Mandarin Road by Ann Bennett

Jul8

Heartbreaking

Mandarin Road by Ann Bennett is a powerful dual timeline novel that I read in just one sitting. I could not put it down. It is a heartbreaking read.

The action is set in 1967 and 2015 mainly in Vietnam, but briefly in America too as this is where the novel opens.

We see the futility of war. The Vietnam war was particularly hated in America – it wasn’t their war. There were many protests held. It was a cruel war with atrocities on both sides. The Viet Cong were cruel to their own people. The Americans were cruel too, burning villages and shooting the Vietnamese people. It was a war that no one could win. Mothers lost sons on both sides. “He was aggressive, difficult and demanding, but he was still very young to be fighting a war, and he was somebody’s son,” it was said of a Viet Cong soldier. And of an injured American, we hear; “he was not just an enemy soldier; he was a living, breathing human being who was in trouble.”

We witness the bravery of a young girl to help an injured American. Her heart is full of compassion.

A deathbed scene in 2015 sends a daughter overseas in search of a half sister that she never knew she had.

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The Club For Rebellious Ladies by Siobhan Curham

Jul8

Follow Your North Star

The Club For Rebellious Ladies by Siobhan Curham is a powerful dual timeline novel that I absolutely adored.

The action is set-in present-day France, and also towards the end of World War I in 1918 in France. The two time periods are linked by location and family.

We witness family secrets. The silence of those who knew make them complicit in the abuse of a husband to teenage girls living in the school next door in 1918. In present day, descendants are appalled, distancing themselves from their long-dead relatives.

A secret diary is found that uncovers the truth. We learn the tale, along with the present-day characters.

We witness the devastating effects of World War I. Some died, others left their minds on the battlefields of France. “The things I saw in the war, it’s like I can’t escape the memories.”

At the start of the twentieth century, young girls were seen as ornaments and the property of males – first fathers, and then husbands. “Being trained in the art of becoming an ornament rather than a living, dreaming human being.” Girls’ ambitions were squashed. We see a group of girls determined to break free of the mould of society. They wanted to live their lives.

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The German Sisters by Marty Wingate

Jul6

Watching & Waiting

The German Sisters by Marty Wingate is a powerful and heartfelt novel that consumed me from the start.

The action starts in 1939 as we follow two German sisters who are sent by their parents from Hamburg to Britain for safety. Though the eldest sister is only ten-years-old and she is tasked with looking after her five-year-old sister. The girls begin a new life in Pickering before a near tragedy sees them relocate to Suffolk.

The elder sister has the weight of the world on her shoulders as she refuses to give up the hope that Mutti and Vati will join them. “Her momentary happiness melted away as she thought of Mutti and Vati in Germany waiting.” She feels it is her job to guide them to Britain, writing to them every week. Hen the postal services close their borders to Germany, she continues to write but hides the letters in her wardrobe, for when they will meet again.

We witness both the kindness and cruelty of children towards those who are different.

This extends to adults who pass judgment. A young girl is sent away to ‘help’ an aunt after being found in the family way. Young men and women have to hide their true selves for fear of imprisonment or worse. Recently divorced, a character is unable to remarry in church. The modern reader is so glad that attitudes have moved on.

We see the empathy of animals to those who are hurting. “Mrs Moffat [a cat] goes to the person who needs her the most.”

We learn of the antidote to evil. “God’s love extends to all… We defy evil by doing good.” Characters practice love and hospitality to all.

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The Pear Affair by Judith Eagle

Jul5

Entertaining & Exciting

The Pear Affair by Judith Eagle is a delightful children’s adventure and perfect for ages eight years and over. Whatever your age, this book will entertain you.

There are elements that make up an exciting children’s book – a disappearance, a mystery, ‘good’ characters and ‘baddies’. It is the children who band together who become the heroes of the day.

The action is set in Paris, both above and below the city.

We witness the determination of a young girl to survive despite her dreadful parents. She doesn’t just survive but she thrives, rising above her circumstances.

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