BABY DOLL: A BOOK REVIEW

On June 2, 2016December 15, 2016 By Annika PerryIn Book Review, Book Reviews, Writing37 Comments

The next two books I will be reviewing are outside my normal genre: one a YA book, but first of all one of the most gripping psychological thrillers I’ve ever read.

Few books start with the dramatic intensity of ‘Baby Doll’. No gentle meandering scene-setting, no light character introduction. It all starts with a bolt on a door. A bolt that has not been shut.

As Lily gradually becomes aware of this lapse, she can finally hope for freedom. A chance to escape the room where she has been held hostage since she was sixteen. Eight long years of mental and physical abuse. One person, Lily, was captured, held. Two people escape. Lily and her five-year-old daughter, Sky. Sky who is about to encounter the outside world for the first time. Sky who is about the meet her relatives for the first time ever.

Once free, every new day brings fresh traumas to Lily and her family as they desperately seek to reconnect following the horrific years of heart-ache. As the man who abducted her, an ‘upstanding member of the community’, is brought to justice, Lily discovers the destruction wrought on her closest family after she went missing. Her twin sister, Abby, has changed beyond recognition and is now pregnant and in a relationship with Lily’s childhood boyfriend. Lily’s mother too sought relief outside the norm of the family.

Whilst relentlessly moving forward, the novel seamlessly weaves in much of the back story. It builds to a crescendo of shocking revelations until the brilliant, in the end the only possible, finale.

This book is compelling; a definite page-turner and one I read in two days. Lily and her family became etched in my heart – I just had to know what happened next. Could the family survive? Could they re-unite? Would they ever find love and peace again?

‘Baby Doll’ is an excellent taut thriller that raises many important issues. Although I felt at first that it was driven by the plot I quickly changed my mind as I warmed to the characters (or in the case of the abductor, detested).

One major stumbling block for me was the poor edit of this Netgalley edition of the book. The first two words were joined together, then throughout the book there followed extra lines mid sentence, extra spaces before commas…I am sure Random House, its team and the author will correct these issues before publication but it was a distraction for me – luckily the book was so compelling!

I could say a lot more about ‘Baby Doll’ but I’m worried about spoiling the novel for you. I hope you get a chance to read this yourself. As you might have guessed I highly recommend this book.

I received this ACR from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a honest and impartial review.

Publisher: Random House UK

Group Release Date: 30th June 2016

Price: £ 12.99 (Hardback – Amazon)

£ 7.99 (Kindle – Amazon)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

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A quick aside.

Have you ever wondered about the name Netgalley?

I thought at first it was meant to be a play on word of ‘gallery’. Reading through a book the other day I think I’ve finally found the reason behind the name.

Net – obviously the internet.

Galley – this was originally the flat metal tray with three raised edges which used to hold the metal type. The galley proofs were proofs taken on a long slip of paper from the type while it was still in the galley, though the term is now used for any proofs not yet divided into pages. (source: The Cambridge Handbook. Copy-editing by Judith Butcher)

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THE ASTONISHING RETURN OF NORAH WELLS: A Book Review

On April 28, 2016December 15, 2016 By Annika PerryIn Book Review, Book Reviews, Writing30 Comments

norah

On an ordinary Friday morning the lives of the residents at 77 Willoughby Street are shattered by the return of Norah Wells. The Mother Who Left six years earlier. She left baby Wilma and 8-year-old daughter Ella in the care of Adam, her husband. Inexplicably, unexpectedly she has come home.

Home however has changed dramatically from the chaos she left behind. Her best friend, Fay, also god-mother to Wilma, has stepped up, not only to help Adam with the children but gradually replacing her in his and at least one of the daughter’s lives.

Why did Norah leave? Why did she return? Where was she and with whom? What becomes of The Mother Who Stayed? Finally and most importantly, who is going to tell little Wilma that ‘Mummy’ is not her real mother?

This is an engaging, at times mystical, novel that unfolds through the various voices of the main characters. The nuances of each person are captured perfectly and are captivating despite being in third-person.

