As soon as I saw the cover of this book, I knew I just had to read it. Oddly, it wasn’t until I actually started reading this book that I remembered aAs soon as I saw the cover of this book, I knew I just had to read it. Oddly, it wasn’t until I actually started reading this book that I remembered a time when I was 14 or 15 my Dad took me to an airshow as a father/daughter outing about three hours’ drive from where we lived. I was completely fascinated.
I was only about 7 pages into the story when I first cried. There were also thrilling, exciting moments while reading, and very sad, even tragic moments. It reads like a fabulously well-written novel although it is far more than that.
The stories that are pulled together throughout various fronts and places (England, France, Italy, Africa, and the Far East are some of those places) during World War II feature a wide array of pilots and all of them had their stories to tell involving the Spitfire.
The Spitfire’s history began as an answer to the Luftwaffe planes that were able to maneuver well in flight and fire on bombers and other planes of the RAF. Its unique wing-shape and superb aerodynamics are its trademark, and gave the plane its ability to quickly move out of the way of attacking planes. To a man, (and woman), the veterans (RAF and later, all of the Allies) who shared their stories with the author had nothing but praise for the compact airplane with a huge heart and astounding athleticism.
We learn how it was first built, and also how it evolved throughout the course of the war. We learn about one pilot who had been attacked by roughly a dozen enemy aircraft yet emerged from the attack to tell the tale. This happened to him not once, but twice during the war in two different theatres, and as he takes us through the action, I had to admire both his skill as a pilot (which he underplayed), and the incredible engineering of the Spitfires he flew that were so responsive they were often described by pilots as “an extension of myself.”
It intrigued me that the Air Transport Auxiliary had both women and men pilots. Women fought for and received equal pay with the male pilots – most likely the first instance in the 20th Century where equal pay at work occurred between women and men.
I was also fascinated by the stories of some of these pilots, well into their 90’s when interviewed, who were given an opportunity to take a tour and/or ride once more in their beloved Spitfires. There are also photographs, and one of them had this caption: “ATA pilot Mary Ellis celebrates her 100th birthday in 2017 by taking the controls of a twin-seat Spitfire over Sussex. Shadowing her is one of the Spitfires she delivered during WWII while in the Air Transport Auxiliary.” The women and men of the ATA delivered aircraft from where they were manufactured to the air bases where they would depart for their missions.
This book was so well written that it was the first time I really understood the various movements of the war. Perhaps I needed a bird’s-eye view to see it all more clearly; although maybe I should say a Spitfire’s view.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel, and to the author, John Nichol, for writing it. Its publication date is October 29, 2019. ...more
I feel honoured and privileged to have had the opportunity to read this remarkable memoir. Beryl Markham’s story is outstanding enough by itself. WhatI feel honoured and privileged to have had the opportunity to read this remarkable memoir. Beryl Markham’s story is outstanding enough by itself. What makes this memoir even more spectacular is the writing. On the cover is a quote from Ernest Hemingway: “[Markham] can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves as writers . . . It really is a bloody wonderful book.”
Never mind that when he wrote his comments in a letter to a friend the ellipsis contained some typically misogynistic and foul references to Beryl Markham as a woman, the bare fact of his accolade is perhaps even more powerful because of it, wrung out of his wrinkled heart through a mangle stronger than his bias.
Under the authentic and authoritative voice of Ms Markham’s prose, Africa in all its splendor and terror came alive for me in a way that set me down into its myriad contrasts and changes and variances both heart and soul. I can’t think of a way I could possibly read this book without feeling completely that I was there and witnessing it all at first hand – living it myself.
This memoir is now historical, of course, and as happens with much of history there was no such thing as political correctness. Even though there was one aspect involving Ms Markham’s flying career that is now so obviously illegal, back then it wasn’t; and I am certainly not about to flog the flyers of the day for actions taken in a context where it was normal and even desirable at the time.
There were times while reading this novel that I was moved to tears; there were even more times where I was enraptured by sheer, undiluted wonder. Ms Markham arrived in Africa when she was 4 years old, and as she grew up, some of her oldest friends were the African children she played with and learned from and even went hunting with. She accomplished more adult feats in her first few years of life in Africa than most people could claim in a lifetime. The sense of wonder doesn’t end there, for this woman led an astonishing life of adventure and achievement unparalleled at the time – and possibly for all time.
This story is one of the best, most absorbing reads I have had the good fortune to encounter. This is a book to be experienced and savoured.
Some food for thought:
“Nairobi has a frontier cut to its clothes and wears a broad-brimmed hat, but it tends an English garden; it nurtures the shoots of custom grafted from the old tree. It dresses for dinner, passes its port-wine clockwise, and loves a horse-race.”
“I could never tell where inspiration begins and impulse leaves off. I suppose the answer is in the outcome. If your hunch proves a good one, you are inspired; if it proves bad, you are guilty of yielding to thoughtless impulse.”
“And his were solemn dreams. They were solemn dreams and in time he made them live. Tom Black is not a name that ever groped for glory in a headline or shouldered other names aside for space to strut in. It can be found in the drier lists of men who figured flights in terms of hours or days, instead of column inches.”
“If a man has any greatness in him, it comes to light, not in one flamboyant hour, but in the ledger of his daily work.” Tom Black was her flying teacher, her mentor and her friend right through until his death.
“I am incapable of a profound remark on the workings of destiny. It seems to get up early and then go to bed very late, and it acts most generously toward the people who nudge it off the road whenever they meet it.”
