The Quality of Love by Ariane Bankes - #blogtour #bookreview

What elusive quality is it that propels people into the centre of things? My mother, Celia Paget, and her identical twin sister Mamaine seemed to possess that quality, to gravitate towards the very heart of the era in which they lived... their lives became entangled with some of the most remarkable figures of the twentieth century, whether as friend or lovers, muses or wives.

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When her mother Celia Paget died, Ariane Bankes inherited a battered trunk stuffed with photographs and letters belonging to Celia and her twin sister Mamaine. This correspondence charted the remarkable lives of the Paget girls and their friends and lovers, including Arthur Koestler, Albert Camus, Sartre

and de Beauvoir, and George Orwell.

Out of this rich unseen archive, The Quality of Love weaves the story of these captivatingly beautiful – all the more so for being identical – twins who overcame a meagre education to take 1930s London society by storm and then move among Europe’s foremost intellectuals during the century’s most

dramatic decades. Above all, it is a sparkling portrait of the deep connection between two spirited sisters.

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 This book provides an interesting and engaging insight into the lives of identical twins Celia and Mamaine Paget. 

The author, who is Celia's daughter, discovered a chest full of letters, diaries and journals following her mother's death in 2002. Through these the author permits the reader to observe and understand, not only the life of her mother and the aunt that she never knew, but also into the intellectual and cultural period in which they lived.

Born in 1916 and orphaned at a young age, the twins were largely raised by an aunt. Catapulted into the glamorous society of coming out balls, they were presented at court as debutantes in 1935. However, neither of them were interested in the marriage market, and instead were more drawn to the company of intellectuals such as George Orwell, Simone de Beauvoir and Albert Camus.

The text is littered with photographs demonstrating not only the beauty and elegance of the sisters, but also of those in the circle in which they moved. They were obviously spirited women, who the author portrays with the love and respect which she clearly feels. She has pieced together the lives of two extraordinary women through her inheritance of the letters and diaries. I so enjoyed being able to not only hear from Celia and Mamaine, but to hear the words written by Orwell and his peers.

This is a fascinating account, not only of the twins, but also of the time period and the world which they inhabited. It is well written, and delightful to read, and I recommend it for anyone interested in this era.

***

ISBN: 978 0715654989

Publisher:  Duckworth Books

Formats:  e-book, audio and hardback

No. of Pages:  304 (hardback)

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About the Author:

Ariane Bankes had a long career in publishing, including at John Murray and V&A Publishing, before becoming a writer, critic and curator. Her writing has appeared in the Spectator, TLS, Financial Times, Country Life and Slightly Foxed. She sits on the boards of Koestler Arts, the Leche Trust and the Biographers’ Club, where she runs the Slightly Foxed Best First Biography Prize and the Tony Lothian Prize.

(book & media courtesy of Random Things Tours)

(all opinions are my own)

10 Year Blogversary - My Favourite Book from 2015 - The Pearl That Broke It's Shell by Nadia Hashimi - #BookReview

Shalia stood by our front door, the bright geen metal rusting on the edges. She craned her neck. Parwin and I rounded the corner and saw the relief in her eyes. We couldn't be late again.

Parwin shot me a look and we picked up our hurried pace. We did the best we could without running. Rubber soles slapped against the road and raised puffs of dusty smoke. The hems of our skirts flapped again our ankles. My head scarf clung to beads of sweat on my forehead. I guessed Parwin's was doing the same, since it hadn't yet blown away.

***

In Kabul, 2007, with a drug-addicted father and no brothers, Rahima and her sisters can only sporadically attend school, and can rarely leave the house. Their only hope lies in the ancient custom of bacha posh, which allows young Rahima to dress and be treated as a boy until she is of marriageable age. As a son, she can attend school, go to the market, and chaperone her older sisters.

But Rahima is not the first in her family to adopt this unusual custom. A century earlier, her great-great grandmother, Shekiba, left orphaned by an epidemic, saved herself and built a new life the same way.

Crisscrossing in time, The Pearl the Broke Its Shell interweaves the tales of these two women separated by a century who share similar destinies. But what will happen once Rahima is of marriageable age? Will Shekiba always live as a man? And if Rahima cannot adapt to life as a bride, how will she survive?

***

Continuing with my ten year blog anniversary celebrations, here is another of my favourites of the decade. Today I am publishing my favourite read from 2015 and was originally posted on 23rd December of that year.  I noted the price as costing £8.99 for the paperback that day. Today the same edition would cost £9.19 from the same retailer and is well worth the extra few pennies.

