The House of the Witch by Clare Marchant - #bookreview #blogtour

 

The silhouette of a church stands against the night sky, fragile waning moonlight casting shadows across uneven ground. A person stumbles over the muddy, disturbed space towards a dark void, gaping wide...

***

Now: When Adrianna arrives at the small, run-down cottage, near the sea in rural Norfolk, she can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Here she can forget her life in the city, and the problems she’s left behind there, at least for a while.

But – like Adrianna herself – the cottage holds secrets. And when Adrianna finds a mysterious bundle of notes hidden under a floorboard, she can’t shake the idea that they’ve been waiting for her. Especially when – in the rambling, overgrown garden – she then finds a strangely-carved stone, drawing her into a centuries-old mystery…

1646: Between her work as the village midwife and the medicines she sells from her cottage, Ursula has no need for a man. But this ideal leaves her unprotected in a world where just one accusation of witchcraft can mean certain death. So when she catches the eye of a powerful new local doctor, she must use every part of her cunning, or risk becoming his prisoner…

Can the two women – their paths bound by place and history – each find the keys to their own destiny?

***

This is easily the best book I have read this month.

I always enjoy a book with a dual time-line. I love the way an author can make the past inform the present and demonstrate how linked we are to the past.  Ms. Marchant accomplishes this with aplomb in The House of the Witch. 

What she does really well is to create two very distinct voices. Ursula is a single woman living in 1646, a dangerous time to live without the protection of a man. Adrianna's story is set in the present day and finds herself living in Ursula's cottage in rural Norfolk when she needs a break from a high stress job in London.

Both of these stories were gripping and were equally well written.  This book comprises everything a good dual timeline novel should have. So often I find in novels of this type that I am drawn to one of the timelines more than the other. However, these were equally enthralling as the characters and the plot were utterly believable.

The author has clearly researched the period very well and has an excellent understanding of her characters. I was on the edge of my seat from the very beginning as I could see the dangers lurking ahead for both Ursula and Adrianna. 

If you enjoy historical fiction which features courageous women with some supernatural added into the mix then you will love this book as much as I did. I highly recommend it.

ISBN: 978 1836030379

Publisher:  Boldwood Books

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  328 (paperback)

About the Author:

Clare Marchant is the author of dual timeline historical fiction. Her books have been translated into seven languages, and she is a USA Today bestseller. Clare spends her time writing and exploring local castles, or visiting the nearby coast.

(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

The Secrets of Crestwell Hall by Alexandra Walsh - #bookreview #blogtour

     ***

The court is a dangerous place. There are those who thrust themselves forward, desperate to catch the eye of the monarch, craving the glory of power. These individuals delude themselves into believeing they have reflected influence; that as a close companion to the queen, they wield a modicum of her sovereignty. What imaginitive fools they are...

***

‘A king adorns the throne… He has no subtlety, no grace but he does not deserve to die in the way that has been planned and this is why we shall stop them, our men, our kin and save us all.’

1605

Bess Throckmorton is well used to cunning plots and intrigues. With her husband Sir Walter Raleigh imprisoned in the Tower of London, and she and her family in a constant battle to outwit Robert Cecil, the most powerful man in the country who is determined to ruin her, Bess decides to retreat to her beloved home, Crestwell Hall. But there she is shocked to hear talk of a new plot to murder the king. So, unbeknownst to their menfolk, the wives of the plotters begin to work together to try to stop the impending disaster.

Present Day

Isabella Lacey and her daughter, Emily, are excited to be starting a new life at her aunt’s home, Crestwell Hall in Wiltshire. During renovations, Isabella discovers an ancient bible that once belonged to Bess Throckmorton, and to her astonishment finds that it doubled as a diary. As Isabella reads Bess’s story, a new version of the Gunpowder Plot begins to emerge - told by the women.

When Emily’s life is suddenly in terrible danger, Isabella understands the relentless fear felt by Bess, hundreds of years ago. And as the fateful date of 5th November draws ever closer, Bess and the plotters’ wives beg their husbands to stop before a chain of events is set into action that can only end one way…

***

This book was a lucky error on my part. When I was offered this book for the blog tour I was certain that I had previously read a book by this author. However, it appears I mixed up this author with another, and I am so glad I did because I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

This is a dual timeline book, moving between the 17th century and the modern day. What both periods have in common is Crestwell Hall in Wiltshire, which was the home of Elizabeth (Bess) Throckmorton who was the wife of Sir Walter Raleigh.

