Showing posts with label role of women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label role of women. Show all posts

Wednesday, 22 October 2025

A New Recruit for the Resistance Girls by Alice G. May - #bookreview #blogtour


April 1942

I didn't know what to say to break the silence. I'd never seen Connie so furious. She seemed fine when we left our shared billet in the Nissen huts...


The Blurb

They said women were a liability in war. They were wrong...

March 1940

A woman desperate for escape…

A skilled mechanic, Fliss Makepeace chafes under the suffocating expectations of her family and society. Ordered to abandon her beloved engines for a 'woman's job' and pressured into a brutal marriage with the menacing Jake, Fliss feels trapped. But as the drums of war beat louder, she vows to serve King and Country rather than surrender to a life of quiet torment.

A chance to serve her country…

Joining the ATS offers Fliss not just a uniform, but freedom. Yet, a chance encounter with the formidable Major Stapleton propels her into an even deeper secret: a clandestine Women's Army, poised to become the British Resistance should Hitler invade. For Fliss, it's an undeniable call to duty—and a thrilling escape from her past.

And turn the tide of war?

At a secret research base, Fliss and the other ATS girls join scientists in a race against time to intercept Hitler's deadly bombing raids. The work is exhilarating, exhausting, and fraught with peril. When a vicious attack rocks the isolated compound, a chilling question echoes through the ranks: Is there a German spy in their midst? With their vital mission now at risk, Fliss must draw on every ounce of her mechanical ingenuity and intuition to unmask the traitor before their secret war plans—and their lives—are shattered.



My Review

This is the second book in the Resistance Girls series. In this instance, I have previously read the first, The Resistance Girls and you can find my review here. That said, this book works perfectly well as a standalone novel.

The book is set during WWII, when women suddenly found themselves presented with opportunities that previously would have only been available to men. The main character in this book, Fliss, flees her home and joins the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Services.) It is not long before Major Stapleton realises that Fliss is a resilient woman and that she has the potential to become an undercover agent.

This is a compelling and easy read. I was rooting for Fliss all the way.  The author has done a great job in developing her character. I loved reading of her refusal to just accept her lot in the society in which she lived. As an intelligent working class young woman, she was highly relatable, and it was satisfying to read how a woman could become so recognised for her skills in what was very much a man's world.

The story moved along at an appropriate pace for the genre, and I found myself turning the pages rapidly to see what would come next.  It is an exciting read and anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially that which portrays strong women during wartime, will enjoy this book very much.

I have also read and reviewed other books by this author, and you can find my reviews via the links below.

The Mid-Life Trials of Annabeth Hope

How to Draw a Giraffe: The Alice May Way


Book Details

ISBN:  978 1837035137

Publisher:  Boldwood Books

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

No. of Pages:  368 (paperback)

Series: Book 2 in the Resistance Girls series



Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US


About the Author


Alice G. May writes contemporary, historical and saga fiction. Her series, The Resistance Girls is inspired by the true story of a highly trained secret army of women working undercover to protect British coastal communities during World War Two.

Alice also writes non-fiction, including a memoir (The House That Sat Down Trilogy) and a colourful series of 'How to Draw The Alice May Way' books, suitable for all ages. She loves public speaking and regularly attends writing festivals, libraries and social groups to give presentations.

You can also find Alice at:

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Author Newsletter






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

(all opinions are my own)


Tuesday, 16 September 2025

The Irish Midwife by Seana Tinley - #bookreview #blogtour

The day Peggy Cassidy's life changed forever began with the birth of a baby. At the ripe old age of sixteen - nearly seventeen - she had seen almost a hundred babies born, and every single birth had been unique.


The Blurb

Can she finally put herself first, in order to find love?

Peggy Cassidy is a milly, working in the Belfast linen mills to just about get by. But Peggy also has another job - a secret one. She works as a handywoman - an illegal midwife, tending to the women of her community in their time of need.

When Peggy is offered the chance to leave Belfast to receive formal midwifery training in Dublin, it sets off a chain of events that will change her life forever.

But amongst her middle-class colleagues, Peggy must keep the truth about her past secret at all times. If the realities of her life in Belfast are revealed, she could lose everything she has worked for.

