Bright One by Lisajoy Sachs - #extract #excerpt #blogtour

I am so pleased to be bringing you a short excerpt of Bright One by Lisajoy Sachs today.

The Blurb

When desperate choices mean the difference between life and death.

Inspired by true events, Bright One tells the story of Jetti Finkelthal, Lisajoy Sachs' great-grandmother. In Czernowitz, Romania, this young Jewish mother is forced to face impossible choices as the world begins to collapse around her. As antisemitism tightens its grip and war edges ever closer, Jetti holds fast to her daughter, Berta, with the fragile belief that love and courage might still carve a way through the darkness.

Heartened by her grandmother Berta's letters, photographs, and family oral histories, Sachs revives a story both intimate and universal-stitched with the fabric of daily life, the pull of memory, and the quiet heroism of women who refused to yield to despair. Told with vivid, sensory detail, the novel unfolds as if you are walking beside the characters, witnessing what they see and sharing what they feel.

Through Jetti's resilience and sacrifices, Bright One reveals the enduring strength of family ties and the shadow of trauma that lingers across generations. It is a story of survival, of loss, and of the unbreakable connection between mother and child.

For readers captivated by historical fiction that lingers long after the final page, Bright One offers a profoundly human portrait of love tested by history's darkest hours.

The Excerpt

The graves of their siblings lay fresh in the family plot, a stark and painful reminder of the devastating toll the flu had taken. Aaron, Avi, and Nurit, the only siblings who had contracted the illness and survived, wore visible signs of their ordeal. Their faces were gaunt, shadows of their former vitality, and though they moved with a cautious fragility, they were alive, a delicate blessing that none of them took for granted. Jetti often reflected on how narrowly they had escaped an even greater loss and felt certain that her insistence on precautions of covering their faces, washing with vinegar water, avoiding outsiders, and maintaining strict isolation had been their saving grace.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1964700410

Publisher:  Historium Press

Formats:  e-book, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  322 (hardback)

Series:  Book 1 in the Bright One series

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Lisajoy Sachs is a dedicated writer and advocate for the preservation of history and culture through storytelling. Born and raised on Long Island and in the Catskills Mountain region of New York, Lisajoy's early years were shaped by the picturesque landscapes of mountains and the sea. Growing up, she embraced her family’s deep connection to community and tradition.

Her professional journey is as dynamic as her personal interests. With a diverse career spanning Fine Arts, Interior Design, Metal Smithing, Lapidary, and the craft beer and hospitality industries, she has cultivated a deep and varied understanding of her many fields of interest.

Ms. Sachs holds several prestigious degrees and certifications, including a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from the City University of New York, a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Alfred University, and an Accredited Jewelry Professional (AJP) certification from the Gemological Institute of America. She is also a graduate of the Hop and Brew School at Yakima Chief Hops and holds a CiceroneCertified Beer Server© credential, underscoring her expertise and passion for the craft beer industry.

As a writer, Lisajoy’s work spans a variety of themes, from beer culture and community engagement to her most prized projects in historical fiction. Her writing reflects a profound appreciation for history, particularly focusing on how personal stories intertwine with larger cultural narratives. She has published multiple articles celebrating the craft beer industry’s ability to foster diversity and unity and continues to explore new ways to inspire her readers through her storytelling.

A deep passion for history, coupled with a fascination with family ancestry and vivid storytelling, is reflected in Lisajoy’s creative projects. Her fiction often delves into richly detailed settings and explores characters navigating the complexities of their times. Whether writing about the harrowing journey of her family in pre-WWII Europe or capturing the resilience of individuals in the face of change, Lisajoy brings depth, authenticity, and emotional resonance to her narratives.

Outside of her professional life, Lisajoy is an avid cyclist and skier, often traveling in her camper van with her partner and standard poodle Hops exploring new adventures. She has recently relocated to the Catskills Mountains, a decision influenced by her desire to embrace a balanced, family and community-focused lifestyle.

Lisajoy’s dedication to her craft, her community, and her passions makes her a multifaceted creative force. Through her writing and professional endeavors, she continues to bridge the gap between history, culture, and the shared human experience.