In the modern day, the house belongs to the main character's aunt Thalia, and following a divorce Isabella moves into the house with her young daughter Emily. Together they plan to renovate the house and open it to the public. With help from the attractive but mysterious, Oliver, Isabella works at unearthing Bess' story.

We are all familiar with the story of the Gunpowder Plot, and the author retells the story from the perspective of the wives of the men involved. The author very skillfully provides the details of this period in history, and she has clearly researched her time period and the events extremely well. Much of Bess' story Isabella explains to those around her, but it never felt like an information dump. Instead, she related it in an engaging style, whilst then moving the narrative back to 1605.  Ms. Walsh accomplished seamlessly.

The book highlights the support of strong women to each other in both time periods. In the 1605 section, there are alot of names to consider but thankfully, there is a list of the women at the front of the book which proved very helpful.

This may have turned out to be the first book that I have read by this author, but I do not think it will be my last. It is a fabulous book which I was completely gripped by. Strong characterisation along with excellent research has combined into an extremely good book which I highly recommend.

ISBN: 978 1804159538

Publisher:  Boldwood Books

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  384 (paperback)

About the Author:

Alexandra Walsh is the bestselling author of dual timeline historical mysteries, previously published by Sapere. Her books range from the fifteenth century to the Victorian era and are inspired by the hidden voices of women that have been lost over the centuries. Formerly a journalist, writing for national newspapers, magazines and TV, her first book for Boldwood will be published in Spring 2023.

(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

The Devil's Glove by Lucretia Grindle - #BookReview #BlogTour

Sun cracks the purple dark and for an instant, something less than a breath, the bay is a field of fire. Then it misted white. Swaddled like an infant, or a wound. Another breath turns it silver as the underbelly of a fish. So each day of the world begins.

This morning, the tide creeps across across the wide ledge below the meadow than slithers back, coy and silly as a girl. If I climbed down I would feel it, slick and silvered with newness, as if the ocean had not been here all night but had only just arrived. I know that isn't true, of course. I know the sea is always here, eternal as the stars...

***

Northern New England, summer, 1688.

Salem started here.

A suspicious death. A rumor of war. Whispers of witchcraft.

Perched on the brink of disaster, Resolve Hammond and her mother, Deliverance, struggle to survive in their isolated coastal village. They’re known as healers taught by the local tribes - and suspected of witchcraft by the local villagers.

Their precarious existence becomes even more chaotic when summoned to tend to a poisoned woman. As they uncover a web of dark secrets, rumors of war engulf the village, forcing the Hammonds to choose between loyalty to their native friends or the increasingly terrified settler community.

As Resolve is plagued by strange dreams, she questions everything she thought she knew - about her family, her closest friend, and even herself. If the truth comes to light, the repercussions will be felt far beyond the confines of this small settlement.

Based on meticulous research and inspired by the true story of the fear and suspicion that led to the Salem Witchcraft Trials, The Devil's Glove is a tale of betrayal, loyalty, and the power of secrets. Will Resolve be able to uncover the truth before the town tears itself apart, or will she become the next victim of the village’s dark and mysterious past?

***

The first thing I must say about this book is that it was not what I had expected as I had expected it to be a novel about the Salem Witch Trials. There are many novels which have this as its dominant theme and I have enjoyed several of them. However, this book was refreshingly different in that it covers the time prior to this well known historical period. Although the witch trials are present, the subject was more a background note than the main focus.

Instead, the author offers up this wonderful story based during the aforesaid time and place but which focussed more heavily on the relationship between the settlers and the indigenous population. I very much enjoyed reading this fresh and stimulating perspective from an author who is new to me.

I really enjoyed getting to know the main character, Resolve, as well as the people with whom she is connected. Her mother, Deliverance, was an extremely interesting character and her friendship with Judith was well presented. The author gave us a set of fully formed characters who I enjoyed getting to know. Ms. Grindle has done an excellent job of bringing her characters alive on the page.

The writing was nicely presented and easy to read and I felt immersed into the time period. The author has clearly conducted her research thoroughly.

