The Last Train to Freedom by Deborah Swift - #blogtour #bookreview

 

Zofia stirred the pot in the airless heat. The stew would never be eaten, but Zofia didn't know that yet. Unfinished things were already a part of her life, as they were for so many in wartime...

***

The Blurb

1940. As Soviet forces storm Lithuania, Zofia and her brother Jacek must flee to survive.

A lifeline appears when Japanese consul Sugihara offers them visas on one condition: they must deliver a parcel to Tokyo. Inside lies intelligence on Nazi atrocities, evidence so explosive that Nazi and Soviet agents will stop at nothing to possess it.

Pursued across Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Express, Zofia faces danger at every turn, racing to expose the truth as Japan edges closer to allying with the Nazis. With the fate of countless lives hanging in the balance, can she complete her mission before time runs out?

My Review

There are a plethora of books on the market which are set during wartime. It would be easy to think that the genre has nothing fresh to contribute, and I might have agreed until I read this fabulous book. I seldom give books of this type five stars, but this one fully deserves it for bringing something new and refreshing to the genre.

In fact, I have read many books set during World War Two. What separates this from the rest is that it is concerned with the part that was played by the real life Japanese diplomat, Sugihara Chiune, by his issuing Jewish refugees in Lithuania, visas to Japan. Even though I believe myself to be fairly widely read about the plight of the Jews during WWII, both fiction and non-fiction, this was one aspect that was new to me, and I applaud the author for bringing this to us in fictional form. 

The book is largely set on the gruelling Trans-Siberian railway on which the main characters are journeying. The main character Zofia, is escaping with her twin brother, Jacek and his girlfriend, Masha. Accompanying them is Sugihara's German assistant, Otto. The four make an interesting cast of characters, and the dynamic between them made for fascinating reading. However, we see the narrative and story through Zofia's eyes, and it was impossible not to root for her every step of the way. We observe the changing relationships with them through her perspective alone. Her journey, both physically and emotionally, is arduous and at times terrifying, but she faces this with bravery and resilience at every turn. She is a fabulous character, and the author has done a great job in bringing her to life on the page.

This has clearly been very well researched and is plentiful in the historical detail of the time in which it is set. I appreciated the author providing a list of further reading at the end of the book. She also provides an explanation of the history surrounding her novel, along with an explanation of the factual and fictional parts.

This is an accomplished novel which is compelling and fascinating. I could hardly bring myself to put it down as I was so immersed in it.

Even before I read this book, I was a fan of Deborah Swift. I have previously read The Shadow Network and Operation Tulip, both of which are part of her WW2 Secret Agent series. Additionally, I have read Shadow on the Highway. You can find the reviews of these books by clicking on the titles. Deborah Swift was also kind enough to tell me about which books she would take with her to a desert island, and you can read about it here. You can also find an excerpt from The Fortune Keeper here.

The Last Train to Freedom is an outstanding novel which I highly recommend.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 0008739706

Publisher:  HQ Digital

Formats:  e-books, audio and paperback 

No. of Pages:  361

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

About the Author

Deborah Swift is the English author of twenty historical novels, including Millennium Award winner Past Encounters, and The Poison Keeper the novel based around the life of the legendary poisoner Giulia Tofana. The Poison Keeper won the Wishing Shelf Readers Award for Book of the Decade. Recently she has completed a secret agent series set in WW2, the first in the series being The Silk Code.

Deborah used to work as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV and enjoys the research aspect of creating historical fiction, something she loved doing as a scenographer. She likes to write about extraordinary characters set against a background of real historical events. Deborah lives in England on the edge of the Lake District, an area made famous by the Romantic Poets such as Wordsworth and Coleridge.

You can also find Deborah at:

Author Website

X

Pinterest

Bluesky

Instagram

(ARC and media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

(bookshop.org affiliated)

The Vengeance of Samuel Val by Elyse Hoffman - #BookReview #BlogTour

Samuel Val's life ended too suddenly one Saturday morning.

The day had been pleasant enough at first: a holy day of rest that he spent with his family in the old Khruvina synagogue. Mama, Papa, and Samuel's three little sisters, all together like always.

The littlest, Dorit, not quite three months old, was swaddled in a pink and white blanket. Samuel's mother Hinda tried in vain to calm the infant as her disgruntled wails cut through the chants of the congregation. Papa prayed louder, blushing so fiercely that his busy beard couldn't hope to hide his scarlet cheeks. He looked forward to the day when Dorit was old enough to be teased for being the loudest and smelliest baby in the history of the Vals.

