tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226713292024-03-14T08:39:57.355+00:00The Magic Armchair TravellerAdventures in the world of booksSue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.comBlogger411125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-82555982018026597072024-01-17T23:32:00.000+00:002024-01-17T23:32:41.815+00:00The Girl from Provence by Helen Fripp<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJ7zMXeoRT2wwCQjt4qt5hT4THJNNj7BRwpKNIV-YDa6MQLxBtZ_tQIH73hF-ccwJsl8emUSItdHMQ6oWXAPKubl0pjLn6JE_2ZWZxpwd1I91JQMw9hm3-u6ql0fRwjX9-sEZxL3j1nPAqs1EyAHfGLqtpcvahw1YE8nwWKLeRcF_UKZZdGX3IQ/s2750/Flat%20Pack%20-%20The%20Girl%20From%20Provence.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2750" data-original-width="2000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJ7zMXeoRT2wwCQjt4qt5hT4THJNNj7BRwpKNIV-YDa6MQLxBtZ_tQIH73hF-ccwJsl8emUSItdHMQ6oWXAPKubl0pjLn6JE_2ZWZxpwd1I91JQMw9hm3-u6ql0fRwjX9-sEZxL3j1nPAqs1EyAHfGLqtpcvahw1YE8nwWKLeRcF_UKZZdGX3IQ/w465-h640/Flat%20Pack%20-%20The%20Girl%20From%20Provence.png" width="465" /></a></div>Feisty, unconventional, independent and resourceful heroine? ☑️<p></p><p>Forbidden, irresistible love? ☑️</p><p>Idyllic setting in the Provencale countryside? ☑️</p><p>A community in peril? ☑️</p><p>A vulnerable child in need of protection? ☑️</p><p>A literary legend who is also a heroic aviator? ☑️</p><p>A socialite mother who flies for the Resistance? ☑️</p><p>World War 2: can love win the day? ☑️</p><p>All this and more, with a side of lavender honey, from Helen Fripp's new historical novel, "The Girl from Provence", published by Bookouture.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-76706875755006190602023-11-22T18:42:00.008+00:002023-11-22T18:47:13.943+00:00Blog tour:- Can't I Go Instead by Lee Geum-yi, published by Scribe on 9th November 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/scribe-publications/image/upload/w_800,/v1694538761/newcovers/9781915590381_rev2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="500" height="800" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/scribe-publications/image/upload/w_800,/v1694538761/newcovers/9781915590381_rev2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Another fascinating book by Lee Geum-yi, who wrote "The Picture Bride" which I reviewed<a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/scribe-publications/image/upload/w_800,/v1694538761/newcovers/9781915590381_rev2.jpg" target="_blank"> here</a> last year. Korea is a country which seems rather mysterious and unknown to me, and I relish the opportunity to learn more. </p><p><b>Description</b>:-</p><p>Two women's lives and identities are intertwined - through World War II and the Korean War - revealing the harsh realities of class division.</p><p><i><b>Can't I Go Instead</b> </i>follows the lives of the daughter of a Korean nobleman and her maidservant in the early 20th Century. When the daughter's suitor is arrested as a Korean Independence activist, and she is implicated during the investigation, she is quickly forced into marriage with one of her father's Japanese employees and shipped off to be a comfort woman to the Japanese Imperial army.</p><p>Years of hardship, survival and even happiness follow. In the aftermath of WWII, the women make their way home, where they must reckon with the tangled lives they've led, in an attempt to reclaim their identities, and find their place in an independent Korea.