The children’s confusion, heart-ache, innocence is written in an almost fairy-tale style, often with short, staccato sentences, often with repetition. Whilst this quirky technique might not be to every reader’s taste I found it original and endearing.

The two daughters are at the core of the novel and their various reactions to Norah’s presence are the catalyst for the non-stop plot twists, action and emotional scenes.

Ella immediately won my sympathy with her naivety and trust in her mother. A mother she believed, despite evidence to the contrary, to have been kidnapped. As a result Ella set up a campaign to find her mother and her twitter feed on this cause is a perfect modern contrast to the rest of the book. Her twitter messages brings in various suggestions, help and a diverse array of character that interact well with Ella.

During the long period without her mother, Ella had modelled herself on Norah; adopting her lifestyle, her dress sense, her passion for running, learning to love jazz and like her musician mother, learning to play the trumpet. A mother Ella discovers had walked out on her of her on own free will.

As the truth is finally revealed Ella’s emotional centre is profoundly shaken. Only then does the reader gradually learn that the foundations of their previous life had been far from stable and rather that of a dysfunctional family full of secrets and despair.

Wilma is the light of this book; surrounded by a quasi-angelic, spiritual aura. Like Norah,she seems to hover between the real world and the spirit world and accompanying her across both is her best friend and pet dog, Louis. He immediately wins our affection and love – entrusted to look after Wilma whatever the price. His pivotal role in the novel is quietly reinforced throughout.

If having an animal in as a major element in a book sounds familiar, you might recall ‘Hamlet’ the pet pig from the wonderful ‘What Milo Saw’ also written by Virginia MacGregor.

I couldn’t wait to read her second novel and am pleased to say that it did not disappoint. Her writing has become more self-assured, with the story-line more complex and featuring a variety of adult voices.

Overall its feather light, surreal quality blends exquisitely with modern dilemmas and technology ensuring that this is ultimately an uplifting book. I was hooked from the start and I grabbed every free available moment to read on. I can highly recommend this book.

I received this Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a honest and impartial review.

Publisher: Little Brown Book

Group Release Date: 14th January 2016

Price: £ 14.99 (Hardback – Amazon)

£ 7.99 (Kindle – Amazon)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

SOPHIE’S THROUGHWAY: A BOOK REVIEW

On April 15, 2016December 15, 2016 By Annika PerryIn Book Review, Book Reviews38 Comments

book

Not the most likely topic for a fiction novel but Jules Smith has pulled off a feat with this book – a tender, raw, no holes barred story of a mother struggling to hold onto her family and sanity amidst the chaotic world of her teenage son diagnosed with Aspergers and PDA.

Written in the first person, from Sophie’s (the mother) viewpoint, this only heightens the immediacy of the narration and the reader is brought smack into the middle of the family’s lives. From the first sentence I was hooked, pulled into Sophie’s hectic, confusing world with demands from all sides shaking her (and the reader) to the core.

Brendon, her seventeen-year-old son, diagnosed with Aspergers and PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) is at the heart of the story. His verbal and frank comments cause understandable ruptures at school and home. Whilst his father flees from what he sees as his son’s intransigent behaviour, Sophie remains her son’s stalwart parent, friend and supporter. Not only does she fight for him at every possible moment, she relentlessly tries to ensure her younger daughter, Bryony, receives the attention she so desperately needs as well as retaining her work as an writer for an interiors magazine.

Sophie’s lifeline is her work, which she loves and her colleagues provide her with normality in her Aspergers centred world. However, as her son’s situation deteriorates even this rock is threatened.

This book could easily have become didactic and prescriptive about Aspergers however the author has successfully sidestepped this trap. Quickly I warmed and cared for Sophie, Brendon and Bryony. Whilst so much of his behaviour is appalling, like Sophie I could understand more of the illness and recognise the validity of some of Brendon’s keenly observed remarks and outbursts.

‘He had a point. I found the way he thought refreshing and challenging.’