This is the first book in the Salem trilogy and I am looking forward to reading the next one, which I suspect will focus more on the witch trials themselves. I also intend to read some of the back catalogue from this skilled writer.

ISBN: 978 1960610010

Publisher: Casa Croce Press

Formats:  e-book, hardback and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  344 (paperback)

About the Author:

Lucretia Grindle grew up and went to school and university in England and the United States. After a brief career in journalism, she worked for The United States Equestrian Team organizing ‘kids and ponies,’ and for the Canadian Equestrian Team. For ten years, she produced and owned Three Day Event horses that competed at The World Games, The

European Games and the Atlanta Olympics. In 1997, she packed a five mule train across 250 miles of what is now Grasslands National Park on the Saskatchewan/Montana border tracing the history of her mother’s family who descend from both the Sitting Bull Sioux and the first officers of the Canadian Mounties.

Returning to graduate school as a ‘mature student’, Lucretia completed an MA in Biography and Non-Fiction at The University of East Anglia where her work, Fireflies, won the Lorna Sage Prize. Specializing in the 19th century Canadian West, the Plains Tribes, and American Indigenous and Women’s History, she is currently finishing her PhD dissertation at The University of Maine.

Lucretia is the author of the psychological thrillers, The Nightspinners, shortlisted for the Steel Dagger Award, and The Faces of Angels, one of BBC FrontRow’s six best books of the year, shortlisted for the Edgar Award. Her historical fiction includes, The Villa Triste, a novel of the Italian Partisans in World War II, a finalist for the Gold Dagger Award, and The Lost Daughter, a fictionalized account of the Aldo Moro kidnapping. She has been fortunate enough to be awarded fellowships at The Hedgebrook Foundation, The Hawthornden Foundation, The Hambidge Foundation, The American Academy in Paris, and to be the Writer in Residence at The Wallace Stegner Foundation. A television drama based on her research and journey across Grasslands is currently in development. The Devil's Glove, and the concluding books of The Salem Trilogy are drawn from her research at The University of Maine where Lucretia is grateful to have been a fellow at the Canadian American Foundation.

She and her husband, David Lutyens, live in Shropshire.

(book, author photo and bio information provided courtesy of The Coffee Pot)

James I, The King Who United Scotland and England by Keith Coleman - #BookReview @penswordbooks

 

The king's first child, and his great hope as the rightful ruler of the two island kingdoms, Prince Henry, was born in Stirling Castle in February 1594. The great hopes of the father were set down in the Basilikon Doron, the 'royal gift,' an extended missive to Henry which the king published when his son was five. As he grew, it seemed to some that Prince Henry was everything that his father was not: comely in appearance, attractive in personality, upright in morality. In later years, after the shady favouritism of his father's court and the weakness of his brother, Charles, as king, there was a retrospective urge to idealise the lost prince who died before maturity...

***

The life of King James VI who united England and Scotland under one crown and became James I in 1603 is marked by contradictions. Generally praised as a good king of Scotland and a poor English one, James was a deep theological thinker, but he also inspired a superstitious frenzy which resulted in the North Berwick witch hunt and trials in the 1590s. Scholar and pedant, he was in his own view God’s appointed ruler, yet also a foul mouthed sloven and forever tarnished with the title of the Wisest Fool in Christendom.

The most glaring contrast in his personal life was between his image as a married family man and as a ruler who lavished indiscreet affection on a series of men whom he invested with considerable power. This book approaches James through the lens of his relationships with his major favourites. First was Anglo-French lord Esme D’Aubigny, then Scottish squire Robert Carr (later Earl of Somerset), and finally the consummate nobleman George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. ‘A king will have need to use secrecy in many things,’ the king wrote in one of his books. Although his private life was sometimes astonishingly visible, there are still many mysteries about James I as a man rather than a ruler.

This work tracks the king’s life from a barren childhood through a succession of plots, intrigues and conspiracies in Scotland which largely forged, or deformed, his character. Beyond his complex and disputed connection with these men the book looks at his relationship with his wife, sponsorship of the arts, and contains a reappraisal of the first and most neglected historical mystery of his first reign, the Gowrie Conspiracy.

***

If I wandered into a bookshop, any bookshop, and browsed the history shelves I suspect that I would find the section on British royalty dominated by the Tudors. That is not a criticism as it was an extremely interesting period of history. Comparitively, I wonder how many books on the Stuarts I would find? This is certainly one such book that should feature on those shelves. 