</p><p><b><i>My reaction:-</i></b></p><p>At the beginning of this novel, Korea is controlled by Japan. A Korean viscount has a splendid home in Seoul, a son by a concubine and his wife is due to give birth after a series of miscarriages. She bears him a healthy daughter, Yun Chaeryeong. For her eighth birthday, her doting father buys her a companion/servant from the settlement associated with one of his farms, and this girl, Sunam (effectively a slave), has her life changed forever. It seems extraordinary that a person could buy another and belong to an eight year old girl, but this collision of lives goes on to have many repercussions. Sunam is an intelligent and resourceful child who is able to make use of the new world she finds herself living in, and it is interesting to see how this develops. Chaeryong, meanwhile, enjoys a privileged life and education while her mother becomes increasingly embittered and distant.</p><p>I will not spoil the plot of the story, but both girl's destinies are thrown into the air by war and discord. Chaeryeong loses her first love and is married off and sent to the USA, while Sunam has to adopt Chaeryeong's identity and take her punishment for associating with a Korean Independence campaigner as a support worker for the Japanese Army - in a military brothel. This broke many women, but what of Sunam? The story tells us of how both these girls fare throughout their lives, and also how little right to self-determination women of any social status had at this time. Subjugation to men and class affects both of them.</p><p>Although terrible things happen in this tale, as they did in reality, I enjoyed reading this well-written and -translated story and learning more about Korea's place in history and the world. There is plenty of food for thought within the pages. I really appreciate the opportunity to read and share my thoughts on <i style="font-weight: bold;">Can't I Go Instead</i>.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-oo578fN4N09e5252kEW50rZ3gUK_egdugx2IbH1pqrmAKIWXGGXkOISZpJRMvfC8C9p9JAL6ObSzYAa0RKMYE1HEB7VGcqxbs5gx4WQULEWPF8Eb4OHLM5bj4smUlPLBmArTh7ebnHOCbRNWdol5xjwX-GW09z1hubE8HAd692iBc_sina6rw/s9000/CIGI-blog-tour-banner-final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9000" data-original-width="9000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-oo578fN4N09e5252kEW50rZ3gUK_egdugx2IbH1pqrmAKIWXGGXkOISZpJRMvfC8C9p9JAL6ObSzYAa0RKMYE1HEB7VGcqxbs5gx4WQULEWPF8Eb4OHLM5bj4smUlPLBmArTh7ebnHOCbRNWdol5xjwX-GW09z1hubE8HAd692iBc_sina6rw/w640-h640/CIGI-blog-tour-banner-final.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-21579610409319066432023-05-07T23:19:00.000+01:002023-05-07T23:19:51.247+01:00Books on Tour: New Beginnings in the Little Irish Village by Michelle Vernal<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSqSNEggbNzA3IvSL5WLl9BnadQ3a9p1qPAt-ezw34b3_Bzu1qsOg2URT4euQNc_xiMeHdXaVryz8qDNcJ1AztZbn1g8ht9p_dZtEqKNGT3WVExevhYWE4p6qxZWFI6ApPJYLlQcadJmiHhkObJvlOd4aPm8LLfuGxcmux-f6VX-pactU9YU/s2342/New-Beginnings-in-the-Little-Irish-Village-Kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2342" data-original-width="1539" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSqSNEggbNzA3IvSL5WLl9BnadQ3a9p1qPAt-ezw34b3_Bzu1qsOg2URT4euQNc_xiMeHdXaVryz8qDNcJ1AztZbn1g8ht9p_dZtEqKNGT3WVExevhYWE4p6qxZWFI6ApPJYLlQcadJmiHhkObJvlOd4aPm8LLfuGxcmux-f6VX-pactU9YU/w420-h640/New-Beginnings-in-the-Little-Irish-Village-Kindle.jpg" width="420" /></a></div></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>Bookouture's description:- </p><p> Welcome to the little Irish village of Emerald Bay where the sun is shining, the locals are gossiping, and romance is in the air. But will returning home be the fresh start Imogen Kelly needs?</p><p>Thirty-two-year-old Imogen Kelly is meant to be living her best life in Dublin but the bright lights of the city aren’t making her truly happy. So she leaps at the chance to take on an interior design job at the big country manor at the edge of Emerald Bay. It also gives Imogen an excuse to return to the place where she spent an unforgettable summer with her first love, Lachlan Leslie, the heir to Benmore House.