Anna Flores was barely a teenager when her beloved sister, Gabriella, disappeared. Though she's never stopped missing her sister, she dealt with the pain by fleeing abroad the first chance she got. Upon her mother's death, thirty years later, Anna has to return to the village of her childhood and confront her pain once again.
Despite extensive investigations, no one ever found out what really happened to Gabriella, whether she was murdered or ran away from home. The book alternates between Anna's present situation, dealing with her mother's death and everything that goes with it, to her childhood and the months leading up to her disappearance.
This is a very well-written thriller/mystery, set in a close-knit village which makes the mystery even harder to break. Almost anyone in the village could be a suspect, and Anna leaves no stone left unturned, until she has to.
In case you're wondering, yes, Anna does eventually find out what happened to her sister, but she also finds out more than she bargained for along the way - painful family secrets that, had she known when she was younger, she would not have felt as much of an outsider from her own loved ones.
If you are a fan of thrillers and mysteries, then this is simply a must-read for you.
Monday, 21 October 2019
Review: An Unsuitable Woman, Kat Gordon
Theo and Maud Miller, the children of wealthy and influential Scottish parents, are transported as teenagers from Great Britain to the sweltering and up-and-coming British colony of Kenya. While Great Britain is enduring a time of major social change post World War One, Kenya is home to the British aristocracy who are not ready to give up the old ways.
Theo, the protagonist of this story. is ready to come of age. When he meets Sylvie and Freddie, glamourous expatriates, he is keen to seem older than his fourteen years. He gets in with Sylvie and Freddie (and their respective spouses, although Sylvie and Freddie are not so secretly having an affair), much to the chagrin of his parents.
Social and political tensions are the backbone of this story. While Theo is more than ready to embrace the aristocratic, white privileged lifestyle of his peers, and chase the enigma that is Sylvie, Maud soon takes a different route. She readily acquires a social justice mindset but finds herself lonely in this endeavour.
The older Theo gets, the more he finds himself entangled in a web of secrets that binds his social group together. He never stops pursuing Sylvie, despite knowing the danger that she presents, not least because of other men who chase her. Meanwhile, in Britain, the fascists are on the rise and their politics reach Kenya, and soon thereafter adopted by this "Happy Valley" set. Despite being thousands of miles away, Britain's tensions are keenly felt in Kenya, where the elite are all too desperate to preserve the old ways.
The books builds slowly to an explosive crescendo at the end, one I didn't see coming, but after finishing the novel I appreciated much more how the author had written the story almost like a pressure cooker. Even in the colonial outpost of Kenya, which represents the heyday of the British Empire, they were not immune to the global political tensions, which affects both the national stage and the personal relationships.
I don't know what genre I would put this in, but it probably fits best into a period drama. I had no idea what to expect of it, but it was an expertly written story with plenty of questions and drama running throughout.
Theo, the protagonist of this story. is ready to come of age. When he meets Sylvie and Freddie, glamourous expatriates, he is keen to seem older than his fourteen years. He gets in with Sylvie and Freddie (and their respective spouses, although Sylvie and Freddie are not so secretly having an affair), much to the chagrin of his parents.
Social and political tensions are the backbone of this story. While Theo is more than ready to embrace the aristocratic, white privileged lifestyle of his peers, and chase the enigma that is Sylvie, Maud soon takes a different route. She readily acquires a social justice mindset but finds herself lonely in this endeavour.
The older Theo gets, the more he finds himself entangled in a web of secrets that binds his social group together. He never stops pursuing Sylvie, despite knowing the danger that she presents, not least because of other men who chase her. Meanwhile, in Britain, the fascists are on the rise and their politics reach Kenya, and soon thereafter adopted by this "Happy Valley" set. Despite being thousands of miles away, Britain's tensions are keenly felt in Kenya, where the elite are all too desperate to preserve the old ways.
The books builds slowly to an explosive crescendo at the end, one I didn't see coming, but after finishing the novel I appreciated much more how the author had written the story almost like a pressure cooker. Even in the colonial outpost of Kenya, which represents the heyday of the British Empire, they were not immune to the global political tensions, which affects both the national stage and the personal relationships.
