Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan - #bookreview

It is definitely the short straw of hospital medicine. A & E in a trauma centre on a Friday night in late January; almost midnight, and the waiting areas are rammed...

The Blurb

You think you know her…

But look a little closer

 She is a stay-at-home mother of three with boundless reserves of patience, energy and love. After being friends for a decade, this is how Liz sees Jess. 

 Then one moment changes everything. 

  Dark thoughts and carefully guarded secrets surface – and Liz is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her friend, and about herself.

From the bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal – a new thought-provoking novel exploring the complexity of motherhood and all that connects and disconnects us. 

My Review

This book had me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last.

When Jess takes her baby, Betsey, to the A&E department at hospital, she finds her best friend, Liz, is the doctor on duty. What unfolds is every mother's nightmare, as Betsey is found to have an unexplainable fracture, and the finger is pointing straight at Jess, leaving Liz with a duty to inform social services and the police.

This was a powerful book, and it is thought-provoking from beginning to end. My sympathies lay with both of these characters, as they both find themselves in an impossible situation. Whilst Jess has always appeared to be the perfect mother, we get a glimpse of what is really going on beneath this façade of capability. Having myself been a mother to four boys under the age of seven, I could really identify with how utterly exhausted Jess was feeling. The book questions how this sleep deprivation can result in poor choices being made, how alone she felt, and how she did not understand her own feelings. My heart went out to her.

Liz was an equally interesting character. She is a busy doctor, wife and mother whose own busyness has meant that she hasn't been there for Jess as much as she would have liked. Nonetheless, she doesn't believe that Jess could have harmed her child, despite the evidence suggesting otherwise. She also has to deal with the secrets of her ageing mother, and come to terms with those. There is a strong parallel between both her mother and Jess's experiences.

Although the book is over 400 pages, I read it very quickly as it kept pulling me back. It was well written and perfectly paced, leaving me keen to get back to it between reading sessions.

Sarah Vaughan is a great storyteller and has the ability to hold her readers interested throughout. She is an author I will definitely be reading again. I highly recommend this book.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1471165061 

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  432 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Sarah Vaughan is the Sunday Times and international bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal, Little Disasters and Reputation, plus two earlier novels. Translated into 26 languages, Anatomy of a Scandal became a worldwide number one Netflix limited series, watched for 200 million hours in its first month alone, and starring Sienna Miller, Michelle Dockery and Rupert Friend. Little Disasters dropped on Paramount Plus in May 2025, and stars Diane Kruger, Jo Joyner and a “powerhouse cast” including JJ Feild, Shelley Conn, Emily Taaffe and Stephen Campbell Moore. Reputation has been optioned by Made Up Stories and 3dot productions, the team behind Anatomy of a Scandal.

Before writing fiction, Sarah spent 15 years as a journalist, including 11 at the Guardian as a political correspondent and news reporter: great preparation for thrillers exploring power, privilege and misogyny, and incorporating police investigations and criminal trials. Brought up in Devon, she lives near Cambridge, England with her family and dog.

You can also find Sarah at:

Author Website

Instagram

Facebook

(media courtesy of the author's website)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

The Mother by Valerie Keogh - #bookreview #blogtour

 

It was late Friday afternoon. Sarah was speaking to Nick about their weekend plans, her mobile pressed to her ear as she tapped on the keyboard with the fingers of her other hand. They'd been invited to a housewarming party that night by an old college friend of hers... who had been gregarious, irreverent, and fun in college...

***

A terrible wife...

Sarah Westfield is unhappily married to perfect husband Nick. Handsome, devoted and kind, he should be the ideal man for her, but Sarah knows their marriage is the biggest mistake she’s ever made…and she wants out.

But then Nick offers her one last chance to make their marriage work – a baby.

Sarah is horrified – a baby would tie herself to this man forever…wouldn’t it? Or could it be exactly what she needs?

So Sarah agrees.

A terrible mother?

When the baby arrives, Sarah struggles with motherhood and her resentment towards Nick only grows. Sarah feels more trapped than ever, but she loves her precious daughter...doesn’t she?

And then baby Kaya goes missing...

And everything Sarah has ever believed in comes crashing down around her...

***

If you like the crime mystery genre with a twisty turny plot then you will love this.

This is not the first book that I have read by Valerie Keogh. I have previously read The Mistress, and also The Nurse. If you would like to read my reviews of either of those books, please just click on the title to do so.

Ms. Keogh is so skilled at creating her characters that she seems to inhabit them. The main character in this book, Sarah, is utterly believable and easy to identify with. She is a busy GP with an overbearing husband who she is not in love with. Add a newborn into the mix, and it makes for a complex situation.

Although one of the themes is child abduction, it was not portrayed in a traumatic manner. Rather it was the linch pin which allowed Sarah to consider her feelings towards her husband and child. There were points where I found her a difficult character to like, but she won me round by the end of the book.

It is fast paced and the dialogue and excellent prose keep the plot moving along perfectly. It is suspenseful throughout and every time I thought I had worked out where the plot was going, the next page would turn my theory on it's head. The ending was surprising and I had not worked out that it would end in that way.

The book is publishing today and it is well worth getting your hands on a copy.

ISBN: 978 1805494317

Publisher:  Boldwood Books

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

No. of Pages:  296 (paperback)

About the Author:

Valerie Keogh is the internationally bestselling author of several psychological thrillers and crime series, most recently published by Bloodhound. She originally comes from Dublin but now livesin Wiltshire and worked as a nurse for many years. Her first thriller for Boldwood was published in August 2022.