“A word grows to a thought – a thought to an idea – an idea to an act. The change is slow, and the Present is a sluggish traveller loafing in the path Tomorrow wants to take.”...more
Of the many novels and history books about World War Two, one aspect of events that is much rarer to comUpdate: Publication Day Today - April 30, 2019
Of the many novels and history books about World War Two, one aspect of events that is much rarer to come across is the aftermath. There must be thousands of stories about what happened after the actual fighting was winding down or finished altogether, and yet these stories are not often told or heard.
Poland, 1945 – in a forest, a woman and her 10 year old daughter flee toward Germany, struggling to out-run their pursuers: renegades, refugees - desperate, dissolute, starving people willing to do anything to survive.
Germany, Autumn 1945 – Graufeld Camp near Hanover – a sanctuary for thousands of displaced persons, largely those who made it through the Russian-occupied post-war area of Germany to reach the section of Germany occupied by the British and Americans.
This is where Klara Janowska and her young daughter Alicja find a place to rest and regroup. Klara’s husband, a fighter pilot, was shot down in 1939. Klara’s father was Polish and her mother English, and like millions of others, they died in the war. It is now her strongest desire to leave mainland Europe completely and reunite with the British part of her family.
Klara finds a good friend in Hanna, whose work is in the laundry quarters. Klara also takes 3 other children under her wing and they are all involved in the black market in one way or another. It will take money to buy their way to freedom and there is no possible way to earn enough in Graufeld Camp without taking risks.
Klara is no stranger to risk, and it is when she recognizes one of the men in the Camp from the war years in Poland that she realizes she will need to take an even bigger risk: she must find a way to kill him.
This story gripped my heart and soul from the first sentences and did not let go. The writing is so excellent that I was oblivious to the reality of reading a book. The only reality was the story and the many choices and decisions that had to be made – and acted upon – to reach safety. For Klara has other secrets, and should those be disclosed, her future and that of her young daughter will, at best, be in serious jeopardy. At worst, they will not have a future at all.
It is nearly impossible to write about this novel objectively. Just thinking about it, I am instantly back in the story and maneuvering alongside Klara to evade danger and find safety. Fast-paced and heart-searing, this story will remain with me long into the future, and I highly recommend it to those who also believe that these stories – as many of them as possible – deserve to be heard.
With gratitude to Simon & Schuster Canada, Simon & Schuster UK, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel, and to the author, thank you Kate Furnivall. Its publication date is April 30, 2019....more
Update: Happy Publication Day! (Today, March 5th, 2019)
Haenyeo is the Korean name for the sea women who, through careful husbandry, harvest the sea thUpdate: Happy Publication Day! (Today, March 5th, 2019)
Haenyeo is the Korean name for the sea women who, through careful husbandry, harvest the sea through various seasons of production and restoration. On Jeju Island, south of mainland Korea, they called themselves jamsu, jamnyeo, or jomnyeo, which are all Jeju words. The haenyeo culture is characterized as matrifocal; that is, focused on females. They did all the difficult and dangerous work in their families and had to be in top physical form to do so, beginning their training when young: to hold their breath, develop strong, supple muscles, and expand their instincts for danger and for spotting their underwater harvests.
I know from reading the author’s note how much research was involved in this story. Before I even read how this book came about, the feeling I had was of Lisa See doing her always-exceptional historical and current research, and visiting the places she wrote about in person, but also listening to the stories of various people who remembered the period of time covered in this novel. Then, taking all of the history and the stories and stirring them with her imagination, Lisa See wove this fascinating, tragic, and utterly absorbing story.
And on the tides of trust in this author, and with a few deep breaths, I dove into this story, and I dove deep.
We are drawn into the story of Mi-ja and Young-sook who first met when they were seven years old and grew to be heart friends, sharing their deepest held secrets, their love of diving, and many adventures, including going to Russia as teenagers to dive in freezing cold waters for extra money to bring home for their families. When they are 21, a rift occurs and although they continue to be buoyed by their loving bond, the seeds of suspicion and distrust are planted.
Through the eyes, hearts, and experiences of two young girls who mature and grow into women with their own families, we are transported seamlessly between the past when they were younger, through and into a time 70 years onward. The culture and history of Jeju Island is both tragic and triumphant.
Tragic, because there was always some government somewhere wanting to take control of the Island due to its strategic military location. Decades of living in fear, of poverty, restrictions, and wars would surely wear down any group of people. Triumphant because, like the inspiring haenyeo with their amazing abilities, again and again these Island people propelled themselves from the depths and to the surface.
I loved everything about this novel: the story, the characters, the setting, and the many, many things I learned. There are heart-rending and catastrophic events in this story, and there were several times when I had to pause in my reading to absorb the shock of what these characters that I grew to love went through. At the same time, it is a testament and tribute to the resilience of the human spirit that will stay within my heart for always.
With gratitude to Simon and Schuster Canada, Scribner and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel, and to the author, Lisa See: the only author who could have written this story. Its publication date is March 05, 2019....more
Words have power. We readers know that as we find ourselves moved to tears, beside ourselves with outrage, or smiling at the foibles of our fellow humWords have power. We readers know that as we find ourselves moved to tears, beside ourselves with outrage, or smiling at the foibles of our fellow humans – and ourselves.
Spoken words have power, too. Charismatic leaders and fanatic leaders know this, and know exactly how to put their words across to increase their own power. Generating and maintaining fear is one way to do it; taking credit for improvements that are actually the result of a previous leader’s efforts is common; and so is scapegoating.
Scapegoating is probably the most insidious and destructive use of words ever. Take a problem that you know concerns the largest number of people, find a scapegoat group of people, and in speech after speech, in written words and spoken words, on film or any media available, and the weak and ignorant and fearful masses will follow this leader into the maw of hell.
