When George McGlory stumbles across a funeral without any mourners he's shocked and intrigued. Upon learning that a public health funeral is carried out when a deceased has no family or friends to make the necessary arrangements he takes it upon himself to attend as many as he can.
Ruth Hogan has such a magical way of drawing you into a story that you can't help but be completely absorbed by The Light A Candle Society. Wonderful narration from Mark Elstob adds the perfect touch as he makes it so easy to distinguish between the different characters.
George is still mourning the loss of his wife and regularly visits her grave. It's during one of these visits that he notices a funeral taking place with no mourners. Chatting with the funeral director he discovers that it is a public health funeral, one carried out by the local council as the deceased had no known family or friends. George is disheartened thinking that someone can die without anyone to mark their passing and pledges to try and attend any public health funerals in the future. As he shares his discovery with friends and colleagues he finds like-minded souls who offer to support him in any way they can and thus, the Light A Candle Society is born.
Despite the somber theme, this is an uplifting story, we see the good in many people, the generosity of spirit and a sense of community as they offer support. There is a snowball effect, particularly when a local journalist gets involved.
The deceased aren't simply names in the story, the author does a wonderful job by giving us a glimpse into their lives, almost a short story about the character. This snapshot focuses on a happy time when everything in life seemed to be going well, this is then juxtaposed with the lonely funeral. As George investigates the life of each solitary individual we learn the sad story of how they came to be alone and it makes you realise how easy it is for life to change so drastically.
The Light A Candle Society by Ruth Hogan will be published on 26th June 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and W. F. Howes Ltd for a review copy.
Author Details
Ruth Hogan studied English and Drama at Goldsmiths College
and went on to work in local government. A car accident and a subsequent run-in
with cancer convinced her finally to get her act together and pursue her dream
of becoming a writer. The result was her debut novel - The Keeper of Lost
Things, which went on to sell two million copies globally. She is now living
the dream (and occasional nightmare) as a full-time author, along with her
husband and rescue dogs in a rambling Victorian house stuffed with treasure
that inspires her novels.
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