It is rich in scope and whilst it discusses those events pertinent to King James VI/I's reign in England (1603 - 1625), the author offers something a little different in his book. The witch hunts, the Gowrie conspiracy and his unification of Scotland and England into a United Kingdom are all expectedly there. 

However, we learn much about King James the man. Mr. Coleman portrays the contradictory lifestyle led by James VI/I. On one hand, he portrayed himself as a husband and father. On the other, he openly displayed and elevated a series of 'favourites,' all men who were believed to be his bedfellows. As an historically apparent homosexual, (although the author explains that the concept of homosexuality was not the same as we understand it today)  he would still have been expected to fill the royal nursery and provide the country with an heir.

Mr. Coleman's book has been extensively researched and is presented in an accesible manner. I have read many books on this period in history and this is an excellent addition to the canon. It is suitable for those who are already familiar with Stuart history or to those who are new to the period. It explains much about King James himself and would entice a reader to find out more about the historical events of the period. It is an excellent book which I highly recommend.

ISBN: 978 1399093590

Publisher:  Pen & Sword History

Formats:  e-book, hardback

No. of Pages:  240 (hardback)

About the Author:

Keith Coleman has a MA degree in Celto-Roman Studies from the University of Wales, Newport. His book Aedán of the Gaels: King of Scots (Pen & Sword Books, 2022) was his latest long-term study of the legends and history of the Scottish kings. He is also the author of The Afterlife of Kings James IV, Otherworld Legends of A Scottish King (Chronos Books, 2019) and maintain several blogs about the legends and history of Scotland and its kings. He is currently working on a book on latter day Jacobites to be published by Pen & Sword.

(author photo courtesy of Amazon)

(ARC courtesy of NetGalley)

(author bio courtesy of Pen & Sword)

The Manningtree Witches by A.K.Blakemore - #BookReview

 

A hill wet with brume of morning, one hawberry bush squalid with browning flowers. I have woken and put on my work dress, which is near enough my only dress, and yet she remains asleep. Jade. Pot-companion. Mother. I stand at the end of the cot and consider her face. A beam of morning sun from the window slices over the left cheek. Dark hair spread about the pillow, matted and greasy and greying in places.

There is a smell to my mother, when she is sleeping. It is a complicated, I think mannish smell. I smelled a like smell when I was sent, as a little girl, to fetch my father away from the Red Lion and to supper. The inn would be clattery with men's voices and small-beer sour, and my father would be very jolly indeed, sweeping me up and kissing me on the forehead, his coat crisp from the rain in the big fields.

***

Fear and destruction take root in a community of women when the Witchfinder General comes to town, in this dark and thrilling debut.

England, 1643. Parliament is battling the King; the war between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers rages. Puritanical fervour has gripped the nation, and the hot terror of damnation burns black in every shadow.

In Manningtree, depleted of men since the wars began, the women are left to their own devices. At the margins of this diminished community are those who are barely tolerated by the affluent villagers – the old, the poor, the unmarried, the sharp-tongued. Rebecca West, daughter of the formidable Beldam West, fatherless and husbandless, chafes against the drudgery of her days, livened only by her infatuation with the clerk John Edes. But then newcomer Matthew Hopkins takes over the Thorn Inn and begins to ask questions about the women of the margins. When a child falls ill with a fever and starts to rave about covens and pacts, the questions take on a bladed edge.

The Manningtree Witches plunges its readers into the fever and menace of the English witch trials, where suspicion, mistrust and betrayal ran amok as the power of men went unchecked and the integrity of women went undefended. It is a visceral, thrilling book that announces a bold new talent.

***

I was given this book by my son as a birthday gift. He said when he saw it in the bookshop he thought, 'this looks like the sort of thing mum would read and enjoy.' He was spot on because I enjoyed reading it very much.

The writing in this book is beautiful. It flows lyrically along and is a joy to read. The language is appropriate for the period in which the book is set and the author has chosen and placed every word with precision.

Whilst it is not an action packed page turner, the writing alone is sufficient to carry the reader along through the steady pace of this story. However, a lot happens in this book and it is a powerful example of the way men abused and exerted their power over women. 