The dichotomy within Brendon – almost a Jekyll and Hyde personality – is a struggle for Sophie, as at one moment he is a kind considerate son, the next he pushes her to the end of her tether.

‘Brendon had a keen sense of right and wrong which was amazing since he couldn’t apply it to himself.’

Can the diversion of an online scrabble game provide Sophie with the love and support she desperately needs as she messages ‘The Voice’ in California? Her fantasy is just beginning to get carried away…or does romance lie much closer to home in the form of her understanding boss, Colin…

Unexpectedly this book was an instant hit with me, the writing flows with ease and sparkles with warmth and humour interspersed with fast-paced dialogue. The characters are wonderfully sketched and Sophie’s heart-felt and honest narration allows us to view not only her life but that of her son’s and daughter’s as well as that of their friends and teachers.

Personally I have two minor reservations about the book. Firstly, the title. I just don’t think it works – but don’t let this stop you reading it!

Secondly for me the book finished abruptly. There was no ‘signposting’ of the end and I kept pressing my ‘next page’ button on my kindle in frustration wanting to read on…maybe this just show how much I had become caught up in the story…but I did want more of a resolution, conclusion. However, I would in no way let this detract from what is overall a highly rewarding and uplifting read.

Released only two weeks ago this is a book I can highly recommend.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Price: £ 2.99 Kindle

£ 9.99 paperback (amazon)

Book Release: 3rd April 2016

Publisher: Troubador Publishing

I reviewed this book on behalf of NetGalley.

A DICTIONARY OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING: A BOOK REVIEW

On April 12, 2016December 15, 2016 By Annika PerryIn Book Review, Book Reviews52 Comments

During the past two weeks of peaceful holiday in Sweden I’ve been lucky enough to read an array of books on behalf of NetGalley. Four particularly were striking, unusual, starkly different and therefore my next posts will feature these books. I start with the amazing and wonderful A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding by Jackie Copleton

From the very first few words I knew this book would be one to cherish, to love – one that continues to live within my heart days and weeks later.

The story weaves between the present and past, between Japan and America as Amaterasu Takahashi is forced to re-live the earlier life of her long-lost daughter killed along with thousands of others as a B29 dropped a nuclear bomb Nagasaki on 9th August 1945 at 11.02.

The story opens with the appearance of a man on the widow’s door-step claiming to be her grandson, Hideo, who was killed in the attack. Disbelieving, she is handed documents to prove the veracity of his statement. So begins the epic sweeping novel; at times brutal, at times ethereal.

Amaterasu Takahashi is the main narrator, however this is effectively interspersed with Yoku’s (her daughter) diary as well as letters from Sato – local doctor at the time – who caused the irreparable rift between mother and daughter.

Secrets and lies are at the core of so many novels and this one is no exception. Rather the secrets withheld and lies told are intricately, devastatingly interwoven rising to a crescendo of revelation and understanding in a story of family, love, strife and war.

I could not fail but be pulled in by the heart-felt words early on.

‘Dear Daughter, the life I sought for you was not a bad one, was it? Could you understand why I acted the way I did? Could you see I had no choice? Only child, did you forgive me in those final moments? Did you forgive yourself?’

It was not only the story that ensnared me, the author – previously a language teacher in Japan – powerfully transported me into Japan; its detailed life and customs beautifully portrayed and conveyed. Each chapter begins with a Japanese word or custom followed by a detailed description. Often this technique can slow the narrative and become cumbersome. However Jackie Copleton’s notes only heighten the sense of the culture and our understanding of the characters within her book and the choices they made and the lives they lived. Beyond the people and its culture, Nagasaki particularly is brilliantly brought to life at its cusp of transformation from the old order to modern city.

‘Nagasaki, the city growing like a giant metal insect across the land.’ A city living in the glory of its ship-building era, an industry that would lead to its obliteration. ‘It felt as if the world’s heart had exploded…Never find the language for such and agony of noise and the silence that followed.’

Heart-warming. Heart-felt. Heart-wrenching. These are three words I jotted down as I finished the book and which sum it up perfectly. It is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. No wonder it was long-listed for The Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2016. My only surprise is that it didn’t make the short-list.