And when she meets a well-to-do doctor down in Dublin, she must make a decision: should she protect her family and her history? Or can she let herself fall in love?


My Review

I enjoyed this novel, which is set in Belfast, very much.

Peggy is the main character, and she was delightful. She is a fantastic creation who is an honest, intelligent and loyal young woman. Having worked as a handywoman (a form of midwifery that preceded trained midwives in Ireland), when she has the opportunity to train as a registered midwife, she must keep her previous work a secret. Being such an honest person, she struggles with this. Added to this, when she falls in love with a medical student who she knows her family will disapprove of, her loyalty to them is also put to the test.

It was difficult for Peggy to fit into the midwifery course, which is usually only open to middle-class young women from respectable backgrounds. However, Peggy comes from a poor, working-class background. It is testament to her that she is able to fit into this environment, form friendships, and earn respect.

The book has much to say about prejudice on both sides of the class structure. Both have preconceived ideas of the other, and Peggy was a vehicle for breaking down those prejudices to a certain point.

It was a lovely book to read. It was an easy, entertaining and informative novel, which I recommend.  It will appeal to fans of the television series, Call the Midwife, as well as to all lovers of historical fiction.

I understand that it is the first in a planned series, and I'm already very keen to read the next one.


Book Details

ISBN:  978 1399747684

Publisher:  Hodder

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  416 (paperback)

Series: First book in a new series


Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US


About the Author


Seána Tinley is an Irish author of saga historical romance. She also writes regency romance as Catherine Tinley.

After a career encompassing speech and language therapy, Sure Start, being president of a charity, and managing a maternity service, she now works as NI Country Director for a leading UK charity.

Seána was appointed as chair of the Romantic Novelists’Association in August 2024.

You can also find Seana at:

Author Website

Instagram

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Bluesky





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

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)


Monday, 4 August 2025

Winter Wishes for the Home Front Nurses by Rachel Brimble - #bookreview #blogtour


Bath, 1942

"V! Wait for us! Have You heard the news?"

Startled from her worries, Veronica Campbell halted near the hospital entrance and spun around as her best friends and fellow nursing colleagues... hurried towards her...


The Blurb

Winter, 1942.

Secrets abound for the Home Front Nurses, but will one of them be able to tell the truth about her past before Christmas?

As the weather turns cold, and the war rages on, Veronica Campbell finds herself loving her job as a home front nurse more than ever. She’s spending time with her beloved best friends Sylvia and Freda, as well as assisting on life-saving operations with her fellow nurse Betty Wilson, and feeling valued and happy.

But at home, she wishes things were different. Because even cosied up by the fireside of her lovely little house, there’s a man who lives on her street. Someone she’d once thought she could trust, who – five years ago – had violently attacked her. His threats to her remain, but she’s been terrified into silence.

But everything changes when Betty needs somewhere to stay for Christmas, and Veronica impulsively suggests she move in with her. But can she trust Betty enough to let her guard down and tell her what happened that fateful day? Because if she doesn’t, they could both be at risk?



My Review

This book may be the third in the series, but not having read the previous two did not impact my enjoyment of this book in any way. Enough information on the backstory is provided to fill in the major parts of the earlier ones in the series.

It is a very character-driven novel, and I really enjoyed meeting the three main characters, Veronica, Freda and Sylvia. Their close friendship is the main feature running through this book. They are all nurses at a hospital in Bath during 1942 while the war rages on, and at this stage, an end to it is not in sight. We follow their stories both within and out of the hospital.

It was gratifying to see how during this period the role of women was changing professionally. They were being offered opportunities which would have previously only been available for men. It was wonderful to see their careers begin to progress.

It deals with some difficult themes which the author dealt with sensitively and with realism. However, it is a book full of hope, which was also heartfelt and emotive. I particularly thought that she wrote of the attraction of one of the characters towards someone of the same sex movingly. 1942 was not a time when one could speak of homosexuality openly, and she handled this very well.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, and it has left me keen to read more. I recommend this one if you enjoy wartime sagas. A word of caution - the book does describe the rape of one of the characters, although it does not take place on the page.