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

(all opinions are my own)

Saving Rebecca by Alex Amit - #spotlight

 

Today, I am delighted to be shining the spotlight on Saving Rebecca by Alex Amit.  

Saving Rebecca is publishing today in e-book and is already available as a paperback.

I think this book looks great, and I really hope to carve out some time to read it very soon.

The Blurb

In the shadow of the Nazi regime, one woman fights to shield her daughter from the talons of evil.

Paris, 1941. Sarah, a Jewish woman, finds herself trapped in the city with her five-year-old daughter, Rebecca, as World War II rages on. Desperate to escape the tightening grip of Nazi oppression, they attempt to flee to neutral Spain. However, their hopes are shattered as they are captured by the French police and sent to the Drancy internment camp, located north of Paris, where French Jews are being ruthlessly rounded up by the Nazi authorities.

Within the confines of the camp, surrounded by a bleak reality, Sarah strives to preserve Rebecca’s innocence through enchanting tales of a bear and the good hunters who watch over it. Yet, even as she weaves these tales of hope, Sarah must also teach her daughter the harsh lessons of survival and how to defend herself against those who seek to harm them.

As time slips away, it becomes increasingly clear that the Germans are determined to send all the Jews in the camp to a single, horrifying destination – a notorious camp in the East, only whispered about in fearful tones.

With the fate of the trains looming ever closer, Sarah faces an impossible choice. Will she find a way to keep Rebecca safe from the iron grasp of the Nazis, or will their fates be sealed by the cruelty of war?

This powerful women’s fictional novel tells the story of a mother’s unwavering love, a testament to the unbreakable bond between parent and child in the face of unimaginable adversity. This book will grip your heart and linger in your mind long after the final page is turned.

Currently available on Kindle Unlimited

About the Author:

Alex Amit is a historical fiction writer and author of the novels “The Girl Under the Flag,” “The Wounded Nurse,” “Until I Hold You Again,” and “A Woman’s Flame.”

After dedicating more than a decade to learning the history of WW2 and armed with a BSc in Psychology, Alex’s writing focuses on women’s bravery during those dark days.

When Alex was a child, he would lie in his bed at night, reading history books, imagining himself traveling in a time machine to all those historical moments. Many years have passed, and finally, he built his time machine, using his words and imagination.

(media courtesy of the author's website)

(all opinions are my own)

The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W by Cate Green - #bookreview

 

My great-grandmother has only eighteen days to go. There's no need for alarm though. The doctors have not predicted her precise date of death, nor has she threatened hyper-geriatric suicide on that specific date. No, in eighteen days' time she will become the world's oldest person. Ever...

***

"I am the oldest person ever to have lived in this world. I am the one who lived through their monster camps and brought the ones left of my family to London to make more family. I am the one to laugh at those angry, evil people and tell them, you see, I made it through. We made it through. This is enough. It is my world's record."

Family matriarch and Holocaust survivor Nora Wojnaswki is about to become the oldest person in the world, ever, and her family are determined to celebrate in style.

But Nora isn’t your average centenarian and she has other ideas. When she disappears with her carer Arifa on a trip down memory lane in the East End of London, a wartime secret, buried deep for over 70 years, will finally be revealed.

***

I frequently have several books on the go at one time. I suspect many book bloggers are the same as we have review deadlines to meet for blog tours and so on.  But sometimes, I get to read a book for pleasure, and what a wonderfully pleasurable experience reading this book was. Amongst, the several books I was reading, this was the one which kept calling to me to pick it up again.

Nora is one of the best characters I have come across in my reading. She is 122 years old, rather curmudgeonly but with a mostly sharp brain and a sense of humour. However, she does not suffer fools gladly and when her family decide to throw a huge party for her on the day she officially becomes the oldest person in the world, she is not slow in making her feelings known in that she would rather spend it quietly.

When she leaves her care home to stay with Arifa, who is one of her carers and a refugee from Aleppo, her family are outraged. But Nora is back in the East End of London where all her memories are, and she is determined to stay put. Both women have lived through the horrors and losses of war. They have more in common than even they realise.

In both Nora and Arifa the author has created two fantastic characters. Strong women with a lifetime of traumatic experiences behind them. Nora has been based on the author's own mother-in-law and her writing demonstrates how clearly she understands her character. There is an authenticity to her that she has captured perfectly.

Although there is reference to the past the book is very much set in the here and now. When one of the characters has an accident the action shifts very much to the present. But for Nora, it creates a blending of past and present and the reader is given further insight into her past.

It is a powerful and heartfelt book to read, and I loved every single word of it. It is a book to make you laugh and cry. I do not think I will ever forget Nora and I highly recommend this book.

This is Ms. Green's debut novel, and I am sincerely hoping that she has more books in the pipeline.

ISBN: 978 0008562526

Publisher: One More Chapter

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  384 (paperback)

About the Author:

Originally from London, Cate Green now lives and writes in Lyon, France.

Her debut novel The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W. was inspired by her late mother-in-law, a resilient and feisty Holocaust survivor who lived almost as long as Nora herself. It won the 2019 Exeter Novel Prize.

​Cate is a broadcast and print journalist and copywriter with over twenty years’ experience in international radio, television and corporate communications. She is currently working on her second novel. 