I don't know what genre I would put this in, but it probably fits best into a period drama. I had no idea what to expect of it, but it was an expertly written story with plenty of questions and drama running throughout.
Sunday, 29 September 2019
Review: The Postcard, Zoe Folbigg
This novel is a delightful romantic comedy from Zoe Folbigg. Maya and her boyfriend, James, are off on a year-long travelling adventure, starting off in India and making their way through Asia. After an opulent start, they endure discomforts of comically epic proportions while trying to find their stride, from sleeping in a luggage-esque compartment of a bus, to a spa selling self-applied colonics in an attempt to spice up Maya's travel column.
Maya's best friend, Nena, meanwhile, is back at home with her newborn, Ava, and Arlo, her stepson, trying desperately to navigate her way through the special yet incredibly exhausting and lonely time that is the first stage of motherhood.
Maya's and James' travelling, however, is married by a sub story of a woman called Manon, who has disappeared. The reader meets Manon from time to time, and must be suffering from some kind of hallucinations as she is regularly tormented by Napoleon Bonaparte.
The Postcard is a wonderfully enjoyable read, full of humour, warmth, and sparkle. It's very much along the lines of Jojo Moyes and Marian Keyes, and I would add that it's every bit as well written as a Moyes or Keyes story.
The Postcard is available now.
Saturday, 21 September 2019
Review: A Map Of The Sky, Claire Wong
NB: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Plot: Just before the end of the his school's summer term, Kit is pulled out of school by his mum, who takes Kit and his sister up north to a remote coastal village, near Scarborough. They stay for a little while at a guesthouse until their new home is ready. They meet an assortment of guests there, but Kit is most drawn to Beth, one of the owners, who suffers from an illness he doesn't understand. He decides to try and help her, like a knight going on a quest in one of his favourite stories, but soon realises that as much as he tries to know and sort out the problems around him, the real problems are right under his nose.
Claire Wong has crafted an intimate, innocent, and discerning novel that takes a look at an issue that is not often talked about, and less understood - the nature of chronic illness and the effect it has on those whom it afflicts. Through Kit's eyes, we learn about it in an open and curious manner. Claire's bitterness at her suffering comes through softly, but not too much that it's dismissed. While Kit focusses on helping Claire, though, he's missing out on rescuing someone who actually wants to be rescued - in his own family, no less.
The landscapes in the novel enhance the story at its core, and almost tell their own story. There's a moment where Kit stands alone on a clifftop, viewing the magnificent north sea before him, and Claire's words transport you there so well you can almost feel the salty air. It's quietly dramatic, and although there's not a lot of action, per se, it's not necessary. Claire makes you invest in her characters, and you want to know the intimate details of their life, and what has brought them together.
Altogether, it's a gorgeous and quietly dramatic book that explores the nature of, and coping with, misunderstood illness, but more than that, the need to simply see the humanity in one another and act with kindness accordingly.
Plot: Just before the end of the his school's summer term, Kit is pulled out of school by his mum, who takes Kit and his sister up north to a remote coastal village, near Scarborough. They stay for a little while at a guesthouse until their new home is ready. They meet an assortment of guests there, but Kit is most drawn to Beth, one of the owners, who suffers from an illness he doesn't understand. He decides to try and help her, like a knight going on a quest in one of his favourite stories, but soon realises that as much as he tries to know and sort out the problems around him, the real problems are right under his nose.
Claire Wong has crafted an intimate, innocent, and discerning novel that takes a look at an issue that is not often talked about, and less understood - the nature of chronic illness and the effect it has on those whom it afflicts. Through Kit's eyes, we learn about it in an open and curious manner. Claire's bitterness at her suffering comes through softly, but not too much that it's dismissed. While Kit focusses on helping Claire, though, he's missing out on rescuing someone who actually wants to be rescued - in his own family, no less.
The landscapes in the novel enhance the story at its core, and almost tell their own story. There's a moment where Kit stands alone on a clifftop, viewing the magnificent north sea before him, and Claire's words transport you there so well you can almost feel the salty air. It's quietly dramatic, and although there's not a lot of action, per se, it's not necessary. Claire makes you invest in her characters, and you want to know the intimate details of their life, and what has brought them together.