Book Details

ISBN:  978 1835617939

Publisher:  Boldwood Books

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

No. of Pages:  296 (paperback)

Series:  Book 3 in the Home Front Nurses series


Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US


About the Author


Rachel Brimble is the bestselling author of over thirty works of historical romance and saga fiction. The first book in her series, The Home Front Nurses, is set in Bath.

You can also find Rachel at:

Author Newsletter

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Bluesky





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

(all opinions are my own)


Thursday, 10 July 2025

The Standing Stone on the Moor by Allie Cresswell - #bookreview #blogtour

Yorkshire 1845 - The moor was vast and largely impassable - an expanse of black bogs, impenetrable undergrowth and dense woody swathes of small tufted shrubs...

***

The Blurb

Yorkshire, 1845.

Folklore whispers that they used to burn witches at the standing stone on the moor. When the wind is easterly, it wails a strange lament. History declares it was placed as a marker, visible for miles—a signpost for the lost, directing them towards home.

Forced from their homeland by the potato famine, a group of itinerant Irish refugees sets up camp by the stone. They are met with suspicion by the locals, branded as ‘thieves and ne’er-do-wells.’ Only Beth Harlish takes pity on them, and finds herself instantly attracted to Ruairi, their charismatic leader.

Beth is the steward of nearby manor Tall Chimneys—a thankless task as the owners never visit. An educated young woman, Beth feels restless, like she doesn’t belong. But somehow ‘home’—the old house, the moor and the standing stone—exerts an uncanny magnetism. Thus Ruairi’s great sacrifice—deserting his beloved Irish homestead to save his family—resonates strongly with her.

Could she leave her home to be with him? Will he even ask her to?

As she struggles with her feelings, things take a sinister turn. The peaceable village is threatened by shrouded men crossing the moor at night, smuggling contraband from the coast. Worse, the exotic dancing of a sultry-eyed Irishwoman has local men in a feverish grip. Their womenfolk begin to mutter about spells and witchcraft. And burning.

The Irish refugees must move on, and quickly. Will Beth choose an itinerant life with Ruairi? Or will the power of ‘home’ be too strong? 


My Review

This was an excellent read, and I enjoyed every minute that I invested in reading it.

Although this is the third book in the Talbot series, it is something of a prequel to the rest of the books. It also worked perfectly well as a standalone novel, and it has definitely inspired me to read the others in the series.

Set in Yorkshire in 1845, the author has done an excellent job in conjuring up the atmosphere of the Yorkshire Moors. I could almost feel the wind howl against my face and the snow beneath my feet.

The main character, Beth, has been wonderfully well portrayed. She is a multi-faceted character who knows her own mind and lives life on her own terms, in as much as she could within the restrictions of a Victorian society. She has many decisions that she has to make throughout the story, and she does so with kindness and compassion for others on every occasion.

There is a large cast of characters in this book, but at no point in my reading did I find it difficult to keep track of who was who. In fact, there is a list of characters at the beginning of the book, but I did not need to refer to this. Each of the characters are portrayed in a genuine way, and they were utterly believable.

The book reminded me of reading the classics, partly perhaps because of the location where Emily Bronte based her book, Wuthering Heights. However, this is far from a retelling of another book. What it provides is a story that has plenty of interest, a variety of characters, and a strong plot. I'm not sure that as readers we ever want more than that from our fiction.

I was absolutely engrossed in this book. When I was away from my reading of it, it definitely had the ability to pull me back. I kept wondering what was happening in Beth's life. For me, that is the sign of an outstanding book - one that nags away at me to get back to it as quickly as possible.

The author is a great storyteller and conveyed her story in a way that was engaging throughout. This was a wonderful book, and now I cannot wait to read some of the others in the series.


Book Details

ISBN: 978 1739469979

Publisher: Allie Cresswell Ltd

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 531 (paperback)

Series: Book 3 of the Talbot Saga (can be read as a standalone)


Purchase Links


Amazon UK

Amazon US


About the Author


Allie has been writing fiction since she could hold a pencil. She has a BA and an MA in English Literature, specialising in the classics of the nineteenth century.

She has been a print-buyer, a pub landlady, a bookkeeper and the owner of a group of boutique holiday cottage but nowadays she writes full time.