(author media courtesy of the author's website https://www.categreen.co.uk/about)

(all opinions are my own)

Newborn: Running Away, Breaking From the Past, Building a New Family by Kerry Hudson - #bookreview

 

When I go back into the bathroom there it is. No more than a whisper, a shadow of a second line. A life changed in a 1mm by 2mm blush of pink. I call Peter in and we stare, shining a phone torch light on it. I laugh and cry all at once...

***

In Newborn, prizewinning writer Kerry Hudson navigates trying to build a nourishing, safe and loving family - without a blueprint to work from

Kerry Hudson is celebrated for her emotionally and politically powerful writing about growing up in poverty. Her books and journalism have changed the conversation and touched countless lives.

In this new book she asks: what next, after a childhood like hers? What hope is there of creating a different life for herself, let alone future generations? We see how Kerry found love, what it took to decide to start a family of her own and how fragile every step of the journey towards parenthood was. All along the way, she faces obstacles that would test the strongest foundations, from struggles with fertility to being locked down in a Prague maternity hospital to a marriage in crisis. But over and over again, her love, hope, fight -- and determination to break patterns and give her son a different life -- win through and light her path.

Newborn is a beautiful, empowering memoir about creating a family in the midst of chaos, and learning new ways to find happiness. It continues the journey Kerry started in her bestselling memoir Lowborn, illuminating her experiences of becoming a mother, reshaping her future and reclaiming her identity.

***

I have not read the author's previous book, Lowborn, but there was sufficient reference to it during this book for me to pick up the gist. Having now read Newborn I would definitely like to go back and read her earlier work.

Kerry Hudson is a remarkable woman who has overcome great difficulties in her life. This is a brilliantly honest memoir. Not many of us would be brave enough to share our vulnerabilities in the way that she has and she is to be admired for it.

In Newborn, she has written a candid and authentic account of the challenges of pregnancy and new motherhood whilst trying to deal with personal illness in a foreign country. In fact, her descriptions of living in Prague are vibrant and imbue the book with life and colour. The difficulties of living as an expat whilst pregnant and during the pandemic were not insignificant as Ms. Hudson describes her experience extremely well.

She is an excellent writer and has honed her skill as a journalist. She tells her story succinctly and without sentimentality. She writes with intelligence and integrity and I highly recommend this book.

ISBN:  978 1784744991

Publisher:  Chatto & Windus

Formats:  e-book, audio and hardback

No. of Pages:  272 (hardback)

About the Author:

Kerry Hudson was born in Aberdeen. Her first novel, TONY HOGAN BOUGHT ME AN ICE-CREAM FLOAT BEFORE HE STOLE MY MA was published in 2012 by Chatto & Windus (Penguin Random House) and was the winner of the Scottish First Book Award while also being shortlisted for the Southbank Sky Arts Literature Award, Guardian First Book Award, Green Carnation Prize, Author’s Club First Novel Prize and the Polari First Book Award. Kerry’s second novel, THIRST, was published in 2014 by Chatto & Windus and won France’s most prestigious award for foreign fiction the Prix Femina Étranger. It was also shortlisted for the European Premio Strega in Italy. Her books are also available in the US (Penguin), France (Editions Philippe Rey), Italy (Minimum Fax) and Turkey.

Her book and memoir, LOWBORN, takes her back to the towns of her childhood as she investigates her own past and what it means to be poor in Britain today. It was a Radio 4 Book of the Week, a Guardian and Independent Book of the Year. It was longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and Portico Prize and shortlisted in the National Book Token, Books Are My Bag Reader’s Awards and the Saltire Scottish Non-Fiction Book of the Year.

(book courtesy of the publisher)

(all opinions are my own)

River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure - #bookreview

 

A man called Lu Fang stole Alva's mother in Grand Ballroom B of Shanghai's Imperial Hotel. The 88,888-yuan luncheon wedding came with five cold appetizers, two soups, four meat dishes, three seafood dishes, plus Western-style black pepper steak, sugar-cream cake, and artificial flower bouquets. So expensive, yet so tasteless, Alva thought as she took in the windowless function room, the musty red-and-gold carpeting, the fabric petals scattered over each banquet table. Nothing like the white and pastel wedding of American movies, the candles and gazebos, the bridesmaids in their flowing gowns. Then again, her mother wasn't that kind of bride...

***

Shanghai, 2007: feeling betrayed by her American mother’s engagement to their rich landlord Lu Fang, fourteen-year-old Alva begins plotting her escape. But the exclusive American School – a potential ticket out – is not what she imagined.

Qingdao, 1985: newlywed Lu Fang works as a lowly shipping clerk. Though he aspires to a bright future, he is one of many casualties of harsh political reforms. Then China opens up to foreigners and capital, and Lu Fang meets a woman who makes him question what he should settle for...

A mesmerising reversal of the east–west immigrant narrative set against China’s economic boom, River East, River West is a deeply moving exploration of race, identity and family, of capitalism’s false promise and private dreams. 

***

This fabulous book is being published today, and when I was offered an advanced readers copy I jumped at the chance to read it. I enjoy reading books which are set in China. I have a daughter-in-law who is Chinese and I always embrace the opportunity to learn more about her country and culture.

Written with a dual narrative and timeline, Lu Fang, who is Alva's Chinese stepfather, tells his part of the story beginning in 1985 when he first meets Alva's American mother, Sloan. The narrative of Alva who is of mixed American/Chinese heritage picks up in 2007 and the author weaves these two narratives together seamlessly.