You can also find LisaJoy at:

Author Website

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(media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

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The Lady of the Tower by Elizabeth St. John - #bookreview #blogtour

 

Silver drizzle veiled the stone walls rising from the moat's stagnant water. To the north, the White Tower glistened but bade no welcome for all its shining...

***

The Blurb

London, 1609. Lucy St.John, a highborn orphan at the glittering court of King James, is drawn into a dangerous affair with the Earl of Suffolk—a fateful choice that creates powerful enemies. Betrayed by her sister, Barbara and cast out in disgrace by the formidable Countess of Rochester, the Earl's vengeful sister, Lucy’s life at court is shattered.

Armed with her intelligence, education, and skill in healing, she refuses to accept defeat. In a world where women’s fates are often sealed by the ambitions of men, Lucy fights her way back into society. An unexpected marriage elevates her to the position of mistress of the Tower of London, where she faces the harsh realities of plague, political upheaval, and tragic executions of both enemies---and friends. Inside the walls of the Tower, she tends to aristocratic prisoners and criminals alike, confronting the stark brutality of the world around her.

As Barbara's fortunes rise through a marriage into the powerful Villiers family, Lucy is drawn into a dangerous game of power and survival. Her sister’s alliance with the king’s favourite, the Duke of Buckingham, promises wealth and influence but brings treachery and peril that could destroy Lucy and everything she holds dear.

In a court rife with deceit, ambition, and shifting loyalties, Lucy must navigate a perilous path, fighting to protect her honour, her family, and her very survival.

Based on the true story of Elizabeth St.John’s ancestor, Lucy St.John, this critically acclaimed novel offers a vivid portrayal of one woman’s resilience in the face of betrayal, and her courageous journey through the turbulent politics of seventeenth-century England.

My Review

The Lady of the Tower is the first book in the Lydiard Chronicles series. Based on the true story of the author's ancestors, The Lady of the Tower tells us of Lucy St. John and covers the period 1603 - 1630.

The book begins with Lucy living with her Aunt Joan and sister Barbara, following the death of her mother. Barbara is the aunt's favourite and they both treat Lucy very badly. All Lucy wants is to live her life quietly and tend her physic garden without drawing the attention of her unkind relatives and later, the attentions of the court of James I.

I very much enjoyed watching Lucy grow and mature through this novel. As a character I liked her very much. She is a tenderhearted, intelligent and caring girl who carries these attributes with her throughout her life. All this makes her a very likeable character and I was rooting for her every step of the way.

One of the things the author presented very well was the ambition and vying for position in the royal court. She describes this in a tangible way and the reader can observe the sycophantic behaviour of many of the characters in the novel. I loved the way that Lucy always remained true to herself. She wanted no part of this world although it was impossible for her to ignore.

Following marriage she finds herself mistress of The Tower of London and we consistently see Lucy's kindheartedness. She continues to tend her garden and uses her herbal cures for the good and health of the Tower's prisoners.

I liked the way that each chapter begins with either one of her physic recipes or a letter from Lucy. This gave the novel and authenticity and allowed me to hear Lucy's voice. 

The book has been well written and researched and I enjoyed reading it very much. The author has a storyteller's instinct and thus the book reads easily and well. She has woven fact into highly readable fiction.

I am now looking forward to reading the next book in this series, By Love Divided.

Book Details:

ISBN:  978 1523417889

Publisher:  Falcon Historical

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

No. of Pages:  393 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Series

This blog tour was actually for all three books in the series. Time only permitted me to read one but I thought on this occasion that you might like to know a little more about the series as a whole.

Duty, passion, and power collide in The Lydiard Chronicles, a gripping trilogy inspired by true events. Follow three courageous women—survivors, strategists, and storytellers—who defy the constraints of society to shape their family’s fate and England’s future. Their voices echo through time. Their legacy changed a nation.

The Lydiard Chronicles is an award-winning, best-selling historical family saga which brings to life the remarkable true stories of the St.John family. Spanning three compelling novels—The Lady of the Tower, By Love Divided, and Written in Their Stars—the series follows the legacy of resilient and intelligent women who lived as spies, courtiers, and diarists during England’s most turbulent century, navigating the quicksand of love and war, political upheaval, and personal sacrifice. 