I have updated the review a little so there is more information about the book and the author but essentially the review is as it appeared that day.

This book is a fantastic read and I loved it from start to finish. 

Part of the reason for this is the authors clever use of moving backwards and forwards in telling the two stories of Rahima and Shekiba illustrating the similarities of these two women even though they are separated by three generations.

I had to keep reminding myself that Rahima's story is set fairly recently ( 2007) as the culture for these two women had not progressed from one to the other. It is a shocking story of abuse and oppression experienced by women in a society which is dictated by men, tradition and superstition.

The prose in this book is beautifully constructed and Ms Hashmini is an intelligent writer who can bring her book alive with her placement of words. She writes sensitively and allows the reader to understand for themselves the society in which these women live.

There are very few books that make me cry but I would challenge anyone who reads this book not to feel deeply moved by the plight of Rahima and Shekiba. It is a heartbreaking read but ultimately is inspiring and edifying.

I did, in fact, go on to read another of Ms. Hashimi's books, The Moon is Low, and you can read my review by clicking here.

ISBN:  978 0062244765

Publisher:  William Morrow Paperbacks

Formats: e-book, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  480 (paperback)

About the Author:

Nadia Hashimi is a pediatrician turned novelist who draws on her Afghan culture to craft internationally bestselling books for adults as well as young readers. Her novels span generations and continents, taking on themes like forced migration, conflict, poverty, misogyny, colonialism, and addiction. She enjoys conversations with readers of all ages in libraries, book festivals, classrooms, and living rooms. Video calls with book clubs are a favorite hobby. With translations in seventeen languages, she’s connected with readers around the world.

She continues to serve on boards of organizations committed to educating and nurturing Afghanistan’s most vulnerable children and empowering the female leaders of tomorrow. She is a member of the US-Afghan Women’s Council and the Afghan-American Foundation.

Originally from New York, she and her husband live in Maryland with their four curious, rock star children, and Justice, the hungriest Rhodesian Ridgeback you’ve ever met.

(author media courtesy of her website https://nadiahashimibooks.com/)

(all opinions are my own)

The Village Feasts by Izzy Abrahmson - #BookReview

 

Welcome to Chelm! Welcome to the village of fools. Eighty households and farms, a few dirt roads, more chickens than people, and a wealth of love, lore, misadventures and often silliness.

You may wonder, where exactly is Chelm? It's not that no one knows, it's just hard to explain. On the edge of the Black Forest, somewhere between Russia and Poland, and occasionally Germany. If you travel through Smyrna chances are good you'll get lost, and maybe end up in the village of Chelm.

There, you will rub elbows with Reb Stein the baker, the Gold family, Doodle the orphan, Rabbi Kibbitz and Mrs. Chaipul, and of course, the Schlemiels...

***

Ten tasty Passover tales adults and children of all ages will enjoy again and again. Delightful and amusing. Who’s knocking at the door? What is cabbage matzah? Where was Rabbi Kibbitz? Why are they always arguing? When will we eat? And how will Mrs. Chaipul save The Village?

***

In this lighthearted and humorous selection of stories lies some real gems of Jewish folklore. They are all based around the Passover festival and would be wonderful and timely to share during the week of pesach.

My favourite story of the ten was Chiri Bim / Chiri Bom. I laughed all the way through this particular story, and I think both adults and children alike would enjoy it. 

The remaining nine stories are similarly laced with cultural humour with multiple references to food, language and tradition. There is a useful glossary at the back of the book for readers who are unfamiliar with some of the terminology surrounding the festival.

Although the stories are based around the Jewish festival of Passover, these stories would appeal to everyone for their funny fairy tale quality.

ISBN: 978 1940060453

Publisher: Light Publications

Format: paperback and e-book

No. of pages: 104 (paperback)

(book courtesy of NetGalley)

About the Author:

Izzy Abrahmson is an old soul with modern sensibilities. His stories of The Village Life have been published in books, newspapers and magazines around the world.

Although shy by nature, Izzy loves to tell stories and play improvised klezmer harmonica.

His performances of tales  have been enjoyed by adults, children and families of all ages at festivals and celebrations in the United States, Ireland, England, The Netherlands, Austria and France. 

Izzy Abrahmson is also a pen name for author and storyteller Mark Binder, who  lives in Providence and tours the world… virtually and in-person.

(photo and bio info from the author's website?)