Our Ethel

In 1950s York, Ethel Slater grows up in a squalid terraced house, falls pregnant out of wedlock, and gives birth alone at home. When her newborn is found dead and fatal head injuries are discovered, Ethel confesses to the killing but faces the death sentence. In this secretive and insular community, nobody can be sure of the right answers.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 28 June 2023
Publisher: Book Guild Publishing Ltd

Ethel Slater, a timid and vulnerable young woman, finds herself growing up in a dilapidated terraced house in a railway community in the 1950s York. Throughout her life, she is consistently subjected to the cruelty and abuse of the men she encounters, leaving her feeling helpless and vulnerable. Tragically, Ethel falls pregnant out of wedlock and decides to retreat into obscurity, giving birth alone at home. However, her hopes of escaping her past are shattered when her newborn is found dead in her bedroom a few days later, with fatal head injuries discovered at the post-mortem. Overwhelmed with grief and guilt, Ethel confesses to the killing, believing that she is the only one responsible for the tragic event.

As Ethel stands trial for murder, she is plunged into a legal world that she does not comprehend. The voices of her well-intentioned neighbors, who offer testimony in her defense, are twisted and distorted by their own secrets and fears. Ethel faces the death sentence for a crime she may not have committed, with no one able to provide her with the certainty she desperately seeks. The right questions are asked, but in this secretive and insular community, nobody can ever be sure of the right answers.

The story explores the themes of vulnerability, abuse, and the power of secrets to shape lives. It sheds light on the societal pressures and expectations that can lead women to make difficult choices and the devastating consequences that can result from those choices. Ethel's story is a cautionary tale that reminds us of the importance of empathy, understanding, and justice, and the need to break the silence and confront the darkness that can exist within even the most innocent and vulnerable of individuals.

Weight: 364g
Dimension: 127 x 199 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781915603838