Bound by fierce family loyalty and unforgettable love, the women of The Lydiard Chronicles defy the limits of their time with passion, courage, and unshakable independence. They endured captivity in the Tower of London, exile in the Louvre Palace, and the heart-wrenching divisions of the English Civil War—fighting not just for survival, but for their beliefs, their families, and the right to choose their own fate. Meticulously researched and vividly told, this epic saga reveals how these women created history from the shadows, leaving a legacy of resilience, defiance, and enduring influence.

Rooted in original diaries, letters, and family papers, The Lydiard Chronicles offers an intimate, biographical portrait of women who moved behind the scenes of power. Serving as trusted secret agents, military wives, and confidantes of kings, they were deeply engaged in the political and religious conflicts of their time. Through tragedy and triumph, the women of The Lydiard Chronicles shape their destinies—and the fate of a nation—in this richly researched and vividly told historical epic.

 About the Author

Elizabeth St.John’s critically acclaimed historical fiction novels tell the stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose intriguing kinship with England's kings and queens brings an intimately unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times.

Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.

Living between California, England, and the past, Elizabeth is the International Ambassador for The Friends of Lydiard Park, an English charity dedicated to conserving and enhancing this beautiful centuries-old country house and park. As a curator for The Lydiard Archives, she is constantly looking for an undiscovered treasure to inspire her next novel.

Elizabeth's works include The Lydiard Chronicles, a family saga set in 17th-century England during the Civil War, and The Godmother's Secret, which unravels the medieval mystery of the missing princes in the Tower of London. Her latest release, The King’s Intelligencer, follows Franny Apsley in the treacherous court of Charles II as she risks everything to uncover the dangerous truth behind the discovery of the princes’ bones.

You can also find Elizabeth at:

Author Website

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

(all opinions are my own)

The Heirloom by Julie Brooks - #bookreview

 

The parcel sat unopened on Mia's kitchen table for a second day running.  Each time she entered the kitchen her eyes were drawn towards the table despite all intentions to ignore the parcel.  Something about it bothered her...

***

The Blurb

A surprise inheritance. A hidden past.

Brisbane, 2024 - Barista and budding artist Mia Curtis is shocked to receive a package all the way from England informing her she's the heir to her late grandmother's cottage. Feeling lost in her own life, Mia travels across the world to claim her inheritance, where she begins to unravel the secrets passed down through the generations of women in her family.

Sussex, 1821 - Philadelphia Boadle wakes to find her husband, the tailor Jasper Boadle, dead. As the daughter of the local cunning woman, Philadelphia is soon accused of murder by witchcraft. Her future and that of her own daughter is at stake, unless she can convince the village she's done no wrong...

My Review

This was a five star read for me. It had everything that I love in a book. It is a dual timeline narrative, being set in both 1821 and 2024. Consequently, historical fiction runs alongside a contemporary narrative. I loved it.

I have previously read this author's title, The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay which was also a five star read for me. You can read my review by clicking on the title link.

The book opens with the main present day character, Mia, who lives in Brisbane, receiving a package from an English solicitor. In it, she learns that she has inherited a house from her English grandmother. Mia's mother had never told her about the existence of this grandmother, and this sets off an instant antagonism between the mother and daughter.

The other main character is Philadephia. Her narrative takes place in Sussex, England in 1821 when her husband dies and she is accused of witchcraft.

Both sections are based on a fabulous premise, and I quickly became engrossed by them both. There are family secrets which need to be unearthed, and it was gripping accompanying Mia on this journey of discovery. 

However, for Mia it is about more than discovering her family's past. She has to face letting go of some of her own past, facing issues of belonging and identity, and ultimately discovering herself as a person.

The author did a fantastic job with this book. She has clearly researched the history of the section set in the past extremely well,  and consequently, created a story set in the past that was compelling and tangible. I found this book to be completely immersive and almost felt I was there in both time periods.