It is no surprise that it won the Desmond Elliott Prize in 2021 as it exudes passion and depth. The author has taken a dark and disturbing period of history and created a novel which portrays a time which is  disturbing and mesmerising in equal measure.

As a debut novel it is an amazing accomplishment and, in my opinion, confirms Ms. Blakemore as  one to watch.

ISBN: 978 1783786442

Publisher: Granta Books

Formats: e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages: 304 (paperback)

About the Author:

A. K. Blakemore is the author of two full-length collections of poetry: Humbert Summer (Eyewear, 2015) and Fondue (Offord Road Books, 2018), which was awarded the 2019 Ledbury Forte Prize for Best Second Collection. She has also translated the work of Sichuanese poet Yu Yoyo (My Tenantless Body, Poetry Translation Centre, 2019). Her poetry and prose writing has been widely published and anthologised, appearing in the The London Review of Books, Poetry, Poetry Review and The White Review, among others.

(author photo courtesy of Amazon and bio info courtesy of the publisher)

Shadow on the Highway by Deborah Swift - Highway Trilogy - #BookReview

 

May 1651

I knew why they sent me instead of Elizabeth to Markyate Manor, though they thought I hadn't understood.

When Ralph asked Mother, I saw her lips say, "They can't afford Elizabeth."

If they whisper their mouths make the shapes even more clearly than when they just talk. And I'm deaf, not stupid. I listen with my eyes, that's all.

***

Abigail Chaplin has always been unable to find a position as a maidservant like other girls, because she is deaf. So why do the rich Fanshawes of Markyate Manor seem so anxious to employ her? And where exactly does her mistress, Lady Katherine, ride out to at night? Shadow on the Highway is based on the life and legend of Lady Katherine Fanshawe, the highwaywoman, sometimes known as The Wicked Lady. A tale of adventure and budding romance set in the turbulent English Civil War, this is a novel to delight teens and adults alike.

***

This was a most enjoyable novel and it has much to commend it.

Set during the seventeenth century, in itself a fascinating period in British history, it contains all the historical events of the period that a reader would expect; the Civil War, Revolution and highwaymen, to mention just a few. The author has clearly well researched the period and she writes about it in a way that it becomes very real to the reader.

In terms of the characterisation, the author makes it pretty clear who we are meant to sympathise with and who we are not. The main character, Abigail, is extremely likeable and it was a joy to get to know her. She was well rounded and completely believable. Her deafness was described with sensitivity, and although it has previously been a stumbling block in Abigail's life, it was heartening to see how she overcomes her limitations.

As the maid to Lady Katherine Fanshawe, the reader observes the differing and changeable dynamic between them. Based on a real life character, nee Katherine Ferras, also known as the "wicked lady," we observe a transformation in her character and it was fascinating to read.

This book is the first in a trilogy and I am definitely intending to read the second book, Spirit of the Highway.

ISBN: 978 1500549831

Publisher: Create Space

..

No. of Pages: 294 (paperback)

About the Author:

Before publishing her first novel, Deborah worked as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV. She also developed a degree course in Theatre Arts at the Arden School of Theatre, where she taught scenography and the history of design.

In 2007 she took an MA in Creative Writing at Lancaster University, and since then has juggled writing with teaching. Deborah has been published by St Martin’s Press, Pan Macmillan, Endeavour Press, Headline Accent and Sapere Books.

The Wrecking Storm by Michael Ward - #TuesdayTeaser

Hello and welcome to this week's Tuesday Teaser. The place where we take a sneaky peek at a book that has caught my eye.

This week we are looking at The Wrecking Storm by Michael Ward.

Mike Ward is an English creator of historical fiction. Born in Liverpool, he was a BBC journalist and journalism academic before turning to non-factual writing.

His debut novel, The Rags of Time, was located in London in 1639 and is the first book in his Thomas Tallant series. The Wrecking Storm is the second in this series.

The Blurb

London. 1641.

The poisonous dispute pushing King Charles and Parliament towards Civil War is reaching the point of no return.

Law and order in the city are collapsing as Puritan radicals demand more concessions from the King. Bishops and lords are attacked in the streets as the Apprentice Boys run amok. Criminal gangs use the disorder to mask their activities while the people of London lock their doors and pray for deliverance.

