The Girl from Jonestown by Sharon Maas

It's my turn on the blog tour for Sharon Maas's amazing, compelling new book, The Girl from Jonestown.  This is the publishers' description of the story:

The woman looked at me, anguish brimming in her eyes. I picked up the note she’d left and read the scrawl: HELP!!! Then: Mom. Followed by a number.

A gripping and heartbreaking read, based on the true story of the Jonestown cult, one of the darkest chapters in American history.

When journalist Zoe Quint loses her husband and child in a tragic accident, she returns home to Guyana to heal. But when she hears cries and music floating through the trees, her curiosity compels her to learn more about the Americans who have set up camp in a run-down village nearby. Their leader, Jim Jones, dark eyed and charismatic, claims to be a peaceful man who has promised his followers paradise.

But everything changes when Zoe meets one of his followers, a young woman called Lucy, in a ramshackle grocery store. Lucy grabs Zoe’s arm, raw terror in her eyes, and passes her a note with a phone number, begging her to call her mother in America.

Zoe is determined to help Lucy, but locals warn her to stay away from the camp, and as sirens and gunshots echo through the jungle at nightfall, she knows they are right. But she can’t shake the frightened woman’s face from her mind, and when she discovers that there are young children kept in the camp, she has to act fast.

Zoe’s only route to the lost people is to get close to their leader, Jim Jones. But if she is accepted, will she be able to persuade the frightened followers to risk their lives and embark on a perilous escape under the cover of darkness? And when Jim Jones hears of her plans, could she pay the highest price of all?

A powerful and unputdownable novel inspired by the true story of Jonestown, about a woman’s brave attempt to save people who were promised paradise but found only lies. Fans of Where the Crawdads Sing, Before We Were Yours and The Girls will be captivated by The Girl from Jonestown.So, what did I think?  I really enjoyed this book and found it an informative read.  I recall that I once worked with a woman from Guyana and had never bothered to look the country up on the map, but now I discovered that it is on the Caribbean shore of South America.  The descriptions of the location are colourful and evocative so that reading conveyed a strong and vivid sense of place.  The main character, Zoe Quint, has returned home after a period of world travel to escape a personal tragedy, so she sees her homeland with fresh eyes.  The secretive new settlement of Jonestown, deep in the jungle, is the subject of local conjecture and fascination.  When Zoe meets one of its members while shopping in town, her interest is piqued, especially as the woman attempts to communicate with her and it appears that she is not a willing participant.  This woman clearly feels that not all in the community can be trusted, and Zoe has to discover who she can trust, as well as how she can help.The Jamestown Massacre is well documented, and this is a fascinating fictionalised story based on what happened there.  It is historic, but also a thriller, and a very human tale.  Zoe puts herself in danger when she uses her status as a renowned freelance journalist to gain access to this community.  There's suspense aplenty and the pace is well maintained.  The Girl from Jonestown is an interesting and exciting story which I very much enjoyed.

Sharon Maas was born to politically active parents in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1951. She was educated in England, Guyana, and, later, Germany. After leaving school, she worked as a reporter with the Guyana Graphic in Georgetown and later wrote feature articles for the Sunday Chronicle as a staff journalist. Sharon has always had a great sense of adventure and curiosity about the world we live in, and Guyana could not hold her for long. In 1971 she set off on a year-long backpacking trip around South America, followed by an overland trek to South India, where she spent two years in an ashram. She lived in Germany for forty-three years and now lives in Ireland. She is the author of The Violin Maker’s Daughter, The Soldier’s Girl, Her Darkest Hour and many other novels.

My Mother's Gift by Steffanie Edward

Book Description:

Can your heart belong somewhere that you’ve never called home?

When Erica gets a phone call to say her mother, Ione, is ill in St Lucia, she knows she must go to her. Though the island – the place of her mother’s birth – is somewhere that Erica has never seen as her homeland.

Even when the plane touches down in the tropical paradise, with its palm trees swaying in the island breeze, the sound of accents so like her mother’s own calling loud in the air, Erica doesn’t find herself wanting to stay a moment longer than she has to.