This is a page turner that I did not want to put down. It is a compelling story of both past and present, and the author has done a marvellous job of bringing the two interconnecting stories to life within the covers of the book.  I would highly recommend it.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1035414826

Publisher:  Headline Review

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  384 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Blackwell's

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

In 2021 Julie published The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay with Headline Review. It was followed in late 2022 by The Keepsake, a dual-timeline mystery set in the early nineteenth century and the present day. January 2025 brings publication of The Heirloom, a novel of secrets and witchcraft set in the 1820s and the present day.

She was born in Brisbane, Australia, but lived most of her life in Melbourne. She taught English and Drama in secondary schools before working as an editor of children’s magazines. Previously, she has published a variety of children’s books and two adult historical novels writing as Carol Jones.

Married with two adult children, she lives in a city apartment overlooking the water in Melbourne but spends as much time as she can travelling throughout Australia and abroad.

You can also find Julie at:

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Author Website

(book/media courtesy of the publisher)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Casa Paradisio: 300 Years in the Life of a House by Francesca Scanacapra - #bookreview #blogtour

 

With the sunset to his back, Cristo Lovetta walked the step-worn stone of the ancient Via Postumis, following the eastward flow of the Delmona Canal. The waymark he had passed some two hundred paces previously announced only seven more miles to the village of Pieve Santa Clara.

***

The Blurb

Lombardy, Northern Italy, 1637

Cristó Lovetta, a skilled stonemason, arrives in the rural village of Pieve Santa Clara to work on a nobleman’s house.

Haunted by a tragic past, Cristó wonders if he will ever find happiness again. However, as he immerses himself in his work, the warmth of the community and the beauty of the landscape convince him to begin a new life there.

Cristó designs and builds his own house, which he names Casa Paradiso. Over the centuries, Casa Paradiso becomes home to many generations, standing testament to lives beginning and ending, and witnessing the everyday challenges and triumphs of its inhabitants – from love lost and found, to the tragedies of war, the far-reaching consequences of political decisions made by powerful men and the evolving role of women in Italian society.

Casa Paradiso – the fourth instalment of the Paradiso Novels – is a shining, evocative saga spanning three hundred years in the life of a very special house, and a book that explores the enduring strength of the human spirit, contrasted with the transient nature of life itself.

My Review

This was a beautiful book to read, and I loved every page.

In fact, I hardly know where to begin with this book review as it was so lovely to read, and I'm a little bereft that I have now finished the book. 

The author is not new to the blog. Last year I posted an excerpt from one of the earlier books, The Daughter of Paradisio. You can read it by clicking here.

The main character in this story is the house itself. The narrative of the titular Casa Paradiso spans a period of 300 years, beginning in 1637 and ending in 1937. It begins with the building of the house by the travelling stonemason, Christo Lovetta. He builds the house with hope of a strong future for the generations to come.

From there we meet the residents of the house throughout the years and experience the highs and lows of their lives. I was gripped by each of the occupants and felt very involved in their stories.

The setting of this book is gorgeous. Set in the Lombardy region of Italy the author created an environment that I could almost feel. She cleverly portrays the area through the lives of the people in her book rather than in long descriptive passages.

This is the fourth novel in this series but it read very well as a standalone. That said, I am so in love with this book that I can hardly wait to read the earlier novels.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1913727482

Publisher:  Silvertail Books

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

No. of Pages:  232 (paperback)

About the Author:

Francesca Scanacapra was born in Italy to an English mother and Italian father, and her childhood was spent living between England and Italy. Her adult life has been somewhat nomadic with periods spent living in Italy, England, France, Senegal and Spain. 

She describes herself as 'unconventional' and has pursued an eclectic mixture of career paths – from working in translation, the fitness industry, education and even several years as a builder.

 In 2021 she returned to her native country and back to her earliest roots to pursue her writing career full time. Francesca now resides permanently in rural Lombardy in the house built by her great-grandfather which was the inspiration for her Paradiso Novels: Paradiso, Return to Paradiso, The Daughter of Paradiso and Casa Paradiso. Her novel The Lost Boy of Bologna was also published by Silvertail Books. 

Francesca can also be found at

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(book and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

Looking for Lucie by Amanda Addison - #repost #blogtour #bookreview

 

Dad walks into the dining room carrying a showstopper of a cake. All eighteen candles flicker above the raspberry and pistachio topping...