</p><p>Imogen’s heart is full of hope at the thought of seeing her childhood sweetheart but on the way there she nearly has an accident on the winding, muddy country road. She arrives at Benmore House late and flustered, only to discover the builder working with her on the renovation project is none other than Ryan O’Malley – the class prankster who was forever pinging her bra strap at school.</p><p>Within seconds it’s clear he’s still a cheeky charmer, even if he’s transformed into a gorgeous guy who unexpectedly sets her pulse racing. Forced into close proximity with relentlessly cheerful Ryan, who’s forever (badly) singing rock ballads at the top of his voice, Imogen at first finds him an annoying distraction.</p><p>With St Patrick’s Day celebrations in full swing, Imogen has her work cut out to keep the job on track. Spending more time with Ryan, she discovers that, behind his warm smile and generous ways, he’s nursing heartache. But when she finally sees blue-eyed Lachlan again, Imogen has to face up to the truth about the secret summer romance they shared.</p><p>Will she leave Emerald Bay broken-hearted? Or will Imogen realise that home really is where the heart is?</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1oImdBa4UJ-btNlYhgZ-TQq26C3dAtKCLxUStkPESxPCYBl1EhVhreHRP7Elj_UtlYysd3YmVCXXN_wj6jy6hnDbEqj6ZGhXBzl8wG7f3NNfBDth-CGtFfVtDikNI00Jax4RsBeDJUdATcDn1D8kZIwzgWNfZ0sJHv7BJ0CSJKCM0P8xSJw/s1080/Lifestyle%20-%20New%20Beginnings%20in%20the%20Little%20Irish%20Village.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1oImdBa4UJ-btNlYhgZ-TQq26C3dAtKCLxUStkPESxPCYBl1EhVhreHRP7Elj_UtlYysd3YmVCXXN_wj6jy6hnDbEqj6ZGhXBzl8wG7f3NNfBDth-CGtFfVtDikNI00Jax4RsBeDJUdATcDn1D8kZIwzgWNfZ0sJHv7BJ0CSJKCM0P8xSJw/w640-h640/Lifestyle%20-%20New%20Beginnings%20in%20the%20Little%20Irish%20Village.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote>What the publisher's description doesn't mention is that Imogen actually has a man in her life already - she has a relationship with her rather older boyfriend, Nevin - "there's a bit of an age difference." In fact, Nev comes with rather lot of baggage as he has a previous marriage and grown up daughters who are still curiously dependant on their Dad to rescue them from various scrapes. He wants no further children and Imogen has acquiesced, seemingly happy to pursue her career in interior design. Her business is doing well and her success in Dublin is what leads her to accept a commission in her home village, giving her the the opportunity to visit her family and perhaps, at last, introduce her man to her childhood home.<div><br /></div><div>Michelle Vernal has truly written a feel-good story, as warm as the community of Emerald Bay. Imogen is very much a contemporary protagonist, seeking to find happiness and fulfilment in her chosen career and her personal life, yet not so lost in the glamour of life in the big city to have moved beyond her early life. There is gentle humour and a great sense of place in the glorious Irish countryside, beautifully and wittily described. I greatly enjoyed spending hours in Imogen's company as she adjusted to living back in her family home, coping with the fierce interest in her affairs of the community she grew up in, while dealing with her exacting employers, getting contractors to meet deadlines and specifications, her distant and demanding lover, her first real boyfriend and the disconcertingly multi-faceted man the classroom pest has grown up to be. A deft and entertaining, compulsive read. Thanks, Bookouture, for the opportunity to read this enjoyable book.