I was honoured to be accepted as a reviewer by Random House UK for ‘A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding’ on behalf of NetGalley.

Rating: 5 out of 5!

Book Price: £ 4.99. Kindle

£ 12.08 Hardback (amazon)

Publisher: Random House UK

WHAT MILO SAW – A BOOK REVIEW

On September 16, 2015December 15, 2016 By Annika PerryIn Book Review, Book Reviews15 Comments

If you are looking for a break from the current glut of dystopia novels than check out What Milo Saw by Virginia MacGregor, which is a heart-warming and engaging story centred around 9-year-old Milo.

Despite suffering from an eye disease which has left him with only pinhole sight, his depth of vision of the world around him exceeds that of the adults whom surround him.

As his gran, Lou, is put into a nursing home by his struggling mother only Milo can see the suffering and criminal acts carried out by Nurse Thornhill. Along with his pet pig, Hamlet, Milo sets out to expose the nursing home ‘Forget Me Not’ and free his gran from the misery.

Hamlet is a wonderfully crafted animal-character and I never imaged a pig would worm its way into my heart. Lovingly close to Milo’s gran, he snuggles next to Lou to keep her warm, raises the alarm in face of danger. Initially bought by his now absent father, Hamlet became Milo’s life-saver following his diagnosis about his eyes and impending blindness.

Alone to start with, Milo’s naive assumption that he can make a difference helps him to develop some unusual allies.

One is Al, the undercover journalist and also a relation. Al refuses to pander to Milo’s disability rather empowering him with advice on how to gather evidence.

To me more interesting is Tripi, a Syrian refugee who works as a chef at the nursing home and is astounded by the cultural differences compared to those in his country regarding the treatment of elderly relatives.

The story is bang up to date with the inclusion of Tripi, saved from certain death in Syria and now living and working (illegally) in the UK.

Tripi is initially an unwilling ally to young Milo, who helps him not only with accommodation away from the park bench but also helps him in his efforts to seek out his long lost sister. Tripi’s overwhelming sorrow is losing his sister as they fled Syria and he does not know whether she is alive or dead. With a few deft sentences Virginia MacGregor captures the warmth and exotic nature of Tripi’s former life in Syria; my senses were awakened through the descriptions of the food and country.

Sandy, Milo’s mother, gradually develops from a rather stereotypical overworked single mother to one facing much more complex issues and with time the empathy and understanding for her grows as she herself adjusts to the truth of her situation and becomes aware of her own emerging strength and independence.

Each chapter of the book is written through the viewpoint of one of the main characters. Although in the third-person this is still a very personable and individualistic approach that works well throughout and brings the story neatly towards its resolution.

This touching book is simpler than many in this cross-over genre of fiction / YA, with a relatively uncomplicated sub-plot.

However, I thoroughly enjoyed the softer tones of the book, not squirming from the injustices of life, the difficulties of relationships, living life with a disability. I fell for the warmth and innocent caring spirit of Milo and I will remember him and his eclectic mixture of family and friends (not forgetting Hamlet) long after I finished the book.

Overall I found it an uplifting story and one I would highly recommend.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review is out later than usual owing to holiday commitments. My apologies.

Publisher: Sphere

Release date: 13th August 2015

Price: £ 3.85 (paperback – Amazon) £ 4.99 (kindle – Amazon)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

‘GO SET A WATCHMAN’ – First Chapter Review!

On July 13, 2015December 15, 2016 By Annika PerryIn Book Review, Book Reviews, Harper Lee16 Comments

Don’t worry, I’m not going to jump on the PR juggernaut surrounding Harper Lee’s latest (earlier) novel. Nor am I going to engage in the endless conspiracy theories regarding its existence, publication etc.

However, it’s difficult to avoid what has been promoted as the biggest book sensation in recent living memory. ‘Go Set A Watchman’ is set to smash sales records. The publishers are prepared for tomorrow’s look release with nearly 3 million books printed as well as being available on digital format.

