A Way From Heart to Heart by Helena Fairfax

A knock at the door shatters Kate Hemingway’s life when she’s informed of her husband Stuart’s death in Afghanistan. 

She struggles to care for their young son George with only Stuart’s aloof best friend Paul as emotional support. 

Piece by fragile piece, she tries to rebuild her life, realising Paul and her son have formed an unlikely bond. 

When Paul agrees to accompany Kate and a group of disadvantaged teenagers on a trip to the Yorkshire moors, he finally reveals something he’s kept secret for years. 

Kate’s own scarred heart begins to open up … but can she risk her son’s happiness as well as her own? 

A novel about friendship, loss, and the human heart’s enduring capacity for love, this stunning debut explores one woman’s attempt at survival when her world comes crashing down around her.

A Way From Heart to Heart by Helena Fairfax was published in 2014 by Accent Press.

This is a contemporary, well written story of friendship, loss and romance that has a depth and meaning that will resonate with many and touch everyone.

Kate Hemingway did not have the easiest start in life. Abandoned by her mother and stepfather, she found herself living in awful conditions. When she was discovered by photographer Stuart, her life changed for the better. She found success as a model, but most importantly, she found happiness as Stuart's wife and as mother to young George.

When Stuart's friend Paul arrives on her doorstep, Kate knows that he is there to deliver devastating news. Helena Fairfax's description of how Paul delivers the news that Stuart has been killed in Afghanistan, and Kate's reaction is absolutely heartbreaking. This scene sets the pace for what is a warm and emotive story, written with incredible insight and grace.

The relationship that blossoms between Kate and Paul is tenderly portrayed. Kate's emotional insecurities can be frustrating, both for Paul and for the reader, but are perfectly natural - after all, we all know that the path of true love will never run smoothly. Paul's character is more complex; he appears cold and superior, but underneath that hardened shell is a man who is hiding a secret very close to his heart. Paul is troubled by his secret, he yearns to let everyone know, but is grieving for his lost friend, and trying to preserve his memory.

Kate and Paul are both complex characters who the reader comes to care about very much. The cast of supporting characters are excellently portrayed; young George, Kate's friend Orla, Chloe who runs the charity, and all of the young women involved in the At Home project.

Helena Fairfax is a talented author. A Way From Heart to Heart is a touching story that deals with some serious issues with care and ease.

My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review.



Helena Fairfax was born in Uganda and came to England as a child. She's grown used to the cold now, and these days she lives in an old Victorian mill town in Yorkshire. After many years working in factories and dark, satanic mills, Helena has turned to writing full-time. Her first novel, The Silk Romance, was a contender for the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writers' Scheme Award and a runner-up in the Global Ebook Awards. Since then, Helena has written lots more stories, and she was recently a finalist in the Exeter Novel Prize.

In her spare time, Helena walks the Yorkshire moors every day with her rescue dog, finding this romantic landscape the perfect place to dream up her heroes and her happy endings.

You can find out more about Helena on her blog at www.helenafairfax.com, or on Twitter @helenafairfax.

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