Fiction reviews

Well I have given you the morning free of me Grammargran but only because I have been perusing my other great love in life Tennis. Been watching the Australian Open and I have fitted in a visit to Keep Fit.

You may wonder when I fit in housework and other boring jobs. I wonder that too.

Finally yes Ripper Street is on Amazon Prime. Do you remember 'Life on Mars' just watched that series on AP, very good.

Over and out.

You're my sort of woman NanKate, and give sensible advice. Will the next series of Outlander be on Amazon Prime? Didn't they do Ripper Street when the BBC gave up on them? And now, no more from you, I need to wash up at least!

S*d the housework Grammargran and get down to some serious reading. I have restarted reading the Diana Gabaldon books they are so good, I feel sure you will become equally hooked having read book 1.

Have I mentioned to you that the second of the Outlander series is in production and I tell you I've loved the first series almost as much as reading the books and that says something.

Shall I keep quiet for a bit ?

For goodness sake NanKate, stop recommending books and authors to me, my house is already totally neglected through my reading habits - I just blow on the dust before settling down. You've so hooked me on the Outlander books - and I'm still on number 1 but I know it's going to be a lifetime affair - I've ordered the DVDs for holiday viewing. I've just read the blurb about Ruth Galloway and I'm a lost cause already!

GrammarGran no I didn't know there was a new Barbara Erskine due, I will put it on my To Do List to treat myself

I don't know if you have discovered Elly Griffiths her stories about Ruth Galloway starting with book 1 'The Crossing Places' are excellent.

Greyduster I read 'Lady of Hay' about 25 years ago and loved it. I thought when it was the 25th anniversary I would read it again and I just couldn't finish it and wondered why I had loved it so much before. I suspect I have changed a lot over the years and my reading tastes have changed.

grammargran i couldn't get on with "Lady of Hay" - not because of the switching between eras, but because i couldn't warm to any of the characters except Mathilda. I nearly gave it up a few times, but i was so curious to see how it would end that i stuck it out!

Forgot to mention, NanKate, did you know Barbara Erskine's got a new book coming out at the end of June? "Sleeper's Castle" Apparently, it's 30 years since "Lady of Hay" was first published.

I'll give her a go NanKate!

I love Barbara Erskine too Grammargran. Have you discovered Diana Gabaldon and her Outlander series, they are fabulous and have been turned into a mini series on Amazon Prime ?

I really enjoyed that book Greyduster and love nipping between eras like NanKate - Barbara Erkskine's good at that as well as a bit spooky!
However, I've just found myself a new author - Jane Bailey - and have skittered through two of her books: "Tommy Glover's Sketch of Heaven" and "Mad Joy". Both deal with the war years but not in that slightly mushy way that happens with a lot of evacuee war stories. The story lines in both books are much more robust with more than a touch of thriller type mystery about them. They are both books that make you wonder why the writers for TV or film drama haven't picked up on them. Of course, you can't be objective in cases like this - so a lot of you out there may think I'm talking rubbish - but I loved them both. (The fact that the main action takes place in my native Gloucestershire may have something to do with that, of course!)

I shall look out for that book Greyduster the cover is very graphic, which I like.

Different from you I just love books that switch between eras, so this might suit me nicely. Thanks.

Just finished another of Manda Scott's books "Into the Fire". The story alternates between 21st century and 15th century France - specifically Orlean, where a female police officer is tasked with investigating a series of catastrophic fires which are claiming lives, and which are tenuously linked to the history of the martyrdom of Joan of Arc. I quite often find books that switch back and forth between eras irritating, but a gripping story unfolds throughout this book and it become 'unputdownable'.
Manda Scott has a wonderful grasp on history, meticulously researched. Her characters are so beautifully and carefully wrought you feel you have known them for years. They leap out of the page at you and stay with you for a long time after you put the books down. Her Boudicca novels are rivetting (i was pleased to see they are optioned for tv) and whether she is writing battle scenes or love scenes she never misses a step.

All of the Case Histories series are superb. The TV series was disappointing.

Dragonfish by Vu Tran

This is a first novel from this author so I didn't know what to expect. I started reading it a few weeks ago but Christmas got in the way so only went back to it this week. Once I started reading it again, I couldn't put it down. It's essentially a mystery set in USA and the main character is an American cop. However it's far more than that, with great storytelling and full of characters. It has an engrossing plot, and vividly brings to life a dangerous Las Vegas but also has themes of loss and identity. The book involves Vietnamese immigrants and this made me think about their history and what they must have experienced. I would recommend this book as an absorbing read, and I'll be looking out for more from this author.

