My Son's Secret by Roberta Kagan - #TuesdayTeaser

 Welcome to this week's Tuesday Teaser.

This week's book is My Son's Secret by Roberta Kagan. I have not read this book myself but I have read another of her books, Not in America, which I enjoyed.

She is an American writer of Jewish and Romany descent and writes historical fiction and historical romance, most of which is set during the Holocaust. Although she never discounts the horrors of the time period, the main focus of her work is on ordinary people who prove to be strong heroic characters in unfathomable circumstances.

Roberta has independently published many of her books and has done so with My Son's Secret. 

So, does this taste of her book make you want to read more? I have a few of her books on my 'to read' list and this one is definitely an addition to that list.  Here in the UK, it is available in both paperback and kindle versions. I would love to  know your thoughts if you do read it.

From the Blurb

My beautiful boy...

Created in love… born into hatred.

There were so many terrifying stories about the Jews. People called them useless vermin, filthy, dangerous. Before I met Abram, I was afraid of them too. But I am about to tell you a very different story - a forbidden story.

My love for Abram defied all reason...as well as German law.

Tonight our son giggles with excitement as he blows out the candles on his birthday cake. But our safety is nothing but an illusion. As his candles burn out, a window shatters outside. The room shudders as the synagogue down the street is engulfed in flames.

Kristallnacht has begun.

When my hidden paradise crumbles like a stack of cards, I must do everything in my power to protect that which is most precious to me. My son's secret must remain hidden.

Before we lose everything.

If you enjoyed The Book Thief, you will adore this heart-wrenching saga of pain, courage, and incredible resilience set in our world's darkest time.

First Page

Prologue

Kara set the modest cake on the table in front of her blond-haired, blue-eyed son. She studied him and marvelled at how much he looked like her. "Our precious son is two years old today," she said, smiling at Abram Ehrlich, the child's father. Abram, with his black, wavy hair and dark eyes stood at her side, his face shining with love for her and their little boy.

"Are you ready to blow out the candles?" Kara asked as Abram began lighting the three candles. "Look, you have three candles. One for each year of your life and one extra. That one is for good luck." Kara ran her fingers through her son's blond curls.

"Bubbie, you blow candles."

Hoda Ehrlich laughed. "Karl, of course I will help you," she said. "What a big boy you are now. Every day you grow more and more handsome. Soon you'll be a fully grown man.

Karl giggled.

Kara stood back and watched. Her heart swelled with love for the people who were with her in this small kitchen. It was hard to believe that a few years ago she'd lived a completely different life. She'd grown up in a Gentile home. Her parents had instilled a great fear of Jews in her and her sister. But now, these people, who were Jewish, were her family. And even though her mother-in-law had been against the relationship in the beginning, Hoda had become Kara's best friend and strongest supporter.

ISBN: 979-8748084239

Publisher: Independently published by Roberta Kagan

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Well, I certainly want to read on. Will you join me?

Library Loans - 3rd July 2021

 I am so enjoying being able to go into my local library again and browse the books. The libraries did a fantastic job during lockdown to keep the country reading but it is so nice to be able to approach choosing books by browsing the shelves in person.

As you all know, I am a big advocate of libraries and I definitely adhere to the 'use it or lose it' school of thought. How about you? Do you think libraries are an essential part of society? What was the last book that you borrowed?

Here are the four that I borrowed on this visit. Quite an eclectic mix.

Agent Sonya by Ben Macintyre

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

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

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

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

The Witches of Cambridge by Meena Van Praag

Amandine Bisset has always had the power to feel the emotions of those around her. It’s a secret she can share only with her friends – all professors, all witches – when they gather for meetings on the college rooftops. Although lately she senses the ties among her colleagues beginning to unravel. If only she had her student Noa’s power to hear the innermost thoughts of others, she might know how to patch things up.

Mathematics professor Kat is struggling with unrequited love, but refuses to cast spells to win anyone’s heart. Her sister, Cosima, is not above using such magic, sprinkling pastries in her bakery with equal parts sugar and enchantment. But when Cosima sets her sights on the love of Kat’s life, she sets off a chain of events that turns each of the witches’ worlds upside down ...

