Tag Archive | Rachels Random Resources

Finding Jack by Sofia Due

Oct9

Beautiful – Love & Loyalty

Finding Jack by Sofia Due is a beautiful cotemporary novel that tugged on my emotions.

It is heartbreaking to witness the effects of war on a character who was the lone survivor of a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. “It can be difficult to be the one who comes home.” Even years later, guilt and grief still consume aa character. He survived. His pals didn’t. He came home in his body but his mind is still wandering in Afghanistan.

We also witness the devastating effects of alcoholism on a family after a father drank himself to death. “He chose to carry on drinking when he knew it would kill him. It’s as if he chose to leave us.” To choose the bottle over his wife and daughter was a traumatic choice for those left behind.

Characters have to find a way through the pain. Some choose the bottle. Some have an emergency pack of cigarettes, just in case. Others channel their thoughts through artistic endeavour. They need to choose what will build them up and not what will drag them down.

There is a lot of love to go round as there is a home that helps house and educate disadvantaged youngsters. They are given a purpose again.

We witness the dreadful theme of exploitation and human trafficking. Those who have little are unscrupulously used, having their emotions manipulated, to work to bring loved ones over to Britain for a price – but it never happens.

Despite some very hard hitting themes, Finding Jack is a beautiful novel. We see new relationships form and old ones renewed. Love and loyalty loom large.

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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 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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