Altogether, it's a gorgeous and quietly dramatic book that explores the nature of, and coping with, misunderstood illness, but more than that, the need to simply see the humanity in one another and act with kindness accordingly.
Sunday, 15 September 2019
Review: Over A Thousand Hills I Walk With You, Hanna Jansen
This haunting and harrowing novel about the Rwandan genocide comes from a writer called Hanna Jansen, the adoptive mother of a young girl called Jeanne. Folks who have watched the film 'Hotel Rwanda' will already have an inkling of what is to come in the story. It's a terribly important read, not just as a witness to those who were massacred, but for the western world to take responsibility for turning a blind eye to the atrocity.
The story begins with Jeanne and her siblings at her grandmother's farm, at which they spend every summer holiday. The family is large, close, and thriving. They are also Tutsi, a simple label which means only one thing in the months to come.
Jeanne's family is fairly well-to-do. Her father is a professor; her mother is a teacher; they live in a large house in the centre of a busy town and they are able to afford servants. Jeanne describes life much as any child would - the games and rivalry with her siblings, her complaints of school and just wanting to play - but all of that changes very quickly.
The Tutsis and the Hutus are the two main tribes in Rwanda. The Belgians, who had colonised it, declared the Tutsis to be the upper class and the Hutus to be the lower class. However, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Hutus carried out uprisings forcing Tutsis to flee. When Rwanda became independent, the Hutus formed the government. This didn't stop the Tutsis, though, who tried to invade multiple times.
This story begins in 1994, shortly before the President's plane is shot down. This comes at the worst possible time, in the middle of peace talks between the Hutus and the Tutsis. As a result, trouble brews and whispers among the Tutsis begin of Hutu violence.
It doesn't take long for this violence to come. Jeanne's father takes their whole family to a nearby commune, under the protection of the Mayor, but they are later betrayed. The Interahamwe carry out a massacre of the Tutsis under the now-ceased protection of the Mayor, and Jeanne watches her own mother being hacked to death. Jeanne escapes with her brother and father, but events later conspire which result in her father disappearing and her brother murdered in front of her.
Then, a stroke of luck. A Hutu woman, who had been married to a Tutsis (now killed), demands passes through the country to return home. She takes Jeanne and a few other children besides her own, claiming them to be relatives. An arduous journey leads them home but the men of the house make their displeasure clear. Soon, this inevitably ends in more bloodshed.
There isn't a happy ending to this story, per se. How can there be, when a young girl survives a genocide but has witnessed her family being brutally murdered and escapes by the skin of her teeth? Knowing that one million of her fellow citizens have been cut down by their former friends and neighbours? Jeanne escapes to her aunt in Germany and eventually gets adopted. This story was written as a witness to her life and her family's, and the pain of these events bleeds through every word. Hanna, the author, begins each chapter with an observation on Jeanne, how she's reacting, what this process is doing to her. It needs to be done but what is uncovered cannot ever be forgotten. Jeanne's pain becomes her own.
It's also a cry of shame for the world who turned its back on it. After the Holocaust, the world swore 'never again.' And yet genocides have occurred the world over - not to the same scale or industrial undertaking, but genocides still the same. Reading these stories is a responsibility that we shouldn't ignore.
The story begins with Jeanne and her siblings at her grandmother's farm, at which they spend every summer holiday. The family is large, close, and thriving. They are also Tutsi, a simple label which means only one thing in the months to come.
Jeanne's family is fairly well-to-do. Her father is a professor; her mother is a teacher; they live in a large house in the centre of a busy town and they are able to afford servants. Jeanne describes life much as any child would - the games and rivalry with her siblings, her complaints of school and just wanting to play - but all of that changes very quickly.
The Tutsis and the Hutus are the two main tribes in Rwanda. The Belgians, who had colonised it, declared the Tutsis to be the upper class and the Hutus to be the lower class. However, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Hutus carried out uprisings forcing Tutsis to flee. When Rwanda became independent, the Hutus formed the government. This didn't stop the Tutsis, though, who tried to invade multiple times.
This story begins in 1994, shortly before the President's plane is shot down. This comes at the worst possible time, in the middle of peace talks between the Hutus and the Tutsis. As a result, trouble brews and whispers among the Tutsis begin of Hutu violence.