The Apothecarys Daughter by Charlotte Betts

Set during the time of the London Fire & around an Apothecary, love & danger all around. It takes you into another world.

Book Review: 'AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED', by Khaled Hosseini.

After the phenomenal success of 'The Kite Runner' and 'A Thousand Splendid Suns', selling 38 million copies worldwide, Khaled Hosseini returns with his third book. And just like his first two stories, 'And The Mountains Echoed' is a beautifully written epic, partially set against the backdrop of the last 60-years of the land of the author's birth, but additionally also in cities around the world as the narrative expands.
The story presents an interlocking series of events that span generations, about people trapped in the circumstances of their lives, who make life-changing decisions not because they want to, but, ultimately, because they feel they have to, but who do not grasp the grave consequences of these decisions until afterwards. Its characters are linked by blood, coincidence and by the way their lives seem parallel.

The book opens with the 10-year-old Abdullah joining his sister, 3-year-old Pari, and his father, Saboor, on a journey across the desert to Kabul. It becomes apparent that brother and sister are inseparable, and that Abdullah's deep love and sense of responsibility for his sister transcends time and space. It is also clear the family have known hardship their entire lives. The mother of the two siblings had passed away giving birth to Pari. They, along with their step-mother and baby half-brother, are supported by Saboor, who takes work where he can find it, often having to be away for days on end. However, job opportunities are scarce. The sheer financial burden they experience have led to this journey, along with the prospect of further impending struggles to come (another infant on the way, along with the harsh winter which had already claimed the life of Abdullah's and Pari's first half-brother two winters ago). Saboor has made a fateful decision. He must make a sacrifice to save the family. It is a decision that will 'echo' through time, generations, continents.
From this point, the author weaves a multi-layered narrative away from the siblings' plight through to characters you initially assume are merely foils, but whose own individual tales become key components of the book in their own right. Themes emerge: the separation of siblings, betrayal by fathers and mothers and sisters, the grief and resentments of children, the failure of early promise, the way all plans and ambitions can be undermined by sudden and astonishing events.
Hosseini seems to be fascinated by the accidental nature of life, by the way that whole decades of our lives can be shaped by events we do not understand or even know about, about how sometimes these multiple threads can be traced back to one cataclysmic moment in the past, one singular event, one momentous decision.

After two critically-acclaimed and financially successful book releases, it's safe to assume the author probably felt the weight of expectation on him when constructing this third book. However, Hosseini meets these expectations head-on. A terrific book from an author justifiably increasing in reputation as a great storyteller.

"An epic tale that transcends time, generations and continents. A top read!!! 4.5/5" 9 out of 10

Book Review: 'THE WOLF WILDER', by Katherine Rundell.

Katherine Rundell follows up 'Rooftoppers' with a compelling adventure infusing fantasy and fairy tale. This is a story about a mother & daughter team of wolf wilders. They take in the unwanted pet wolves of the Russian aristocracy and teach them to fend for themselves, to fight and hunt, before releasing them back into the wild. The story opens during the time when a division of the Tsar's army, led by the unforgiving General Rakov, begin to exert corruptive control over the region. Placing the blame for recent wolf attacks squarely at the feet of the wolf wilders, they arrest the mother, imprisoning her in the pre-gulag prison of St. Petersburg. The daughter, Feodora, is left with no option but to go on the run with her wolves, while simultaneously devising a way to rescue her mother. What transpires is a tale of revolution and fighting for what's right.

The presentation of the book is quite simply beautiful. With a watercolour painted cover incorporating silver foil-stamped lettering, and atmospheric, painted illustrations by Gelrev Ongbico, there is a sense of real anticipation picking up this book. And the little icons at the corner of almost every page serve as a perpetual reminder of the snow-filled, almost magical, setting. Similar to books like 'The Spiderwick Chronicles', 'The Legend Of Frog, and 'The Great Pet-Shop Panic', these design elements significantly enhance the reading experience.