Does any of this sound familiar? It should. History tells us these are the tactics Adolf Hitler used to justify mass genocide – “intentional action to destroy a people in whole or in part” according to Wikipedia. Destroying people either physically and/or in their souls.
This little book was published in the United States in 1938 and became a classic in the author’s own lifetime. Its popularity was instant and far-reaching for the time, yet it wasn’t until many decades later that it reached continental Europe. Since its initial publication it has surged into popularity again and again because of the truths it bears – and the warnings.
World War II has been over for more than 70 years. When the war ended, everyone everywhere said, “Never again.” Did we mean it or are they just more words?...more
Update: Happy Publication Date today, March 26, 2019
Professor P. R. Chandrasekhar has been leading the kind of life he prescribed for himself 45 yearsUpdate: Happy Publication Date today, March 26, 2019
Professor P. R. Chandrasekhar has been leading the kind of life he prescribed for himself 45 years earlier when he left India at the age of 24. With a few alterations. He is 69 years old and although he is Professor Emeritus in Economics at a college in Oxford, the big prize, the one he has worked so hard for, has been elusive. His marriage fell apart a few years before when his wife left him for another man. They, and the Professor’s youngest daughter Jaz (Jasmine) live in Colorado which makes it difficult for regular physical contact.
His ex-wife calls him Charles, most people call him Chandra (or Professor Chandra), and sometimes Chandu. Chandra’s son, Sunny (Sunil) is in Hong Kong doing some kind of business seminars, and what’s worse, he is very successful at it and doesn’t hesitate to let his father know. Chandra is estranged from his eldest daughter, Rad (Radha), and with Jasmine so far away, Chandra assesses his life and finds it wanting. He works harder and believes that if he can reach his goal of ultimate success, the rest of his life will fall into place as well.
Then, he is in an accident. With a bicycle. He ends up in hospital because he also had a “silent” heart attack. His doctor is American and lets him know quite firmly that he is not to return to work for several months. He advises him to take a sabbatical, and cheerily suggests he “follow his bliss”.
This story has humour in it but it definitely isn’t comic. The humour is often dry – the kind where you blink and you might miss it, but you have a grin on your face anyway. It is also witty, and sometimes I could envision a winking emoji lurking somewhere in there.
For me, this novel is first and foremost about an older professional man who has an epiphany of sorts and begins to look at his life, and himself, with lenses that seem to be a stronger prescription than before.
His epiphany isn’t like a big light bulb going on over his head. It is more like a faulty set of Christmas lights with miniature bulbs that light up in a pattern – only the pattern seems to keep changing. The adventures that Chandra experiences in pursuit of the faulty little bulb (or bulbs) in the light string results in one of the most entertaining and engaging books I have read.
The author, Rajeev Balasubramanyam, is a hugely talented writer. To write about someone who is at a crossroad of crises in their life is not an easy undertaking. To do so with compassion, humour, deep insight, knowledge and wisdom is a glorious accomplishment.
With gratitude to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel. Its publication date is March 26, 2019....more
Olive Kitteridge. One-time Math teacher. Wife. Mother. Grand-mother. We have met her before during various stages of her life, and in this novel, we aOlive Kitteridge. One-time Math teacher. Wife. Mother. Grand-mother. We have met her before during various stages of her life, and in this novel, we are witness to her outspokenness and the force of her personality in the late autumn years of her life and on into the winter years.
The people of Crosby, Maine figure largely in this novel just as they did in the first. Many of these people we have also met before, and some are ones that come into Olive’s orbit through changes in their own circumstances. Regardless of how they came to be, they each contribute to the layers of humanity we are in close contact with throughout this novel.
Elizabeth Strout has surpassed the high calibre of her writing, taking us on an adventure of humanity where we experience a wide range of emotions, bolstered by the thoughts and interactions of the characters. Written with immense compassion coupled with Olive’s singular tart personality, this story elicits both recognition and empathy.
This novel is like a microcosm of the larger macrocosm we currently live in. I found myself completely ensorcelled moving between perspectives lived out by the characters in the modern world they found themselves in. The many changes over the decades of their lives and how they experience these changes are always present in the periphery.
The world within and the world without. Elizabeth Strout’s writing in this novel takes us deftly through both and blurs the boundaries between them. It was an unexpected surprise how accurately and beautifully the characters and their environs are presented – and how deeply I felt their reality.
For fans of Olive Kitteridge, this is a must-read. And for those who have yet to meet Olive Kitteridge, I implore you to do so. There are depths to Olive that encourage us to explore our own depths, and that is always a good thing.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel, and to the author, Elizabeth Strout, for sharing Olive Kitteridge with us. Its publication date is October 15, 2019. ...more
This is the second in what is (at this point) a trilogy where Anthony Horowitz writes about a private detective named Daniel Hawthorne solving cases. This is the second in what is (at this point) a trilogy where Anthony Horowitz writes about a private detective named Daniel Hawthorne solving cases. The difference is that Anthony Horowitz is also in the books, and I still haven’t figured out if the stories are real with himself written in, or if they are invented with him imagining himself as a hard-nosed detective’s sidekick.
At one point in the book, Hawthorne lectures Anthony about the importance of visualizing the ‘shape’ of a crime – similar to imagining the ‘shape’ of a novel. All that is then required is to fit the pieces into their rightful spots in the shape, and that’s how you find your killer. Or write your book.
The visual I got very strongly in this novel is pyramids: there are several triad groupings of people in this story, and all the pyramids connect together with the victim – a high-profile divorce lawyer who is known for being absolutely ruthless when it comes to discerning the truth and using it to win his cases.