So, what’s all the fuss about?

Away from the hype I approached the first free chapter with delight and slight trepidation. Delight as I thoroughly enjoyed and respected ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, even more after reading it again last summer. This time as an adult I found I appreciated the novel much more. However I was anxious the book would disappoint and fall to ridicule. Reading this first chapter I realised my fears were unfounded.

‘Go Set A Watchman’ promises more of the same beautiful prose as ‘Mockingbird’. The deftness of language is retained with its gentle humour, crisp vernacular mingled with deep insightful reflections from the now mature 26-year-old Jean Louise, otherwise famously known as Scout.

The initial striking difference with ‘Mockingbird’ is that this novel is told in the third person. From this first chapter I would say this is not detrimental. I did not find this viewpoint distant or remote, as has been suggested by some critics. Rather it allowed Scout’s maturity and in-depth reasoning to shine forth, whereas ‘Mockingbird’ worked brilliantly written from the first person, capturing her young innocence, confusion and sense of awakening.

The reader joins Scout as she’s travelling by train from New York to her home town Maycomb to visit her ageing father who is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Her laconic observations abound, such as in ‘trains changed, conductors never did’ as yet again the conductor forgets her stop and the train halts 440 yards from the station.

Scout has lost none of her home-town mannerisms as is evident in first her change of clothing to ‘her Maycomb clothes: gray slacks, a black sleeveless blouse, white socks and loafers…’ before adding, ‘she could hear her aunt’s sniff of disapproval’.

She does now though manage to tone down her behaviour as ‘she repressed a tendency to boisterousness’. How far this is true the reader will have to find out later in the book however doubts are raised even in the first chapter as she retorts with harsh honesty to Henry’s marriage discussion: ’I’ll have an affair with you but I won’t marry you’. Even Henry has noticed the change in her, recognising that ‘in the years he was away at war and the University, she had turned from an overalled, fractious, gun-slinging creature into a a reasonable facsimile of a human being’. Overall, Scout is still ‘a person, who confronted with an easy way out, always took the hard way’.

Finally, am I the only one confused by the title? Frustrated by my ignorance I researched further and I was soon enlightened! The phrase ‘Got Set a Watchman’ comes from Isaiah 21.6. ‘For this hath the Lord said unto me,/Go, set a watchman, let him/declare what he seethe.’

This supposedly alludes to Scout’s view of her father, Atticus Finch, as the moral compass (ie. watchman) of Maycomb. (Thank you Wikipdeia!)

I hope you have enjoyed this brief summary of the first chapter of Harper Lee’s latest publication. The final verdict on the novel will of course only be known upon reading the book in its entirety. I will buy it, soon but not quite yet. I don’t feel like be railroaded. I’ll wait for a while…for the paperback! I trust I will be as enlightened and satisfied with the rest of the novel as I was with this opening chapter.

Thank you for reading.

If you want a peak at the first chapter please take a look at http://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2015/jul/10/go-set-a-watchman-read-the-first-chapter

THE QUALITY OF SILENCE. A Review of Rosamund Lupton’s latest novel.

On June 11, 2015December 15, 2016 By Annika PerryIn Book Review, Book Reviews, Rosamund Lupton9 Comments

Fetch your duvet now! Don’t forget your mittens, scarfs and bobble hats! Now are you ready for one of this years best books? Prepare yourself as you head into the dark frozen world of remotest Alaska.

‘The Quality of Silence’ begins innocuously enough as Yasmin and her daughter, Ruby, both from the UK, land in Fairbanks, Alaska. They are en route to meet her husband, Matt who as a wildlife film photographer, is working in the far north of Alaska.

Immediately on landing Yasmin learns that a catastrophic incident has killed her husband. Yasmin refuses to accept this and despite protestations from the police she is prepared to go to any lengths to find him.

Yasmin and Ruby, a deaf but highly intelligent 10-year-old, join a truck driver heading North where temperatures regularly plummet to below 50 degrees centigrade and where darkness is the winter norm. Soon Yasmin finds herself in charge of the rig and the search for Matt proves dangerous not only because of the conditions but also because of a mysterious threatening truck driver following them.

