Archive | June 2018

Ivy And Abe by Elizabeth Enfield

Jun21

In Another Life…

Ivy And Abe by Elizabeth Enfield is a most unusual story with a unique plotline that I really enjoyed. It was very different from anything I had ever read.

“Life is a series of moments.” It seems like a game of chance as we interact with different people at different times. Our lives intersect but just a minute of difference in time and it could be a whole new story. The novel follows Ivy and Abe as they meet at different times, different scenarios play out. It was all very cleverly done.

The characters were extremely likable. Their unique bond was visible throughout.

I certainly had my favourite scenario. I wonder which one yours will be?

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The Silver Shoes by Jill G Hall

Jun21

Follow Your Heart

The Silver Shoes by Jill G Hall is a really fun and light hearted feel good historical and contemporary read. With a dual timeline of 1929 and present day, the reader is in for a real treat.

Subtle overlaps of the stories entice the reader to believe that the past is not dead but alive and breaking through every now and again.

Both time periods have strong female characters that get caught up in the conventions of the day. A woman’s role in 1929 was subservient to her father or husband. “I’ll take care of you until you get married then it will be your husband’s responsibility.” Trying to break out of the traditional roles required guts and determination.

Present day sees marriage as the fulfilment but what will you do if convention silences your muse?

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Open Circle by Stacy Monson

Jun21

Whatever It Takes

Open Circle by Stacy Monson is a marvellous and heartfelt contemporary Christian novel that surrounds the topics of dementia and Alzheimer’s. It was refreshing to have a tale that focused on the over sixties.

Far from being a gloomy read, Open Circle is uplifting, caring and full of love. The characters are elderly but not unseen. They still have a part to play in life and are encouraged to live life. To be active and not passive. “When we’re young, we have a purpose. As we get old, it’s harder to find reasons to get up in the morning.” The book emphasises the importance of seeing the individual and of tailoring their needs. To celebrate what they can do and not what they no longer can do. It is encouraging their strengths and playing down their weaknesses. “Celebrate uniqueness.”

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The Woman In The Mirror by Rebecca James

Jun20

More Than Meets The Eye

The Woman In The Mirror by Rebecca James… wow, just wow! What an amazing, gripping story of passion and an obsession that will not let go. The story has dual timelines of present day and 1947. It keeps the reader hooked from the start.

The house in the story seems to have its own personality. It draws characters in before consuming then.

Set in Cornwall, the novel is very reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. I kept being reminded of the line “last night I dreamt of Mandelay.” The setting becomes a character in its own right. Inanimate objects seem to spring to life and nothing is as it first seems.

There is a search for roots and to belong. We all need to know where we came from in order to plot where we are going.

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