This was an atmospheric and emotional read. The story features two women who have become part of a travelling circus during World War II. Families are torn apart and then you find family in another place, most likely where you did not expect to find it. I always find it interesting and amazing to see how the human spirit and courage comes out in these stories based during World War II. Whether it is the courage to hide Jews from the Germans or simply the courage to love again.
Month: October 2019
The tunnel. Series 2. Sabotage
The Tunnel (series 2) on DVD. I watched the first and third series on television, and needed the library in order to fill the gap (RRL owns all three seasons on DVD). It is a bleak and gritty crime series, set in the UK and France (connected by the tunnel). The two leads are compelling, difficult, and damaged people, the crimes are violent and very much of our times, and the character development throughout the series is brilliant.
Music and malice in Hurricane Town by Alex Bell
Jude is a musician who becomes possessed by the cajou queen while playing at her funeral. The queen wants Jude to find out who murdered her and therefore has to venture into the world of vampires, spirits and witch doctors. Magic and music was very much alive in New Orleans, leaning more towards the darker side of magic. As someone who knew nothing of vodoo the author explained the concepts throughout which was much appreciated. I enjoyed the story but was probably a bit too much on the dark side for me.
The heart of the matter by Graham Greene
Oh, the devastating, crushing, lack of grace and mercy in Graham Greene’s Catholicism! Major Henry Scobie, deputy police commissioner in a British colony in Africa during WWII, is a decent, truthful, and dutiful man, who feels, very deeply, the burden of his wife’s unhappiness. When it appears he will be passed over for promotion, his wife is unable to cope, and Scobie goes against his principles to borrow money for her passage to South Africa. This mistake sends him into a terrible fall towards damnation. It is a colonial novel, and a Catholic one, and though bleak, it is utterly compelling, with its themes of duty, passion, theology, love, and truth. I listened to the audiobook, and found it very easy to listen to.
Mrs Gaskell & me by Nell Stevens
I listened to the audiobook, read by the author herself, and apart from a slightly dodgy American accent, she did a good job. Nell Stevens fell in love with Mrs Gaskell, 19th century author, and friend and biographer of Charlotte Brontë, and while researching Mrs Gaskell for her PhD, fell in love with an American man. This is the story of two complicated relationships, one in the 1850s, and one now. Stevens is very open, raw even, about her own relationship and the life of a PhD student, and her retelling of Mrs Gaskell’s attachment to Rome and one particular person she met there, was very compelling. Mrs Gaskell’s North and South is a great favourite of mine, and I was keen to come to know my beloved Charlotte Brontë’s friend, but there are also interesting thoughts about marriage, singleness, parenthood and purpose, that give the book broader appeal.
A study in scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
What fun! This is the story of when Holmes and Watson meet for the first time, and move into Baker Street. Stephen Fry does a wonderful job of narrating the story, and the mystery, involving Mormons, poison, and the delightfully inept Scotland Yard detectives, was very satisfying.
Diamond sky by Annie Seaton
Romance and suspense blend in the wonderful setting of the Kimberley region, proving to be a good piece of storytelling. I loved the mistaken impressions the main characters had of each other, with the reader knowing this. The story then slowly builds to a satisfying ending, not all of it predictable.
Severance by Ling Ma
Candace lives and works in New York City when the fever comes, and though she clings to her life as it was, eventually, she finds herself alone. This is an apocalyptic novel, but not frightening; gently amusing and hopeful, though it is about the end. It is not linear. We learn about Candace’s childhood as an immigrant, about her working life at a job she is good at, but doesn’t love, the intense period when the fever takes hold, and afterwards, when she falls in with a band of survivors. It’s a reflection on cities, in particular New York, and on purpose; it is thoughtful and poetic. For fans of Station Eleven.
The flatshare by Beth O’Leary
Tiffy needs to leave her ex-boyfriend’s flat, but her publishing job in London doesn’t pay well, Leon works the night shift and needs all the money he can get to help his brother, so, without meeting, they begin to share a one bedroom flat. This is a sweet, quirky romance, with very modern complications. It’s gently funny, life affirming and an easy read.
The roadhouse by Kerry McGinnis
Australian romantic suspense set in the outback around Alice Springs. The Australian landscape was brought to life in this story and was the best thing about this story. There was a great cast of characters, but the storyline was a bit predictable. An easy, quick read.
rrlreads 