'A Time to Tell' Maria Savva

by Maria Savva
(Hertfordshire, UK)

Publication date: First published in the UK December 2006
Publisher: Pen Press Publishers Ltd
Pages: 298
ISBN:1-905621-27-2

'A Time to Tell' is a dramatic family saga, spanning 50 years and three generations of one family. It is also a contemporary novel dealing with issues such as domestic violence and relationships. It is the story of Cara, a seventy year-old grandmother, looking back on her life and dealing with her skeletons and regrets for the web of lies that she has spun. It is also the parallel tale of Cara's Granddaughter Penelope, who is anxious to escape a violent marriage. There are many more characters to meet and to follow in 'A Time to Tell' including Cara's older sister, Gloria; Penelope's aggressive husband David; Cara's estranged eldest son, Benjamin; and Cara's first love Frederick. As you meet each character you will be let into the secrets which Cara has kept from her family. Only time can tell whether she will be able to put back together the lives of her family that have been torn apart by the years of deception. 'A Time to Tell' contains elements of suspense, drama and flashbacks to the past, all interwoven into a tale which will take the reader on an eventful and captivating journey.


Reviews of 'A Time To Tell'

1. "A gripping family drama. This is a tale of a now aged and disabled grandmother who is dependent on her family for all her needs. We are moved backwards and forwards in time as Cara reminisces about her own personal secret. As disturbing events take over in her granddaughters life she begins to think how her own actions and secrets have affected others in her family and have maybe had implications on the present situation. The characters each have their own family problems kept secret from the rest of the family- an accurate description of many of todays families who try desperately to cover up their own traumas even from their own loved ones. I thought it was a very good depiction of todays complicated family lives and a very common english trait of not talking to loved ones for fear of upset or shame."


2. "I haven't read a rollicking good family-saga-cum-romance for a very long time, so I was pleased to pick up Maria Savva's second novel, A Time to Tell, for a leisurely Saturday afternoon read this past weekend... The best part about this rather ambitious novel is Savva's careful drip feed of information, so that you're never quite sure what sordid revelation or family secret is going to be unveiled next. The structure of the novel is like an onion, with layer upon layer being peeled away. It's a delicious read, with a powerful, surprising and very neat conclusion...-- I was reminded on more than one occasion of the master story-telling abilities of Maeve Binchy -- ... the narrative is very strong and the simple prose style moves things along at an energetic pace. A Time to Tell is an entertaining, multi-layered story that looks at the ties that bind people together and the unspoken words that drive them apart."

3. "A Time to Tell raises important issues surrounding what has been named `domestic violence'. It was interesting (and sad) to see how history repeated itself throughout the generations, echoing the tragic dilemma of humankind.

However, the switch between `times' was cleverly done in this sophisticated story of Cara and her family, giving a good insight into the relationships to which we can all relate.

A Time to Tell has a great prologue that creates enough intrigue to pull in the reader and has a fabulous twist at the end."

4. "Wow! What a read. Maria Savva's heart-rending book tugs at all the emotions. Such moments that leave you in turmoil one minute and lift you in the next. Come on all you film directors - I want to see this in the cinema!"

For more infomation about the novel and the author, please visit: www.mariasavva.com