The story itself is a well-crafted adventure taking place over a hundred years ago. The author exquisitely weaves a magical and wild setting for her host of untamed characters - a feisty heroine who appears at times more wolf than her 3 feral companions, and the foreboding villain opposing her. And like in the classic 'Emil & The Detectives', it is children banding together to fight injustice. The narrative is not without flaws, though. At the beginning of the story, a new wolf, Tenderfoot, is delivered to Feo and her mother to 'wild'. The burgeoning relationship between Feo and Tenderfoot, and the introduction of the kind Russian soldier Ilya into their circle, is gradually developed, filled with characterisation and humanity. However, rather abruptly, we fast-track several weeks ahead to find Ilya arriving with news of Tenderfoot's demise (Page 73). No tension, no elaborate description as to how it happened, it just seemed very rushed. Following this, the reader has to exercise a real suspension of belief with how 4 adult soldiers, all carrying guns, and an armed army general no less, are unable to take down a 12-year-old girl armed only with a home-made ski. The soldiers then burn down Feo's house, and physically intimidate and arrest her mother. Despite these terrible events adding to the tragedy of Tenderfoot's killing, we seem to witness Feo's grief dissipating rather quickly. Just 3 pages after her escape, Feo is pulling faces (Page 88) and making jokes (Page 89). This is in sharp contrast to how crushed she becomes when Grey suffers tragic consequences later in the book. Finally, we have the training scene on page 279. Young readers will enjoy the all-action preparation, akin to Rocky training for the big boxing fight. But children performing push-ups for a day do not transform into fighters ready to take on adult prison guards armed with guns. In fact, since they're planning to storm Kresty Jail the following day, it'll more than likely wear them out.

However, the intended target audience are unlikely to be bogged down with such plot foibles, irrespective of how implausible they may seem. Instead, they will find 'The Wolf Wilder' an imaginative, enthralling and captivating read. In conclusion, an enchanting literary triumph.

"Compelling adventure infusing fantasy & fairy tale, set against the backdrop of the Russian winter" 8 out of 10

Book Review: 'MANGO & BAMBANG: THE NOT-A-PIG', by Polly Faber.

'Mango & Bambang: The Not-A-Pig' by Polly Faber is a light, fun & humorous read. The book is presented in a delightful way, with a purple striped cover / purple page border design, and great cartoon illustrations by Clara Vulliamy. Similar to books like 'The Spiderwick Chronicles', 'Fortunately, The Milk', and 'The Legend Of Frog', the design elements significantly enhance the reading experience.
The book is divided into 4 chapters. Though chronological, each chapter could very well have been self contained stories presented as a set of 4 shorter books. The book appears to be aimed at girls of primary school age, although young readers of both gender will enjoy it. It will definitely be helpful just after the transition from picture-heavy books to ones with more written text.

As for the story itself, it reminds us a little of 'Paddington'. Bambang is a tapir from Malaysia who has gotten himself lost. Trapped in a busy, noisy, scary city, he hides by camouflaging himself across a zebra crossing (hence the book's striped cover design). Unfortunately, this causes a huge traffic jam, and it isn't until a kind girl called Mango persuades him with a tea invitation (consisting of banana pancakes) that he musters up the courage to move. Invited to stay with Mango, Bambang inadvertently gets up to all sorts of trouble. However, he redeems himself in a way only a tapir can by helping Mango prepare for her clarinet performance at the Big City Concert.

There's a bounce in the way the text sounds when read. Plus, it's refreshing that Polly Faber chose a slightly unorthodox animal for her central character (as opposed to the usual cats and dogs, pigs and sheep, bears and hares that fill such books). Bambang and Mango make a dynamic duo, and the significance of friendship resonates throughout the book. Readers will look forward to more adventures with the pair.

"a light, fun & humorous read for kids.…" 8 out of 10

Book Review: 'BEST DRESSED PETS' by Nicole Jarecz & Lisa Regan.

A fun sticker activity book, most suitable for young girls aged 3 to 8. It does incorporate a very common feature - peel-off stickers contained in the centre to sticker over designated places throughout the rest of the book (Panini, Merlin and Topps sticker album collections have had this facility for years). However, it is nevertheless a well presented book containing Emma Dodd's colourful pencil sketches of young women and their pets, and stickers of different clothes and accessories which have to be used to dress the women and their cats/dogs. Lisa Regan's text provide the clues as to which clothes is appropriate for which page. For young fashion aficionados everywhere!

"A fun sticker activity book for young girls." 7 out of 10

Book Review: 'I LOVE MY GRANNY' by Giles Andreae & Emma Dodd.

A bright and cheery picture book from Orchard / Hachette Children's Book. Though incorporating a common theme, i.e. the relationship between guardians and their kids, and/or adults & children in general, the book goes against the grain somewhat and places the focus on grandparents for a change. Or more precisely, a boy's affection for his grandmother.
Emma Dodd's colourful illustrations perfectly complement Giles Andreae's text. The rhyming prose is well-thought out, warm and poignant. Reading this out aloud in Key Stage 1 will provide the impetus for lively discussions, with additional suggestions from pupils as to how special grandmothers (and grandparents in general) are.

"A warm book about a boy's affection for his grandmother." 8 out of 10

Book Review: 'VIVIENNE WESTWOOD', by Vivienne Westwood & Ian Kelly.