Us Three by Ruth Jones

When they are eight years old, best friends Lana, Judith and Catrin swear an oath on a Curly Wurly wrapper that they'll always be there for each other, come what may.

For years, they keep their promise - the invisible triangle connecting them remains balanced, equilateral, never two against one... until betrayal and tragedy strike, and the childhood bond that they once shared is broken.

But when a life-changing event brings the three women back together, they have the chance to rekindle their age-old friendship. The question is whether they want to ... or even whether they can.

Mothering Sunday by Rosie Goodwin

1884, Nuneaton.

Sunday Small has been in the workhouse since she was abandoned on its front steps at birth. The housemother's regime is cruel. If it were not for the kindly Miss Beau who comes in every week to teach the inmate children their letters, and her dear little friend Daisy, Sunday's life would barely be worth living. But as Sunday grows into a comely girl, she begins to attract the unwelcome attention of the workhouse master, who will stop at nothing to get her alone and won't take no for an answer.

It's time for Sunday to leave behind everything she knows and strike out alone in the world. She's driven on by the promise she makes to come back for Daisy, and her secret dream of one day being reunited with the long-lost mother who gave her away. But she's about to discover that, try to escape as she might, the brutal world of the workhouse will not let her go without a fight...

Books to read in July 2021

 

On Monday, I posted a list of exciting new titles that are being published this month. As well as some of those titles, here are a few others that I hope to read this month.

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The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood

Daughters of Edward I by Katheryn Warner

The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser

Agent Sonya by Ben MacIntyre

The Image of Her by Sonia Velton

A History of Loneliness by John Boyne

Do the Birds Still Sing in Hell? by Horace Greasly

Judas the Apostle by Van R. Mayall

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex 

Reading Roundup for June 2021

 

Where on earth has this month gone? Furthermore, where has the sunshine disappeared to? We did have a nice few days but it really was a very short spell. As I write this the weather is warm, humid and wet. Yuk!

This month has not been all bad. Early in the month was my birthday and my husband and I had a lovely weekend away in a hotel near Woking to celebrate. It is just so pleasurable to be able to do normal things like that again, now that restrictions are being lifted. It was a lovely weekend and a fantastic opportunity to relax and read.

I have read some great books this month and not one of them ended up in the 'did not finish' pile. Have you read any of the books below? What have you been reading this month?

Books I Have Read This Month

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides - What an odd book this was. It is one that I have meant to read for years, but I can't say that I liked it particularly.

The Darlings by Angela Jackson - I adored this book and is probably my favourite book this month. I was also privileged to have the opportunity of interviewing the author. You can find my review of the book here and you can read my interview with Angela by clicking here.

Haven't They Grown by Sophie Hannah - This was another great read from the pen of Sophie Hannah. I will be reviewing this in the next few days.

Sorry for the Dead by Nicola Upson - This is book number eight in the Josphine Tey series. I have read all of the previous seven. If you have not tried them do give them a go as they are extremely good. If you would like to read my review of Two for Sorrow, which is the third in the series, you can access it here.

Kaddish.com by Nathan Englander - This was a short read about a Jewish man who made an online purchase of someone to say kaddish for his deceased father. Quite humorous in parts. This is the first book that I have read by this author, but I will definitely be reading more.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - I am always cautious by books that have as much hype as this one. However, a few friends recommended it to me so decided to read it. It was outstanding and I could imagine re-reading this one. It was beautiful.

Snow Blind by Ragnar Jonsson - The first in the Dark Iceland series. I enjoyed it very much, and you can read my review by clicking here.

Suspects by Lesley Pearse - This is a departure from the author's usual style and she did not quite pull it off for me.

Everyday Magic by Charlie Laidlaw - I am very fond of Charlie Laidlaw's books. I have previously read The Space Between Time and The Things We Learn When We're Dead and you can access my reviews by clicking on the book title links. Everyday Magic was extremely good, and I really recommend it. You can read my review by clicking here.

The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave - This was my book group read for this month. It is a YA title which we were impressed by and concluded it would be enjoyed by young adults.

Books I am Partway Through

The Aleppo Codex by Matti Friedman

The Metal Heart by Caroline Lea

New Book Releases - July 2021

 Here are a few new book releases that look like being a good read this month.

