‘Half a year here in remote Bangladesh, half a year there, crossing from Scotland to Ireland. Alina had lived in all three camps for over five years now, and while she was no longer starry-eyed nor scared witless by her journeys into the Bay of Bengal, her arrivals remained exciting and her departures came with a bang.’
-The Almost Truth
[ About The Almost Truth ]
When Alina’s son, Fin, traces his long-absent birthfather, it’s the catalyst for decades of secrets to implode in Alina’s neatly ordered life.
With the sudden appearance of Rory, and the ever-present pull of a very different life in Bangladesh, she’s left reeling.
Three relationships, all of them built on half-truths. All Alina can truly be sure of, is that you can choose your family, you just can’t choose who they will turn out to be.
[ My Review ]
The Almost Truth by Anne Hamilton published April 8th with Legend Press and is described as ‘a compelling story of family, secrets, identity, and a reminder that love and life can surprise you…right until the very end.’
Alina has had a varied life, caught between her mixed heritage and her desire to fit in. She lost her parents tragically when she was only a baby and was reared by her loving English grandparents. They both worked with the Salvation Army so moved around quite a lot, eventually settling in Dublin where Alina went to college. While there she met Jamie, who was to become her best friend. Although from very different backgrounds, they had similar views on life and were soon inseparable. But, as time passed and circumstances changed, they lost contact.
Now, twenty-five years later, Alina spends her time between Bangladesh and Scotland. Working in social care, Alina is involved with a children’s charity in Bangladesh, where her father originated. Alongside her great uncle, she raises funds and hopes to one day build a new home, a safe place for troubled children from disadvantaged backgrounds. When in Bangladesh, Alina feels that she can never truly fit in. She has western blood and feels her pale skin always makes her stand out. When in Scotland she is all too aware of her Bangladesh heritage and again, never truly feels at home there either. Alina is considering a permanent move to Bangladesh and is taking a trip back to Scotland to consider her options.
A message from her son, Fin, that she had put up for adoption over twenty five years ago, throws everything into disarray. Alina has nurtured a healthy relationship with Fin over the years. Although his birth mother, she never sought the title of mother, as she was all too aware that has had nothing to do with his early years. They now have a great friendship, where she sees herself as his godmother. When Fin decides to find out more about his birth father, Alina is not prepared for what transpires next.
Meanwhile, Alina’s landlady, Elizabeth, has mentioned that her son Rory is returning from New Zealand leaving Alina spooked. She and Rory have a history and Alina is not too sure what his reaction will be when he sees her. Elizabeth and Alina have a wonderful relationship. Elizabeth is a writer and is very interested in the world around her. She knows most of Alina’s past but Alina soon realises that she needs a confidante and Elizabeth might just be the person to help her see a way forward.
The Almost Truth is a story of two halves that interweave as the tale progresses. Alina splits her life between two continents and these two worlds are depicted with a real sense of atmosphere and authenticity. Anne Hamilton, like Alina, divides her time between her charity work in Bangladesh and her home in the UK. Her personal experience adds a layer of credibility to the novel and, as someone who encourages ‘diversity and inclusivity in writing’, she carries this ideology through in this novel.
The Almost Truth is loosely based on true events, a story that Anne Hamilton knew she would tell some day.
‘The central characters, Alina and Sanna, originated from real people, good friends. Long ago I promised to tell their story, but truth is stranger than fiction and some things had to change…while doing the original inspiration due justice.’ – Anne Hamilton (writing.ie)
The Almost Truth explores multiple themes including race and gender. An emotive and gentle read, The Almost Truth is a slow-moving tale of family dynamics, different cultures and life-changing decisions, all written with a balanced hand and a generous heart.
[ Bio ]
Anne Hamilton co-founded a UK based charity, Bhola’s Children, supporting a home and school in Bangladesh for disabled children and remains a trustee today. She has been sharing her time between the UK and Bangladesh for the past 21 years, which inspired both her memoir and most recent novel, The Almost Truth.
The unpublished manuscript for The Almost Truth was the winner of the Irish Novel Fair, and a short story adaptation of it is included in an Edinburgh Charity anthology, The People’s City, titled The Finally Tree.
X ~ @AnneHamilton7