"A work of art, Steve," says Nana Pat...

"Baking is pretty similar to building; cake for the bricks and cream for cement. Just on a much smaller scale!" laughs Dad...

***

Looking for Lucie is a contemporary YA novel that explores identity, self-discovery, and newfound friendship as an 18-year-old girl sets out to uncover her ethnic heritage and family history.

"Where are you really from?"

It's a question every brown girl in a white-washed town is familiar with, and one that Lucie has never been able to answer. All she knows is that her mother is white, she's never met her father, and she looks nothing like the rest of her family. She can't even talk about it because everyone says it shouldn't matter!

Well, it matters to Lucie and-with her new friend Nav, who knows exactly who he is-she's determined to find some answers.

What do you do when your entire existence is a question with no answer?

You do a DNA test.

***

To celebrate the release of this book in the US, I am reposting the book review that I originally posted in April of this year.

It is aimed at a secondary school-age audience, so roughly 11-18 year olds.  The main character, Lucie, has her eighteenth birthday at the beginning of the book, and she is on the cusp of going to university to study art. She is also having an identity crisis. She has never looked like her family, mum, step-dad and sister, Maisie. She is darker skinned and has always been unable to answer the question when people ask "Where are you really from?" and the answer, Norfolk, did not satisfy. Her mum has never talked about her biological father, and she is desperate to know more about him and his ethnicity. This leads her to secretly taking a DNA test. Lucie was a wonderful character and she was very easy to identify and engage with. I was rooting for her every step of the way.

The book moves along at an appropriate pace for the genre. There were some surprises along the way which kept the plot moving forwards nicely. 

The book considers what it means to belong, as well as personal identity and working out how we fit into our individual world. I enjoyed following Lucie's journey as she grappled with some of these questions.

The majority of the chapters are written from the perspective of Lucie and her new friend, Nav. Later in the book we also get to hear the viewpoint of Lucie and Nav's mothers. The multiple perspectives enable the reader to understand that family dynamics and how or where we belong are never simplistic. This book performs an excellent job of demonstrating that situations can be viewed differently, and will vary with each individual.

If you have a young person in your life, I suggest buying them a copy of this book... but I would have a sneaky read of it before you pass it to them! Both young adults and adults alike will adore this book, and I heartily recommend it.

ISBN:  978 1911107682

Publisher:  Neem Tree Press

Formats:  Paperback

No. of Pages: 272

About the Author:

Amanda Addison is an award-winning author of books for adults and children. Her writing has been translated into German, Greek, Italian and Ukrainian. Her picture book, Boundless Sky, was nominated for The CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal, and her YA novel, Looking for Lucie, was listed for the Searchlight Writing Novel Opening Award. A graduate of Chelsea school of Art, her writing and artwork are inspired by travel, textiles, and the natural world. Amanda holds an MA in Writing the Visual and lectures in Art & Design and has also led workshops in Creative Writing at the National Centre for Writing. Amanda lives in Norfolk, UK, with her family.

Her writing includes flash fiction, short stories, picture books and novels. She explores themes of home and belonging, and enjoys using the juxtaposition of rural and city life. Her characters are often artists or scientists, as their curiosity about the world around them are two sides to the same coin, and the exploration of art and science can give us meaning and purpose in life with its infinite avenues of discovery. Amanda’s debut YA novel, Looking for Lucie, Neem Tree Press 2024, explores the above. It is a contemporary story of identity, self-discovery, and newfound friendship. Lucie, an 18-year-old art student sets out to uncover her ethnic heritage and family history with her new scientist friend Nav. Together they unravel family secrets.

Amanda believes in the power of stories as a window on the world, and a mirror to better see ourselves and is passionate about stories which are empowering and inclusive. When not writing she can be found swimming in the North Sea or running in the countryside, and that is when she gets some of her best ideas!

Reading Roundup for August 2024

 

It is so nice to be back after my visit to Cheshire where I visited my son and his lovely wife. I took the above photo while I was away. It is a huge Paddington Bear which is completely made from straw. It is sited at Snugberry Farm in Cheshire where they sell the most amazing range of ice creams. It would have been rude not to sample a few while we were there! 