The first ever personal memoir from punk/activist/fashion legend Vivienne Westwood proves to be a 464-page tour-de-force. Writing in collaboration with award-winning biographer, Ian Kelly, we get a lot more than just a scrapbook of memories, with the text structure jerking back and forth via snapshots of the author's life. Instead, we receive an exceptionally insightful look at the life of an icon. The book is incredibly well-written, with detailed additional narrative expanding upon the themes explored, and is packed to the brim with never-before-published photographs from Vivienne's life.

The book charts her humble beginnings, and early struggles as a single mother after her decision to end her brief first marriage. Her tumultuous partnership with Malcolm McLaren is then recounted, simultaneously providing a vivid portrayal of the inception of punk, the fusion of fashion and music, and the impact of the British punk scene in the late seventies. First-hand accounts from her sons, friends, and colleagues, illustrate how Vivienne worked her socks off to make her designs, her business, her clothes store at 'World's End', etc., a success. However, McLaren, for all his great ideas, seemed to be conspicuous by his absence when it came to compulsory hard labour. He was hardly ever there for their child (let alone Vivienne's first son), and was constantly putting her down and taking sole credit for her work. The 'Sex Pistols' arrived, and departed. Not too long after, McLaren followed suit, leaving for America, chasing his latest affectation, another woman clung to his arms. However, this proved a catalyst for Vivienne to come into her own on a truly global scale. The book follows her rise and rise, right up to her current status as fashion mogul extraordinaire, world-renowned activist, and 73-year-old grandmother.

An aesthetically striking book. Though somewhat over-long (it does appear to drag on in parts), it is a discerning look into the life of a pioneer. An icon who re-invented herself as she moved with the times. But who remained an artist throughout, true to her calling. Frank, comprehensive, and inspiring.

"Insightful look into the life of an icon. For fashion aficionados everywhere!" 7 out of 10

Book Review: 'ELIZABETH IS MISSING', by Emma Healey.

The riveting debut by author Emma Healey, winning the Costa First Novel Award and being voted in the Top 3 of the year's best novels by Guardian readers. It is the story of an unsolved mystery from the end of World War 2, with the clues only now resurfacing in the mind of Maud, the dementia afflicted main character. The book release coincides with the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two (well timed but unintended, the author concedes).

A note in Maud's pocket tells her that 'Elizabeth is missing'. But everyone around her insists nothing is wrong, that her concerns are just a figment of her own imagination. Her daughter. Her carer. Elizabeth's son. Even her granddaughter probably thinks she's just a batty old 81-year old. And little wonder. Maud's been getting very forgetful recently. She purchases tins of peach non-stop, thinking she's run out despite having an overloaded cupboard. She makes a fresh cup of tea, forgetting to drink the one she made just minutes before. She even walked out of a store with unpaid for items the previous year. Because she forgot to pay. But Maud is convinced she's not mistaken, and is determined to discover what has happened to her friend, Elizabeth. But what has this to do with the unsolved disappearance of her sister Sukey all those decades ago?

'Elizabeth Is Missing' is as much a human character piece and an exploration of family relationships as it is a mystery. It is interesting the way the contrasts between the numerous relationships are explored - Maud's childhood with Sukey and her parents, her relationship now with her daughter Helen, her granddaughter Katy, her son Tom, as well as with her carers and friends/colleagues from Oxfam; the Sukey-Frank-Douglas triangle, the connection between Douglas and the 'Mad Woman', the situation between Elizabeth and her son, Peter. But throughout, it is the family binds that are impossible to ignore, and ultimately the deep love for their cherished ones that drive the characters' actions. And there is a lot to suggest that the author's own family relationships influenced her characters' actions and personalities.

The book sensitively illustrates the extreme difficulties facing people suffering from mental illness, and the way this affects those around them. The author expertly words her narrative to convey the sense of confusion and tangled memories that dementia induces in sufferers. Maud's reality flits between past and present, as her flashbacks intersperses with her current thoughts. This allows the author to create seamless links between then and now (e.g. the larder scenario in the past leading to the larder scenario in the present).

There is another recurring trend throughout this book, however. It seemed that Maud's father was the only really decent male character within the story. He values honesty (even if, ironically, he never actually refuses Frank's ill-gotten food gifts). Additionally, he despises bad language and profanity, isn't said to ever miss work (as a postman) as he supports his family, and later spends day after day searching for his missing daughter (illustrating his devotion as a father). In contrast, all the other male characters have major question marks surrounding their nature. Douglas leaves his mentally ill mother to fend for herself while he moves away into comfortable lodgings. Frank, despite helping many people with transporting their belongings during the aftermath of the war, is a foul-mouthed alcoholic arrested for rations fraud (and that is even before any suspected murder). Elizabeth's son, Peter, appears to have his own interests at heart more than the care of his mother. We have the male serial killer, Kenneth Lloyd Holmes. We have Maud's son Tom who is happy to leave his amnesia-afflicted mother to his sister's care while he lives in Europe (another continent) with his own family. Even the male police officer is quick to make fun of Maud rather than be a little more sympathetic of her condition.