As the venture continues the quest becomes not just one for Matt but also develops into a search for herself, for the woman and mother she is and wants to be, for the memories of the love and relationship with Matt; the very ones she realises she now wants to rediscover.

This is a story as piercing as the wind, as relentless as the hurricane, as sharp as the ice all around them.

Ruby’s experiences are evocatively and lyrically narrated in the first person. Her close fun-loving relationship with her father shines as a beacon throughout the book. I love the chapter beginnings of Ruby’s twitter messages where, on her father’s urgings, she writes how words feel, taste and look to her, the closest way she has to relating to meaning of words.

One such feed reads:

‘EXCITEMENT: Tastes like space dust & popping bubble gum; feels like the thud-bump of a plane landing; looks like the big furry hood of Dad’s Inupiaq parka.’

Furthermore through Ruby, who has ‘listened’ intently to her father’s life in Alaska, we learn of the inuits, their lives, the stunning Alaskan nature.

Yasmin’s story is in the third person but no less intimate. Her biggest fear has been of Ruby’s non-integration into society as her daughter’s refusal to vocalise words has become a battleground between Yasmin and Matt.

On a national level we learn of the attacks against the energy companies as eco-warriors use at times ferocious methods to thwart the the companies who believe they have an innate right to drill and frack in Alaska.

Lupton deftly weaves all these strands into an intense high-octane adventure. As Ruby increasingly finds her own unique voice, the reader is drawn further into the darkness, fear and despair. Nothing is quite what it seems.

I read this book in two days. Whilst I hate the overused term ‘unputdownable’; this book was exactly that. With good intentions I would close the book, returning it to the table before deciding no, I would read just one more chapter.

As I was enthralled and gripped by Lupton’s first novel, ‘Sister’, I had high hopes for this book. It did not disappoint but rather surpassed my expectations.

It has been an honour to be able to review this book. So do buy it, read it and be immersed. Oh, but don’t forget to make a hot chocolate before you start reading. You’ll need it.

I am a member of NetGalley.

Book Rating:

Publisher: Little Brown

Publish date: 2nd July 2015

Price: Hardback: £ 13.48 (amazon quoted prices)

Kindle: £ 5.03 (amazon quoted prices)

‘A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.’

Eleanor Roosevelt

NB. Painting courtesy of M. Ivarson

THE THRESHING CIRCLE: A BOOK REVIEW

On May 7, 2015December 15, 2016 By Annika PerryIn Book Review, Book Reviews8 Comments

Painting: Courtesy of B. Haynie

Welcome to this month’s book review.

This book is released on Tuesday 12th May 2015

THE THRESHING CIRCLE by Neil Grimmett

This powerfully evocative book is centred on the island of Crete. Not the Crete though that we know as tourists, rather it focuses on the island’s darker side, on its betrayals and vendettas spanning generations, on its sense of honour and of course on love.

Kirsty is a feisty intelligent Scottish lady who runs a kafenion in Chania. Recovering from a failed relationship in Scotland she is slowly pulled into the lives of the inhabitants. One particular older dapper Cretan, Barba Yiorga has caught her eye – for the wrong reasons as despite his Zorba-like character she is repelled by him. Even his popularity in the community, where he is regarded as a hero, does not sway her opinion of him. However as they are forced to act together to save the lives of an English couple her feelings for Barba Yiorga change.

As the beautiful Eleni (part Greek) and her English husband Patrick visit the island in a quest to discover the truth of her heritage, an old family enemy reacts to ensure that truth remains buried and he will stop at nothing to ensure the secret remains unknown whilst finally seeking his vengeance.

As the unsuspecting couple are kidnapped the haunting nature of Crete and its magical vitality is brought vividly to life. Kirsty and Barba Yiorga travers the island searching for Eleni and Patrick and their endeavours take them from far flung mountain monasteries, to houses seemingly hewn from the mountain rocks, to the remote island of Gavdos, to an old woman whose mystical powers prove instrumental in their survival. The book never ceases to enthral the reader.