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRZy-1x4VzoA9ZQgLw6VzP9oK3lAjX7ymDzcScj_u26kTg_R1LsH9HXOfukKyfA7ubdCNkGkM3S1L3Sq75I-dEtN5r96g8xRyD9n9rHBven6VZ1BkK48UUzz6CbK9aidARqYmBJJVHtMB4rUSCtNHMktsx_HdiU5zvb1fR9lrkT4aOebSATE/s500/Michelle-Vernall-500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRZy-1x4VzoA9ZQgLw6VzP9oK3lAjX7ymDzcScj_u26kTg_R1LsH9HXOfukKyfA7ubdCNkGkM3S1L3Sq75I-dEtN5r96g8xRyD9n9rHBven6VZ1BkK48UUzz6CbK9aidARqYmBJJVHtMB4rUSCtNHMktsx_HdiU5zvb1fR9lrkT4aOebSATE/s320/Michelle-Vernall-500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>I was interested to learn that Michelle Vernal does not live in the Emerald Isle. <span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Michelle Vernal is a New Zealand author who writes stories that will take you onto the page with her characters and make you feel part of their lives. She writes with humour and warmth, and her readers describe her books as unputdownable, feel good and funny. Her writing has been likened to Maeve Binchy but with a modern-day vernacular. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Love Stories Award. In 2020 she won the Reader's Favou</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">rite Gold Medal Award for Chick Lit, and in 2021 was shortlisted for the Page Turner Book Awards.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">If you would like to discover what other readers thought of this book, why not visit the other participants in this Book Tour, who are listed below:</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_zm8qz7Piz5-S8FopU_zyT2FVf1oUWMyzSZB5_R7cbxTdqi1okxNqGURQTB2BJnBPzb7P1kQyCubAuvuPC3ol8eg8DZcCx8L4Iqfscp3P8VaK8vTPmMuzTal_do3-UzL3l2CJcipIRRV4jAJlxLF5Y8RmxycxJ83PVzcIqdfmR5OnQsQCrs/s1600/Blog%20%20Tour%20Little%20Irish%20Village%20Michelle%20Vernal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_zm8qz7Piz5-S8FopU_zyT2FVf1oUWMyzSZB5_R7cbxTdqi1okxNqGURQTB2BJnBPzb7P1kQyCubAuvuPC3ol8eg8DZcCx8L4Iqfscp3P8VaK8vTPmMuzTal_do3-UzL3l2CJcipIRRV4jAJlxLF5Y8RmxycxJ83PVzcIqdfmR5OnQsQCrs/w360-h640/Blog%20%20Tour%20Little%20Irish%20Village%20Michelle%20Vernal.png" width="360" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4mmiY7gLd3YyO-O29FbjgdP8FR7NmpfS5CcsaHxgaEu1hIdZsSrK_E7gpCx80Si7NOIR9hh2ig8Jsucq--hYuwvjqZTdMwDkSlF-hQGw48YW-UeYOBkMdxPsBBNGD0_m_TNi30qyTszbHH7vIZyTf9B7i0hw_9e8iOFuvNHTjBWfSTy8sSE/s500/Michelle-Vernall-500.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4mmiY7gLd3YyO-O29FbjgdP8FR7NmpfS5CcsaHxgaEu1hIdZsSrK_E7gpCx80Si7NOIR9hh2ig8Jsucq--hYuwvjqZTdMwDkSlF-hQGw48YW-UeYOBkMdxPsBBNGD0_m_TNi30qyTszbHH7vIZyTf9B7i0hw_9e8iOFuvNHTjBWfSTy8sSE/s500/Michelle-Vernall-500.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4mmiY7gLd3YyO-O29FbjgdP8FR7NmpfS5CcsaHxgaEu1hIdZsSrK_E7gpCx80Si7NOIR9hh2ig8Jsucq--hYuwvjqZTdMwDkSlF-hQGw48YW-UeYOBkMdxPsBBNGD0_m_TNi30qyTszbHH7vIZyTf9B7i0hw_9e8iOFuvNHTjBWfSTy8sSE/s500/Michelle-Vernall-500.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-6479248521838387812023-04-19T17:26:00.002+01:002023-04-19T17:27:28.762+01:00Blog Tour: The Girl Who Escaped by Angela Petch<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsSTWZcKuZ_hNOlmGLd28PMO9NQI5kcjGVEQHAfYaWSyUX3BdR2ohjJyqj8ugaKYQlknyihk9VXHWWg_sibRYOAZqhR-RmyLhcDvVIpVLlEbOfxkXiWNWzeDN9QuVYr0x9f9EbWjeP5MbWQ3-pH4zh-dH9z5nJ_wZo8FwCsNmrT1ksMxTKlo/s2343/The-Girl-Who-Escaped-Kindle%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2343" data-original-width="1518" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsSTWZcKuZ_hNOlmGLd28PMO9NQI5kcjGVEQHAfYaWSyUX3BdR2ohjJyqj8ugaKYQlknyihk9VXHWWg_sibRYOAZqhR-RmyLhcDvVIpVLlEbOfxkXiWNWzeDN9QuVYr0x9f9EbWjeP5MbWQ3-pH4zh-dH9z5nJ_wZo8FwCsNmrT1ksMxTKlo/w383-h592/The-Girl-Who-Escaped-Kindle%20(1).jpg" width="383" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 27pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>The Girl Who Escaped: Utterly heartbreaking and emotional WW2 historical fiction by Angela Petch</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 27pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 27pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0f1111;">Italy, 1940. The girl sobs and rages as her father tells her the terrible news. “Italy is entering the war alongside Germany. Jews are to be arrested and sent to camps. We have to be ready.”