She has two grownup children, five grandchildren and two cockapoos but just one husband, Tim. They live in the remote northwest of the UK.

The Standing Stone on the Moor is her sixteenth novel. 

You can also find Allie at:

Author Website

Instagram





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

(all opinions are my own)



Tuesday, 8 July 2025

Butter by Asako Yuzuki and Translated by Polly Barton - #bookreview


The row of tall, narrow houses all in the same shade of ecru trailed up the gently sloping hill, with no end in sight. Everywhere in this well-kept neighbourhood left a seamlessly uniform impression, and Rika Machida had begun to feel as if she were circling round and round a single spot.

***

The Blurb

There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine.

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back.

Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body. Might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?

Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, 'The Konkatsu Killer', Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, gripping exploration of misogyny, obsession and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.

The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story, and translated by Polly Barton.


My Review

This is a unique book, and I cannot recall anything similar in my reading experience.

It is a genre-defying novel based on fact. The main character is a journalist, Rika Machida who is trying to find a way to interview Manako Kajii, who has been convicted and imprisoned for the murders of three older men after they have eaten meals that she prepared for them.

This is a really interesting book. It was fascinating to observe the way in which Rika, the only female journalist in her office, finds a way in which she can get an exclusive interview with Kajii, who has refused all approaches from the press before. Through Kajii's love of food, she is able to find a way through and to meet her face to face.

There are many references to food and dishes in this book, most of which were new to me. As we watch Rika's own attempts at cooking some of the recipes that Kajii demands she cooks, we become immersed in this story of discovery alongside her. The food and cooking is described in detail. The descriptions are mouth-watering and sensual, and Rika attempts to understand Kajii's motivation and psyche in her love of cooking.

Whilst there is a mystery running alongside, the book is really about how society views women in Japan and how women are expected to conform to a particular size and role. It also touches on themes of trauma, and we read how all these things are affected by an attitude to food.

I enjoyed this book very much, and I recommend it if you fancy something a little different.


Book Details


ISBN: 978 0008511715


Publisher: Fourth Estate

Formats: e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages: 464 (paperback)


Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US


About the Author


Asako Yuzuki was born in Tokyo in 1981. She won the All Yomimono Award for New Writers for her story, Forget Me, Not Blue, which appeared in her debut, Shuuten No Anoko, published in 2010. She won the Yamamoto Shūgorō Award in 2015 for Nile Perch No Joshikai. She has been nominated multiple times for the Naoko Prize, and her novels have been adapted for television, radio and film. 


You can also find Asako at:

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(media courtesy of https://www.rcwlitagency.com/authors/yuzuki-asako/)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)



Wednesday, 9 April 2025

The Tudor Queens' Midwife by Brigitte Barnard - #blogtour #bookreview


The Blurb

In the glamorous, glittering and dangerous court of king Henry VIII and his queen Katherine of Aragon, the desperate desire for a healthy male heir overshadows all. Plagued by a series of miscarriages the queen is left grappling with the weight of her singular duty to provide a son for the Crown. Amidst this turmoil the queen turns to Sarah Menendez, the most highly skilled midwife in England. Sarah, exiled from her homeland and concealing her true identity must serve the queen and battle her deepest fears. As Sarah strives to save the queen from the perils of childbirth, the specter of her own past threatens to unravel the carefully crafted identity Sarah has created for herself and her young daughter.

 In a world where power, politics and religion collide, Sarah finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and deadly danger. The fate of the queen’s unborn child, the survival of the midwife and her daughter, and the stability of the kingdom hang in the balance. Sarah Menendez must employ all of her skills, cunning and courage to protect those she holds dear as well as the life of the queen and her unborn child.

The Tudor Queens’ Midwife is a gripping tale of secrecy, sacrifice and religious turmoil amongst the most opulent court the world has ever seen.


My Review

This was an enjoyable read about midwifery during the Tudor period.

At the beginning of the book, Sarah is midwife to Queen Katherine of Aragon, as well as to the women of the village alike. Working alongside her is her daughter, known to her family as Emunah. However, they are Jewish, chased from Spain by the Inquisitors. They must keep their faith hidden and outside of the family, Emunah is known as Faith.