I managed a fair bit of reading while I was away, not all of which I have written reviews for yet.

Did you have a good reading month? What was your favourite read of August?

Books I Have Read

The King's Messenger by Susanna Kearsley - This is an author that I already liked and this book lived up to my expectations. Historical fiction of a lesser known queen. You can read my review by clicking here.

Rakiya: Stories of Bulgaria by Ellis Shuman - Needless to say, this is a collection of short stories which are all set in Bulgaria. I enjoyed reading them very much. You can read my review by clicking here.

The House of the Witch by Clare Marchant - This is probably my favourite read in August. A dual timeline set in the 17th century and the present. I highly recommend this one and you can read my review by clicking here.

Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall & Illustrated by Yas Imamura - This picture book tells the story of how the author's grandparents, Tama and George, first met and fell in love. You can read my review by clicking here.

No Funeral for Nazia by Taha Kehar - I enjoyed this very much. Written from the persepective of a narrator who has passed away. Excellent fiction. You can read my review by clicking here.

When You Were Mine by Emma-Claire Wilson - This was an extremely enjoyable read based around two women who meet in the emergency department of a hospital in Spain when they both go into labour.

And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott - This was fabulous and I really hope to get a review up soon. It features a native American woman who marries a white Canadian man. It made for riveting reading.

One Midnight With You by Shari Low - This was a nice book and my review will be up tomorrow as part of the blog tour.

Hanukkah by Leslea Newman - A wonderful picture book for children and my review will be up later this week.

One Grand Summer by Ewald Arenz - A coming of age story which was beautifully written. You can read my review by clicking here.

A Class Act by Julie Houston - Quite frankly I would read anything by this author. This was another wonderful read and you can find my review by clicking here.

The Missing Family by Tim Weaver -  It is number thirteen in the David Raker series. It worked well as a stand alone and was an enjoyable read.  You can read my review by clicking here.

Ancestry by Simon Mawer - This was a very enjoyable fictionalised account of the author's ancestors. Well worth reading.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang - I'm always sceptical when I approach a book which has had so much hype. However, this was fantastic and I highly recommend it.

Books I Am Partway Through

The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves

The Witch of the Breton Woods by Jennifer Ivy Walker

Henry V by Dan Jones

Folklore of Sussex by Jacqueline Simpson

Weyward by Emilia Hart

Stumbling Stones by Bonnie Suchman - #blogtour #spotlight

 

Shortlisted for the Hawthorn Prize 2024

"Alice knew that Selma sometimes felt judged by their mother and didn't always like it when Alice was praised and Selma was not. Alice glanced over at her sister, but Selma was smiling at Alice. In what Alice understood might be Selma's last act of generosity towards her sister, Selma was going to let Alice bask in the glow of Emma's pride toward her elder daughter. Then the three shared a hug, a hug that seemed to last forever."

Alice Heppenheimer, born into a prosperous German Jewish family around the turn of the twentieth century, comes of age at a time of growing opportunities for women.

So, when she turns 21 years old, she convinces her strict family to allow her to attend art school, and then pursues a career in women's fashion. Alice prospers in her career and settles into married life, but she could not anticipate a Nazi Germany, where simply being Jewish has become an existential threat.

 Stumbling Stones is a novel based on the true story of a woman driven to achieve at a time of persecution and hatred, and who is reluctant to leave the only home she has ever known.

But as strong and resilient as Alice is, she now faces the ultimate challenge - will she and her husband be able to escape Nazi Germany or have they waited too long to leave?

ISBN: 978-1685134105

Publisher:  Black Rose Writing

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

No. of Pages:  285 (paperback)

About the Author:

Bonnie Suchman is an attorney who has been practicing law for forty years. Using her legal skills, she researched her husband's family's 250-year history in Germany, and published a non-fiction book about the family, Broken Promises: The Story of a Jewish Family in Germany. Bonnie found one member of the family, Alice Heppenheimer, particularly compelling. Stumbling Stones tells Alice's story. Bonnie has two adult children and lives in Maryland with her husband, Bruce.

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.

***

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.