No one is immune from the contagion. Two Jesuit priests are discovered in hiding and brutally executed – and soon the family of spice merchant Thomas Tallant is drawn into the spiral of violence. Tallant’s home is ransacked, his warehouse raided and his sister seized by kidnappers.

Thomas struggles to discover who is responsible, aided by the enigmatic Elizabeth Seymour, a devotee of science, maths and tobacco in equal measure. Together they enter a murky world of court politics, street violence, secret codes and poisoned letters, and confront a vicious gang leader who will stop at nothing to satisfy his greed.

Can Elizabeth use her skills to unpick the mass of contradictory evidence before the Tallant's are ruined – both as a business and a family?

And as the fight for London between King and Parliament hurtles to its dramatic conclusion, can the Tallant's survive the personal and political maelstrom?

The Beginning

Prologue

The River Thames - May 9th 1641

A chill wind blew upriver as the dawn struggled into life. London was waking to a dank, grey day, the overnight rain still pulsing fitfully, peppering the water’s surface.

A wherry edged from its landing stage on the northern bank of the Thames. As the boat cleared the dock, small waves slapped against its side, making the lantern in its prow bob up and down, a solitary movement on the black, silent expanse of water.

Francis Cavendish shuddered and gathered his thin cloak around his shoulders.

Sitting at the back of the wherry, he was chilled to the marrow, but didn’t care. He had finally escaped from the suffocating hole in the wall that had been his hiding place for three weeks.

He studied the broad-shouldered man on his right sharing his seat. Francis did not know his name, where he came from or who he was. And yet he was trusting this swarthy stranger with his life.

Instead of fear, he experienced an intense elation. Two days ago he was within inches of discovery, certain torture and a bloody death, only to escape! In that moment, he knew the Lord still had work for him.

His throat tightened and nausea returned at the memory of that priest hole – the shouts on the stairwell, the tramp of boots and then hammering on the wall outside his hiding place. Voices yelling, wood splintering, excited shouts of discovery turning to curses and oaths, and then silence. Francis, a cloth rammed into his mouth to stifle the sobs of panic convulsing his body, straining his every fibre to be still, and all the time the murmur of voices inches from him, disappointed, bitter. And, finally, the desultory clatter as his armed pursuers walked away. He had escaped discovery by the thickness of an oak panel. His ‘hide within a hide’ had deceived his pursuers as intended. It was a miracle.

Francis was transferred that night to an old warehouse by the river, and there he remained until his rescuers arrived in the early hours of this morning. Now he was afloat, heading to safety.

I love an exciting beginning in a book and this certainly delivers on that. Somehow, I don't think he is that safe yet!

November 2020 Reading Roundup

 

 

As I sit at my desk writing this post with a cup of coffee by my side the weather is grey and wet outside. I do not dislike the rain, particularly when I am warm and toasty inside my home. However, I so much prefer the autumn sunshine which has been replaced with grey skies this past few days.

As I reflect on this last month which, somehow, has whizzed past again, my thoughts are those of being in lockdown once again. I am desperately missing my family and because of social distancing restrictions, even prior to this latest lockdown, I was not able to hug my children or grandchildren and have not done so since the first lockdown began on 23rd March. I am sure that many of you are in the same position so I am sending you all a virtual hug along with this post. 

So, what have you all been reading during November? Have you read a book this month that you would recommend? Here is my roundup of the books that I have read this month.

Books I have Read 

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman - although this was entertaining I did not think that he quite lived up to the hype surrounding it. If you enjoy this type of book then The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths is much better (only my opinion of course).

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - this was my book group read for this month and we all enjoyed it very much. It has been my favourite novel this month.

A History of Death in 17th Century England by Ben Norman - a well researched book on death and it's mourning practices during the seventeenth century. My review will be up in the next day or two.

Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson - this did not live up to my expectation of the book but nice to read about a knitting shop.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - re-reading this it is easy to see why it has become an enduring classic and was well worth reading again.

Books I am Partway Through

The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser

October 2020 Roundup

 

Here in the UK Halloween is not celebrated on the same scale as it is in the US. However, I really missed seeing the children all dressed up in their costumes this year and knocking on the door for their treats. There did seem to be several people letting off fireworks though which was nice to watch from the warmth and comfort of home. However, my dog was singularly unimpressed and I did not quite have the heart to explain to him that fireworks will probably be a feature now until after 5th November. He did settle down for a biscuit and a tummy rub so it was all good.

