Meet Me At The Seaside Cottages by Jenny Colgan

Jun2

Truth & Happiness

Meet Me At The Seaside Cottages by Jenny Colgan is a very charming contemporary novel that I adored.

It is a novel about parents and daughters; friendships and relationships; and the healing power of puppies! Puppies can make people smile when all around them is crumbling.

We meet two daughters who have troubled relationships with the parent whom they believe (wrongly) is responsible for the ending of marriages. The daughters are both hurting and both lash out. One is aged ten, and the other in her twenties but both need to reconciled with their parents.

One of the characters is deaf, and another fits hearing aids to the deaf and the hard of hearing. We see the importance of sign language to give people a voice.

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To Find My Mother by Mary Wood

Jun1

Don’t Let Them Win

To Find My Mother by Mary Wood is a powerful historical novel that consumed me from the start.

The novel follows a Czech Jewish girl through World War II and beyond. It is a heartbreaking and horrifying read as Mary Wood captures the atmosphere of terror with her words.

Two young girls are separated from their mothers who are thrown into the ghetto. Both girls are rescued by a stranger who places them on a farm for safety. However, both girls are determined to seek out their mothers, whatever the consequences. And what happens next is truly awful. The Nazis had black hearts as they carried out despicable acts.

It was understandable to wonder “why Elohim had abandoned them.” In the darkest times, it is all to easy to think we have been abandoned.

We see that bravery is not necessarily about feeling brave. “I don’t feel brave. I just feel compelled to do something about the injustice of it all.” Some could not stand idly by. They could not do nothing.

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The Story Of Sapulpa & Route 66 by Kirby Lee Davis

May31

The Story Continues

The Story Of  Sapulpa & Route 66  by Kirby Lee Davis is the second book in The Great Beckoning series and published by Sapulpa Historical Society. This continues where book one left off as we follow the development of Sapulpa and the emergence of Route 66, well into the twentieth century.

Route 66 had investments from 1909 and was finally completed in 1928. It stretches from east to west, passing through Sapulpa.

We see the development of roads, going from mud to concrete, tarmac and hard core. The harder your road surface, the more affluent the area.

During the early twentieth century, we witnessed World War I. Following its’ end, over eight million people travelled westwards in search of new opportunities.

As Sapulpa developed, more businesses, diners and festivals sprang up – including a car and a Christmas festival.

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The Story Of Sapulpa & The Ozark Trail by Kirby Lee Davis

May31

A Comprehensive Account

The Story Of  Sapulpa & The Great Ozark Trail by Kirby Lee Davis is the first book in The Great Beckoning series and published by Sapulpa Historical Society. It is a comprehensive account of Sapulpa, a town in America, and the Ozark trail that emerged.

As I live in England, I know very little of American history except for what I studied as part of my degree. I found this book absolutely fascinating.

The story of Sapulpa begins in the early 1800’s but the main focus is on the late nineteenth century until 1928. We hear of the growth of the railroad, followed by that of the motor car. Oklahoma had just 1,100 registered cars and trucks in 1911 rising to 184,212 in 1925. Both vehicles and the railways brought businesses to the area.

During the nineteenth century we saw how the native Americans were pushed out by white settlers. “Oklahoma’s Indian tribes… were the victims of the whites’ insatiable hunger for land.” It was horrifying to hear that the Ku Klux Klan held a rally in Sapulpa in the mid 1920’s.

As well as hearing about the growth of the town and surrounding area, there is also a section about notable businesses. It is interesting to read about the various churches and businesses that set up. I was particularly interested to read about the Harvey House as I had seen the Judy Garland film called The Harvey Girls.

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