I shall miss spending time with these characters every week as I've relished each of their arcs. This is a quiet masterpiece that so captures that time. Bravo, Eleanor 👏👏👏
This novel is an extraordinary piece of historical fiction, and I long for the day it’s required reading in every classroom around the globe. Your characters shine with a complexity that lays bare your own profound understanding of human pathos and transformation. Truly remarkable work Eleanor.
I saw your Epilogue today and I almost started crying, not anticipating or ready for the end. I don’t think I’m ready to say goodbye! But here it is. Sigh.
This novel is a stunning accomplishment and deserves to be in the window of every bookstore. Your handling of these characters is so delicate and complex and infused with such genuine love. We need more stories like this in the world. Bravo, dear friend.
"The heatwave was trying to get in through the curtains. The room felt stifling, her dad’s sorrow pouring out like his commands to learn the fallout warnings, but now he was broken like the chair he’d punched, now he sat collapsed as if all the life had leaked out of him." Beautiful writing!
It's fitting that this wonderful novel has 53 chapters, like a year and a week, tipping over into the continuation that's suggested after/as the aftermath. Bourbon biscuits, Safeway, life goes on... Thank you for treating us to this wonderful novel!
Thank you thank you thank you for a wonderful story, Eleanor. I love that it ends here where it began, with Bridget and her family and a thawing with her dad. “It’s called love, love,” is a beautiful reminder of theme. It was all for love, wasn’t it? I can’t believe the women were out there for eight long years. They are beyond heroic. This story has stayed with me all week and it’ll continue linger. I can totally picture it as a limited series. What characters! And all that you’ve explored about difference and belonging. Perseverance and resilience. A triumph.
Julie, thank you. I’ve loved your reading and thoughts as we’ve gone along. I’ll be leaving it up for a while, but it’s intended for submission to a few publishers I’ve got my eye on, and once that process starts I’ll be taking it down. Here’s everything crossed for it coming out in print before too long.
Fantastic! I was surprised by Sarah Fay’s recent post about publishers becoming even more skittish/ hostile about “previously published” material on Substack. I hope UK publishers are more open-minded. There’s also Unbound - I’ve admired them since Paul Kingsnorth published his novels that way. (And of course, Tom Cox.) Any chance of a Fallout fan gathering over zoom?
I didn’t realise this is the end! What a beating finale with the connection! Great dialogue between father and daughter. And now what? Where do we go from here? This has been a wonderful journey and I’ll carry the feeling and advice with me for a while. Thank you! (My question is rhetorical so no need for an answer.)
Got me.
Nooooooo. No no no no no! So much driving energy can't just --end. Ok fine. Well, it was great. ('Cept for the fact of it ending)
❤️
Oh, my heart, so much tenderness. 💔 I'm in love with the forgiveness of it all. And I shall miss spending time with these characters every week as I've relished each of their arcs. This is a quiet masterpiece that so captures that time. Bravo, Eleanor 👏👏👏
"the forgiveness of it all." Exactly.
Thanks so much ❤️
This novel is an extraordinary piece of historical fiction, and I long for the day it’s required reading in every classroom around the globe. Your characters shine with a complexity that lays bare your own profound understanding of human pathos and transformation. Truly remarkable work Eleanor.
I saw your Epilogue today and I almost started crying, not anticipating or ready for the end. I don’t think I’m ready to say goodbye! But here it is. Sigh.
I want to go and hang out in the mud with all of them.
I’ll be there in five to meet you.
🙌
Thanks, I really enjoyed this story. And that was a nice ending.
Thanks Mike
This novel is a stunning accomplishment and deserves to be in the window of every bookstore. Your handling of these characters is so delicate and complex and infused with such genuine love. We need more stories like this in the world. Bravo, dear friend.
Thanks so much Ben ☮️
"The heatwave was trying to get in through the curtains. The room felt stifling, her dad’s sorrow pouring out like his commands to learn the fallout warnings, but now he was broken like the chair he’d punched, now he sat collapsed as if all the life had leaked out of him." Beautiful writing!
It's fitting that this wonderful novel has 53 chapters, like a year and a week, tipping over into the continuation that's suggested after/as the aftermath. Bourbon biscuits, Safeway, life goes on... Thank you for treating us to this wonderful novel!
Thanks. Epilogue today! And then that really is it.
A great story, Eleanor. The characters so real, so believable.
It really deserves a wide audience. Wishing you every future success.
Thank you so much ☮️
Reading this, I thought how it takes a coal fire and a forge to turn iron into a useful tool. So strong!
Thank you ☮️
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
❤️☮️
Thank you thank you thank you for a wonderful story, Eleanor. I love that it ends here where it began, with Bridget and her family and a thawing with her dad. “It’s called love, love,” is a beautiful reminder of theme. It was all for love, wasn’t it? I can’t believe the women were out there for eight long years. They are beyond heroic. This story has stayed with me all week and it’ll continue linger. I can totally picture it as a limited series. What characters! And all that you’ve explored about difference and belonging. Perseverance and resilience. A triumph.
Julie, thank you. I’ve loved your reading and thoughts as we’ve gone along. I’ll be leaving it up for a while, but it’s intended for submission to a few publishers I’ve got my eye on, and once that process starts I’ll be taking it down. Here’s everything crossed for it coming out in print before too long.
Fantastic! I was surprised by Sarah Fay’s recent post about publishers becoming even more skittish/ hostile about “previously published” material on Substack. I hope UK publishers are more open-minded. There’s also Unbound - I’ve admired them since Paul Kingsnorth published his novels that way. (And of course, Tom Cox.) Any chance of a Fallout fan gathering over zoom?
I would love to do that! I’ll put out a post next week with details & a link. Stand by!
I didn’t realise this is the end! What a beating finale with the connection! Great dialogue between father and daughter. And now what? Where do we go from here? This has been a wonderful journey and I’ll carry the feeling and advice with me for a while. Thank you! (My question is rhetorical so no need for an answer.)
Thank you! I am thinking of hosting a Q&A…..
Plan it! What a great idea.