Blurred Lines
Hannah Begbie
She spoke out.
I stayed silent.
What would you do?
My Thoughts
The book begins with main character Becky walking into a room where her boss Matthew is in a compromising position with a woman who is not his wife. Becky quietly retreats from the room. Unaware if she was seen, she tries to assess the situation which she saw so fleetingly. Can she rely on her instincts about what she witnessed? Has a memory from her own past muddied her perspective and should she divulge to anyone what she saw?
The matter is complicated further when an actress accuses Matthew of rape and asks for a witness to come forward. Becky is torn, she knows her version of events will have a massive impact on the lives of everyone involved….but can she trust what she saw?
Blurred Lines is cleverly written with two timescales that intertwine with equal relevance to the plot. I found the first part of the story a little slow but became gripped during the later chapters. Huge credit should be given to the author for tackling such a complex yet delicate subject and handling it so sensitively.
This book makes you think…really think..about boundaries and loyalties, bravery, cowardice, implications and intentions..the list is endless!
The moral and emotional debates which arise from the storyline would make an excellent book club addition.
About The Author
Hannah Begbie was born in London. She studied Art History at Cambridge University before working as a talent agent, representing writers and comedians for more than a decade.
In 2016 she took part in City University’s Novel Studio, where she developed her debut novel, ‘Mother’, and won that year’s prize for new writing. Published by HarperCollins in 2018, ‘Mother’ went on to win the Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon Award for new writing and was made Book of the Month on Mumsnet and a pick for Fern Britton’s inaugural Book Club for Tesco.
Described as ‘simply brilliant’ by The Irish Examiner and ‘Human and true,’ by The Financial Times, ‘Mother’ has been optioned by the BAFTA-winning Clerkenwell Films for adaptation into a television drama.
Published in August 2020, Hannah’s second novel, ‘Blurred Lines’ is a timely and compelling portrayal of what it costs to speak out. Praise for Blurred Lines:
Hannah lives in London with her husband, a screenwriter, and their two sons.
Twitter: @hannahbegbie
Instagram: @hannahbegbie
Huge thanks for the blog tour support Lou xx
Always a pleasure Anne xx