This was a fascinating insight into not only the persecution of the Jews during this period but of the place that women such as Sarah and Emunah held in society. We see them move in two very different worlds; from the riches of the royal court to the poor women of the village. I loved the way the author demonstrated that in childbirth, all women are equal. It is the same process for rich and poor. Indeed, in the case of Queen Katherine we see many of the poor women fare better in their reproductive abilities.

The book is split into two distinct parts with the second being devoted to Emunah who has now replaced her mother as the Royal Midwife. Now a wife and mother herself, she attends the queen whilst still keeping her faith a secret.

The author, herself a midwife, has clearly done extensive research into the midwifery customs of the Tudor period.  I frequently felt as though I were in the birthing rooms alongside these women. The knowledge of the herbs and plants used to aid women was extremely interesting. However, I did have a slight issue with some of the terminology in the book as it seemed very modern. Would a Tudor midwife has used the term 'exam' when examining the women? Perhaps? It just felt a little out of place to me. However, it didn't affect my enjoyment of this book and was only a small niggle in an otherwise excellent novel.

Whilst this is the first in a planned series, the book finished on a very abrupt note and I would have liked just a little more rounding off. That said, I can't wait to read the next one in the series when it is published.

Book Details

ISBN:  979 8305559118 

Publisher:  Independent

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  299 (paperback)


Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US


About the Author


Brigitte Barnard is an amateur historian of Renaissance English history and an author of the trilogy The Tudor Queens' Midwife, of which the first book in the series is available. She is currently writing a non-fiction book about Tudor midwifery for Pen and Sword publishing house. 

Brigitte is a former homebirth midwife, and she lives at home with her husband and four children. She also raises Cavalier King Charles spaniels. 




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

(all opinions are my own)

Friday, 31 January 2025

Reading Roundup for January 2025

 



The first month of reading in January 2025 is now behind us and I have read some truly fabulous books this month. 

It hasn't been a good month healthwise but I am now on the mend. Today, is a lovely day as I get to celebrate my youngest granddaughter's first birthday. She's growing so fast and now that she is mobile is into everything! She is an absolute little darling and I will get to see her for lots of birthday cuddles this coming weekend.

Is everybody else longing for the spring weather already or is it just me?

I hope that you have all had a wonderful January. Here are the books that I have read this month.



The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey

The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey book cover

I am starting with this one as it was my absolute favourite read this month. It is narrated by Tama, the magpie and is a dark read with elements of humour. Fantastic. You can find my review by clicking here.


The Paris Chapter by Victoria Walters

The Paris Chapter by Victoria Walters book cover

This was my first read of the year and got me off to a great start. I really enjoyed this book. You can find my review by clicking here.


The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Magick by Lindsay Squire

The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Magick by Lindsay Squire

This is the only non-fiction title I read this month. I was very impressed by the author's knowledge and the book has been organised in such a way to demonstrate this perfectly.  You can find my review by clicking here.


Silent Riders of the Sea by John Gerard Fagan

Silent Riders of the Sea by John Gerard Fagan book cover

This was another five star read for me this month. The book is written in verse and is one of the most atmospheric books I have ever read. You can find my review by clicking here.


Ace, Marvel, Spy by Jenni L. Walsh

Ace, Marvel, Spy by Jenni L. Walsh book cover

This is a fascinating novel based on the life of the tennis player, Alice Marble. You can find my review by clicking here.


A Girls' Guide to Winning the War by Annie Lyons

A Girls' Guide to Winning the War by Annie Lyons book cover

This was a wonderful book. In fact, I now have my Book Group reading it this month for our February discussion. I loved it. You can find my review by clicking here.


The Great Race by Sun Chara and Joe Happy-Light

The Great Race by Sun Chara and Joe Happy-Light book cover

This is really a story within a story. Papa Joe is reading the story of The Tortoise and the Hare to his three children. You can find my review by clicking here.


Dark Times for the Clarks Factory Girls by May Ellis

Dark Times for the Clarks Factory Girls by May Ellis book cover

This is the third book in the Clark's Factory Girls series. I love this series and have read all three. You can find my review by clicking here.