</span></b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0f1111;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />As fascists march across the cobbled piazzas and past the towered buildings of her beloved home city, twenty-year-old </span><b><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Devora</span></b><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">’s worst fears come true. Along with her Jewish parents and twin little brothers they are torn away from everything they love and sent to an internment camp huddled in the mountains. Her father promises this war will not last long…<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />When they are offered a miraculous chance of escape by her childhood friend </span><b><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Luigi</span></b><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">, who risks everything to smuggle vital information into the camp, the family clambers under barbed wire and races for the border. But Devora is forced to make a devastating choice between saving a stranger’s life and joining her parents. As shots fire in the moonless night, </span><b><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">the family is separated.</span></b><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Haunted by the question of whether they are dead or alive, all Devora can do for their future is throw herself into helping Luigi in the Italian </span><i><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">resistenza</span></i><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> in the fight for liberty. But posing as a maid for a German commander to gather secret intelligence, Devora is sure she sees her friend one night, in a Nazi uniform…<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Is Devora in more danger than ever? And will her family ever be reunited – or will the war tear them apart?</span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">An absolutely devastating but ultimately uplifting historical novel about how love and hope can get us through the darkest times. Perfect for fans of </span><i><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Tattooist of Auschwitz</span></i><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">, Rhys Bowen and Soraya M. Lane.</span></span></span><span style="color: #0f1111;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><b>Buy link</b>: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://geni.us/B0BYC1V9NHsocial&source=gmail&ust=1682004166385000&usg=AOvVaw0DwFeZavd9tBqwM0PFRXSP" href="https://geni.us/B0BYC1V9NHsocial" style="color: #0563c1;" target="_blank">https://geni.us/<wbr></wbr>B0BYC1V9NHsocial</a></p><p><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></span></span><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUp65Vyw6IiAvFOqU8NZwVDQOTnuyD3o3gFXRm56Up228g7lN8GfY2Jq5PgYK1y-gRtrGY3MXIlypLktqaB0a0dL_-ayC2oCKolnNiwNgmM3InWMsMchNxiNwH6pEDDnKa9gkZG4Ng0ySUI2JRpAL5ZHk6dzWa7rpynlpzT5Z3_YL2Fmn_8w/s1600/Blog%20tour%20Angela%20Petch%20The%20Girl%20Who%20Escaped%20(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="660" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUp65Vyw6IiAvFOqU8NZwVDQOTnuyD3o3gFXRm56Up228g7lN8GfY2Jq5PgYK1y-gRtrGY3MXIlypLktqaB0a0dL_-ayC2oCKolnNiwNgmM3InWMsMchNxiNwH6pEDDnKa9gkZG4Ng0ySUI2JRpAL5ZHk6dzWa7rpynlpzT5Z3_YL2Fmn_8w/w371-h660/Blog%20tour%20Angela%20Petch%20The%20Girl%20Who%20Escaped%20(2).png" width="371" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Devora is the heroine of this novel. Born in Italy to Jewish parents who fled Germany and the horrors of persecution during WW1, she is happily living in Urbino, studying with the ambition to become a doctor, with a group of friends and a teenage crush on the local heart-throb. However, the rise of the fascists and invasion by the Nazis threaten her future and the safety of her parent and twin brothers. Devora must discover new strengths and resources within herself if she is to have the opportunity to grow up and realise her dreams, and she also needs to determine who her true friends are. A spirited and rebellious girl, she must grow up quickly.