But stepping into her mother’s house, she is shocked by what she finds. Her mother’s memory is fading, her once-immaculate house is now dirty and messy, and she’s refusing help from anyone but family. And Erica knows she must stay with her, even though it means leaving everything else behind.

What she doesn’t know is that – even as her mother’s memories get worse – Ione still has a final gift for her daughter. Because the unspoken secrets of their past are about to emerge, changing everything Erica thought she knew about her mother, her home, and who she really is…

A captivating tale of grief, love, and what it means to find home, perfect for fans of Andrea Levy, Jojo Moyes and Amanda Prowse

My thoughts:

The main character, Erica, leads a busy and fulfilling life in London.  She is the Deputy Head of her school, is good friends with her boss and knows she stands a good chance of being promoted to her post when she retires.  Her daughter, Millie, is grown and independent, leading a good life of her own.  Meanwhile her mother, Ione, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's type dementia and chose to return to the place of her birth, St Lucia.  Erica travels to see her during school holidays, knowing that Ione's sister lives close by to keep an eye out for problems.  It is the sort of smaller community where everyone knows everyone and it is where her mother considers to be home.  However, inevitably dementia progresses and Aunt Betty phones Erica, so that she gets permission to fly out before the school holidays begin to try and sort out her mother's predicament.

Dementia is a cruel and challenging disease.  Erica is faced with difficult situations and decisions, but she also has the opportunity to reflect on what matters most in her own life and what her future holds.  

There is a strong sense of place in this book.  I have never been fortunate enough to visit St Lucia, nor indeed the Caribbean, but Steffanie Edward paints a vivid picture of life on the island and it sounds glorious: the heat, the sea, the tropical fruits and flowers.

I really enjoyed reading this story and thought it balanced loss and hope superbly.  An excellent read.

Author Bio:

Steffanie Edward was born in St Lucia, brought up in London and now straddles between the two.

Anancy, Crick-crick and other Caribbean folk stories have been a part of her life since childhood.  In her late teens, she enjoyed reading Susan Howatch and nooks on slavery.  Her absolute favourite reads have been Wild Seed by Octavia E Butler, and Woman at Point Zero by Naawal El Saadawi.

Her writing career started with short stories, five of which have been published. Her first attempt at writing a novel was over twenty years ago, whilst living and working in Abu Dhabi.  That novel, Yvette, didn't make it into print, but the main protagonist, Yvette, has muscled her way into Stephanie's debut novel, This Other Island.

https://www.saedward.com/

https://twitter.com/EdwardsaEdward

Buy Link:

 Amazon: https://geni.us/B09QL7J4RSsocial

Blog Tour: The Postcard from Italy by Angela Petch

Today is my turn  on Bookouture's Blog Tour for Angela Petch's new book, The Postcard from Italy.  

 I haven't read the writing of Angela Petch previously, so I approached this book with interest.  With  continuing, harrowing world events (Covid 19, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, fuel price gouging, etc) which make the pleasures of travel remote, I was ready for a bit of an adventure between the covers, and a trip to Italy seemed just right.  This is what was promised:-

Italy, 1945. ‘Where am I?’ The young man wakes, bewildered. He sees olive trees against a bright blue sky. A soft voice soothes him. ‘We saw you fall from your plane. The parachute saved you.’ He remembers nothing of his life, or the war that has torn the world apart… but where does he belong?

England, present day. Antique-shop-owner Susannah wipes away a tear as she tidies her grandmother’s belongings. Elsie’s memories are fading, and every day Susannah feels further away from her only remaining family. But everything changes when she stumbles across a yellowed postcard of a beautiful Italian stone farmhouse, tucked away in Elsie’s dressing table. A message dated from World War 2 speaks of a secret love. Could her grandmother, who never talked about the past, have fallen for someone in Italy all those years ago?

With Elsie unable to answer her questions, Susannah becomes determined to track down the house and find a distraction from her grief. Arriving at what is now a crumbling hotel by the sparkling Italian sea, she feels strangely at home. And after an unexpected encounter with handsome wine waiter Giacomo, she can’t tell if it’s his dark eyes or his offer to help solve her mystery that makes her heart race.