One Day and Forever by Shari Low

One Day and Forever by Shari Low book cover

I enjoyed this book very much, and it held my attention from the very first page to the last. It was delightful.  You can find my review by clicking here.


The Hangman's Master by Elyse Hoffman

The Hangman's Master by Elyse Hoffman book cover

This is part of the 613 Project series. I have read some of them and they work well as stand alone novels. You can find my review by clicking here.


The Old Girls' Chateau Escape by Kate Galley

The Old Girls' Chateau Escape by Kate Galley book cover

A fun read featuring older women. Brilliant. You can find my review by clicking here.



Books I Am Partway Through

Fervour by Toby Lloyd

Aristotle for Novelists by Douglas Vigliotti

Mary I: Queen of Sorrows by Alison Weir


I will be back on Monday with my post of the books which I would like to read in February. In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend.


Annie x

Friday, 18 October 2024

No Honour by Awais Khan

 

no honour book cover awais khan

It was when they snatched the baby from her that she realised how serious the situation had become. She watched her twin bother, Aslam, wrap her daughter - his niece - in a filthy rag that he might have picked up in the stables... He tossed the knitted shawl she had made for the baby onto the ground.

***

The Blurb

In sixteen-year-old Abida’s small Pakistani village, there are age-old rules to live by, and her family’s honour to protect. And, yet, her spirit is defiant and she yearns to make a home with the man she loves.

When the unthinkable happens, Abida faces the same fate as other young girls who have chosen unacceptable alliances – certain, public death. Fired by a fierce determination to resist everything she knows to be wrong about the society into which she was born, and aided by her devoted father, Jamil, who puts his own life on the line to help her, she escapes to Lahore and then disappears.

Jamil goes to Lahore in search of Abida – a city where the prejudices that dominate their village take on a new and horrifying form – and father and daughter are caught in a world from which they may never escape.

Moving from the depths of rural Pakistan, riddled with poverty and religious fervour, to the dangerous streets of over-populated Lahore, No Honour is a story of family, of the indomitable spirit of love in its many forms … a story of courage and resilience, when all seems lost, and the inextinguishable fire that lights one young woman’s battle for change.


My Review

Wow! This is a very thought provoking and powerful book.

Set in a small village in Pakistan, the book opens with a young woman and her baby being murdered by her twin brother in the name of bringing  dishonour on her family. This is probably one of the most powerful openings to a book I have read in quite some time.

This sets the tone for the whole theme of the book.  Women are totally in the hands of the patriarchal figures of both her family and society.  The novel demonstrates how these young women can be exploited and abused by men in a society that deems them as useless and superfluous. The book is filled with sadness and is heartrending but also demonstrates hope.

The author has taken an extremely difficult subject in tackling such taboo subjects. He writes unflinchingly and with an honesty that is arresting. I could not put this book down. It was utterly compelling and Mr. Khan's writing had me gripped from the first sentence to the last.

At the time of writing this, I have already begun reading another of his novels. He writes extremely well, and understands his characters completely. The book is written in alternating chapters between Abida and her father Jamil. I adored Jamil. His willingness to stand up to his village elders and face the consequences of doing so in order to protect his daughter was admirable in the extreme. His demonstration of his love for her above all else made for emotive and compelling reading.

I can hardly wait to read more work from the pen of this author, and I highly recommend this one.

Update: since writing this review I have published my review of In the Shadows of Love. You can find my review by clicking on the title.


Book Details

ISBN: 978 1913193782

Publisher:  Orenda Books

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

No. of Pages:  276 (paperback)

Buy Links:

Bookshop.org

AmazonUK

WaterstonesUK

Amazon US

Orenda Books


About the Author:

Awais Khan author photo

Awais Khan is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and Durham He has studied creative writing with Faber Academy. His debut novel, In the Company of Strangers, was published to much critical acclaim and he regularly appears on TV and Radio. The critically acclaimed No Honour was published in 2021. Awais also teaches a popular online creative writing course to aspiring writers around the world. He is currently working on his third book. When not working, he has his nose buried in a book. He lives in Lahore.


(media courtesy of the publishers website https://orendabooks.co.uk/authors/awais-khan)
(all opinions are my own)
(affiliated to bookshop.org)