</div><div><br /></div><div>I enjoyed getting to know Devora and her journey to adulthood against the background of the War in a setting I was somewhat unfamiliar with: the Italian Resistance and the risks taken in outwitting the enemy as part of the fight for survival. Urbino is a beautiful, hill-top walled city, a world heritage centre in the Marche region of the Appennines which played a significant part in the Renaissance and was the birthplace of the artist Raphael. It looks absolutely beautiful and luckily it was not bombed during the war and remained relatively unscathed. I recommend a quick search to discover more about this beautiful place, but I digress...</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a moving story of bravery and collaboration against a common enemy, with a satisfying ending.</div><div>It is a good read, too. Thanks to Bookouture for the opportunity to enjoy this book.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6W1TXJk3YKznxath3ItBVIBq_tCBGR1U9a4Fj5sjszBTbwxEvgT-bzQNpaud1BQUCfAtbKyvR7cSqLDWq1Yqpbd5zHfJCWGbfgwBoHU_mRfloPb2BA9cqpJHW1btE5dqXrWnfeuaJ85JBpVXHd5Gf2HyszPc6umWuMeQhSzksOl8m2Ptd-YY/s1080/Lifestyle---The-Girl-Who-Escaped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6W1TXJk3YKznxath3ItBVIBq_tCBGR1U9a4Fj5sjszBTbwxEvgT-bzQNpaud1BQUCfAtbKyvR7cSqLDWq1Yqpbd5zHfJCWGbfgwBoHU_mRfloPb2BA9cqpJHW1btE5dqXrWnfeuaJ85JBpVXHd5Gf2HyszPc6umWuMeQhSzksOl8m2Ptd-YY/w510-h510/Lifestyle---The-Girl-Who-Escaped.jpg" width="510" /></a><br /><br />Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-18197770305688877392022-11-18T22:13:00.002+00:002022-11-18T22:13:54.537+00:00The Picture Bride by Lee Geum-yi<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGLUuxpLkIIlFrO6PN5Tp1UMTKIQKw_7aVbqpYPI7mSZCcewR2qPoedQvFYZUcR8FDxuONOmCERA9krGKllHckGLLX08MGB6XO7hFBmf9SRp2tO0TWjehv1ALaw_npe1HondShaS-x8Fzi5XjS9IdyPMow4P07RM8lG-vClyIPN0siNli_Xo/s5000/The%20Picture%20Bride%20blog%20tour%20banner1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2813" data-original-width="5000" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGLUuxpLkIIlFrO6PN5Tp1UMTKIQKw_7aVbqpYPI7mSZCcewR2qPoedQvFYZUcR8FDxuONOmCERA9krGKllHckGLLX08MGB6XO7hFBmf9SRp2tO0TWjehv1ALaw_npe1HondShaS-x8Fzi5XjS9IdyPMow4P07RM8lG-vClyIPN0siNli_Xo/w532-h299/The%20Picture%20Bride%20blog%20tour%20banner1.jpg" width="532" /></span></a></div><br /><p></p><p>It is always fun to participate in a blog tour for a new book, and on this occasion it falls to me to share an excerpt of this fascinating story, The Picture Bride. You might like to visit jaffareadstoo.blogspot,com for the opening of this passage before continuing here.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAyavQBfrvJA2X7AhdK890K9X6I1ffib06ASxJL3p22UsKUtDxBdPjQaspjdvDOqeDRgz2FmtL4Djm8nueWrATZGDxXtx8ItRcTlJZU84gsDIeZnezzGIccmnljHtKZn3RgSEAKqZb_tc07MOfZeLBJoCyWlZr9Xn5XSt-PqEnXtEafPRUbs/s626/9781913348861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAyavQBfrvJA2X7AhdK890K9X6I1ffib06ASxJL3p22UsKUtDxBdPjQaspjdvDOqeDRgz2FmtL4Djm8nueWrATZGDxXtx8ItRcTlJZU84gsDIeZnezzGIccmnljHtKZn3RgSEAKqZb_tc07MOfZeLBJoCyWlZr9Xn5XSt-PqEnXtEafPRUbs/w408-h640/9781913348861.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><i><br />When a primary school was established in Jucheon, her father had sent her eldest
brother to school. He reckoned that since the world was changing, his children should study the
new subjects as they grew up. Two years later, he sent Willow, who had just turned eight.
Hongju, her friend, pestered her own father, Mr. An, until she was able to enroll with Willow.