However, this is likely an incidental by-product of the way the story pans out, with the need for enough believable suspects to make for a compelling mystery.

In summary, this is a well-crafted, tightly-wound story, grounded in reality with plausible characters. The author even resisted the urge to go for a Hollywood, twist-in-the-tale ending. Although this would have been interesting to see, the book is stronger as a result of her remaining consistent with the tone set. A humdinger of a first novel!

"A humdinger of a first novel! Riveting, Tightly-wound, & Captivating Until The End." 8 out of 10

Book Review: 'ETTA AND OTTO AND RUSSELL AND JAMES', by Emma Hooper.

The debut novel by author Emma Hooper, 'Etta and Otto and Russell and James' is as much a human character piece and an exploration of relationships as it is a story about journeys - the physical journey that Etta takes, as well as the meta-physical journey that the main characters have taken up to this point in their lives.

The story centres on the dementia afflicted main character Etta. The one thing she has always wanted to do but never had the chance was to see the ocean. So sets off on an epic journey on foot, heading east to see the water. She is eighty-two years old, so this is definitely the final chance she will ever get. Her husband Otto is left behind with a note stating that she will try to remember to come back. But he accepts that Etta intends to make the journey alone, and rather than follow, he busies himself with cooking and creating paper mâché animals, while all the time writing notes for Etta to read when she returns. Then there's Russell, Otto's neighbour, whose known them both since childhood, and who has always loved Etta. Will he search for Etta even if Otto does not?

Text Structure & Organisation: The author has chosen to incorporate several stylistic writing features into her book. Firstly, she has taken the brave step to omit quotation marks and commas when writing speech. The story is presented in letters and flashback. Additionally, paragraphs and narration blend directly into another, without a break. While these sections of the narrative were intentionally written in this way, jumping from one character to another, and one time period to the next, the danger is that this can make for a confusing read, as can be the lack of punctuation.

Composition & Effect: Once we put aside the highly implausible notion of an eighty-two year old woman attempting a 2000-mile trek across Canada on foot, we find that the story is not so much about the walk, but rather the characters' deep reflections of their lives, past and present. Etta could have been driving a car, or sat in a train seat, the key thing is that the journey will last not just hours or days, but weeks. Hence, ample time to think, to reflect. This also provides the perfect vehicle for the author to flit between past and present, as the characters contemplate the experiences over their lives. And with James, the coyote, the author is able to have Etta converse and share her thoughts during her long, lonely journey. This is of course for the readers benefit since James cannot really talk (a bit like in the film 'Castaway', where Wilson the Volleyball serves as Tom Hanks' character Chuck Noland's personified friend).

However, despite a developed enough narrative up to the point where Otto returns from the war, and he and Etta get together, there is suddenly a huge gap between that point and the present day. This leaves many unanswered questions. What has their lives together been like? What could have been the final push that prompted Etta to leave her life companion behind to make a trek across the country? Yes, she wants to see the ocean, but why can't Otto just come with her? Surely with her faltering memory, he would be of great help. And how did Russell cope once his best friend got together with the girl he loved, especially since he met Etta first and made no secret of the fact to Otto that he liked her?

Finally, the book has a wholly ambiguous ending. Yes, it's not uncommon for authors to leave abstract sections of their stories to the reader's own interpretation. However, after joining the characters on their long journey, we needed a clearer resolution, and more definitive answers to our final questions. What will Etta do once she reaches the sea? Will she return to Otto? What becomes of Russell in his own adventure up north? Or is this it, the end of their lives in the manner and final places the characters have chosen?

In summary, an accomplished first novel. The story moves with a gentle momentum, evoking a resonant sense of beauty and emotion. At times unstated, at times melancholic, but deeply touching, overall.

"At times unstated, at times melancholic, but deeply touching overall" 6 out of 10

Burnt Paper Sky by Gilly Macmillan

This is the author's first book and I could not put it down. It is set in Bristol and is about a boy who is abducted. The story is told by the mother, a detective and media blogs. Wonderful book, however now I have to find another one to keep as absorbed as this one has!

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler is well up to the high standard of her previous books. A beautifully written story about a family and its peccadilloes, in a coolly understated style. I was sorry she didn't win the Booker Prize, for this book and the excellent body of work she has produced.