Both of the main characters made this book relatable and Ms. Lescure clearly understands her characters and completely inhabits them. Both Alva and Lu Fang were interesting in very different ways. However, what binds them together is Alva's mother, and that they both share the American dream. Alva longs to leave her Chinese school and to enrol in the International School in order to mix with the American expat community. Lu Fang wants nothing more than for his son to go to America to make a name for himself and his family. Both envisage a status that they do not feel is possible to achieve in China.

By contrast, Alva's mother Sloan, does not want to return to America. For her, China allows her to be someone of significance, to stand out in a crown and to attract the attention that she craves. This made for an interesting reversal of the East/West immigrant story through China's modern history.

However, it was familiar in it's description of the teenage experience. There were many occasions when I could forsee the danger that Alva was getting herself into. As a reader, I wanted to shout at her in order to stop her progressing any further down such a dangerous path. I was completely invested in her story. Equally, there were times when Lu Fang's narrative moved me to tears.

The writing in this book is beautiful and there were times it took my breath away. I can hardly believe that Aube Rey Lescue is a debut writer and she is definitely one to watch. It is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it.

ISBN: 978 0715655399

Publisher:  Duckworth Books

Formats:  e-book and hardback

No. of Pages:  352 (hardback)

About the Author:

Aube Rey Lescure is a French-Chinese-American writer who grew up between Shanghai, northern China and the south of France. After receiving her BA fro Yale University, she worked in foreign policy and has coauthored and translated two books on Chinese politics and economics. She was an Ivan Gold Fellow, a Pauline Scheer Fellow, and an artist-in-residence at the Studios of Key West and Willapa Bay AiR. Her fiction and creative nonfiction have appeared in Guernica, The Best American Essay 2022, The Florida Review online, and more. She is the deputy edotor of Off Assignment.

(ARC courtesy of the publisher)

(all opinions are my own)

Back to Her Future by Cary Hansson - #bookreview

Tuesday 14th January 1986

Dear Mery,

I'm writing this letter even though I haven't got your address. Mum says she's sure we'll get one soon. I thought I'd write because otherwise I'm going to forget all the things I need to tell you. It's been twenty-four days already and I miss you.

***

Meryem has learned to look out for number one.

Abducted as a teenager from England to Turkey, where she was forced to marry a man twice her age, thirty years later she is finally free to live life on her own terms.

She is divorced and wealthy, working a lucrative job in Dubai when a whispered confession from her dying father turns her world upside down, and sets her on a path to discover the truth.

The first step is a return to London, and her childhood best friend, Alma.

But the women, once so close, struggle to reconnect as forgotten memories and shocking revelations surrounding Meryem's abduction, tear open unhealed wounds for both of them.

 Beautifully and boldly written, Cary J Hansson merges history, everyday circumstances and aching tragedy into an unforgettable narrative.

Back to Her Future is the compelling first novel in The Gen X Series of women’s contemporary fiction. If you like scarred but resilient heroines, nostalgic interludes, and transformative epiphanies, then you’ll love The Gen X Series.

***

Wow! It is rare that I begin a review with such an expression but on this occasion there is no other word which will do. This is a fantastic novel and was easily a five star read for me.

I have previously read all three books in the author's Midlife series and I am posting links to my review of each of those books below. I really enjoyed all three of them and highly recommend them. 

When I picked this book up, I was expecting it to be as good. However, my expectations were surpassed. In Back to Her Future, the first in a new series, Ms Hansson writes with depth and self assuredness and it is a delight to witness how accomplished her writing has become.

She has delved deeply into the complex lives of the three women in the book, Meryam, Alma and Sammy, who were friends as children. Life has taken them in very different directions and when they come together again as adults, it is not without problems.

The author demonstrates a depth of understanding of her characters. Each of them is complex in her own way, and I enjoyed the way in which the author brings the three of them to a point of understanding of one another, and themselves.

There are some difficult themes running throughout this book but there is nothing gratuitous and they are dealt with sensitively and compassionately. The story also looks at identity and culture and how they make us act.

However, the thing that is common to all these women is the guilt that they carry for one reason or another. Add to that themes of motherhood, friendship and forgiveness along with some excellent writing and you have a superb book.

The narrative is written through prose and a series of letters from the past and this permits the reader to understand the situation from differing perspectives.

All in all, this is an excellent book which I highly recommend. I can hardly wait for the second book in the series.

ISBN: 978 9152786017

Publisher:  Hansson Publishing

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

No. of Pages:  326 (paperback)

Links to Previous Reviews

A Midlife Holiday

A Midlife Baby

A Midlife Gamble

About the Author:

Cary’s  work has been shortlisted in national and international competitions. She writes for various publications, digital and print. She lives in Stockholm, where she enjoys a glass of wine and a cold water swim daily, but not in that order.

(book and media courtesy of the author)

(all opinions are my own)

How Not to Murder Your Ex by Katie Marsh - #bookreview #blogtour

 

On the many occasions Clio had imagined murdering her husband, it had never been anything like this. Her mind's eye had always turned away from what came next - avoiding the gore that would accompany the click of a trigger or the scream that might follow his flailing body after it was pushed from a cliff. She had never been serious, anyway. Everyone knew that. It was just Clio saying her piece, moaning about Gary the way she always did. People thought it was funny - last week her darts team had even stuck his picture over the bullseye for their Friday night match...