Together they find a dusty chest tucked in a forgotten corner of the building. The white silk of a World War 2 parachute spills out. And the Royal Air Force identity tag nestled in the folds bears a familiar name…

With Giacomo by her side, and before it’s too late for her grandmother, can Susannah discover the truth behind a shocking wartime secret at the heart of her family? Or will it tear her apart?

An absolutely stunning page-turner that will sweep you away to the olive groves and majestic views of the Italian coast. Perfect for fans of Kathryn Hughes, Fiona Valpy and Victoria Hislop.

My Thoughts:-

So a bit of a mystery with a love story or two thrown in.  I have never visited Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot with its characteristic trulli so often converted into holiday lets, but I have stayed in the neighbouring region of Chieti, a beautiful area largely ignored by international tourism, which is beautiful.  I was thrilled to find an overlap between the geography of my trips and the terrain covered in this story, in the coastal town of Vasto.  However, I digress.

There is the mystery of the identity of the young man who descends from the sky to the sea for an elderly fisherman and his grandchild to rescue and nurse back to health, who has no memory of who he is and where he came from.  He speaks Italian, however, and gradually he recovers physically and begins to work alongside them, but what will happen when he remembers who he is and where he came from?

Then there is the mystery of the titular postcard that Susannah discovers, hidden in her grandmother's dressing table.  She is still reeling from the death of her beloved father, who brought her up after her mother died soon after giving birth to her.  Her grandmother has always been reticent about the past and is now losing her memory, so needs to be in a nursing home.  It has fallen to Susannah to clear her grandmothers home and as she runs an antique shop, she is carefully sorting what might be sold from what needs to be disposed of.  Her father was a bit of an artist in later years and had painted a beautiful scene in an Italian farmhouse which bears a striking resemblance to the one on the mysterious postcard she discovers hidden in her grandmother's dressing table.

There are some interesting themes to explore in the story and to think about, including the nature of family and that of love, and whether secrets in the family can be protective or damaging, so that this might prove a good choice of reading for book clubs,

The story passes between the two time periods and the different groups of characters skilfully, so it is easy to keep track of who is who and when.  The characters are well described and engaging, with perhaps the exception of difficult grandmother Elsie.  The stories develop in parallel and the reveals are skilfully managed, creating a compelling, immersive and very satisfying read, which I greatly enjoyed and an very happy to recommend.

About the author:

Published by Bookouture, Angela Petch is an award-winning writer of fiction – and the occasional poem.

Every summer she moves to Tuscany for six months where she and her husband own a renovated watermill which they let out. When not exploring their unspoilt corner of the Apennines, she disappears to her writing desk at the top of a converted stable. In her Italian handbag or hiking rucksack she always makes sure to store a notebook and pen to jot down ideas.

The winter months are spent in Sussex where most of her family live. When Angela’s not helping out with grandchildren, she catches up with writer friends.

Angela’s gripping, WWII, Tuscan novels are published by Bookouture. While her novel, Mavis and Dot, was self-published and tells of the frolics and foibles of two best-friends who live by the seaside. Angela also writes short stories published in Prima and People’s Friend.

Blog: https://angelapetchsblogsite.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelaJaneClarePetch

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Angela_Petch

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B09RBCDT1Hsocial

Audio:

UK: zpr.io/euVDi52PXv49
US: zpr.io/K3Z3PGgtVzrC

Listen to a sample here:

https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/the-postcard-from-italy-by-angela-petch-narrated-by-stephanie-lane

More about the Blog Tour:-

All for You by Louise Jenson

 

The book:-

MEET THE WALSH FAMILY

Lucy: Loving mother. Devoted wife. And falling to pieces.
Aidan: Dedicated father. Faithful husband. And in too deep.
Connor:Hardworking son. Loyal friend. But can never tell the truth.

Everyone in this family is hiding something, but one secret will turn out to be the deadliest of all . . .

Can this family ever recover when the truth finally comes out?

What I thought:-

Louise Jensen has done it again, but even twistier and darker than before!  This story describes a devoted family, but like most families, each member has secrets, and secrets can be dangerous. The slow dig below the surface of their lives had me gasping with surprise as events unfurled.  Meanwhile, their community is sent reeling by the disappearance of a teenaged boy.  All is very much not as it seems.