One August Night by Victoria Hislop

Beloved author Victoria Hislop returns to Crete in this long-anticipated sequel to her multi-million-copy Number One bestseller, The Island.

25th August 1957. The island of Spinalonga closes its leper colony. And a moment of violence has devastating consequences.

When time stops dead for Maria Petrakis and her sister, Anna, two families splinter apart and, for the people of Plaka, the closure of Spinalonga is forever coloured with tragedy.

In the aftermath, the question of how to resume life looms large. Stigma and scandal need to be confronted and somehow, for those impacted, a future built from the ruins of the past.

Number one bestselling author Victoria Hislop returns to the world and characters she created in The Island - the award-winning novel that remains one of the biggest selling reading group novels of the century. It is finally time to be reunited with Anna, Maria, Manolis and Andreas in the weeks leading up to the evacuation of the island... and beyond.

Released in paperback on 22nd July.

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Monkey Boy by Francisco Goldman

Francisco Goldberg has been living and working in Mexico City as a journalist for over a decade, but has recently returned to New York City in hopes of 'going home again.' It's been five years since the end of his last relationship and he is falling in love again. Soon he is beckoned back to Boston by the high school girlfriend who was witness to his greatest youthful humiliations, and his mother, Yolanda, around whom his story orbits like a dark star. Back-dropping this five-day trip to his childhood home is the spectre of Frank's recently deceased father, Bert, an immigrant from Ukraine, volcanically tempered, pathologically abusive, yet also at times infuriatingly endearing; as well as the high school bullies who gave him the moniker 'monkey boy' and his estranged sister, Lexi.

Told in an open, irresistibly funny and passionate voice, this extraordinary portrait of growing up outside the dominant culture unearths the hidden cruelties in a predominantly white, working-class Boston suburb where Francisco - aka Paco, aka Frankie Gee - came of age. A crowning achievement from one of the most important American voices of the last 40 years.

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The Therapist by Helene Flood

At first it's the lie that hurts.

A voicemail from her husband tells Sara he's arrived at the holiday cabin. Then a call from his friend confirms he never did.

She tries to carry on as normal, teasing out her clients' deepest fears, but as the hours stretch out, her own begin to surface. And when the police finally take an interest, they want to know why Sara deleted that voicemail.

To get to the root of Sigurd's disappearance, Sara must question everything she knows about her relationship.

Could the truth about what happened be inside her head?

Translated from the Norwegian by Alison McCullough and is published on the 8th July.

***

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

When Aleisha discovers a crumpled reading list tucked into a tattered library book, it sparks an extraordinary journey.

From timeless stories of love and friendship to an epic journey across the Pacific Ocean with a boy and a tiger in a boat, the list opens a gateway to new and wonderful worlds – just when Aleisha needs an escape from her troubles at home.

And when widower Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to connect with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha introduces him to the magic of the reading list. An anxious teenager and a lonely grandfather forming an unlikely book club of two.

Inspiring and heartwarming, The Reading List is a love letter to storytelling – its power to transport us, connect us, and remind us that a new beginning is only a page away. It is published on the 22nd July.

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Dead Man's Grave by Neil Lancaster

This grave can never be opened.

The head of Scotland’s most powerful crime family is brutally murdered, his body dumped inside an ancient grave in a remote cemetery.

 

This murder can never be forgotten.

Detectives Max Craigie and Janie Calder arrive at the scene, a small town where everyone has secrets to hide. They soon realise this murder is part of a blood feud between two Scottish families that stretches back to the 1800s. One thing’s for certain: it might be the latest killing, but it won’t be the last…

 

This killer can never be caught.

As the body count rises, the investigation uncovers large-scale corruption at the heart of the Scottish Police Service. Now Max and Janie must turn against their closest colleagues – to solve a case that could cost them far more than just their lives.

***

The Black Dress by Deborah Moggach

Pru's husband has walked out, leaving her alone to contemplate her future. She's missing not so much him, but the life they once had - picnicking on the beach with small children, laughing together, nestling up like spoons in the cutlery drawer as they sleep. Now there's just a dip on one side of the bed and no-one to fill it.

