The Key ― The Most Gripping, Heartbreaking Book of the Year

A hidden note. A lost love. A second chance...

'A wonderful, enthralling story; one that I didn't want to end' Lesley Pearse on The Key

'A heartbreakingly powerful read' The Sun on The Key

From the #1 bestselling author of The Letter, Kathryn Hughes, comes The Key, an unforgettable story of a heartbreaking secret that will stay with you for ever.

1956
It's Ellen Crosby's first day as a student nurse at Ambergate Hospital. When she meets a young woman admitted by her father, little does Ellen know that a choice she will make is to change both their lives for ever...

2006
Sarah is drawn to the now abandoned Ambergate. Whilst exploring the old corridors she discovers a suitcase belonging to a female patient who entered Ambergate fifty years earlier. The shocking contents, untouched for half a century, will lead Sarah to unravel a forgotten story of tragedy and lost love, and the chance to make an old wrong right . . .

'Oh wow! This story broke my heart then filled it with joy then broke it all over again! I adored The Letter and The Secret but this I have to say was my favourite. Heartfelt and poignant an absolute joy' A reader on The Key

It's time to discover what a million readers already know. No one grips your heart like Kathryn Hughes . . .

'You will find it hard to put down. I cried buckets of tears reading it'

'A beautifully told, tragic tale . . . restoring your faith in the kindness of strangers and the strength of the human spirit'

'From start to finish, a lovely, sometimes heartbreaking read'

'A sheer joy to read . . . Wonderfully romantic with beautiful characters'

'I have finished this book with tears in my eyes but a smile on my face'

'I couldn't put it down. So beautifully written. I feel like I'm a better person for reading it'

'I cried with this book - it tugged at the heart all the way through'

'This must be one of the best books I have ever read'

'You will be thinking of this book long after you've finished it'