Louise Jenson has written some excellent psychological thrillers but this one has more suspense, twists and surprises than any other of hers I have enjoyed: she has taken it to another level.  I was absolutely gripped by the story and rode the rollercoaster of twists and disclosures with a mounting sense of excitement and dread.  An amazing, brave piece of writing, domestic noir at its best.  How far would you go for your loved ones?

A Secret at Tansy Falls by Cate Woods

 Last May I made my first visit to Tansy Falls in the company of Cate Woods, and fell in love with this charming corner of Vermont.  I was therefore delighted to be invited to participate in the blog tour for its sequel, A Secret at Tansy Falls.  Tansy Falls is the same place with the same quirky population, but time has moved on a few months, and the main focus of this story is Connie, who manages the lovely Covered Bridge Inn, for its owners.

 Publisher's description:-

 The old farmhouse at Tansy Falls. A little patch of paradise in the hills of Vermont. Home to happy couple Connie and Nate. And a long-buried secret that will ignite a devastating spark…

As the summer sun sets over the sleepy Vermont town of Tansy Falls, Connie is reminded of how lucky she is. Every day, when she leaves the job she loves, managing the Covered Bridge Inn with her best friend Piper, she looks forward to returning to the farmhouse she shares with her husband Nate. At home, her flowerbeds overflow with day lilies and the weathered brick walls of her beautiful house glow in the evening light. The air is filled with the scent of the puffed apple pancakes she prepared that morning.

But one night, when Nate returns home, he is distant. He and Connie have been married for a long time, and while the laughter and lingering kisses have dwindled, Connie believed they would be together forever. So when a stranger arrives on their doorstep with a shocking secret about Nate, Connie’s life changes beyond all recognition.

Connie never thought she’d need to start over and live a life without Nate by her side. But as her heart breaks, Piper and the team at the inn are ready to help stitch it back together, with thoughtful advice washed down with warm spiced cider. As Connie begins to feel whole again, distraction arrives in the form of olive-skinned, broad-shouldered newcomer James. Nate has taught Connie that she doesn’t need a man, but James’s arrival helps her discover that she can follow her own dreams too. But as more secrets come to the surface, Connie wonders if she’ll ever truly be able to leave behind her past for good.

What I thought

Change is afoot in Tansy Falls as a new resort is being developed on the hillside.  Connie feels concerned that it will pose serious competition for the Inn, and that they need to up their game.  Her home life is also under strain, as her husband Nate seems to be becoming increasingly withdrawn and remote after twenty years of marriage, and she wonders what is going wrong and why he doesn't seems to care so much any more.  Both Connie and Nate and the wider community have challenges to face and secrets to discover in the course of this book, and I was really rooting for their survival and success.  Connie has challenges, temptation and potential change to come to terms with, but will she make the right choices?

Cate Woods has further developed the world she created in the first book, and maintained its charm and sense of community.  The characters reappear like old friends and I found myself absolutely caring about what happened to them.  It was cleverly and plausibly plotted so that there were surprises as secrets were revealed and not everything was at it seemed, but in the end good prevails.  This is an entertaining and satisfying read, a feel-good novel to get engrossed in, and a worthy sequel in this series.  

A personal muddle means I am posting late to this book tour - apologies.  Do visit some of the other participants' blogs to see what they thought of this heart-warming tale.

Shambolic Tapestry by Mark Walker

 Mark Walker has been responsible for some transformative work in my garden which has brought considerable pleasure.  He has other skills, as this book reveals.  He is fascinated by nature and humankind's relationship with it, a lifelong connection with my local landscape as well as a remarkable imagination.  This tale is truly genre-bending, a mix of memoir and legend, natural history, ecology and botanical knowledge, and as unique as Mark is.  It engagingly takes us travelling through time to the beginning of life on earth and much is told through the voices of a group of native trees growing on a Somerset hillside.  Tree time is on a very different scale to that of humanity, so their perspective gives a long view of the development of society and our stewardship of the environment.  Mark's charming illustrations give added dimension to the book.