***

Samuel Val is blessed with a loving family and a tight-knit community in his Jewish village of Khruvina. He dreams of becoming Khruvina’s Rabbi, but his dreams are crushed when his family is slaughtered by Nazi Officer Viktor Naden, the Beast of Belorussia.

With Samuel left as Khruvina’s only survivor, he joins the anti-Nazi resistance group known as the Black Foxes. Determined to avenge his family, he swears to hunt down and destroy Viktor Naden. Samuel’s mission of vengeance, however, is put on hold when he is forced to escort a Jewish refugee to a safehouse operated by Black Fox Ten, a high-ranked member of the resistance.

While on his mission to save a life, Samuel discovers that the Beast of Belorussia might be closer than he thought. All at once, Samuel is given the chance to destroy Viktor Naden…but the cost will be high.

Will Samuel sell his soul for vengeance?

Award-winning author Elyse Hoffman offers a heart-breaking and thought-provoking WW2 story.

***

This is the second book in a series of three. I have not read the first book, Fractured, and this did not have any impact on my understanding or enjoyment of this book. 

It is a very short book at only 126 pages and thus made for a quick read. It may be short, but it is a powerful novella and was easy to read in one sitting.

Set during World War II, the story opens in the small village of  Khruvina in Russia where the Nazis have arrived with the intention of murdering all the Jews in this community. 

The main character, Samuel, escapes this fate but witnesses the annihilation of his family and community as they attend synagogue.  He is a character who is easy to engage with. His grief and anger following the murder of his entire family drive him to seek revenge, making this an emotive read.

The secondary character, Amos, acts as a foil to Samuel's determination, causing him to question his motives and actions. Samuel is a strong character but Amos helps him to understand his own vulnerabilities.

The author has done a great job in pulling the reader into the story in such a short work of fiction. I felt completely absorbed by this story. It does finish quite abruptly, but this has only encouraged me to want to read the next book in the series. I will indeed be reading and reviewing Black Fox One later this month and I can hardly wait.

ISBN:  978 1952742255

Publisher:  Project 613

Formats:  e-book and paperback (currently available as Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  126

About the Author:   Elyse Hoffman is a best-selling author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. Having studied WWII since the age of thirteen and with interests in fantasy and Jewish folklore, she loves to combine them in her writing. Elyse started writing novels at fourteen and finished her first historical fiction work at fifteen. She studied English, History, and Law at George Mason University. In her spare time, she loves to read, work on pretty keyboards, and hang out with her co-authors - her Goldendoodle Ari and her ex-feral cat, Echo.

(ARC and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

New Releases in December 2022

Although December is almost here, it is still very autumnal in my part of the universe. Whilst the header photo is very wintry, I felt compelled to include it here as it is so beautiful.

It is a perfect time to snuggle up with a good book, and here are ten brand new releases which have caught my eye.

However, the eagle eyed amongst you will notice that their are no festive books included in this list. Fear not, I will be publishing a dedicated list later this week, so watch this space.

The Sound of It by Alison Jean Lester

When sound designer Su, a divorced mother of one daughter, falls in love with Jeremy, a widowed father of two sons, they want to build a new life together. As neither of their houses in Worcester is big enough for a family of five, they decide to build a dream home in farmland outside the city.

For Su, it's an opportunity to heal the past wounds of betrayal and loss, while failed entrepreneur Jeremy sees a chance to finally impress his overbearing father. But with financial misjudgements, secret transgressions and lies creating cracks where this new family attempt to blend into one, will they ever be able to cement their 'happily ever after'?

A sharp, addictive psychological drama, The Sound of It explores the complexities of parenting in a blended family - especially when expectations are high, dreams are big, and the Internet is a very dangerous place indeed.

Death Checked Out by Leah Dobrinska

Greta Plank, resident librarian in the small, lakeside town of Larkspur, Wisconsin, prefers her rose-tinted glasses extra rosy, thank you very much. Ever since a family tragedy landed her in Larkspur, she’s kept a happy-or-bust outlook. But Greta’s cheery resolve takes a hit when she finds the town recluse dead at the base of the stairs leading from his deck to the lake. What she assumes is a terrible accident Greta soon learns is something more sinister, and to make matters worse, new-to-town Detective Mark McHenry cites her as not only his primary source for the case, but his top suspect.

