Archive | November 2023

Celebrations In Bellbird Bay

Nov15

A New Release

Celebrations In Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen is a most delightful contemporary novel. It is the eighth book in the charming Bellbird Bay series but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the previous books first in order to get to know the residents of Bellbird Bay.

I thoroughly enjoyed my return visit. I loved catching up with familiar faces and meeting new ones. Bellbird Bay is very much community minded. “We care about each other here.”

Bellbird Bay is the place where people look out for each other. There is an eclectic mix of characters and always those who are happy to match-make! People pull together, helping each other and supporting local businesses where they can.

Relocating from Sydney after a disaster, a character re-connects with her old roots. With a fifteen year old daughter in tow, she returns to the Bellbird Bay of her youth. As she re-connects life becomes much fuller, compared with the anonymity of suburban Sydney.

There are community activities for all ages. As well as events to raise money for local charities such as victims of domestic abuse.

Characters bond over sea, sun, surf – and cake! All the characters are wonderfully drawn. Most are not in their first flush of youth. The lead characters are in their forties and also an octogenarian.

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The Tuscan Orphan by Siobhan Daiko

Nov14

Entertaining, Educating & Enjoyable

The Tuscan Orphan by Siobhan Daiko is a powerful historical novel that I just could not put down.

It is set in Italy during the latter years of World War II. We follow three main characters – an American nurse, an Italian resistance member and a young Tuscan orphan. Their lives will become entwined as the Nazi bombardment continues and the allies fight for peace.

I thought the beginning and the ending were extremely well thought out. I loved how the same character speaks in both, with the result that the reader feels that the circle has closed.

We ‘see’ some things through the eyes of an innocent child. It brings the horrors of war even closer as the innocent should be protected and not have to be subjected to the Nazi reign of terror.

The events really happened though the characters are fictional. Very little is heard of the Italian campaign as the events in France over shadow it. But the Nazis and the fascists were brutal. The battles in Italy were terrible. No one could escape the war.

In between times, life still went on. People fell in love and seized the day. “The future is uncertain for us all. It’s better to live in the present.” Everyone took life a day at a time. Everyone worried and feared losing loved ones because you just never knew.

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The Pieces Of Us by Caroline Montague

Nov13

Powerful

The Pieces Of Us by Caroline Montague is a very powerful dual timeline novel that I just could not put down.

It is set in present day and a hundred years earlier, mainly in the Potteries at Stoke. Although the novel opens in present day Italy.

Both time periods have similar themes. In present day and previously, there is loss. A century ago, Britain was recovering from World War I where many young men were used as cannon fodder. No community was left unscathed. Some, never recovered from their loss. They needed someone to blame. They even blamed God, believing that He was deaf to their pleas. “I used to pray a lot, but when everyone I loved was taken away, I realized God wasn’t listening to the likes of me.” God listens to all His children, whether we think He does or not.

There was also much poverty and poor living and working conditions. There were those who saw and either stood up for change, or those philanthropic hearts who worked quietly behind the scenes providing better facilities.

The reader follows the fortunes of women a hundred years ago. Despite stepping into the men’s shoes during World War I, women were subjected to terrible conditions and poorer pay than men. Trade Unions needed to step up to change this. Women rallied together to fight for better conditions and pay. A certain amount of militancy was required.

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The Door To Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

Nov12

Very Charming

The Door To Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn is a very charming novel that I loved.

There is a serene beauty to the tale which is about books and friendship. Characters bond over books, as books are a great leveler. People of different ages and backgrounds unite over books. Books bring out the best in us. The walking bookseller knows just what each of his customer’s wants – but is it what they need?

A young nine year old girl is wise beyond her years. She watches, and takes in everything. She knows what people need, even though they don’t say a word. She loves books too and this makes her a misfit at school.

The friendship between the walking bookseller and young girl is beautiful to watch unfold. He is reluctant to engage with her at first but her enthusiasm is infectious. She is loved by all his customers. We, as readers, love her too. She is a breath of fresh air, brightening our day.

I absolutely adored The Door To Door Bookstore. The unlikely pairing of a seventy two year old man and a nine year old girl works well. Both bring out qualities in the other, and also everyone they meet. The girl is openly full of joi de vivre and is perfectly captured by the author.

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