An exclusive short story by award-winning author Isabel Ashdown.
Two years after her father’s death, Sarah Ribbons prepares to spend the festive season on her own in his crumbling old cottage. It’s not the idea of being alone that bothers her – she’s determined not to be a burden on well-meaning friends who try to coax her into joining them for Christmas – in fact, Sarah thinks she has life as she likes it: firmly under control.
But when an unexpected email raises the ghosts of a distant past, she finds herself questioning this way of life – and discovers friendship in the least likely of places.
Isabel Ashdown is also the author of Hurry Up and Wait (Myriad, 2011) Summer of ’76 (Myriad, 2013) and Flight (Myriad, 2015).
Nut Press
11 December 2015An intensely satisfying read... If you’re new to Isabel’s writing, this is a wonderful introduction to her beautiful prose and a perfect place to start. Her writing’s measured, calming, almost meditative, and as I read, I could feel myself breathing out and relaxing, safe in the hands of an assured storyteller. Isabel writes so exquisitely about the mess that is modern life, the relationships we have, as well as those we do our best to avoid. Her characters always feel like real people you drop in to see for a while and she paints the landscapes in which they move incredibly beautifully. A Quiet Winter is a timely seasonal short story about working out what’s important in life: about making connections with other people when all you may feel like doing is running away, and how sometimes those very same connections come along at the time we need them, if from the most unexpected quarters.
Pamreader
1 December 2015A Quiet Winter is a beautifully written meditation on loss, grief, acceptance and the power of letting go. The writing is exquisite, measured, thoughtful and calm... Ashdown is an observant writer, she has a great eye for visually expressing the tiny details that give her characters warmth and humanity. Many readers will relate to Sarah, especially if they’ve experienced any kind of loss or loneliness. Reading A Quiet Winter is a cathartic experience, one that feels like being given a warm hug by a friend who truly understands the pain of loss and what it takes to come out the other side changed, but accepting, and ready to move on with life. If, like me, you find yourself in happy tears by the end, you can find out more about Sarah’s past in Hurry Up and Wait.