To clear her name and return to life as she knew it before the murder, Greta decides to do some clue cataloging of her own. After all, she’s got her master’s degree in library science with an emphasis in research methodology…how hard could a criminal investigation be? With the help of her fellow librarians and her lawyer mom, Greta begins checking out the pages of the murder, uncovering details about the recluse’s rare book collection and Larkspur’s real estate market as she tries to understand why anyone would have authored his death.

But with friends and neighbors stacking up as both victims and suspects, Greta must cross-reference the facts and put a hold on her idyllic worldview if she wants to get the full story without paying the fine of her life.

The Witch and the Tsar by Oleysa Salnikova Gilmore

Yaga lives deep in the Russian forest, tending to any that call upon her for her healing potions and vast wisdom.

She has been alone for centuries, with only her beloved animals for company. But, when Tsaritsa Anastasia, wife of Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich, shows up at Yaga’s cottage on the brink of death, Yaga is compelled to travel with her to Moscow to keep her safe.

However, the Russia Yaga sees as she makes her journey to the heart of the

 country is one on the brink of chaos. Tsar Ivan – soon to become Ivan the Terrible – grows more volatile and tyrannical by the day, and Yaga believes the tsaritsa is being poisoned by an unknown enemy. But what Yaga cannot know is that Ivan is being manipulated by powers far older and more fearsome than anyone can imagine.

Set in sixteenth-century Russia, The Witch and the Tsar upends the stories we know of Baba Yaga as the bony-legged witch of Slavic fairy tales and the stuff of nightmares. For beyond the rumours of her iron nose, fangs for teeth, and house on chicken legs, is the story of a woman so wise and strong that she has to be cloaked in lies to hide her true power.

Wicked Women of Yore by D. Lawrence-Young

A spellbinding literary journey of murder, mayhem, blackmail and infamy.

A Hungarian Countess allegedly bathes in the blood of her victims; a pair of female pirates outfight the rest of the crew; a Roman Empress has several senators and members of her family killed so that she can fulfil her sexual desires. These are just four of the thirty-six Wicked Women of Yore who 'star' in these pages.

This book explores how women such as Ilsa Koch, the bestial Nazi concentration camp commander, Bonnie (of Bonnie and Clyde), 'Princess Caraboo' and Queen Isabella, the 'She-Wolf of France,' murdered, conned and blackmailed their way into history and infamy. The author also imagines the conversations they might have had, as he describes the scenes of their crimes.

D. Lawrence-Young has written over twenty historical novels. In this companion volume to his Villains of Yore, this book will open your eyes to the fact that the fairer sex was not always so fair in the past. From now on you will look at women, young and old, beautiful and ugly, in a completely new and different light.

The Wisdom of Winter by Annie Seyler

Beatrice is good at pretending.

Insulated from societal mores by her glamorous mother and humble father, six-year-old Beatrice-barefoot in ratty overalls-tunes into animals, senses the unspoken, and thrives. But when tragedy penetrates their rural Vermont bubble, Beatrice is thrust into a world that tells her she has no place unless she hides her depth, pretties up, and falls in line. She complies.

Years later in San Francisco, incongruities in Beatrice's life abound. What's real is hidden. What's false is celebrated. She numbs and sidesteps and, despite inner warnings, artfully outruns thoughts of her family, the girl she once was, and the woman she pretends to be. But when a cascade of events steers her back to her childhood home, a discovery in a rundown barn quiets her. In the still point, she sees her crossroads: should she carry on the known path or step into uncertainty? Her future rests on her interpretation of change. Anxiety and loss. Or hope and renewal. She must decide who she is.

In beautiful, spare prose, The Wisdom of Winter explores the tenacity of misbeliefs, the magic in forgiveness, and the artistry of the natural world in healing the past. 

The Charity Shop Detective Agency by Peter Boland

PUT THE KETTLE ON AND DISCOVER AN UTTERLY CHARMING NEW COZY MURDER MYSTERY SET IN A SLEEPY SEASIDE TOWN.

A serial killer is stalking the elderly of Southbourne. The only clue left behind is a domino in the hand of each victim — with a name scratched on the back.

Eighty-six-year-old Sarah Brown is found dead in her hallway one morning by her delivery man. She was stabbed in the back.

Fiona, Sue and Daisy, volunteers at the local charity shop, Dogs Need Nice Homes, can’t believe their favourite customer is dead. The ladies vow to bring the killer to justice.