Behind the many floating pyramids, waiting for Hawthorne and Anthony to explore them for their little factoid treasures, there looms a larger, ghostly pyramid. Three young college friends who love caving so much that they pursue the hobby into their adult lives, too – until about 8 or 10 years ago.
Becoming is a memoir of a famous person, Michelle Obama, the first black First Lady in the United States who lived with her husband, President Barack Becoming is a memoir of a famous person, Michelle Obama, the first black First Lady in the United States who lived with her husband, President Barack Obama, and their two daughters, Malia and Sacha in the White House for eight years. During that time, alongside taking care of her family, Michelle Obama managed to accomplish four major initiatives as First Lady to help improve people’s lives and well-being.
The first thing that struck me when I was partway into the book is how her background and her first years resonated so strongly. She is relatable, plain and simple. I could relate to her and her experiences as a woman, yet there is no doubt in my mind that a great deal of her story will also resonate with men. On a personal level, partway through the book I went online and discovered that Michelle Obama’s birthday is 3 days before my Dad’s, and Barack Obama’s birthday is the same day as my Mom’s.
Regardless of color, religion, sex, age, or any of the other ‘discriminators’ that still cling to our so-called advanced societies, each one of us makes our way into the world with a desire to accomplish something. Whether those accomplishments take place on a very small scale or a large scale matters not. Whether those accomplishments are on the dark side, the low road of stepping on top of others to gain lift matters a lot.
It is the attitude of optimism and gratitude for our lives and opportunities that drives us to make a positive impact. We also somehow magnetize the mentors we need to help us along the way. This is the story of a woman who came from very humble beginnings and spent the largest part of her life in the cause of elevating others into a better life because she, too, had positive mentors and people who showed her possible doors and helped her to open them. From my perspective, it was during this process of passing along the good she experienced in her life that her own life became more elevated, too.
I can’t even count the number of times that tears came to my eyes while reading Michelle Obama’s story. Tears of recognition and empathy, but also because her story touched my heart over and over again in incident after incident, and event after event.
At one point, I was reading along as Michelle Obama described their eldest daughter Malia’s 10th Birthday – a July 4th day in the midst of the high-tension campaign that Barak Obama was involved in. Near the end of their long day of campaigning, participating in the town’s July 4th celebrations, talking with people, shaking hands, and making connections with as many people as they could, all they had energy for was a thrown-together private party for their daughter at the end of the day. While reading this, I could feel a tightness in my diaphragm . . . I had a feeling I knew what was coming . . . and then she described the look she and Barak Obama exchanged, a tired and rueful “we really blew it, didn’t we” look. At that moment Malia came over, plopped herself in her daddy’s lap and said, “This is the best birthday ever”! I lost it.
There is so much in this memoir that is inspiring, interesting, fascinating even. I could write an entire short story on everything this book gifted me. Instead, if you haven’t already, I urge you to read it. It is a remarkable story that is uplifting and, despite all odds, all the hurdles, and all that has followed since the Obama family left the White House, it remains hopeful, and it re-kindled hope in my own heart. ...more
Update: Friends, as I had hoped, this novel did win the National Book Award for 2018. (See comments below where Wyndy first brought it to my attentUpdate: Friends, as I had hoped, this novel did win the National Book Award for 2018. (See comments below where Wyndy first brought it to my attention that it was nominated.) This is such a well-deserved honour for this author and this novel - I hope the Award inspires all those who may have hesitated to read this.
Of the last four books I have read, three have been about loss and grief. It is another of those serendipities that I value as a reader and by itself gives cause for reflection.
This book does the same. Many times I paused to ponder the words, phrases, and sentences I was reading.
There are no names in this story save for one. Apollo is a harlequin Great Dane dog who comes to the woman when her friend and mentor of many years dies, and Wife Three cannot cope with the deep mourning of this left-behind pet.
This novel presented a puzzle to me as well as a beautiful, well-told story. Is she writing a letter to her friend and mentor who died? Is she writing a book? A biography of her friend, the writer, perhaps? Are these thoughts and ideas ones that come to her and she records them in her journal? It could be any one of those – or all of them. I never found out for certain, and ultimately, it does not matter.
The woman is mourning. That is for certain. The dog is in mourning – that is certain, too. Between the two of them, with the threat of eviction hanging over their heads (the woman’s apartment does not allow dogs), they immerse themselves in each other’s grief and seek healing. First for themselves, and then for each other. Or, maybe for each other with the by-product a healing for themselves.
The passages on writing are extraordinary, contradictory at times, and remind us exactly how subjective certain aspects of life and death are. I personally do not know of a family that has not been touched by suicide at one time or another. Through this woman’s literary quotes and musings of her own, I came to understand suicide at levels I had not even thought of before.
There are passages on the relationship between Apollo and the woman, and their many ups and downs in the process of building a relationship that would serve them both. The woman is reminded many times during this novel of small stories about people she knew, not just her friend and mentor, but others who sparked more recollections that connected with her present moments.
There are also many passages on writers and writing; on readers and reading. Here is one small piece that had an impact on me (as did so much of the writing). I hope that even removed from context, its meaning comes through. The woman, as is the case in most of this story, is addressing her friend:
But the truth was, you had become so dismayed by the ubiquity of careless reading that something had happened that you had thought never could happen: you had started not to care whether people read you or not. And though you knew your publisher would spit in your eye for saying so, you were inclined to agree with whoever it was who said that no truly good book would find more than three thousand readers.
I am not sure how so much managed to be housed in the pages of this book of less than 200 pages. It is almost like opening a box that has many smaller boxes inside it. The box isn’t big, but it can hold many, many more containers within. I highly recommend finding a copy of this as soon as you can, and I hope that your explorations reveal as many gold nuggets and gemstones as it did for me.