***

It is 5:30 am on Clio's forty-fifth birthday and her hated ex is lying dead on her doorstep. Even worse, this is no accident. Someone’s killed him...

When single mum Clio’s ex Gary turns up dead on the doorstep of her caravan – the one she’s been forced to live in ever since he stole every penny she had – there’s only one suspect. Her.

What’s more, she doesn’t remember much about the night he was killed – not just because of the forgetfulness that’s been plaguing her along with the hot flushes – but because she definitely had one too many cocktails with her two best friends Amber and Jeanie.

Clio does remember them talking about how much they all hated him though. And, in the frame for murder, she has to ask herself – if she didn’t kill Gary, who did? One of his many enemies? Or someone a little closer to home? And can she and her friends find the real killer before it’s too late?

***

This is an excellent book about the friendship of three women, Clio, Amber and Jeanie. It is about the lengths they will go to protect their friend when she is wrongly accused of murder.

In fact, whilst there is much to recommend this book, it is the friendship between the three women that is to the fore. They never doubt one another, and at all times the bond between them is their focus, sometimes to the detriment of their own families. At other times, it is the wider family that drive their actions and cement their bond even further.

Throughout the book, the chapters are presented from the perspective of each of the three women which provides further insight into their thoughts and actions. However, the are also chapters devoted to the perspective of the murder victim, Gary. He was not a character that the author intended us to like. In fact, the insight into his mind and conceitedness was sufficient to make us sympathise with Clio even further.

There were sufficient twists and turns in the mystery element of this book to keep me guessing. In fact, it was only shortly before the reveal that I realised who the murderer was.

The book finished at a point where there is ample scope for this to become a series. I sincerely hope that the author does continue with this as the book was both engaging and entertaining and I would love to read more of these characters.

ISBN:  978 1785138768

Publisher:  Boldwood Books

Formats:  e-book, audio and hardback

No. of Pages:  308 (hardback)

About the Author:

Katie Marsh wrote five bestselling, uplifting women’s fiction novels before turning to cosy crime for Boldwood. Previously published by Hodder, the first in her new crime series  How Not To Murder Your Ex, following the fortunes of the Bad Girls Detective Agency, will be published in December 2023.

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

(all opinions are my own)

10 Year Blogversary - My Favourite Book from 2017 - The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff - #BookReview

 

They will be looking for me by now.

I pause on the granite steps of the museum, reaching for the railing to steady myself. Pain, sharper than ever, creaks through my left hip, not perfectly healed from last year's break. Across the Avenue Winston Churchill, behind the glass dome of the Grand Palais, the March sky is rosy at dusk.

I peer around the edge of the arched entranceway of the Petit Palais. From the massive stone columns hangs a red banner two stories high...

***

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her baby.

She lives above a small rail station, which she cleans in order to earn her keep… When Noa discovers a boxcar containing dozens of Jewish infants bound for a concentration camp, she is reminded of the child that was taken from her.

In a moment that will change the course of her life, Noa snatches a baby and flees into the snowy night. And so begins this remarkable, harrowing story of friendship, sacrifice and survival in World War II from the international bestselling author, Pam Jenoff.

***

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 2017 and was originally posted on 10th October of that year.  

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 absorbed me from the very first page and captivated me right through to the end with it's original portrayal of the events of World War II. The circus setting for this novel dealt with the very serious circumstances that war brought to occupied territories but within the outwardly colourful and vibrant setting of the circus.

The chapters alternate between the two main characters of Noa and Astrid. I must confess there were times I could not find their individual voices but I was so gripped by their story that this really did not seem to matter. It was very interesting to observe their relationship develop as the back story for both of these characters was heartbreaking. Their bravery was astonishing and I felt nothing but admiration for them.

Based on true events Ms Jenoff  successfully weaves fact into fiction and has created a thoroughly well researched and captivating read.

Ultimately, this is an uplifting story of survival that I could not wait to get back to between reading sessions. It is a heartfelt and memorable story that I could imagine reading for a second time - and there are very few books that I place in that category.

ISBN: 978 1848455368

Publisher:  HQ

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  368

About the Author:

Pam Jenoff is the author of several books of historical fiction, including the NYT bestseller The Orphan's Tale. She holds a degree in international affairs from George Washington University and a degree in history from Cambridge, and she received her JD from UPenn. Her novels are inspired by her experiences working at the Pentagon and as a diplomat for the State Department handling Holocaust issues in Poland. She lives with her husband and 3 children near Philadelphia, where she teaches law.

(author media info courtesy of the author's website https://pamjenoff.com/)

(all opinions are my own)

10 Year Blogversary - My Favourite Book from 2016 - The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer

 

I dream about Carmel often. In my dreams she's always walking backwards.

The day she was born there was snow on the ground. A silvery light arced through the window as I held her in my arms.

As she grew up I nicknamed her 'my little hedge child'. I couldn't imagine her living anywhere but the countryside. Her thick curly hair stood out like a spray of breaking glass, or a dandelion clock...

***

Carmel is missing - but doesn't know she's lost.

When sensitive, distracted eight-year-old Carmel becomes separated from her mother at a local children's festival, a man claiming to be her estranged grandfather finds her - and takes her.

Unable to accept the possibility that her daughter might be gone for good, Beth makes it her mission to find her. But in what she's told is her new family, Carmel has embarked on an extraordinary journey, one that will make her question who she is - and who she might become.

***

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 2016 and was originally posted on 8th January of that year.  I noted the price as costing £5.59 for the paperback that day. Today the same edition would cost £4.99 from the same retailer which is a little cheaper than it was at the time.