With plenty of tea and cake along the way, and despite squabbles with their rivals, the Cats Alliance across the street, the Charity Shop Detective Agency is born.

Fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Janice Hallett, Simon Brett, Ian Moore and Sarah Yarwood-Lovett will adore this exciting new voice in cozy crime.

THE DETECTIVE

Level-headed Fiona has found a quiet sanctuary volunteering at the local charity shop, Dogs Need Nice Homes. And she’s found firm friendship with the strong-willed Partial Sue (she’s ever so partial to a cup of tea) and the kindly — and surprisingly tech-savvy — Daisy. Together, these ladies, with Simon Le Bon, Fiona’s scruffy haired terrier cross, investigate murders as the utterly charming Charity Shop Detective Agency.

The Camden Murder by Mike Hollow

As dawn breaks on a chilly morning in November 1940, a car is found ablaze in an abandoned builder's yard a stone's throw from the Regent's Canal in Camden Town, north London. In the burnt-out vehicle police find the charred remains of a body. The victim is Les Latham, a commercial traveller for the Barings confectionery company. He liked to be known as Lucky Les, but it seems his luck has finally run out. DI John Jago discovers among Latham's belongings a mysterious photograph and some suspicious-looking petrol ration books that set Jago off on a murky trail of deceit, corruption and murder.

Only One Lie by Audrey J. Cole

From the author of The Pilot’s Daughter and The Final Hunt comes a thrilling, suspense-driven mystery set in World War II-era Seattle.

Seattle, 1942. News of the war is interrupted by the kidnapping of young Max Ellis, heir to the wealthiest banking family on the west coast. When the boy’s parents comply with the ransom demands, the kidnapper is found dead and Max remains missing.

For newlywed Vera Chandler, the story hits close to home—her husband Hugh is just six months into his job as the Ellis’s private pilot. Within days, Hugh is deployed to the Pacific as a navy pilot, while Vera’s flying instructor and best friend joins the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron. Left alone, her parents’ words haunt her: If you really wanted to serve your country, you wouldn’t have dropped out of nursing school.

In an exchange for a favor Vera can’t refuse, she is pulled into the Ellis family affairs by the desperate mother of the missing child. The Ellis family, Vera learns firsthand, is as dangerous as they are rich. Soon, she is in a race to save the child’s life, and it could be the only way she can save her own.

Her Husband's Lies by T.J. Brearton

Callie has a great life, living in a ten-acre home in the Adirondacks with her husband, Abel. Their son is away at college and Callie, a writer, is content living a relatively secluded life.

Then Abel skids off the road into an icy lake. No one heard anything. No one saw anything.

But Abel is left in a coma in a Vermont hospital.

Things seem bad but they’re about to get even worse.

Now Callie is getting calls from a woman who claims to know more about the accident.

Callie is skeptical, though a few things do line up, and she’s always wondered why her husband was where he was at the time of the accident.

Then every spouse’s worst nightmare: police tell Callie her husband is a suspect in the disappearance of two teenage girls.

Callie will do whatever it takes to clear his name. But is she really ready for the truth about her husband . . . ?

Her Husband’s Lies is a twisty and utterly addictive thriller that will keep you turning pages. You won’t see the ending coming . . . !

The Innocent Wife by Lisa Regan

Candles are lit and their rich vanilla scent twists its way through the cabin. The table is set for a romantic anniversary dinner with fresh roses dropping crimson petals on crisp white linen. But the woman seated at the table is cold to the touch, and there’s blood trickling down her neck…

When Denton’s most loved TV presenter returns home to find his wife dead at the dining table, it shatters the close-knit community. Beautiful and absolutely besotted with each other, Beau and Claudia Collins were idolized for being the perfect couple. But the devastating scene Detective Josie Quinn finds in their remote hideaway has her asking what dark secrets lurk beneath the surface of this seemingly flawless marriage?

Beau is grief-stricken by the loss of his kind-hearted wife who gave so much to others as a therapist, but Josie needs to know the significance of the small wooden puzzle box found clutched in Claudia’s hand. A prop in a popular game Beau played with his viewers to test the strength of their relationships, is it a twisted calling card, or a challenge from the killer?

The broken body of one of Beau and Claudia’s assistants is found the next day, a matching little box left in the dirt beside her. It’s clear that if Beau doesn’t start telling the truth about the flaws in his marriage, those dearest to him will die.