***

 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)

***

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)

Looking for Lucie by Amanda Addison - #bookreview #blogtour

 

Dad walks into the dining room carrying a showstopper of a cake. All eighteen candles flicker above the raspberry and pistachio topping...

"A work of art, Steve," says Nana Pat...

"Baking is pretty similar to building; cake for the bricks and cream for cement. Just on a much smaller scale!" laughs Dad...

***

Looking for Lucie is a contemporary YA novel that explores identity, self-discovery, and newfound friendship as an 18-year-old girl sets out to uncover her ethnic heritage and family history.

"Where are you really from?"

It's a question every brown girl in a white-washed town is familiar with, and one that Lucie has never been able to answer. All she knows is that her mother is white, she's never met her father, and she looks nothing like the rest of her family. She can't even talk about it because everyone says it shouldn't matter!

Well, it matters to Lucie and-with her new friend Nav, who knows exactly who he is-she's determined to find some answers.

What do you do when your entire existence is a question with no answer?

You do a DNA test.

***

Publishing on 18th April, you only have to wait a couple of days to be able to get your hands on this fantastic book for young adults. Having said that, it has been many years since I could call myself young, but I enjoyed every word of this book. 

It is aimed at a secondary school-age audience, so roughly 11-18 year olds.  The main character, Lucie, has her eighteenth birthday at the beginning of the book, and she is on the cusp of going to university to study art. She is also having an identity crisis. She has never looked like her family, mum, step-dad and sister, Maisie. She is darker skinned and has always been unable to answer the question when people ask "Where are you really from?" and the answer, Norfolk, did not satisfy. Her mum has never talked about her biological father, and she is desperate to know more about him and his ethnicity. This leads her to secretly taking a DNA test. Lucie was a wonderful character and she was very easy to identify and engage with. I was rooting for her every step of the way.

The book moves along at an appropriate pace for the genre. There were some surprises along the way which kept the plot moving forwards nicely. 

The book considers what it means to belong, as well as personal identity and working out how we fit into our individual world. I enjoyed following Lucie's journey as she grappled with some of these questions.

The majority of the chapters are written from the perspective of Lucie and her new friend, Nav. Later in the book we also get to hear the viewpoint of Lucie and Nav's mothers. The multiple perspectives enable the reader to understand that family dynamics and how or where we belong are never simplistic. This book performs an excellent job of demonstrating that situations can be viewed differently, and will vary with each individual.

If you have a young person in your life, I suggest buying them a copy of this book... but I would have a sneaky read of it before you pass it to them! Both young adults and adults alike will adore this book, and I heartily recommend it.

ISBN:  978 1911107682

Publisher:  Neem Tree Press

Formats:  Paperback

No. of Pages: 272

About the Author:

Amanda Addison is an award-winning author of books for adults and children. Her writing has been translated into German, Greek, Italian and Ukrainian. Her picture book, Boundless Sky, was nominated for The CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal, and her YA novel, Looking for Lucie, was listed for the Searchlight Writing Novel Opening Award. A graduate of Chelsea school of Art, her writing and artwork are inspired by travel, textiles, and the natural world. Amanda holds an MA in Writing the Visual and lectures in Art & Design and has also led workshops in Creative Writing at the National Centre for Writing. Amanda lives in Norfolk, UK, with her family.

Her writing includes flash fiction, short stories, picture books and novels. She explores themes of home and belonging, and enjoys using the juxtaposition of rural and city life. Her characters are often artists or scientists, as their curiosity about the world around them are two sides to the same coin, and the exploration of art and science can give us meaning and purpose in life with its infinite avenues of discovery. Amanda’s debut YA novel, Looking for Lucie, Neem Tree Press 2024, explores the above. It is a contemporary story of identity, self-discovery, and newfound friendship. Lucie, an 18-year-old art student sets out to uncover her ethnic heritage and family history with her new scientist friend Nav. Together they unravel family secrets.

Amanda believes in the power of stories as a window on the world, and a mirror to better see ourselves and is passionate about stories which are empowering and inclusive. When not writing she can be found swimming in the North Sea or running in the countryside, and that is when she gets some of her best ideas!

(book and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)