Edited to add: This novel is on the list (voting is tomorrow, I believe) for the National Book Award for fiction! Thank you so much to our friend Wyndy who posted this link: https://lithub.com/meet-national-book......more
Corrag is in a dark cell with shackles on her wrists, chained to the wall. It is winter, but as soon as the Spring thaw arrives, she will be burned atCorrag is in a dark cell with shackles on her wrists, chained to the wall. It is winter, but as soon as the Spring thaw arrives, she will be burned at the stake as a witch.
Reverend Charles Leslie, adopting his wife’s maiden name for a disguise, arrives in the town to find out information about the Glencoe massacre of the MacDonald clan in Scotland. He is hoping to utilize this information to help restore James Stuart to the throne. He has heard of the witch in her cell and that she knew what had happened in the Highlands, so as much as it appalled him as a man of God to speak with a witch, speak with her he must.
What follows is a story that is amazing, mesmerizing, filled with many burdens and hardships, yet also filled with incredible light and beauty. For Corrag wants to tell this man her own story and how it entwined with the story of the MacDonalds.
Each day, in prose that initially repulsed the Reverend, she told her tale. She could neither read nor write, but her words are filled with the splendor of nature and creatures of the earth, sky, and water. Each evening, the Reverend would write letters to his wife – about how much he missed her and their sons, but also small bits about the imprisoned witch. Those small bits began to take up more of his writing space as Corrag’s story progressed.
What an incredible journey this novel is. I was grateful for each new day of her story, both for the glorious prose and for her perceptions of her own care-worn life. Also, because it meant that her gruesome death had not yet come for her. I was conscious of the underlying darkness of her imminent death throughout the story, yet it only served to enhance further the magnificence and joys she came across.
Corrag’s life changed others’ lives - even that of the Reverend who heard her tale and jotted it down with his ink and quill. Her story touched my own life, resonated with me, and changed my life, too.
Thank you to Candi for recommending this book as we exchanged comments on another review she had written. You were so right: I loved this novel!!...more
Florence says, ”I have never done anything remarkable. I’ve never climbed a mountain or won a medal, and I have never stood on a stage and been lisFlorence says, ”I have never done anything remarkable. I’ve never climbed a mountain or won a medal, and I have never stood on a stage and been listened to, or crossed a finishing line before anyone else.
I have led a quite extraordinary life.”
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect while reading this novel. Some of my Goodreads Friends loved it, and others didn’t care for it as much. So, I just sent my fingers through the door to find the light switch, and oh my! This book stirred me to the depths of my being. From the very beginning through to the end, I was captivated.
”You never really know it’s the final page, do you, until you get there?”
Florence is admitted into a care home very much against her wishes. Her friend Elsie is with her and she meets Mrs. Honeyman, who is also connected to their past as well as Jack, who has assigned himself the task of helping Florence sort out her life’s biggest mystery. Although Florence’s mind can be very sharp, she has large memory gaps from her past that are endangering her present.
”I never thought I would lose the horizon along with everything else, but it’s only when you get old that you realise whichever direction you choose to face, you find yourself confronted with a landscape filled up with loss.”
Miss Bissell and Miss Ambrose threaten Florence with being sent to Greenbank (a stricter supervised home) from her current residence in Cherry Tree, even though there is not even one cherry tree on the property. Florence observes, ”It’s the kind of name you give to these places, though. Woodlands, Oak Court, Pine Lodge. They’re often named after trees for some reason. It’s the same with mental health units. Forests full of forgotten people, waiting to be found again.”
Gabriel Price, aka Ronnie Butler to Florence, moves in to Cherry Tree and adds to her confusion and inability to recall large periods of time. All Florence knows for sure is that she doesn’t like him, and more than that, she fears him, and the more her fears take hold, the further the past disappears into a dark place.
The writing and the characterizations are both simply outstanding. I have cut my notes and quotes in half from what they were originally, and yet I could go on for pages about this lovely, sad, joyful, tragic, and celebratory novel.
At one point, Elsie reminds Florence of ‘the long second’: ”It’s when you catch the clock holding on to a second so it lasts just a fraction longer than it should. When the world gives you just a little bit more time to make the right decision. There are long seconds all over the place. We just don’t always notice them.”
Elsie also reminds Florence of who she was, and therefore is within herself: ”There was a kindness about you, even then. As if someone took all the kindness other people discard and ignore, and leave lying about, and stuffed it into you for safekeeping.”
Elsie was always Florence’s best friend. More gregarious and outgoing, Elsie also protected Florence in so many ways.
”So I would leave it to [Elsie], and spend my time listening to the leftovers of other people’s conversations. The only problem is, I’ve spent so long standing at the edge that when I finally turn away, I doubt there is anyone in this world who will even notice.”
Florence, Elsie, and Jack visit a library to find out information about Gabriel Price. ”Who knew there were so many stories that needed telling? The shelves stretched as far as you could peer, and above our heads was a whole second floor of adventures. ‘Where do we even start?’ I said. ‘Local history,’ said Jack, and he disappeared through a gap between the Iron Age and Elizabethan England.”
Florence tells Jack she is a bad person - flawed and damaged. Jack says: ”Of course you are.” I looked at him. “We all are. Every one of us is damaged. We need the faults, the breaks, the fracture lines.” “We do?” I said. “Of course we do. However else would all the light get in?”
I could see Elsie smiling at us. “You can’t define yourself by a single moment.” Jack held my hand very tightly. I could feel him shaking. “That moment doesn’t make you who you are.” “Then what does?” I said. “Oh, Florence. Everything else,” he said. “Everything else.”