Hongju’s family had been commoners for generations, but Mr. An had earned enough money by
buying and selling cattle and bought land in Ojin Village. He built a tiled house overlooking the
fields and settled down, then bought a genealogy allowing him to be considered a yangban. The
local people called him “Wealthy An” because they didn’t think he merited any title. </i></p><div style="text-align: left;"><i> Both girls were the only daughters in their families, the other daughters having died
early. Willow was the second child among her brothers, and Hongju was the youngest, after her
brothers.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> It was much more fun for Willow to learn Hangul, Japanese, arithmetic, and gymnastics
with friends at primary school than to study the Thousand Character Classic at her father’s
Confucian academy. Although she had to climb over three hills to reach the school, it didn’t
bother her. However, when her father passed away, her mother couldn’t afford the monthly
school fee for both children. If one of them had to quit, of course it would be the daughter. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> Willow left school without completing her second year and helped with the housework
and taking care of her younger brothers. The following year, Mrs. Yun sent Willow’s other
younger brother Gyusik to school, but not Willow. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> “What about me?” Willow argued and pleaded. “Send me back to school, too.”</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> “It’s enough if a girl can read and write her own name. What more do you need?” </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> At that, Willow threw a tantrum.
Mrs. Yun tore off her apron and stood up. “If you don’t stop right now, I’m going up to
throw myself over the waterfall in Maebongsan Mountain and die.”</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> Frightened of being an orphan, Willow embraced her mother’s legs as she prepared to
leave the room and swore that she would never again talk about going back to school. After that,
the only thing she could do was to comfort herself by writing on the ground with a poker so as
not to forget the letters.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> After graduating from the four-year primary school, Hongju had not gone on to the girls’
upper school. She had no interest in studying, and her parents had no intention of sending their
daughter to one of the new schools, the threshold of which none of their sons had ever crossed.
After being in a place with a school and a market, Hongju returned to her mountain-valley home
and felt bored, but Willow had been glad to have a friend nearby. While she was with Hongju,
she could forget her situation, obliged as she was to help her mother earn a living. In the
evenings, Hongju’s house was the only place that Willow was allowed to visit. Taking her sewing
with her, Willow would hurry to Hongju’s place whenever she was free. Sewing was less boring
when she was chattering with Hongju than when she stayed with her mother. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> Hongju had a room all to herself opposite the main building. There, Willow had enjoyed
snacks such as dried persimmons or cookies, and read novels that Hongju kept hidden in her
clothes chest. After reading the books, they would talk nervously about free love, apply lipstick,
and imitate the heroines.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> The previous year, when Hongju had turned sixteen, her bridegroom had been chosen.
He was from a prestigious yang- ban family in Masan. Her mother had taught her how to keep
house lest her daughter be scolded once she was married. Most of all, Hongju had hated sitting
quietly and sewing. Willow, who had acquired her mother’s skill while helping with the
needlework, spent the evenings embroidering the cushions and pillowcases that her friend
would take to her new home. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> When Hongju’s mother left the room to tend to other chores, Hongju would lay aside her
embroidery frame and chat away. While Hongju was thrilled to be leaving Ojin Village for busy
Masan, Willow was already missing her friend. It would be different from when Hongju had
been away at school. Then, there had been a time limit, she would come back after graduating,
but getting married meant leaving forever. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>When Hongju’s wedding was celebrated in the yard of her home and she had left the
village, Willow cried more bitterly than Hongju’s mother. Now, there would be no one to open
her heart to, no moments of respite with her friend. It seemed that Willow would never be able
to cast off the shadow of her father’s absence. However, two months after her marriage, Hongju
became a widow. Rumors circulated that the groom’s family had concealed the fact that he was
sick, or that her father had been so eager to form an alliance with a yangban family that he had
concealed the fact that a fortune-teller had said that their horoscopes showed that they were
incompatible. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> Tradition dictated that once a woman was married, she “buried her bones” in that house
forever. When Willow thought of Hongju, she was reminded of an embroidery left bloodstained
after her needle pricked her finger. No matter how well the embroidery was done, it was useless
once it was stained. In a flash, through no fault of her own, Hongju’s destiny had become that of
a bloodstained embroidery.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> Willow sometimes felt guilty wondering whether her friend’s misfortune might have
been caused by her own negative attitude, because she had disliked seeing her get married.
