Archive | February 2022

The Red Ribbon by Lucy Adlington

Feb14

Hold On To Hope

The Red Ribbon by Lucy Adlington is a powerful historical YA novel that will break your heart and horrify you.

The action is mainly set in Birchwood, the name given to Auschwitz. We see all the action through the eyes of teenager Ella who is remarkably grown up and strong for her age.

We witness the dehumanizing of people but Ella clings to her identity. “I wasn’t a badge or a number. I was Ella.” When you lose sight of who you are, you lose the will to continue. You need to have something to fight for.

Beechwood brings out the very best and the very worst of human nature. There are pockets of kindness within a sea of cruelty.

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The Real Thing by Autumn Macarthur

Feb14

His Healing Love And Forgiveness

The Real Thing by Autumn Macarthur is the most delightful contemporary Christian novel that warmed my heart. It is the fourth book in the Macleans series but can be read as a stand-alone.

I absolutely adored The Real Thing. It is a book about flawed human beings learning to grow in God’s love. “God loves Brodie… Brodie’s only problem is he doesn’t realise it yet.” Sometimes God places us in situations or brings people along our path in order to draw us closer to Him and to love ourselves for who we are.

Life has dealt blows to the two lead characters. Both have walked away from God wondering why He had let bad things happen. Bitterness has produced mental walls to go with the physical walls.

A character realises her need for God. “She wanted to let God heal her anger.” Holding on to anger is a weight we were never meant to carry.

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A Midwife’s Memoir by Carol Duncombe

Feb13

Fascinating

A Midwife’s Memoir by Carol Duncombe is a fascinating account of the author’s life as a midwife of over forty five years.

Medical advances mean that some things have changed but much remains the same – we all want to be looked after by a caring midwife and we want a healthy mum and baby outcome.

Carol Duncombe has worked in a hospital and the community. She has many tales to tell – some are extremely funny, some are desperately sad. Each birth is unique.

The book is written in a very engaging style. I really ‘felt’ like I ‘knew’ Carol Duncombe by the end of the book. I am looking forward to reading her sequel.

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The Runaway Children by Lindsey Hutchinson

Feb11

Of Kind Hearts And Angels

The Runaway Children by Lindsey Hutchinson is a late Victorian novel set in the heart of the Black Country (where all my ancestors come from).

Here, we meet people who are the salt of the earth. People do not have much but what they do have, they share with those who have nothing. Kind hearts and open hands abound as we see that the richest people are those who know how to love.

In contrast, a character with wealth is cruel and tight-fisted, intent on causing trouble and strife wherever she goes.

Family is important. Family are those who love us. We see a new family unit created by those who have nothing uniting together.

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