This brilliant, captivating novel is about the cracks and breaks in Florence and Elsie’s lives, but most of all it is about the ‘everything else’ that Jack spoke of. This wonderful novel is a must-read if you enjoy intricate and poignant novels about people who feel so real, you can touch them. More importantly, they can, and do, touch you....more
This is a novel about the after-shock of WWII in the lives of one family. I don’t know if the rest of the Allies experienced it the same way, but in EThis is a novel about the after-shock of WWII in the lives of one family. I don’t know if the rest of the Allies experienced it the same way, but in Europe, the adjustment period was in many ways as cruel and fierce and bloody as the war itself. And it went on for years.
Nathaniel (14) and his sister Rachel (16) inherited much of that chaotic time. As Nathaniel narrates his recollections of this period in their lives, I felt such a deep sadness for these two. The teen years can be challenging enough without the added confusions of a father supposedly pursuing business interests in Asia, and a mother who supposedly joined him, yet left her trunk behind buried under boxes and tarps in the basement of their home.
They were supposed to be in boarding school while their upstairs neighbour, nicknamed The Moth by the teenagers, held the home together. It didn’t last long as neither Nathaniel nor Rachel wanted to be in their respective boarding schools. Without fuss, The Moth withdrew them and entered them as day students - and thus began the strangest part of their teen years.
Is this a coming-of-age story? Yes, and no. After experiencing much of their teen years through Nathaniel’s recollections, there is a leap from the time Nathaniel is about 18 until about a decade later.
Is this a spy story? Yes, and no. There is definitely undercover work involved and many strange people and incidents that Nathaniel doesn’t put together until he is a young adult.
Is this a love story? Yes, and no. There is love involved – between family members, between young people and older people; yet again – many of the relationships are a puzzle to Nathaniel and he always feels too many of the pieces are missing to see what the finished product is supposed to look like.
Warlight. This refers to the way entire hamlets, villages, and cities were blanketed in darkness during the war. For me, Nathaniel’s efforts to understand and piece together his life in a way that makes sense was the same: blanketed by blackout curtains and coverings, blocking the light on the other side and preventing him from seeing what he seeks.
This story is sad, poignant and completely without drama. In the end, I had a feeling that I had just listened to someone’s story of their life – as accurately told as possible from their point of view. Simultaneously, I felt the pathos of knowing that all the other people involved in the story would have their own perspective on the events of that time – and that all of them would be as real and true to their lives as Nathaniel’s story was for him.
For me, this book solidified my impressions of Michael Ondaatje’s status as a genius of storytelling. His brilliant writing never gets in the way of the story and I feel that is why this book touched me so deeply. I am still reeling with the realities that these people experienced and their acceptance of their lives as ones they may not have chosen, but ones that chose them.
This book gave me much to ponder as I read, and I am sure that I will not forget it any time soon. I highly recommend this for readers who prefer depth and fresh perspectives in their reading. ...more
Note: This is the second of a two-part 'series' that began with Doc
As it says in this book, “Every Tombstone needs an Epitaph”. This is said about theNote: This is the second of a two-part 'series' that began with Doc
As it says in this book, “Every Tombstone needs an Epitaph”. This is said about the newspaper John Clum decided to establish in Tombstone, Arizona. The year was 1880 and the Earp brothers were already getting themselves set up in the town with their wives.
We learn more about the wives of the Earps (most of them through common law) and what their experiences were during this time of boom and bust that the American frontier was experiencing. We find out more about their backgrounds, where they came from, and their families.
We also learn more about the notoriously fascinating 30 seconds that is still talked about, analyzed, and argued: the shootout at the O. K. Corral. Although it actually took place closer to the back of the Photography shop, the shop’s name was too long and not euphonious, so the O. K. Corral it became and will likely always remain so.
Although the worst of the “Cow Boys” (which is what they called themselves and were referred to by others) were not the ones killed at the O. K. Corral, the instigators were decidedly drunk and refusing to give up their weapons in the town. Wyatt Earp was a Marshall and had deputized his brothers Morgan and Virgil as well as Doc Holliday to help disarm the men and send them on their way. The action was taken due to pleas and pressure by the mining magnate of the area whose pay strongboxes were targets. Wells Fargo was also requesting help to prevent the Cow Boys from stealing the strongboxes they transported. There were many local businesses and ordinary citizens who had also had enough of being terrorized by this outlaw element.
It is interesting that with so many people – even influential people - urging that the laws be upheld, and to do whatever it took to make that happen, there was not only an inquest but also a trial, with Wyatt Earp and his deputies the accused. The Judge could see clearly what was happening and found in favour of the lawmen. Unfortunately, that only added more fuel to the threats and altercations that made life in Tombstone so treacherous for those who were attempting to make it a safer place to live.
Then, a couple of severe attacks on the Earp brothers took place that changed Wyatt Earp completely. He was finished with being quiet, polite, and using his inner authority to persuade outlaws to move on. He was fueled by a rage he could no longer contain – even had he wanted to.
The research and writing of this book is Mary Doria Russell at her best. The saga unfolds with perfect pacing – times of intense action or suspense merge seamlessly with idyllic and sweet moments. The story continues on – past Tombstone and into other towns and cities-to-be that are experiencing booms, one after the other. Then comes the big bust – twenty years after the national economic disasters of 1873, the same thing happens in 1893.
Ms Russell carries us along with her momentum as we read the stories of some of America’s most famous – and infamous – outriders and would-be entrepreneurs of the late 1800's through to their own time of epitaphs. In the case of some of them, such as Doc Holliday, this came at a young age. In the case of Wyatt Earp and his wife, Josie (aka Sadie to those who loved her), much later in life.
