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.