As Barba Yiorga’s enemy and his two animalistic sons close in on them Kirsty’s confused feelings for Barba Yiorga threaten their lives. The suspense is maintained throughout the book even as it traces back to the complex tangled events of the German Occupation of Crete and the hanging of an Englishwoman. Towards the end the tension reaches a climax of graphic violent and brutal proportions. Thankfully the story does not end there as the final gentle and warm resolution is the perfect antidote to the previous events.

I found this a thoroughly engrossing book, with the beauty and mysticism of Crete captured eloquently. At times harrowing, often very touching, the book rang true. It is not an relaxing beach read but I would definitely recommend it.

Book Rating:

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Price: £ 8.99 or £ 3.49 on Amazon Kindle for download.

“I’ve seen and met angels wearing the disguise of ordinary people living ordinary lives.”

Tracy Chapman

MOTHERLAND: A BOOK REVIEW

On April 13, 2015 By Annika PerryIn Book Reviews10 Comments

Painting: Courtesy of B. Haynie

MOTHERLAND BY JO MCMILLAN

Welcome to my second book review.

Today’s book is of special interest to me as it is partly set in former East Germany during the late 1970s. Having spent three months at the Karl Marx Univeristy in Leipzing before reunification I was keen to see how well the author captured the GDR’s unique and complicated spirit? How well and accurately she portrayed the places and its people?

The answer to both these questions is resounding very well indeed.

Written in the first person of 13-year-old Jess, Motherland follows three years of her life as a communist believer whilst living in Tamworth. Her mother, Eleanor, is a staunch socialist (communism is in the blood) and she works ceaselessly for the cause whilst at the same time being employed as a teacher.

To start with the writing style is comic in places, wonderfully fluid and light. Of her mother, Jess says “…her communist beliefs. Card-carrying. Chronic. As if it were a medical condition”.

As a child at Grammar School Jess suffers for her beliefs; facing both scorn and physical punishment from both the pupils and members of staff. Miss Downing, the headmistress, regards Jess “with a dead father and a communist other, … as good as orphaned”. As it was Jess’s father died before she was born. “Each just the other side of life.”

Tamworth is unreceptive, and at times violent, to Eleanor’s zealous campaigning and Jess herself describes it as “…that’s what you did with Time in this town, filled it. Because you weren’t born with a life, but a giant hole”.

No wonder therefore that Eleanor and Jess are overjoyed to receive the opportunity to travel to East Germany for a summer whilst Eleanor takes on teaching classes. Finally they are being offered the chance to experience the socialist dream.

Their first visit fails to dampen their innocent and naive trust in the system. For Eleanor she views GDR not so much through rose-coloured spectacles, rather through technicoloured rainbow glasses. During their first visit and subsequent visits and events her indefatigable belief in the GDR never falters.

Her unsuspecting beliefs never waver whereas Jess becomes increasingly aware of the discrepancies of the promised words and reality. Whilst Jess changes during these pivotal years she continues to love and protect her mother – realising that her mother is as happy as she can be in the sharing community of the East German society.

The tension in the book mounts as Jess’s innocence is shattered and she gradually awakens to the murkier nature of the GDR, where friend becomes foe, where one’s every move is monitored, reported. Where paranoia is the norm.The first cracks in Jess’s beliefs are created through her friendship with an East German girl, Martina. Her mother befriends and later falls for Martina’s father, Peter. The friendship between the four will have devastating repercussions for them all.

As the book develops so does the language, mimicking Jess’s own internal development. From her comic language at such events as her childhood attempt to defect to the GDR, the language becomes more serious and sophisticated as Jess becomes unwittingly deeper involved in the intelligence world. It’s a most successful transition in writing style.

The author creates not only the sense of 1970s East Germany, with its Berlin Wall, grey cities, idyllic countryside, Bitterfeld, Buchenwald, Zwickau, endless monument visits and of course the trabbies; she also captures the spirit of the UK with its CND, National Front, Thatcher – and not forgetting the Angel Delight!

