What Fools We Have Been by Hank Williams

Thank you @raresources For letting me be part of this tour. What Fools We Have Been is a romantic/contemporary fiction. When I first saw this book, the title just grabbed me straight away because I wanted to know what the story and the plot were all about, and it did not let me down. The story is set in Morecambe Bay and is 150 pages long. What Fools We Have is straightforward to get into, and it is beautifully written. I read this book in about a day because of how good it was and how entertaining it was. It did make me think about life and death after reading this book due to what’s being talked about in the book because it is about death and when someone you love is dying. I found this story to be very moving and made me feel many emotions while reading it. I thoroughly enjoyed finding out about the history and about the generations of family history in the story as well. The narrators are Jess, Simon, David, and Ruth. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all of them and their connections to each other. The story is in four parts, which is good and makes it easy to follow the story and plot. Incredibly moving. 5 stars.

​What Fools We Have Been

Morecambe Bay, Lancashire: After his father’s death, a son clears out his parents’ house. When he 

finds a series of haunting photographs of Morecambe Bay, taken by his father towards the end of his 

life, it sparks a journey through the scattered memories and broken connections of five generations 

of family history.

Flowing from the vibrant post-war Jewish community of London's east end, to the quiet suburban 

streets of Stanmore, and back to the Lancashire coast, the story cascades down through each 

generation’s shifting perspective. A wife appeases her charismatic yet destructive husband; a son 

reimagines the jigsaw of his mother’s life; a granddaughter tries to heal the traumas of the past.

What Fools We Have Been is an exploration of memory, identity, and the trail of damage left in the 

wake of wartime trauma. It asks: What is it that makes us who we are? Is it possible to repair the 

wreckage of the past?

Purchase Links 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Fools-We-Have-Been-ebook/dp/B0GHZK3B7L

https://www.amazon.com/What-Fools-We-Have-Been-ebook/dp/B0GHZK3B7L

Author Bio –

Hank Williams started his career as a stage director in the mid '70s. He then worked as a community 

artist and community development worker before becoming a management development 

consultant. For the past fifteen years he has worked in the Higher Education sector, mentoring senior 

leaders in UK universities as well as leading change programmes in Afghanistan and Bangladesh. He 

retired in 2026.

Hank wrote a screenplay in the 80s that won a commendation in a Sunday Times/BFI national 

competition. He has published three books relating to management development. His first novel -

WHAT FOOLS WE HAVE BEEN - was published by Chiselbury Press in March 2026, just before his 70th 

birthday. Hank lives on the edge of Morecambe Bay. He has two step-sons and three granddaughters.

Social Media Links –

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hank-williams-ba3b4352/