Tag Archive | Orion Books

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.

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Merrily Ever After by Cathy Bramley

Dec4

A Festive Fayre

Merrily Ever After by Cathy Bramley is the most charming contemporary Christmas novel that I loved.

The action alternates between the two lead females as their lives are similar but different. They are ships that pass in the night until they dock together. A long-held secret produces delightful results.

Grief throws up many different emotions. “I’m sad… but I’m angry. Angry… that you didn’t love me enough to stay alive.” There is no timeline for grief, the pain remains forever. “I missed her. After all these years, there still wasn’t a day passed by without me thinking about her.”

We see the difficult topic of dementia. It is hard for the relatives as they only get glimpses of the person they used to know. There is the healing power of music. “The man couldn’t remember what day it was knew every word, every note.” Relatives of the dementia patient have to be adaptable in their responses. “You find the funny side, otherwise your heart would break.”

There is a Christmas wedding to prepare for. The reader is caught up in the celebrations. We read what marriage is: “all it [marriage] takes is a capacity to love and to let yourself be loved.”

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The Lion Cub’s Secret by Lauren St John

Oct9

Caretakers

The Lion Cub’s Secret by Lauren St John is a fabulous contemporary children’s novel that is perfect for ages eight years and over. It is the second book in The White Giraffe series and can be read as a stand-alone. However, I recommend reading book one first as this book continues on where the previous book ended.

Once more we join eleven-year-old Martine, her friend Ben and her grandmother on Sawubona game reserve in South Africa. All are caretakers and guardians of the animals. “If we don’t fight for them, who will?” As the book progresses, we see how important it is, to look after our animals and planet for their future and for our future generations.

The focus of the novel are lions. We ‘meet’ the literary lion, Aslan, and also stolen and ill-treated cubs and lions. Their heritage and breeding shines through as characteristics from ancestors have passed down the lines.

Life gives us scars. Scars show where we have been. There reveal our battles and show that we have survived. “Even with all his scars he was… perfect.” Our scars reveal our character.

Martine is connected with the ancients. “When Martine heard the lion’s command, she spun round… she felt as if he’d spoken to her heart.” Her heart ‘hears’ even if her eyes do not see. When Martine speaks, she can be trusted even though she is young.

Education is important. Ironically it is the children who recognize the importance of preserving the planet and animals for future generations.

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The White Giraffe by Lauren St John

Sep7

A Beautiful Friendship

The White Giraffe by Lauren St John is a fabulous contemporary children’s novel and perfect for ages eight years and over. It is the first book in The White Giraffe series which promises to be fabulous.

The reader travels from London to South Africa after a terrible tragedy. The landscape really comes alive for the reader due to comprehensive descriptions. We can ‘feel’ the African sun beating down on us, and ‘see’ by the light of the moon. Living on Sawubona game reserve brings freedom for eleven-year-old Martine.

It is here that Martine meets a grandmother whose existence she never knew. Martine wonders why her grandmother had been hidden from her. All will be revealed in due course. You need to read the book!

We witness the bond that Martine has with animals, particularly the white giraffe called Jemmy. She will do whatever she can in order to protect the animals from poachers.

Africa is a land of contrasts. We hear how the native Africans were persecuted and forced to live in the shanty town of Soweto near Johannesburg. The reader’s heart breaks as we read: “Only a man can crush you inside, in your heart, for no reason other than the colour of your skin.”

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