000			01955nam a22002177a 4500
003			OSt
005			20251018122841.0
008			251018b |||||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
020			_a978-0-00-722115-8
040			_cPCCR Library
082			_aFic C87 2008
100			_aCox, Josephine
245			_aSongbird / _cJosephine Cox
260			_aLondon : _bHarper Collins Publishers, _c2008
300			_a501 pages; _c20 cm.
520			_aThe story is set primarily in two timelines: then (her past) and now (her life years later). The central character is Madeleine Delaney, a woman who once had great promise and a vibrant life, but something dark in her past changed everything. In the present, Madeleine lives in a quiet riverside town called Bedford. She is reclusive: doesn’t open her door, rarely ventures out in daylight, preferring solitude. Four students nearby hear the haunting sound of her singing. The students are curious; they suspect the voice comes from Madeleine, but know little of her or why she has withdrawn from life. Madeleine’s past is gradually revealed: in her younger years she had been young, beautiful, had a promising future and was singing in a club. She had relationships, hopes, possibly a romance with a dangerous man, Steve Drayton, a club owner who is handsome but menacing. Her life is irrevocably changed one night when she witnesses a horrific crime. This event triggers a chain of consequences that force her to flee, to hide, and to try to rebuild her life while carrying trauma. A young girl (students neighbour / friend) named Betsy (or Ellen, depending on version) plays a key role: her kindness and friendship become instrumental in helping Madeleine re‐engage with life, face her fears, and find some redemption.
650			_aSecrets and trauma _xFiction
650			_aRedemption and courage _xFiction
650			_aPower and danger in relationships _xFiction
942			_2ddc _cBK _n0
999			_c6541 _d6541