It doesn't take long for this violence to come. Jeanne's father takes their whole family to a nearby commune, under the protection of the Mayor, but they are later betrayed. The Interahamwe carry out a massacre of the Tutsis under the now-ceased protection of the Mayor, and Jeanne watches her own mother being hacked to death. Jeanne escapes with her brother and father, but events later conspire which result in her father disappearing and her brother murdered in front of her.
Then, a stroke of luck. A Hutu woman, who had been married to a Tutsis (now killed), demands passes through the country to return home. She takes Jeanne and a few other children besides her own, claiming them to be relatives. An arduous journey leads them home but the men of the house make their displeasure clear. Soon, this inevitably ends in more bloodshed.
There isn't a happy ending to this story, per se. How can there be, when a young girl survives a genocide but has witnessed her family being brutally murdered and escapes by the skin of her teeth? Knowing that one million of her fellow citizens have been cut down by their former friends and neighbours? Jeanne escapes to her aunt in Germany and eventually gets adopted. This story was written as a witness to her life and her family's, and the pain of these events bleeds through every word. Hanna, the author, begins each chapter with an observation on Jeanne, how she's reacting, what this process is doing to her. It needs to be done but what is uncovered cannot ever be forgotten. Jeanne's pain becomes her own.
It's also a cry of shame for the world who turned its back on it. After the Holocaust, the world swore 'never again.' And yet genocides have occurred the world over - not to the same scale or industrial undertaking, but genocides still the same. Reading these stories is a responsibility that we shouldn't ignore.
Friday, 30 August 2019
New Review: Butterfly in Frost, Sylvia Day
Sylvia Day is a multi-million bestselling author primarily known for her romance novels. Her bestselling Crossfire series has sold over 13 million copies. Her new book, Butterfly In Frost, introduces readers to a host of new characters, the protagonists being Teagan and Garrett.
Teagan is a successful reality-TV surgeon who moved from NYC to the state of Washington after a lot of personal trauma, including a divorce from a famous actor. She isn't quite agoraphobic but she has to work quite hard to take small steps, including going outside. However, her quiet world is turned upside down when Garrett Frost, a photographer and artist, moves next door. They literally collide into each other on their first meeting and, despite his simmering anger, sexual tension immediately simmers between them. It's not long before Garrett barges into her life and sweeps her off her feet. Teagan is not the only one who is hurting, though, and she fears opening herself up to Garrett when he is clearly battling demons as well.
The romance between them builds up slowly but intensely. The description of their relationship will surely be a delight for any romance fiction fan, but there are deeper layers to the story as well, as they reveal more about their pasts and entrust their secrets to each other.
There is an unexpected ending, however, and I did not see this twist coming at all. In fact, afterwards I did a quick scan of the whole book again to see how I could have missed the clues.
If you are a fan of steamy romance fiction with a good story and happy ending then this book will definitely be for you.
Teagan is a successful reality-TV surgeon who moved from NYC to the state of Washington after a lot of personal trauma, including a divorce from a famous actor. She isn't quite agoraphobic but she has to work quite hard to take small steps, including going outside. However, her quiet world is turned upside down when Garrett Frost, a photographer and artist, moves next door. They literally collide into each other on their first meeting and, despite his simmering anger, sexual tension immediately simmers between them. It's not long before Garrett barges into her life and sweeps her off her feet. Teagan is not the only one who is hurting, though, and she fears opening herself up to Garrett when he is clearly battling demons as well.
The romance between them builds up slowly but intensely. The description of their relationship will surely be a delight for any romance fiction fan, but there are deeper layers to the story as well, as they reveal more about their pasts and entrust their secrets to each other.
There is an unexpected ending, however, and I did not see this twist coming at all. In fact, afterwards I did a quick scan of the whole book again to see how I could have missed the clues.
If you are a fan of steamy romance fiction with a good story and happy ending then this book will definitely be for you.
Monday, 26 August 2019
Upcoming Review: Butterfly in Frost by Sylvia Day
I'm taking part in the blog tour for this upcoming release! Come back on Friday for my review.
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