This book is not what I expected – more complex, multi-layered. Funny and sad with great characters who succeeded in getting under my skin and living with me long after I had finished the book. It’s most surprising and well-worth a read.

Book Rating:

Publisher: John Murray Press

Release Date: 2 Jul 2015

“Sacred space is an absolute necessity for anybody today…This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen.”

Joseph John Campbell

A Midwife’s Revolt: A Book Review

On March 12, 2015March 12, 2015 By Annika PerryIn Book Reviews9 Comments

Painting: Courtesy of B.Haynie

Recently I had the opportunity to join NetGalley, an online book reviewing organisation. Publishers send in their books months prior to release and ‘professional readers’ are then asked to review the book. The feedback and recommendations are considered highly valuable to the publishers and future readers alike.

I will be reviewing one new book here on my blog on a monthly basis – do look out for them and hope you enjoy the reviews.

The Midwife’s Revolt by Jodi Daynard

Within the first few sentences, this book immediately and powerfully transported me to the life of women left behind home during the American Revolution.

The story follows newly-wed Lizzie Bolyston as she sets up home on a farm on the outskirts of a new town South of Boston.

Related in Lizzie’s voice the reader quickly enters the head and heart of this strong young lady as she faces increasingly tougher struggles.

Firstly grief blindsides her but with help of friends she slowly overcomes both this and then the prejudice to what is regarded as her ‘witch’ like skills of healing and midwifery. She is exceptional in both and gradually, the ‘medical arts’ taught to her by her mother, help provide a living for Lizzie whilst saving dozens of lives.

As the war deepens Lizzie finds herself embroiled in political intrigue centred around her close friend Abigail Adams, the wife of the future Second President of America. For a while Lizzie even finds herself attempting to disguise herself as a man during her espionage escapades. After all, the book starts with the sentence: ‘My father once told me I had the mind of a man.’

However this is not a traditional thriller as parallel to the assassinations and treachery runs various strands of the romantic nature.

Lizzie finds herself courted by a man, Mr Cleverly- but can she trust him? Equally she is attracted to another, Thomas Miller – yet again she is faced with the same dilemma of those unstable times – is he trustworthy?

The actions of her servant and close friend Martha also raises further doubts as to faithfulness and friendship. This suspicion causes great heart-ache for both women. Life for them all is never simple nor straight forward and nothing is quite what it seems.

I must make a quick mention to another powerful being in the book, whose existence is still etched on my brain – the wonderful and faithful horse, ‘Star’, her husband’s beloved animal. Life is never fair, Star!

Jodi Daynard’s writing is fluid throughout and its authentic contemporary feel never wavers. At times I have to remind myself this was actually a work of fiction and not a factual story.

The harsh and bleak life is brilliantly rendered, so raw I suffered with the women through their troubles and the winters of hunger. How I celebrated with them as they ate their far too rare servings of warm apple pie!

Their struggles with the farm are graphically related and whilst celebrating feminism and its strength, I rejoiced when they received the occasional help from a man with some of the hard graft.

The book climaxes with a dramatic battle on their very doorstep where the battles of the heart are reconciled and the future of America is more secured.

Although I approached this book with trepidation – the time period alone of the American Revolution filled me with fear – I can honestly say there is never a boring moment in the book.

It has a strong pace throughout, the characters, whether good or evil, are vividly portrayed and the true grit and courage of the women shine through.

This is truly a gem of a book. Do read it now and escape into the past!

Publishers: Lake Union Publishing

Release date: 7th April 2015

N E W S F L A S H N E W S F L A S H N E W S F L A S H

I just found out that I am now on the short list on the Ink Tears Short Story Competition 2014.

Yes, I am thrilled to have reached this far.

Winners will be announced end of this month.

“From the eyes to the river

From the river to the sea

From the sea to darkening clouds

From the sky back down to me

Follow my tears…”

by Eddie Reader, singer/songwriter

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The Midwife’s Revolt by Jodi Daynard

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