First Chapter ~ First Paragraph (April 19)

Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events, from Tuesday/First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea Every Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posts the opening paragraph (sometime two) of a book she decided to read based on the opening. Feel free to grab the banner and play along.

My book this week is Harriet Said by Beryl Bainbridge, first published in 1972 and my version has the beautiful cover illustrated below.

Blurb

A girl returns from boarding school to her sleepy Merseyside hometown and waits to be reunited with her childhood friend, Harriet, chief architect of all their past mischief. She roams listlessly along the shoreline and the woods still pitted with wartime trenches, and encounters ‘the Tsar’ – almost old, unhappily married, both dangerously fascinating and repulsive.
Pretty, malevolent Harriet finally arrives – and over the course of the long holidays draws her friend into a scheme to beguile then humiliate the Tsar, with disastrous, shocking consequences. A gripping portrayal of adolescent transgression, Beryl Bainbridge’s classic first novel remains as subversive today as when it was written. Amazon

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First Chapter ~ First Paragraph ~ Intro

Harriet said: No you don’t, keep walking.’ I wanted to turn round and look back at the dark house but she tugged my arm fiercely. We walked over the field hand in hand as if we were little girls.
I didn’t know what the time was, how late we might be. I only knew that this once it didn’t really matter. Before we reached the road Harriet stopped. I could feel her breath on my face, and over her shoulder I could see the street lamps shining and the little houses all sleeping. She bought her hand up and I thought she was going to hit me but she only touched my cheek with her fingers. She said ‘Don’t cry now.’

I’ve been itching to read this book ever since I bought it a couple of days and from that opening, I think I’m in for a real treat. Have you read this book? What did you think?

Do you want to know more? Please leave your thoughts and/or links in the comment box below!