Archives

The Invitation by Veronica Henry

May15

Keeping Secrets

The Invitation by Veronica Henry is a powerful dual timeline novel that consumed me from the start.

The main body of the book is set in 1953 in Somerset. We also hear of World War II in snippets as we follow a family in peacetime and in war.

Peacetime took some adjusting to. “War didn’t just end with life going back to normal… There were scars.” People lost loved ones in war and the pain was just too much to bear. “You never really got over losing someone you loved… Had they lived their dreams before they died?” The loss digs down deep. “Something inside her had broken, the day he died.” Life will never be the same again. “Sometimes she thought her grief had grabbed her… pulling her down into a pit of despair.” Waves of grief come rolling in. “Grief was not measurable. One person didn’t suffer more than another after a tragic loss.” The loss of one man rocks his whole family… As I write this, I have just lost my Dad, and this quote sums up our family’s life now.

War saw people pulling together. “Everyone pulled together in times of adversity but there were still rules. Shop girls didn’t belong to posh boys.” The class system still existed and was slow to be eroded. Love blossomed where it fell. Love was no respecter of class. Life was to be grabbed, and the consequences to be faced later.

Continue reading →

The Life She Forgot by Joanna Davidson Politano

May9

All The Broken Pieces

The Life She Forgot by Joanna Davidson Politano is a powerful dual timeline Christian novel that enthralled me from the start.

The action is set in 1913 and 1947 in a small village in Cornwall.

We learn about love and loss; and memories that sustain us or break us.

There are characters suffering from memory loss – following a trauma the brain protects a character by amnesia. Life before the accident ceases to exist. When snippets of memory return, a character questions the reliability of these memories.

We see that sometimes love means letting go, standing back, and waiting for love to return. “Love is powerful… It can be bent and misshapen and even broken, but it doesn’t simply go away.” When we love unconditionally, we will do whatever it takes in order to protect those we love. “Love means shared moments, limping through the rough patches together.”

Continue reading →

Then There’s Trust by Susan Gray

May3

Live, Love, Loss

Then There’s Trust by Susan Gray is a powerful historical novel that I loved. It is the third book in the Blossoming series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Once more the reader joins familiar faces in a familiar location, a small village near Durham in the North East. As we catch up, it is now the 1950’s and there are still fall-outs from World War II as a character is returning from two years National Service.

The 1950’s was a time of change. People were still adapting to peacetime. We join a large, extended family as they navigate life, love and loss.

There is the painful topic of stillbirth. A character’s hopes and dreams died with their baby. At times like this it is hard to trust that God is good even when circumstances aren’t. “Trust is a confident expectation of something. There are seasons in life when we are asked to trust.” Trusting is hard when life sucks but we have to trust that God is good.

Loss is painful. “Why did she have to leave me when I needed her so much?” is said after the stillbirth. A wife and mother unexpectedly departs, leaving a huge hole in her family. “You don’t know at that point it’s going to be the last occasion. Bring your memories to mind.” We need to cherish our loved ones because we do not know when lives will end. Make memories, as one day you will need them to keep you warm.

Continue reading →

The Blitz Sisters by Judith Eagle

Apr27

Captivating

The Blitz Sisters by Judith Eagle is a powerful historical children’s novel that absolutely captivated me. It is suitable for ten years and over.

As the title suggests, the book is set during World War II as we follow three sisters from 1939-1947. The tale is divided into three sections as we follow the action from each sister’s point of view. Lydia’s view point covers the start of the war; Peggy is the middle years; and Teddy is the war’s end and peacetime. The sisters are similar but different and what shines through is their love for each other.

There are various scrapes throughout the years as each sister is reckless in a different way. Each sister is motivated by love, as modelled by their mother. “Warm, forgiving arms. Mum.”

Each sister has a personal battle to fight. I felt very sorry for Peggy whose dyslexia wasn’t understood. “Couldn’t endure another lesson with endless numbers and letters and words jumping up and down… in a horrid unintelligible jumble. She couldn’t bear the fear she felt… She had to make herself invisible in case she was asked to read out loud.” Her frustration is easy to empathise with. “School didn’t understand her. Home didn’t understand her.” But Peggy has a gift – she is very artistic.

Continue reading →