I loved this book. The story and how it is told within these pages was completely engaging for me, and I would definitely recommend it to people who enjoy fact-based historical fiction that is beautifully written, and where we are invited to experience a time in history that continues to ignite the imagination over one hundred years later....more
As I read this novel, I felt like I was in the heart of the horrendous helplessness as huge parts of Paris were drowning last year. How can one throw As I read this novel, I felt like I was in the heart of the horrendous helplessness as huge parts of Paris were drowning last year. How can one throw a life-jacket or a life-raft to an entire city? How to explain that citizens, instead of helping, banded together in multiple groups to pillage and destroy the remnants of their neighbours’ lives by theft, by physical attacks on property, and even by the finality of fire?
How to begin to describe the fear and the sense of loss and bereavement shared by so many? For not everyone chose to exploit this disaster via crime, although it must have seemed so at times. The police, the army, firefighters, the medical profession, and the thousands of volunteers among the citizens did what they could.
The only thing no-one could do was stop the rain.
Tatiana de Rosnay is one of those authors who can immediately draw her readers in as she skillfully and subtly lays out a scenario, a story, an elegy to life. Through the senses of her protagonist, Linden (a famous photographer), we feel every nuance of his family’s celebratory weekend that goes so wrong. Linden’s mother arranged the weekend as a no-spouses, no children affair: just Lauren (mother), Paul (father), Linden (son), and Tilia (daughter); together as a family once more to celebrate Paul’s 70th birthday as well as Paul and Lauren’s 40th Wedding Anniversary.
By blending the fascinating story of this family together with one of the most horrific natural disasters Paris has ever experienced, Ms de Rosnay’s genius made itself felt by me as a lack of awareness that I was reading about this story. I felt I was dwelling within it. Terrifying as it was at times, I was there. I had to deal with it.
And, after finishing this novel, I would do it all over again. ...more
Jack, age 11 and his sisters, Joy (9) and Merry (2) are told to stay in the broken down car while their mother went to find a call box and get help. SJack, age 11 and his sisters, Joy (9) and Merry (2) are told to stay in the broken down car while their mother went to find a call box and get help. She never returned. A couple of years later, their father left to get milk from the store. He didn’t return either.
Jack knew that with no adults in the house the siblings would be split up into foster care. His efforts to take on the responsibility of holding the family together led him to become a young burglar. Joy could not face being abandoned twice and became a hoarder: newspapers stacked everywhere throughout the house with only tiny pathways to maneuver, most of them with stories of her mother’s disappearance, but also any and every issue that the newsstand could produce, just in case something new appeared. Merry read a lot of books and, at Jack’s instruction and with his help, mowed the lawn and kept the windows shiny so no-one would suspect what was going on inside the house.
During the course of one of his burglaries, Jack almost gets caught – but he also discovers what he is convinced is evidence of his mother’s murder. He is wanted as a burglar, and despite efforts to direct the police toward the evidence he feels he has discovered, that doesn’t work out. So he comes up with a new plan.
The bulk of this story takes place in Taunton, Somerset (Zummerzet is how I recall locals pronouncing it when I visited many years ago) and Tiverton, Devon. Although they are in two different areas, the distance between them is only 21 miles or 34 kms.
This story is obviously very sad and has many tragic effects on the Bright family. At the same time, there are comic moments that are both chuckle-worthy and poignant. My feelings about the various characters in this book kept changing, too – with the majority of them, including the family, I continuously flipped back and forth between liking them and not liking them – all for different reasons. I also think that everyone who reads this will have at least one favourite character, and possibly more.
The emotional rollercoaster that Belinda Bauer sets us on is a large part of what makes this novel such a treasure. The mysteries (and yes, there are several), kept me tapping my screen to find out how one thread would unravel, only to find hidden threads within the mess of fabric. Onward. Ever onward, no matter how hopeless things might appear.
I adored this book and how it was written. There are no fancy frills or poetic moments here (except maybe for poetic justice, if that counts) – and yet my thoughts, feelings, and imagination were all held captive until the very end.
I highly recommend this novel to everyone who enjoys a solid, unique story peopled by fascinating characters, and written with heart....more
This novel is weird, wacky, and on the wild side of wonderful. The author, Anthony Horowitz, did not only write this book, he is in this book. In This novel is weird, wacky, and on the wild side of wonderful. The author, Anthony Horowitz, did not only write this book, he is in this book. In fact, he is writing the book more or less as it is happening. I think.
All those W’s in my first sentence aside, this is not a funny book – although there is humour in it at times. What it is: deviously clever and fiendishly brilliant. There are accidental deaths, murders, and a great deal of confusion because there are so many linked parts in the chain of events. Yet, just as we see another link up ahead, without warning, the link that initially looked so solid turns out to be fragile. Broken, in fact.
I was delighted to read about how the author came to follow an ex-detective all over London and other parts of England as a documentarian. Instead of on film, though, this documentary is written – the detective wants the book to be about his solving this particular case. There are also references to work Anthony Horowitz had previously done – like his children’s book series, his television script writing, and my favourite – references to The House of Silk which I had just read a couple of weeks ago.
As always, Anthony Horowitz kept the fast pace of this mystery story sprinting along. There are clues along the way, and even knowing the significance of some of them, it is still difficult to put everything together without one last piece of information that we find out when it is almost too late.
Is everything in this book true? Maybe yes, maybe no. In the end, each reader will have to decide that for him or herself, and frankly, it doesn’t even matter. It is simply a smashingly good read that knocked my socks off – in winter, no less. (Here, not in the book). I only have one querulous question: Mr. Horowitz, can you please write more books, only faster?? ...more
”My goal was not to write ‘about’ Alzheimer’s but to use Alzheimer’s disease as a way to explore the way we live our lives, how we love, create fam”My goal was not to write ‘about’ Alzheimer’s but to use Alzheimer’s disease as a way to explore the way we live our lives, how we love, create families, survive, and endure.” – Marita Golden
Mission accomplished.