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 is a splendidly well thought out novel and was a fantastic read.

While I was reading this I could not help but be reminded of real life abduction cases i.e. Ben Needham, Madeleine McCan and many other lower profile cases of missing children. I think this made the story all the more real and relevant and, as a mother myself, my heart ached for the desperation felt by Carmel's mother Beth, as she lived through this nightmare.

What I thought was really clever about this book was the way the chapters alternated between Beth and Carmel which gave the novel two distinct voices throughout and allowed the reader to empathise with both characters.

What was uppermost in my mind whilst reading this book was whether Beth and Carmel would be reunited in the end. Now, as you all know, my reviews never contain spoilers, so suffice to say that I was kept guessing to the very end. I shall say no more!

The characters, the atmosphere and the plot was all wonderfully well executed being believable, intriguing and compelling.

Once again, I am amazed that this is a debut novel and not at all surprised that it was shortlisted for the Costa Book Award 2015. This is a novel of great skill and Ms Hamer is definitely one to watch.

ISBN: 978 0571313266

Publisher:  Faber & Faber

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  384 (paperback)

About the Author:

Kate grew up Pembrokeshire and has had a passion for books since being a small child.  She has written stories ever since she could hold a pencil. She studied art in university then worked in television for over ten years - mostly on documentaries, much of which involved using her writing skills. She studied creative writing at Aberystwyth University and won a prize there for the 'best beginning to a novel' - the book that went on to be 'The Girl in the Red Coat.'

She won the Rhys Davies short story prize in 2011 and the winning story was read out on Radio 4.

Kate currently lives in Cardiff with her husband and Mimi the cat. 

Playing the Witch Card by KJ Dell'Antonia - #BookReview

 

Other people, when forced to start over, do so in appropriate places. New York. Los Angeles. Bozeman. Only Flair would wind up in Kansas, dragging a hand-painted, life-sized figue of Jack Skellington into her bakery and wondering where to hide it until the horror show that was Halloween in Rattleboro finally lurched to an end this weekend.

Flair hated seeing even the outside of her tidy space besmirched with the trappings of a ridiculous holiday that invited exactly the kind of chaos that she normally kept firmly at bay...

***

When Flair Hardwicke returns to the tiny town of Rattleboro to take over her grandmother’s beloved bakery, she believes she’s prepared for anything. All she needs is her daughter Lucie, and to get as far away from her cheating ex-husband as physically possible. But sweet treats weren’t the only thing her grandmother was known for in Rattleboro, and as determined as Flair is to avoid it, a misbehaving deck of tarot card-shaped cookies draws her back into the web of family magic she’s fought so hard to escape.

Even worse: her first love is in town. Flair hasn’t spoken to Jude Oakes, now a famous chocolatier, since he broke her heart at seventeen. When Flair finds she’s accidentally summoned Lucie’s father to Rattleboro under a curse she can’t break, the recipe for Halloween chaos seems to be complete.

But not everything in Rattleboro is as it seems. As Flair’s family is threatened, she is forced to put aside everything she thinks she knows about love, witchcraft, motherhood―and herself. Because Flair might think she’s done with magic, but magic certainly isn’t done with Flair.

***

This is a lighthearted cozy witchy book that is ideal to read in the run-up to Halloween.

Set in the town of Rattleboro, this book oozes with the atmosphere of this small town in America. It sparks with rivalry, romance and relationships. It was very much about the relationship between mother and daughter.

The main character, Flair, is at times funny and there were many times I chuckled at her reactions. Indeed, many of the characters were larger than life. I particularly enjoyed watching the relationship between Flair, her mother and her daughter play out. 

Flair originally left Rattleboro in an attempt to leave behind her magical skills, and she certainly does not want her daughter, Lucie, to be any part of it. However, now that she has inherited her grandmother's bakery, she is back in her home town, attempting to resist it's and her magic. However, when she makes tarot shaped biscuits they are imbued with a magic of their own and she and the magic are thrust back together.

This is a fun and entertaining read which will appeal to fans of light hearted witch themed books.

ISBN: 978 1803366845

Publisher: Titan Books

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  336 (paperback)

About the Author:

KJ Dell’Antonia is a New York Times best-selling author whose novels The Chicken Sisters and In Her Boots explore the same themes she once explored as a journalist: the importance of finding joy in our families, the challenge of figuring out what makes us happy and the need to value the life we’re living more than the one in our phones and laptops, every single time. Her third novel, Playing the Witch Card, throws magic into the mix, but witchcraft, like reality TV and literary fraud, rarely really solves anyone’s problems. She is also the former editor of the New York Times’ Motherlode blog, the co-host of the #AmWriting podcast,  and a passionate bookstagrammer (@kjda).  She lives in Lyme, New Hampshire, with her husband, children and assorted dogs, cats, chickens and horses.

(author photo and bio courtesy of the author's website https://kjdellantonia.com/)

(ARC courtesy of NetGalley)

(all opinions are my own)

The Foundling by Stacey Halls - #BookReview

 

All the babies were wrapped like presents ready to be given. Some of them were dressed finely - though their mothers were not - in tiny embroidered sleeves and thick shawls, for winter had arrived, and the night was biting. I'd bound Clara in an old blanket that had waited years to be darned, and now never would be. We stood clustered around the pillared entrance, thirty or so of us, like moths beneath the torches burning in their brackets, our hearts beating like papery wings. I hadn't known that a hospital for abandoned babies would be a palace, with a hundred glowing windows and a turning place for carriages. Two long and splendid buildings were pinned either side of a courtyard that was connected in the middle by a chapel. At the north end of the west wing the door stood open, throwing light onto the stone. The gate felt a long way behind. Some of us would leave with our arms empty; some would carry our children out into the cold again. For this reason we could not look at one another, and kept our eyes on the ground.

