Tag Archive | Net Galley

The Promise Tree by Elisabeth Hobbes

Oct7

To Last A Lifetime

The Promise Tree by Elisabeth Hobbes is a very beautiful historical fantasy that I read in just one sitting.

The tale is set mainly from 1902 to just after the end of World War I, and then into the twenty first century. It is a tale as old as time. It is a tale that transcends time. It is a tale of great beauty.

We see the beauty when a character is at one with nature. Nature should be cherished, adored and preserved for future generations.

In contrast there is the ugliness of war. There is the tragedy of the Pals regiments where a generation of young men were lost to the battlefields of France. Whole villages went to war and only a handful of young men returned.

We witness how a tragedy caused a life to become bitter and full of hatred, blaming an innocent for what was simply, a tragic accident.

And we see a beautiful relationship that is gentle, cares, protects and preserves. It is a beauty that needs to be shared. We see the dark satanic mills of northern England where whole sways of people have no access to green spaces. A generous philanthropist decides to right this wrong.

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The Daughter Of The Fens by Elena Collins

Oct4

For All Time

The Daughter Of The Fens by Elena Collins is the most awe inspiring, beautiful timeslip novel that I could not get enough of. I read it in just two sittings, pausing only to sleep.

The action is set in the Fens in present day and also two millennia earlier under Roman occupation. It is an area of mystery where the past and present collide as the veil of time is thin.

This is a beautiful story about a forbidden love that will last a lifetime. A character is searching in the past, and her presence is linked to a soul in the present, through dreams and the landscape.

Alternating chapters reveal the parallels between the characters and the time periods.

Elena Collins brings the landscape of two millennia ago to life as we enter a Roman villa and follow the life of an Iceni servant girl. She is a good soul, loyal and true.

As we follow the servant girl, we see that her Roman mistress is more imprisoned than she is. Roman wives knew their duties. They knew their places. They were not free but had to do the bidding of their fathers and then their husbands.

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The Secret Photograph by Siobhan Curham

Oct4

The Peacock & The Fire

The Secret Photograph by Siobhan Curham is the most powerful historical novel that consumed my every waking moment.

The novel is mainly set in Paris during World War II. There are also chapters set in 1985. Paris’ lights dim under Nazi occupation. It was a time of great cruelty with round-ups happening daily.

Against this backdrop we meet a brave, young female photographer who one day captures an image that spoke to her heart. It inspired her to become part of the resistance. The Secret Photograph tells her story.

We witness the abominable cruelty. Life was not sacred but cruelly snuffed out in an instant by the Nazis. Children were not treasured but slaughtered. The resistance grew as people held on to the hope that one day the Nazis would be defeated and the lights of Paris would shine once more.

There were still those characters who were larger than life, incredibly brave and retained an air of joie de vivre as they flamboyantly protested against the Nazis, offering a solidarity with the Jews. The vitality of Peacock has been perfectly captured by the author. He springs to life from the pages of the book.

Lives were snuffed out in an instant – lives not only blighted today, but future hopes and dreams gone. “They are stealing people’s lives and dreams.”

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The 6pm Frazzled Mums’ Club by Nina Manning

Oct3

All For One

The 6pm Frazzled Mums Club by Nina Manning is an absolutely charming contemporary novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. It carries on from The 3am Shattered Mums’ Club but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the previous book first to get the background and to see character progression.

It was a pure delight to catch up with familiar characters as the new mums from the first book are now waving goodbye to their little ones at the school gates. It is a time of great change as a new chapter in lives begins.

The three new mums from book one now face a time when they can follow their different dreams. They also have a wealth of experience that they can use to help support others who are struggling with parenthood.

The playground can be a vicious arena – for mums as well as for children!

Now is the time to pick up lives again – one mum returns to singing, her first love; another starts a new venture following her lifelong dream; and a third – can you guess? Read the book to find out!

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