I suppose I could have celebrated Halloween by reading scary books. It's confession time - horror is probably the only genre that I do not read. Neither do I watch scary films. I am a complete coward when it comes to reading or watching anything that will scare me.

Instead, I read books that I found I could absorb myself in. Goodness knows, we certainly need some distraction at the moment. How about you, did you read anything scary this month?

I would love to hear which books have been reading this month.

Books I Have Read This Month

The Weaker Vessel, Woman's Lot in Seventeenth Century England: Part One by Antonia Fraser - This book took me ages to read but was extremely good. I have Part Two sitting on my shelf which I will progress to quite soon.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri - I enjoyed this very much.

The Power by Naomi Alderman - I read this book with my book group and opinions were polarised. For me, it was a brilliant book and I highly recommend it.

A Village Vacancy by Julie Houston - I love this author's books and this one was no exception. My reviews of her previous novels Goodness, Grace and Me can be found here and Sing Me a Secret here.

The Night of the Burning: Devorah's Story by Linda Press Wulf - This Young Adult novel was well worth reading.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett - This was my favourite novel this month. Every word had meaning and it was beautifully written.

Surgeon's Hall  by E. S. Thomson - This is part four of the Jem Flockhart series. I have read the previous three novels in the series, all of which have been good. My review of Beloved Poison which is the first in the series (and worth reading as it explains the background of Jem) can be found here.

Books I Did Not Finish

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson - I have been wanting to read this for such a long time and finally got to it. However, I just could not get into it and I may well give it another try sometime.

Books I Am Part Way Through

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

A History of Death in 17th Century England by Ben Norman

The Sealwoman's Gift by Sally Magnusson - #BookReview

“The pirates rushed with violent speed across the island, like hunting hounds… Some of my neighbours managed to escape quickly into the caves or down the cliffs, but many were seized or bound… I and my poor wife were amongst the first to be captured.” (Reverend Olafur Egilsson)

In 1627 Barbary pirates raided the coast of Iceland and abducted at least 400 of its people, including 250 from a tiny island off the mainland. Among the captives sold into slavery in Algiers were the island pastor, his wife and their three children.

Although the raid itself is well documented, little is known about what happened to the women and children afterwards. It was a time when women everywhere were largely silent. In this brilliant reimagining Sally Magnusson gives a voice to Asta, the pastor’s wife. Enslaved in an alien Arab culture, Asta meets the loss of freedom and family with the one thing she has brought from her northern homeland: the sagas and folktales in her head.

The Sealwoman’s Gift is about the eternal power of storytelling to help us survive. Here are Icelandic sagas to fend off a slave-master’s advances, Arabian nights to help an old man die. Here, too, the stories we tell ourselves to protect our minds from what cannot otherwise be borne, the stories we need to make us happy.

The opening sentence in this book is very powerful - 

“There is nothing to be said for giving birth in the bowels of a sailing ship with your stomach heaving and hundreds of people listening.” 

However, whilst this first line was gripping I found this book a little hard to get into. However, I think that may just have been due to the unfamiliarity of the time and culture as it is well worth hanging in there as this is an outstanding novel.

This should not be any surprise coming from the pen of such a well respected journalist. Ms. Magnusson has written an intelligent literary novel based on actual events in a little known period of Icelandic history. I really enjoyed this mix of fiction and fact. As well as this being an enjoyable novel to read, at the back the author distinguishes between the real events and her own imaginings and was fascinating to read.

Asta was a wonderful character to engage with. I loved not only her story but her own art of storytelling which plays a significant part in the book. The author herself clearly has tremendous storytelling skills which bring to life the characters, their environments and their individual stories.

Although a well known writer this is the authors debut novel. I am sincerely hoping that there will be further novels as this one had all the ingredients that a first class historical novel should have. This is a book about love, loss and hope and also about the role that stories have on our life.

ISBN: 978 1473638952

Publisher: Two Roads

About the Author:

Broadcaster and journalist Sally Magnusson has written 10 books, most famously her Sunday Times bestseller, Where Memories Go (2014) about her mother’s dementia. Half-Icelandic, half-Scottish, Sally has inherited a rich storytelling tradition. The Sealwoman’s Gift is her first novel.