We should all try harder to live in harmony alongside the shambolic tapestry wrought by nature which forms our world, as the climate crisis and other environmental issues indicate.  Quirky and gently humourous, "Shambolic Tapestry" will provide food for thought and raise funds for YACWAG, our local wildlife action group.  It can be purchased here and through other bookshops.  It is published by Honeybee Books.

Cover Reveal: Little Sister by Gytha Lodge

 As the last dark days of December 2021 fade into the New Year, I am thrilled to be the bearer of glad tidings.  Gytha Lodge, who wrote the amazing good and suspenseful Lie Beside Me, has penned another novel (out in April 2022).  For a flavour of what to expect, here is a video to publicise Little Sister, which reveals the beautiful cover.  Definitely one to watch out for and look forward to.  I will be reviewing it here in due course.

The Newcomer by Laura Elizabeth Woollett

 

I enjoyed the opportunity to read this unusual murder story, set on an island off the Australian Coast in the Pacific Ocean which bears some resemblance to Norfolk Island, hence the beautiful pine trees adorning the cover of the book, but called Fairfolk in this fictionalised account based on real life events.  A trip to the southern hemisphere seemed highly desirable in these dull, dark December days, even if by means of a novel and I was ready to be transported.

The publishers describe it thus:- 

When her 29-year-old daughter Paulina goes missing on a sleepy pacific island, Judy Novak suspects the worst. Her fears are soon realised as Paulina’s body is discovered, murdered.

Every man on the island is a suspect, yet none are as maligned as Paulina herself, the captivating newcomer known for her hard drinking, disastrous relationships, and a habit for walking alone. But even death won’t stop Judy Novak from fighting for her daughter’s life.

Paulina's life on the mainland is not making her happy, and she decides to escape to the island in the hope of finding a better life.  The island has a fierce sense of tradition and heritage which perhaps she lacks, and seems a good place to start anew.  She soon finds work and new relationships, but things go wrong.

Paulina's mother, Judy, is still very much involved in her daughter's life, albeit at a distance and by telephone, and she is worried when Paulina disappears off the radar unexpectedly.  So in parallel with the events that bring about Paulina's death we follow Judy's fight for justice and closure.  She is heartbroken.

Few of us can justifiably claim to be perfect and we all have secrets and weaknesses.  Paulina is a damaged person seeking some kind of wholeness but in ways that are unlikely to be successful.  She wants to be loved but she tests her lovers to the limit.  She drinks too much.  She is exciting but vulnerable.

It is difficult for the truth of events to be determined and we follow the investigation as different people come into focus as suspects.  Fairfolk Island is very traditional and seemingly very much a man's world, with women expected to keep to their place and not rock the boat.

It was an engaging read and a sad story, which provided much food for thought about how we live.  I was relieved that there was closure for Judy, at least, and I would recommend "The Newcomer" as a rather different murder mystery.

Ghosts by Dolly Alderton

 

What Penguin say:-

Nina Dean has arrived at her early thirties as a successful food writer with loving friends and family, plus a new home and neighbourhood. When she meets Max, a beguiling romantic hero who tells her on date one that he's going to marry her, it feels like all is going to plan.

A new relationship couldn't have come at a better time - her thirties have not been the liberating, uncomplicated experience she was sold. Everywhere she turns, she is reminded of time passing and opportunities dwindling. Friendships are fading, ex-boyfriends are moving on and, worse, everyone's moving to the suburbs. There's no solace to be found in her family, with a mum who's caught in a baffling mid-life makeover and a beloved dad who is vanishing in slow-motion into dementia.

Dolly Alderton's debut novel is funny and tender, filled with whip-smart observations about relationships, family, memory, and how we live now.

What I thought:-

An extraordinary treat of a book, one to savour and take time over, because it proved thought-provoking for me. Nina's situation is one many people would recognise, single and unattached in a world of coupledom, while her parents are facing new challenges as they grow older and her scholarly father begins the descent into dementia.

Persuaded to give dating apps a try, she chats on line with some decided frogs before her path crosses with Max and it seems almost perfect. But can anything - or anyone - be as perfect as he seems?  

Dolly writes beautifully and wittily, with an original turn of phrase and a real gift for description.