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Sometimes the world can seem too much for just one person: a funny and moving story of coming to terms with who you are.

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Miriam hasn´t left her house in three years, and cannot raise her voice above a whisper. But today she has had enough, and is finally ready to rejoin the outside world.

Meanwhile, Ralph has made the mistake of opening a closet door, only to discover with a shock that his wife Sadie doesn´t love him, and never has. And so he decides to run away.

Miriam and Ralph´s chance meeting in a wood during stormy weather marks the beginning of an amusing, restorative friendship, while Sadie takes a break from Twitter to embark on an intriguing adventure of her own. As their collective story unfolds, each of them seeks to better understand the objects of their affection, and their own hearts, timidly refusing to stand still and accept the chaos life throws at them. Filled with wit and sparkling prose, Whispers Through a Megaphone explores our attempts to meaningfully connect with ourselves and others, in an often deafening world - when sometimes all we need is a bit of silence.

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"Elliott´s excellent first novel, set in England´s Beckford Gardens, is a gentle yet unflinching look inside the heads of two very different characters. . . the story flows seamlessly between characters and story lines. The characters´ psyches are fascinating and complex, and the plot´s curveballs give enough to keep the reader engaged to the very end." - Publishers Weekly

"Debut novelist Elliott carefully, step by step, draws together the intersecting lives of these people who have let others dictate their identities and storylines. . . A charming portrait of quirky characters who transcend heartbreak." - Kirkus Reviews

"Humour always tempers Elliott´s handling of emotion as she points to eccentricities manifest in us all." - Guardian

"Charming and moving, insightful and generous, and a pleasure to read." - Alison Flood, The Bookseller

"Sharp, realistic...charming." - Daily Mail

"An engaging and accomplished debut. Through the interlaced stories of a colourful cast, Elliott asks big questions, and often provides the answers, about our fleeting existence here on earth... This succinct way of summing up a life falling apart is Elliott´s gift, supported by a deep understanding of what makes her characters tick... her knowledge of people shines in her fiction. For all its wit, it is the author´s gimlet eye on human interaction that will engage readers." - Irish Times

"Whispers Through A Megaphone is not just a great first novel; it´s wonderful... a winner." - Bookbag

"An intense psychological drama lightened with humour and tenderness." - The Lady magazine

"Filled with wit and sparkling prose, Rachel Elliott´s debut follows the quirky friendship between Ralph and Mirian as they try to make sense of their lives." - HELLO!

"Wise, witty, and utterly delightful. A book with a big, beating heart." - Laurie Penny

"Elliott is an inspired observer - fresh, wry and true." - Liz Jensen, author of The Ninth Life of Louis Drax

"I began this book and couldn´t put it down. The writing´s exceptional. It´s wonderful. Dark, so often painful - a story of such depth, beauty and rigour. And I cared for everyone. Such a testament to the fragility in us all. Oh, and funny. Great scenes of funny." - Sarah Winman, author of the international bestseller When God Was a Rabbit and A Year of Marvellous Ways

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