In a daze, Pru goes off to a friend's funeral. Usual old hymns, words of praise and a eulogy but...it doesn't sound like the friend Pru knew. And it isn't. She's gone to the wrong service. Everyone was very welcoming, it was - oddly - a laugh, and more excitement than she's had for ages. So she buys a little black dress in a charity shop and thinks, now I'm all set, why not go to another? I mean, people don't want to make a scene at a funeral, do they? No-one will challenge her - and what harm can it do?

***

Everyday Magic by Charlie Laidlaw - #BookReview

"When Carole was little, she found a magic clearing in the woods near her home. She had been exploring, surrounded by oak, birch, and hazel trees, picking her way carefully between bramble and nettle. There was birdsong, squirrels darting across branches, and patterns of sunlight on the woodland floor...

The grown up Carole (with an 'e' because she's punctilious about it) Gunn looks to be in her mid-thirties but, at the risk of offending her, is probably older, and who is taking her reluctant daughter to a piano lesson."

Carole Gunn leads an unfulfilled life and knows it. She's married to someone who may, or may not, be in New York on business and, to make things worse, the family's deaf cat has been run over by an electric car.

But something has been changing in Carole's mind. She's decided to revisit places that hold special significance for her. She wants to better understand herself, and whether the person she is now is simply an older version of the person she once was.

Instead, she's taken on an unlikely journey to confront her past, present and future.

Everyday Magic is an uplifting book filled with humour and poignancy, and reminds us that, while our pasts make us who we are, we can always change the course of our futures.

***

Initially, this book presents as a novel about a woman having a mid-life crisis. However, do not be fooled, because this is about so much more and makes for an enchanting read.

I have previously read two of the author's previous books, The Things We Learn When We're Dead and The Space Between Time. You can read my reviews by clicking on the title links. You will see that I very much enjoyed both of these books and they are well worth reading. However, Everyday Magic eclipses them both and is my favourite of the three.

One of the things that I loved about this book is that Carole is a character that is so easy to identify with. I know that I have sometimes reflected upon my life and wondered if I have achieved my potential and I do not doubt that many others have too. For me, I concluded that it is a work in progress.

It is also extremely funny at points. The author uses humour to portray Carole's life and self-doubt whilst making her a reliable narrator. She was an archaeology lecturer before events in her family made it impossible to continue. It was effortless to get swept up in her enthusiasm for her subject.

Mr Laidlaw has taken the bare bones from A Christmas Carol and put a whole new contemporary concept on it, employing modern devices and making the reader think this is a completely possible and realistic scenario.

The author has produced a compelling story. I absolutely enjoyed going on this journey of discovery with Carole. It is an uplifting book about reflecting on the past and discovering what is really important in our present and future. I highly recommend it and it is available in paperback and kindle versions.

ISBN: 978 1901514773

Publisher: Ringwood

About the Author;

Charlie Laidlaw is a PR consultant, teaches creative writing and lives in East Lothian. He is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh and was previously a national newspaper journalist and defence intelligence analyst. He has lived in London and Edinburgh and is married with two children, to whom this book is dedicated. His other novels are The Things We Learn When We're Dead, The Space Between Time, Being Alert! and Love Potions and Other Calamities.

Author Interview with Angela Jackson

 I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to interview the amazingly talented author Angela Jackson. Angela is the author of two novels - The Emergence of Judy Taylor, which won the Edinburgh International Book Festival's First Book Award and Waterstones Scottish Book Award. Her latest book, The Darlings, is also set in Edinburgh. If you haven't already read my reviews of these two titles then please click on the italicised book titles. 

She is a former psychology lecturer who lives in Edinburgh.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Angela for being so generous with her time in providing me this interview.

Q  Edinburgh features in both of your novels. Have you always lived there?

A     I was born and grew up in the north of England, and I think that shows in my writing. My sensibilities originate there, my sense of humour was honed there. However, I love Edinburgh, having moved here in the nineties, and this is where I call home. Lockdown has meant I haven't been able to boomerang between the two places as much as I'm used to, but I'm looking forward to doing that safely again soon.

Q  You were a psychology lecturer before taking up writing full time but have you always wanted to be a writer?