***

London, 1754. Six years after leaving her illegitimate daughter Clara at London's Foundling Hospital, Bess Bright returns to reclaim the child she has never known. Dreading the worst, that Clara has died in care, Bess is astonished to be told she has already claimed her. Her life is turned upside down as she tries to find out who has taken her little girl - and why.

Less than a mile from Bess's lodgings in the city, in a quiet, gloomy townhouse on the edge of London, a young widow has not left the house in a decade. When her close friend - an ambitious young doctor at the Foundling Hospital - persuades her to hire a nursemaid for her daughter, she is hesitant to welcome someone new into her home and her life. But her past is threatening to catch up with her and tear her carefully constructed world apart.

From the bestselling author of The Familiars comes this captivating story of mothers and daughters, class and power, and love against the greatest of odds...

***

One of my criteria for judging the worth of a book is whether it makes me want to go away and find out more about it's subject matter. I was already aware of the Foundling Hospital and it's role in the eighteenth century, but even so, it has ignited a desire in me to learn more.

This book has a dual narrative told from the perspectives of the two main characters, Bess and Alexandra. In terms of social class, their lives could not be more different but ultimately their stories will intertwine.

Mostly, this is a story about motherhood and what it means to be a mother. It questions whether financial security should come before love or vice versa.

The author has done a great job of immersing her readers into the eighteenth century and she has researched the period well. She brought Georgian England to life with a range of vivid descriptions of both the time and place.

Ms. Halls is a skilled storyteller. This is the first of her books which I have read but I would like to read more.

ISBN: 978 1838771409

Publisher:  Bonnier Books

Formats:  e-book, audio, paperback and hardback

No. of Pages:  370 (paperback)

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About the Author:

Stacey Halls was born in 1989 and grew up in Rossendale, Lancashire. She studied journalism at the University of Central Lancashire and has written for publications including the Guardian, Stylist, Psychologies, The Independent, The Sun and Fabulous.

Her first book The Familiars was the bestselling debut novel of 2019. The Foundling is her second novel.

(author photo and information from the author's website http://www.staceyhalls.com/about/)

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*Disclosure: I only recommend books I would buy myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains an affiliate link from which I may earn a small commission.

A Mother's War by Helen Parusel - #BookReview #blogtour @HelenParusel

 

The sounds of the fjord were different that night. Laila lay in bed, listening: a faint drone beneath the whine of the wind, a low hum from the churning sea. She heard a shout. Her body stiffened. More shouts. She kicked back her eiderdown and swung her feet onto the wooden floor. Her long, white nightdress twisted around her ankles as she darted to the window. Ice and snow covered the glass. She pulled at the window but the old frame jammed. A jiggle and a yank; she forced it open. Raw air gushed in and covered her face in a cold mist.

Through the swirl of snowflakes, she saw a mass of grey-black silhouettes hulking across the fjord. People with torches and binoculars were gathered along the shore. A man pointed and the crowd ran from the waters edge...

***

Narvik, 1940. After Laila awakens to the sight of warships in the fjord, it isn't long before she turns resistor to the brutal Nazi regime. She is horrified when local girls begin affairs with enemy soldiers, yet against her own principles, she finds herself falling in love with German soldier, Josef.

Josef is not like the others. He becomes involved in helping her and the locals with resistance activities, risking his life on more than one occasion.

But then Laila finds out she is pregnant. With Josef sent to the Russian front, and Laila cast out by her family, she turns to a home for women which promises to care for her and her unborn child. But instead, she finds herself caught in a system of evil far beyond what she thought possible…

***

There are many books on the market which are set during WWII. This particular book is an excellent addition and in fact offers something a little different. Set in Norway during the occupation there was much to glean about life for Norwegian people during this time.

We also learn much about the Lebensborn homes - a place where Norwegian women who were pregnant with the baby of a German soldier, could go to be cared for and give birth to their babies. However, all is not as it seems and the author has clearly researched this very well.

Laila is a marvellous main character and we follow her along her physical and emotional journey. She is a strong woman who we observe as discovering hidden resources and bravery within herself that she did not know that she possessed.

It was an emotional read. Not in that it was a tear jerker but there were points that were sad coupled with parts that were joyous. Without giving anything away, suffice to say that the book has a very satisfying ending, which always gives me pleasure in a book.

As a debut novel, I think this book is excellent and I am looking forward to seeing what else the author will offer us in the future.

ISBN:  978 1837515257

Publisher:  Boldwood Books

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages: 352 (paperback)

Purchase link

About the Author:

Helen is from London but now lives in Hamburg, Germany with her husband and daughter. She gave English lessons to retired Germans for twenty years and became intrigued by many of their wartime stories.

Her mother comes from Linz, Austria and she spent her summer holidays there for years which inspired her next novel. She has always loved reading and writing, and now finally has the time to devote to writing.