Marita Golden tells a story that held me in thrall. It unfolds boldly, steadily, with a grounded prose that had me absorbing it like a sponge.
Diane and Gregory Tate faced challenges from the beginning. Diane was a lawyer when they met but for all her success, she was caged in by her past. More to the point, by how she felt about herself because of her past. Gregory was in the process of launching his architecture company with his friend Mercer, filled with hope and confidence despite the difficulty of breaking into the small, tight arena of black architects in Washington, D. C. The Tate's relationship was almost over before it began, yet somehow they found their way together.
Eventually, their family expands with the addition of their two children: daughter Lauren decides to pursue a path that follows in her father’s footsteps. Sean struggles to find a place for himself until he determines that his dyslexia doesn’t have to define him. He, too, follows in his father’s footsteps – except he finds his direction via his own construction company, manifesting into reality the plans and dreams that families and companies have for their homes and businesses.
Then Alzheimer’s disease enters their lives – subtly and on stealthy feet at first, then gathering momentum and tightening its grip until the entire family is encompassed in the horror of its possession.
We are also taken back in time and learn the early stories of the younger Diane and Gregory. For me, it created a poignant and touching contrast to the maelstrom of their present lives and I was deeply moved.
This book is one of the most heartbreaking – and inspiring – books I have read this year. It is powerful with love and fear. It is immersive on every level. It is ferocious with inspiration and hope in the face of a monstrous, all-encompassing disease that doctors dread more than cancer.
This is a story that we can all benefit from, whether Alzheimer’s disease has invaded our families or not. I highly recommend it to everyone....more
These connected stories are about young men in their late teens and early twenties doing their best to carry the weight of a brutal war on their shoulThese connected stories are about young men in their late teens and early twenties doing their best to carry the weight of a brutal war on their shoulders, along with dozens of pounds of field kit and weaponry. They carry so much weight it is hard to even imagine how they could walk the miles they did, crossing rivers, muddy streams, up hills and down into valleys, somehow placing one foot in front of the other while their eyes and ears scan for danger.
The equipment is not all they carry. Some carry guilt, some carry cowardice, some carry aggression, some carry courage, some carry fear, some carry righteousness, some carry hatred, and some carry doubt. Of all the feelings they carry, the weight of futility has to be the hardest to bear. Maybe futility isn’t the right word. They carry with them the knowledge that where they are and what they are doing is all the choice they have. Short of doing damage to themselves to be airlifted out of there, they all carry the weight of being stuck.
These stories don’t stop with the horror and macabre humour of being part of a platoon of young men in war. There is also a story about what one of them experienced after the war. His need to talk about it and his inability to do so. His recognition that he needs purposeful work versus his doubt that any such thing exists any more.
Tim O’Brien’s writing is exceptional. With one sentence he can cut to the heart of an event. Occasionally he uses repetition of a scene or sequence that made me feel I was there, living it, then re-living the shock of it, trying to find the sense in it.
This book does not go into the politics of war and does not mention the hawks sitting behind huge desks with lovely scenery outside their windows, busy directing traffic regardless of what the cost in human lives may be. So, I won’t go into it, either.
This book is about being in the thick of the traffic – driving blind in a night so dark there is no difference between eyes-open and eyes-closed. It is about not knowing – if you have enough gas, if a tire will blow, if the vehicle will overheat, if it will be blown up into the trees or bogged down and sunk in a field of sewage. It is about being one of many little vehicles with two legs and heavy burdens to carry and not knowing if you will ever see home again.
This was a Traveling Sisters Group read with Brenda, Diane, JanB, Marialyce, and Nikki. This was a great choice for a Group read and discussion and I enjoyed it a lot. For more reviews of this book as well as many others, visit the Sisters blog at https://twogirlslostinacouleereading.......more
I have a difficult time reading some works of historical fiction that are based on real characters. My worst experiences are always when an author choI have a difficult time reading some works of historical fiction that are based on real characters. My worst experiences are always when an author chooses to use scandal, innuendo, rumours, and gossip as though they are fact. So, I was a bit worried about how this book and I would get along.
Much to my delight, this novel is a tender and loving tribute to Charles Dickens as Ms Silva tells her own story about how “A Christmas Carol” came to be. In her author’s note, she mentions that she appreciated the work of Charles Dickens’ biographers; yet to tell the story she was moved to tell, she played “fast and loose” with people and situations in the book.
I, for one, am very glad that she did so. I almost felt as though Ms Silva was channeling Mr. Dickens and/or his own spirit was at her elbow guiding the process along.
This is a beautiful story, even bearing in mind the times about which it was written. In true Dickens fashion, her descriptive prose had me right there in the thick of London at the time: walking the streets with Charles Dickens, seeing what he saw, hearing what he heard, and the scents and smells of both poverty and comfortable lifestyles as vividly painted as if by the master himself.
The story is not only inspiring and deeply moving, but it is also written with a gently robust energy to it and a subtle poetic flourish at times. I loved every word of this novel. As I mentioned before, at times, I truly felt as though Charles Dickens were dictating it. What an amazing experience to feel and sense all that he was experiencing – and with such authenticity.
There were parts where tears came to my eyes, and parts where I could no longer see for tears. I am grateful to both Charles Dickens and Samantha Silva for this unique and wonder-filled experience. What an amazing way to move into Christmas: with a heart filled to overflowing with well-being, love, and hope....more
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