Caught in a cat and mouse chase with disturbing revelations and a mounting body count at every turn, Josie and her team work night and day to keep Beau’s loved ones safe. What kind of calculating monster would do this? A faded newspaper article about a tragic accident is the break Josie desperately needs. But she may already be too late, an innocent child is in danger…

After Silence by Jessica Gregson - #BookReview

 

Katya woke from nothing with her mouth closed on a gasp. This sudden coming back to herself, from something that wasn't sleep: there were no words for it, uncoiling her body, finding it already moving without her will. She saw her hand first, its five fingers as alien as an undersea creature, unrecognisable, pressed against flesh, red with blood. The feel of it, slick and hot, its unmistakable soft-firmness. Then her hearing, returning with a flood, and her own voice, mid-sentence: "...it's all right, it's all right."

A hand landed on her shoulder and Katya turned. She didn't know the face, but somehow associated it with wooden boards, open trucks and glances not met, a collection of independent impressions, clattering together like the shifting of stones, trodden on. The face spoke: "They're coming back."

***

Leningrad, 1941. German forces surround the city at the start of the most harrowing winter in its history. The siege becomes a battle for survival. Bodies fill the streets, and the crushing horror of cold, starvation and bone-deep fear is relentless.

Set against this background of tragedy and suffering, a remarkable group of musicians - soldiers and civilians, all of whom have been wasted by war and hunger - come together to perform Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony. They scarcely have the strength to carry their instruments, but their performance of this haunting and defiant new piece provides a rare light of hope in the darkness. Friendship, love and a vibrant passion for music combine in this ambitious, absorbing and richly sensuous masterpiece.

***

This is a wonderful novel which is strong in character, atmosphere and place.

Set in Leningrad during the siege of World War II the author uses this period and place to describe the bleak and horrific conditions in which the characters had to live and survive. I have rarely read a book whereby the author is able to create such an authentically bleak atmosphere in which to plant her characters, whilst simultaneously portraying hope, love and friendship.

Central to the story is the creation of an orchestra set amongst the ruins of the city. Weakened from little food, the characters who are central to the narrative, enlist for this orchestra largely for the extra rations they will be provided with. However, we soon learn that it is about so much more than that. Music is the lifeblood of these people and is central to the story.

The characters are exquisitely portrayed, and the author recognised exactly the right point in to which to insert the back story of the main characters without interrupting the narrative. This perfectly seamless movement through time added hugely to the novel and provided the reader with a better understanding of the characters.

I do not think that I will be able to forget Katya and Dima in a hurry. They represent all that good fictional characters should be and I highly recommend this book. Readers who enjoy historical fiction or music will enjoy this book.

ISBN: 978 1838498764

Publisher: Deixis Press

Formats: e-book, hardback and paperback

No of Pages: 474 (paperback)

About the Author:

Jessica was born in London in 1978. She is now a humanitarian education specialist and a writer, with occasional forays into other careers. Her first novel, The Angel Makers, was published in 2007 and has since sold to nine international markets. Her second novel, The Ice Cream Army, was published in 2009. She has lived and worked in a variety of places, including South Sudan, Myanmar and Azerbaijan, and currently divides her time between Glasgow and everywhere else.

(ARC provided courtesy of the publisher)

Agent Sonya by Ben Macintyre - #BookReview

 

"On 1 May 1924, a Berlin policeman smashed his rubber truncheon into the back of a sixteen-year-old-girl, and helped to forge a revolutionary.

For several hours, thousands of Berliners had been trooping through the city streets in the May Day parade, the annual celebration of the working classes. Their number included many communists, and a large youth delegation...

At the head of the communist youth group marched a slim girl wearing a worker's cap, two weeks short of her seventeenth birthday. This was Ursula Kuczynski's first street demonstration, and her eyes shone with excitement as she waved her placard and belted out the anthem...'Rise up, rise up for the struggle'... As she strode along and sang, Ursula performed a little dance of pure joy."

In a quiet English village in 1942, an elegant housewife emerged from her cottage to go on her usual bike ride. A devoted wife and mother-of-three, the woman known to her neighbours as Mrs Burton seemed to epitomize rural British domesticity.

However, rather than pedalling towards the shops with her ration book, she was racing through the Oxfordshire countryside to gather scientific intelligence from one of the country's most brilliant nuclear physicists. Secrets that she would transmit to Soviet intelligence headquarters via the radio transmitter she was hiding in her outdoor privy.