(ARC and author media via Rachel's Random Resources)

The Little Venice Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin - #bookreview #blogtour

In the distance, the rocky mountains of Missoula sit sombrely under an expanse of sky so big it feels like we're the only ones left in the world. On the velvety grass, I lie back on my elbows as Mom loops daisies together like the ultimate flower child.

'It's time for you to fly free, baby girl.' She always knows.

'How...?'

Mom gives me a slow smile. 'You don't think a mother recognises when her own child has itchy feet? Wanderlust can be a curse as much as it can be a cure. But I have to let you go - as hard as it'll be. I expect phone calls every week.'

***

A bundle of mysterious letters. A trip to Venice. A journey she’ll never forget.

When Luna loses her beloved mother, she’s bereft: her mother was her only family, and without her Luna feels rootless. Then the chance discovery of a collection of letters in her mother’s belongings sends her on an unexpected journey.

Following a clue in the letters, Luna packs her bags and heads to Venice, to a gorgeous but faded bookshop overlooking the canals, hoping to uncover the truth about her mother’s mysterious past.

Will Luna find the answers she’s looking for – and finally find the place she belongs?

***

Who can resist a book about a book shop? I certainly cannot and this was such a lovely book. Truth be told, it was a little slow to get going but it was absolutely worth hanging in there.

Luna, the main character of this story, was easy to identify with. I could understand her grief and her need to explore her feelings. I loved her adventurous spirit and enjoyed accompanying her on her personal journey while she considers her place in life now that she has lost her mother. Her story did not pan out entirely the way I had expected but that made for an even greater reading experience. 

I enjoyed reading about the secondary characters too. Oscar, Giancarlo and Gigi were equally well rounded... and let's not forget all the cats which inhabit the bookshop.

It was set in the titular Venice and I almost felt as though I was there. The book did not get bogged down in description but it was sufficient to make me want to pack my bags and go there.

It is a heartwarming read in which books that are damaged are given a new lease of life before being restored and loved again by new customers. The books served as a metaphor for Luna's life and echoed her own feelings and situation.

I will defintely be checking out more titles from this author.

ISBN: 9780008559366

Publisher:  HQ Digital

Formats:  e-boo, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  272 (paperback)

About the Author:

Rebecca Raisin writes heartwarming romance from her home in sunny Perth, Australia. Her heroines tend to be on the quirky side and her books are usually set in exotic locations so her readers can armchair travel any day of the week. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous heroes who have brains as well as brawn, is falling in love with them – just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true, once in a lifetime love. Her bestselling novel Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop has been optioned for film with MRC studios and Frolic Media.

(ARC & author info courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

Hold My Girl by Charlene Carr - #bookreview

 

She couldn't think about the voicemail. Katherine inhaled sharply. The muscles in her neck clenched. She took another deep breath, willing herself to relax. She wouldn't think about it. Not today. Instead, she thought of Patrick. Patrick, who managed to get to work on time, who kept perfect records for his clients, who never forgot a friend's birthday, but could not, no matter how much she emphasized the importance of it, put the keys in the bowl by the front door.

They needed a second set. They'd had a second set, of course, but Patrick had lost it.

***

TWO WOMEN. ONE BABY. A FIGHT LIKE NO OTHER.

Katherine has everything under control.

After years of struggling to conceive with her partner, Patrick, she finally gives birth to Rose, her IVF miracle child. But she's afraid that Rose may not be her daughter, her pale skin not matching Katherine's own.

pTess never got her happy ending.

Just like Katherine, she was also a hopeful IVF mother, but her daughter, Hanna, was stillborn. Now divorced, broke and stuck in a dead-end job, she's beginning to lose all hope.

But when Rose is ten months old, both women get a call from the fertility clinic. There was a mistake: their eggs were switched.

It will take a custody battle like no other to decide who will get to be Rose's mother – a battle that will push them both to the brink...

This is a story about what it means to be a mother, and the lengths we go to for the people we love.

***

I have not read anything quite like this before and I was absolutely gripped by it.

The babies switched at birth and given to the wrong parents is a familiar trope. However, the author takes this premise but has the eggs switched prior to uterine implantation at a fertility clinic. This was a very interesting take and it forces the reader to consider their own reaction if they were in a similar position.

It also provides for an interesting peek into the world of IVF, and I learnt much about the process in this book.  It made for a fascinating read with the chapters moving from the perspectives of Katherine, the birth mother, and Tess, the biological mother. Their viewpoints were emotional and my heart broke for both of them.

It is a heart-rending and thought provoking novel which has been well written and deals with issues concerning ethics, race and moral dilemma. There is much to unpack in this book and it would lend itself very well to book group discussion.

I highly recommend this excellent novel.

ISBN: 978 1802793321

Publisher:  Welbeck

Formats:  e-book, audio and hardback

No. of Pages:  432

About the Author:

Bestselling Women's Fiction and Contemporary author Charlene Carr is the youngest of four children and the only girl. Living in a house full of boys taught her to fight for what she wants and to always reach higher (you have to when everyone in your family towers above you).

She spent much of her childhood creating elaborate, multi-faceted storylines for her dolls and reading under the blankets with a flashlight when she was supposed to be asleep.

A bit of a nomad, she’s lived in four countries and seven Canadian provinces. After travelling the globe for several years and working an array of mostly writing related jobs, she decided the time had come to focus exclusively on her true love—crafting stories.

Charlene is a novelist and stay-at-home mom: her two dream jobs. She lives in Nova Scotia, Canada and loves exploring the coastline of her harbour town with her husband and young daughter.