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The House For Lost Children by Marty Wingate

Sep16

Belonging

The House For Lost Children by Marty Wingate is a powerful historical novel that I enjoyed.

The novel is set during World War II in a large manor house in Suffolk. Following a bomb blast in London, children have been made homeless and are orphans. The kind hearted Lady Louisa Brightman opens her large house to the orphans and their two teachers.

Relationships are strained at first as assumptions and prejudices are made. Characters need to get to know each other in order to be able to work together. First impressions are not always correct. The way that life has treated people affects the way they treat others.

We witness the dreadful effects on one small girl, six-year-old Gracie, of being buried alive for two days, holding onto her dead mother’s hand. This was during the air raid that flattened her London home. She needs love, care and kindness to begin to heal. A beautiful bond is formed with Miss Moffet, the family cat. Giving her a purpose and something to love will help her heal.

Life in the countryside is not without risk as the odd stray German plane threatens to undo months of love and care as old traumas are re-visited.

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The Landlord Of Hummingbird House by Jane Harvey

Aug31

Happy Book Birthday

The Landlord Of Hummingbird House by Jane Harvey is a positively delightful contemporary novel and the first book in the Hummingbird House series. I cannot wait for the subsequent books.

Hummingbird House is a place where hurting souls go to heal. It is a place of welcome, love and safety. A place where you feel at home and a place where help is just a call away.

The residents are an eclectic mix, all totally realistic and lovable. There is a beautiful bond between the tenants. Many are hiding from life after being hurt previously. All of whom have huge hearts.

As the novel unfolds, the reader glimpses the love and care, and unbreakable bonds formed over misfortune. Sometimes nothing needs to be said, a character just needs to be held, to know that they matter.

Grief and guilt can paralyse. What happened in the past lays no blame in the present but still a character exists with one eye on the past. Help is needed to bring about a fresh start.

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Witch Hunt by B D Spargo

Aug14

An Intricate Plotline

Witch Hunt by B D Spargo is a fast-paced contemporary murder suspense which I enjoyed. It is the second book in the DCI Liam Doyle thriller series but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading book one first for character development, background and progression.

I enjoyed meeting with familiar faces, and witnessing their interactions, and seeing their support for each other. The inclusion of nick names shows that the characters feel secure with each other.

After an attack in book one, it was good to see the return of an officer. It was easy to empathise with the feelings of fear and uncertainty. B D Spargo certainly puts the reader in the minds of his characters.

The characters are an eclectic mix. The villains are menacing. The law enforcement officers are relentless in their pursuit of justice.

All the characters are fully rounded and believable. The homelife of some is included. We see the pressure of police work on home lives. Doyle’s young son who has autism was extremely well drawn. He brought out the mothering instinct in me.

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The Paris Promise by Suzanne Kelman

Jul8

The Torchbearers

The Paris Promise by Suzanne Kelman is a powerful dual timeline novel that totally consumed me. It is the third book in The Paris Sisters series but can be read as a stand-alone.

The action is set in Paris in 1943 and in England in 2012. We also journey to Brazil in the latter period. The stories are linked by family as a grandmother’s life becomes the focal point of a search.

Life in occupied Paris was hard, and even harder for the Jewish population. A young mother vows to relentlessly search for her Jewish husband. Only the hope of being re-united keeps her going as events push her to the limit.

We see that people did what they did in order to survive. “People made hard choices to survive.” The bravery of a young mother is to be applauded. “We can’t judge the past by our current standings.” The past needs to be viewed with a very different pair of eyes.

A Stradivarius violin links the two timelines as a granddaughter seeks to unite a family with their violin after the Nazis had looted it during the war. What she uncovers is the stuff of nightmares. “The violin wasn’t just an artefact – it was a bridge to her father’s history.”

Brave people of Paris joined the Resistance. “We must join them [Resistance]. We cannot stand idly by while our city is torn apart by hatred and fear.” We learn that even in the darkest of times, beauty can be found. “Amid all the darkness, there was still beauty to be found.”

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