Far from a British housewife, Mrs Burton - born Ursula Kuczynski, and codenamed 'Sonya' - was a German Jew, a dedicated communist, a colonel in Russia's Red Army, and a highly trained spy. From planning an assassination attempt on Hitler in Switzerland to spying on the Japanese in Manchuria and helping the Soviet Union build the atom bomb, Sonya conducted some of the most dangerous espionage operations of the twentieth century. Her story has never been told - until now.

Agent Sonya is the exhilarating account of one woman's life; a life that encompasses the rise and fall of communism itself, and altered the course of history.

***

This was a very accessible work of non-fiction. I found it very easy to read and I was quickly caught up in Ursula/Sonya's fascinating story. In fact, I eagerly read the whole book in three days as I was so gripped by the story.

The author did a great job in presenting her in her dual role as both spy and mother. From an early point I did wonder how she could perform both satisfactorily. Earlier in the book she says that she would like to have four children who were like Michael, who was her first child. At that specific point I was very puzzled by the incongruity of those two roles. However, in the latter part of the book, it becomes clear that it was her position as a mother that permitted her to hide behind that very domesticity.

She was a remarkable woman who was an effective, successful and high ranking Soviet spy over a period that spanned decades. I did not find her particularly likeable but I was fascinated by her and had to admire her determination to do what she believed was right.

Many people crossed her path over the years and, at times, I felt a little at a loss in remembering who was who. However, there are several photographs included in the book which allowed me to put a face to the names which aided this significantly. I think this is a book that benefits from being read in the physical format as being able to flick backwards and forwards to look at the photos and maps was extremely useful.

Mr Macintyre has clearly done extensive research for this book and he has presented these facts in a chronological and ordered way. It is intelligently written with skill and judgement and the author has ultimately presented readers with an excellent book which I highly recommend.

ISBN: 978 0241408506

Publisher: Penguin

About the Author:

Ben Macintyre is the multimillion-copy bestselling author of books including Agent Zigzag, Operation Mincemeat, A Spy Among Friends, SAS and The Spy and the Traitor. 

He is a columnist and Associate Editor at The Times, and has worked as the newspaper's correspondent in New York, Paris and Washington. He regularly presents BBC series based on his acclaimed books.

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

The Story of Babushka by Catherine Flores - #BookReview #BookTour

 

"In the light-flooded forest where the birds sang, the brook rippled, and the wind swept through the trees, there lived a beautiful matryoshka called Babushka."

The Babushka doll, also known as a "Matryoshka" or "Russian Nesting Doll," is a traditional Russian toy first made over 100 years ago. The doll has come to symbolize Russian folk culture, as well as the complex and beautiful layers of women.

Babushka dolls are made of wood and painted in bright colours and patterns. Each Babushka is made in a set of many round dolls, each a little smaller than the last. They separate at the middle so that each doll can be placed inside the one before it. There are some Babushka dolls with as many as fifty dolls nexted inside her.

This is the story of one very special doll, with five bodies that together make the Babushka.

***

This is such a lovely book for children and I cannot wait to share it with my grandchildren.

Before I even began reading I was impressed by the beautifully stylised illustrations by Ana Beatriz Marques. In that aspect, even a pre-reader will enjoy poring over this book and it would be a lovely book to read to children too. It is also ideal for slightly older children to read for themselves.

Each one of the dolls represents a different personality feature and has an individual name. The outermost body, called Antonia, represents beauty, the second body, Loretta, wealth, the third body, Paula, represents talent, the fourth, Viola, wisdom and the innermost body, Mary, represents compassion and understanding.

As each individual body goes out into the world  to seek the meaning of life they learn that there are no easy answers. Acutely observed, Ms Flores has depicted an age old desire whereby, at some point in our lives, we ask ourselves who we really are and seek to find an answer to that question? 

The moral of this story is that, actually, we were there all the time and that we have to look into ourselves for an answer to that question.

This is a lovely book which I highly recommend.

ISBN: 978 1527260290

Publisher: ACL Creative Studio

About the Author:

Catherine Flores is a children's author and graphic designer. As she wrote about Babushka's journey, she was embarking on her own, which delayed the completion of this book for some time.

In October 2017, she emigrated with her partner Aaron to Portugal. In March 2018 their son Kiasmos was born. And after three years, Babushka is finished in early 2020 allowing Catherine to begin planning her next adventure.