Archives

The House On Otley Road by Rosa Silverman

Jun29

Gripping

The House On Otley Road by Rosa Silverman is a totally gripping murder suspense that I could not put down.

The action is set in 1999 and 2019, focusing on a house in Otley Road in Leeds. The action alternates between the two time periods. It also looks backwards speculating on what happened at the time.

Two murders, twenty years apart, one murder site – seemingly nothing in common, and everything in common – are they linked? Or random?

We follow the action in 2019 through the eyes of reporter, Kate. The reader gets to know what she knows – but we have the benefit of watching the action unfold in 1999 too.

The book is superbly written. As I read onwards towards the conclusion, I began to join the dots! My heart rate rose as the penny dropped!

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The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston

Jun29

Simply Beautiful

The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston is a simply beautiful novel that I never wanted to end.

It is a timeslip novel about love and loss and awakening. The action is set within the extensive gardens of a large house. There are different zones within the garden, including a secret garden whose entrance keeps moving. Time moves at a different pace within this garden. It is a place where plants and lives are re-awakened.

The novel is about grief. It is a raw grief which was easy for me to recognise as my beautiful Dad has just died and I feel the pain too. “He didn’t tell me how sorry he was for my loss… He simply let me cry until there wasn’t anything left.” Sometimes, we just need others to be there while we cry. There is no need for words.

The loss within the novel is that of a good friend to cancer. The leading lady is learning to live again. She fears that moving on means letting go of Harrie – but Harrie will live forever in her heart.

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All The Broken Places by John Boyne

Jun15

Innocent? – Or Not?

All The Broken Places by John Boyne is a powerful novel set over four different time periods that consumed me from the start. It is the sequel to The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading book one first as there are references to scenes in there. This is Gretel’s story who is the daughter of the commandant of Auschwitz, and therefore sister to Bruno, the lead character in The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas.

The story in set in London in 2022, and also in Paris in 1946, Sydney 1952, and London again in 1953. The chapters alternate between 2022 and the other time periods.

Gretel is ninety-one in 2022. She has had a lifetime of hiding and guilt consuming her, despite only being twelve-years-old when she first went to live at Auschwitz. She has been running from the truth ever since.

Blame is laid on her youth. She claims her youth equals her innocence – but she knew exactly what was going on, and she is only fooling herself.

We see the truth of Edmund Burke’s famous statement that for evil to flourish, it just needs good men to do nothing. “By doing nothing, you did everything.” People are complicit in the Holocaust by their inactivity.

There are Holocaust survivors. Their stories cannot be compared to Gretel’s. She chose to do nothing, to say nothing. She has guilty hands. The Jewish people had no choice in their fate.

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The Paris Affair by Muna Shehadi

Jun6

Love, Friendship & Legacy

The Paris Affair by Muna Shehadi is a compelling and enthralling dual timeline novel that I adored.

The novel is set in 1975 and in present day, in both Paris and midwestern America. The two time periods are linked by one family – a grandmother and her granddaughter.

We see the power of choices, and how we, and others, respond to the choices made. “Life is a series of choices… You can live with regret for the road not taken, or you can kick that devil out and find ways to be content.” Our lives are what we make of them. We can live in disappointment or look for rainbows in the rain.

A life has been squashed – first by expectations placed on her by her family; and then by a very spoilt and opinionated daughter. The character has missed out on seeing her three grandchildren as lies have been told. One day the truth will come out.

There is the importance of having the correct priorities. “What do I need sable and diamonds for?… I have weeds, goats and chicken poo.” When life is ruled by dollar signs, no good will come of it. Find contentment in the simple things in life.

At the heart of the novel is a small farm and its’ animals. At first, a character is fearful of the animals. As she faces her fears, she finds the joy within. Life is made richer by the bond with animals.

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