A  Writing was the very first thing I was paid for. I remember being given a coin (I can't remember exactly how much) by my headmistress at primary school for a story I wrote, so she definitely planted the idea in me that it was something I could do and be paid for. Even so, I didn't come from a background where 'writer' was an actual career choice. As soon as I left school, I had to get a job to bring some money into the family home. Further education was not an option for me at that stage of my life. I managed to incorporate writing into most work, and I eventually returned to further and higher education. I wonder if if it was building up inside of me all that time, because my first novel just flowed out. The Emergence of Judy Taylor is a barely edited first draft.

Q   Were you a keen reader as a child and who or what inspired your reading? Did you have a favourite book?

A  As a toddler, I was passed from knee to knee peering at whatever my mum, her sisters and her parents were reading (probably magazines or newspapers), so I was able to read and write before I went to school. But I was a tree climber, a bike racer, a knocking-on-doors-and-running-away kid. Growing up, there were no books in our house and I ran fairly wild; the scars on my knees are testament to that. My first introduction to books, really, was in secondary school. Thankfully, I had the best English teacher - Mr Douglas - who knew how to calm me down, capture my attention and make me realise that there were other exciting worlds I could immerse myself in. All kids deserve a Mr Douglas.

Q  I enjoyed reading The Emergence of Judy Taylor very much when it came out in 2013. Your writing in The Darlings feels more assured and mature and I couldn't put it down. What have you been doing during the years between the two books?

A Thank you! Yep, I left quite the gap. Thing is, When The Emergence of Judy Taylor did so well, it completely threw me. I just didn't feel qualified to call myself a writer, so I went into a tailspin. Instead of applying my efforts to produce a second novel, I enrolled to do an MSc in Creative Writing. Although I'm a huge advocate of Higher Education, and have worked in the sector for years, I lost what little confidence I had as a writer during that particular course, mainly because of the insidious message that commercial fiction - my genre - was not 'proper' writing, which is, of course, absolute nonsense. Anyway, I lost heart. Over the next few years, I worked on other projects and wrangled with (and attempted to conceal) pretty debilitating depression. I later completed an MA in Scriptwriting, which helped me sharpen my prose; screen time is far more expensive than book pages, so every syllable must count.

I don't find writing difficult at all - I love it, and it comes naturally to me - but my achilles heel is impostor syndrome. As I said, I was not a bookish kid, and already had an established life and career before I wrote The Emergence of Judy Taylor. The Darlings only exists as a novel today because of the faith and generosity of Scottish Book Trust, who awarded me the services of the brilliant Sophy Dale, who helped me complete the first draft, and to the insight and kindness of my editor, Scott Pack, who gently questioned me about the manuscript that was mothballed on an old MacBook. I dug it out, sent it to him, and he made me believe I could do what it would take to make this into my second novel.

I'm glad you found The Darlings a more assured read than my debut. I think it probably is. I feel much more confident about my writing these days. I guess it goes back to what Carl Rogers said - in order to thrive as writers, we need to feel accepted for who we are.

Q  What have you been reading recently? Has anything really inspired you?

A   I've been reading and recommending George Saunders' A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, which is a rich and accessible book of essays based on his teaching of Russian short stories at Syracuse University. A great read in itself, but absolutely invaluable to writers. I also have Melissa Bank on an almost permanent audio book loop because I love her work - it's a multilayered and immersive, it flows and has a unique ease to it. She's also a wonderful narrator.

Q  What are your future plans for both reading and writing?

A  During lockdown, I enrolled on Southampton Writers Conference at Stony Brook University, USA, and was lucky enough to spend a week online with Melissa Bank. She was incredible. She made me feel like my own, unadulterated writing voice was of value, and gave me the impetus to start my third book. I feel very fortunate to have her as a champion of my work.

Q  Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

A  I think it's important to find people who make you feel good about your writing. You don't want to be patronised, of course, but positive and constructive feedback is really important. If you can find people who will give you that, people who will encourage you in your pursuit of doing what it takes to become a better writer - your own Sophy Dale, Scott Pack or Melissa Bank - you're well on the way to producing your best work. Join a supportive writing group. Find pockets of time to write - ten minute here, half an hour there. Listen to people in cafes and on buses talking and interacting - make notes! Be observant. Read widely. And give any sneerers the swerve.

Both The Emergence of Judy Taylor and The Darlings are available from all good bookshops.