Coming-Of-Age YA Novel, Ellen Lives On By Lynda Haddock, Captivates With Its Exploration Of Love, Loss And Freedom

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On The Table Read Magazine, “the best book magazine in the UK“, in YA novel Ellen Lives On by Lynda Haddock, 15 year old Ellen is sent to live in foster care following her mother’s suicide, but decides that social workers should not determine her life’s trajectory.

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Ellen Lives On

Debut novel, Ellen Lives On by Lynda Haddock, is a sensitive and compelling portrait of a troubled and bereaved teenager. Readers are immersed in the horror of fifteen year old Ellen finding her mother hanged, with Lynda Haddock using her own experience of parental suicide to show the realities of Ellen’s heartbreak, and the impact of such a tragedy on those left behind.

Ellen Lives On by Lynda Haddock

Set in 1971, Ellen is devastated by her mother’s suicide before being uprooted from her life and thrust into a loveless household with overbearing relatives. Forced into domestic servitude, waiting on the men who seem indifferent to her grief, Ellen retreats inwards, a shell of her former self.

A flicker of defiance ignites within her, and she pens a rebellious letter to the local paper, championing comprehensive education and advocating for the closure of her own elite, selective school. This act of defiance isolates her further – her classmates ostracize her, and a harsh reprimand from the headteacher becomes the final straw. Ellen flees the stifling confines of her school and, in a desperate bid for connection, embarks on a solo journey to London, seeking solace with the only remaining family she has – her grandfather.

Ellen’s situation doesn’t improve, as she narrowly escapes the unwanted attentions of a stranger in King’s Cross. Yet when she finds herself caught in the midst of a radical political rally led by a group of young women protesting for their rights, suddenly her world is changed. Although her grandfather is in hospital, Ellen discovers new friendships as she joins the group and learns to stand up: for women and for herself.

This multi-layered narrative is an extraordinary coming-of-age novel, made all the more plausible by the Lynda Haddock’s many years spent working with young people, and her appreciation of how one supportive person (in Ellen’s case her grandfather) can lead to transformative change in a teenager’s life.

Written to provide support, insight and comfort for those younger readers dealing with parental suicide, Ellen Lives On also offers keen perspective on long term women’s issues. An engrossing story of one girl’s struggle for self and survival, Ellen Lives On will be enjoyed by anyone interested in an addictive tale of love, loss and freedom.

Bringing into sharp focus how female equality has changed since the early 70’s, Lynda Haddock also leaves readers reflecting on how the efforts of women in the past have shaped the parity we enjoy today. Her writing also reminds readers that with issues such as the gender pay gap and the recent #metoo movement very much part of today’s conversation, there is still much work to be done. Lynda Haddock has opted to use suffragette colours for her cover to further support the cause for women’s rights.

On par with other YA novels that cover similar themes (think John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars and Jacqueline Wilson’s Vicky Angel), Ellen Lives On is standout read which takes on the mantle of an understanding and empathetic friend to its intended YA audience, or anyone who has sadly lost a loved one to suicide.

Lynda Haddock

Lynda Haddock draws on her own family experiences for Ellen Lives On, as well as a career working with troubled young people as she worked intensively with pupils who were unable to attend school because they had been excluded or were experiencing challenges in their lives. She has listened carefully to their stories of pain and resilience, and campaigned throughout her life for young people and women’s rights.

Whilst this is her first novel, she is the author of several books about young people and education. Girls Voices (Trentham Books, 2003, with Leora Cruddas) describes a project designed to give girls space to discuss their problems and emotional needs. The book draws strongly on the girls’ own experiences and was described in a Times Educational Supplement review as a ‘beautiful book’.