“How will she spend her whole life in that household without a child?” Willow sighed as she
sewed. Her mother had long been in the habit of saying that if it had not been for the children,
she would have thrown herself over the Maebongsan Mountain waterfall long ago. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> “Stop sighing,” said Mrs. Yun as she cut a knotted thread. “That’s just Hongju’s destiny.” </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> It turned out not to be the case. Hongju returned to her parents’ house shortly after her husband
died, thanks to a divination by the Surijae shaman, who declared that if a young widow
remained in the house, a yet greater disaster might befall them. Not only Hongju’s in-laws, but
even her own family reckoned that her husband had died because of her. There was also a
rumor in the village that Wealthy An had offered his in-laws a large sum, enough for them to live
on, in return for bringing Hongju home.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>On the evening she went to see Hongju for the first time after her return, Willow’s heart
and steps were heavy. Willow had grown up seeing her widowed mother. More tenacious than
the suffering of the one who had lost her husband was the wide-spread gossip about the woman
who had devoured his vitality. The title of “widow” that she would have to bear like a yoke all
her life was like the name of a great crime.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> As Willow made her way to Hongju’s house, combining her own sorrow with Hongju’s
misfortune, she imagined all kinds of sad things. She prepared to hug her friend and cry. As she
entered the gate, she could not help being struck by the sight of Hongju’s mother’s grief-stricken
face. She seemed to lack the energy to say anything, merely greeting her with a look and
nodding in the direction of Hongju’s room. When she saw Hongju’s elegant leather shoes lying
on the stone step in front of the room, she felt tears rising. Willow left her straw sandals beside
them and entered the room. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> Hongju, wearing mourning dress and with her hair in a bun, sat in the darkened room
with one knee raised. She didn’t look around even though she knew that Willow was there. Her
hus- band had died two months after the marriage. It was as though her whole world had
collapsed. Willow, sympathizing with her friend’s unfortunate situation, scarcely daring to
breathe, sat down next to her. A housemaid, coming in behind her, put down a plate of dried
persimmons and looked briefly at Hongju. Once she had left the room, Willow prepared to
speak.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> Just then, Hongju shook out her skirts and relaxed her formal posture, lowering her
knee. With both fists resting on her crossed legs, she gave vent to her fury. “That guy had always
been sick. I didn’t kill him, so I don’t see why I should stay locked in here like a criminal. If his
family had not turned me out, what would have become of me? If I had to spend my whole life in
that house, I would have suffocated to death.”</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> Hongju was unlike any widow that Willow had ever seen. As Hongju spat out without
hesitation ideas that she had barely dared formulate, Willow felt relieved. She was right. Even if
someone became a widow, even if the children were left fatherless, it was not their fault. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> “That’s what I think, too. They did well to turn you out.” Willow and Hongju hugged and
laughed, instead of crying. Without knowing that, Hongju’s mother, fearing that her daughter
might reach some bad decision on account of her changed situation, asked Mrs. Yun to let
Willow visit her every day.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Once again, as before, Willow and Hongju sat embroidering or chatting together or
reading novels. The only thing that had changed was that Hongju now had experience of a man,
so her words were more forthright.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> “I got through the first night as best I could because it was my first time. Having read
love stories, I was better prepared than that sickly bridegroom smelling of milk. He was shaking
so much he couldn’t even undo my dress. . . . Really, it was so frustrating.” </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> Willow listened with red cheeks and sparkling eyes. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This episode occurs early in the book, and gives some insight into the life of a teenaged girl in Korea a century ago. Women's lives have changed massively since then, of course, in most parts of the world. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Korea is somewhere I know little about, and it is interesting to learn of the Japanese occupation which was experienced. I had no clue about the migration of Korean workers to Hawai'i to work on sugar plantations, nor that marriages were arranged for these workers with girls from back home. Those marriages were with the Picture Brides, who travelled to a strange land, far from their families and friends and with only a photograph to tell them about their spouses-to-be and nothing to tell them about what their new lives will be like.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This book is beautifully written and translated, and I am really enjoying reading the story, which is primarily Willow's tale, but also those of the small group of friends she makes on the way from her old life to the new. I am learning about history and the world, women's lives and social mores and expectations. It is good, an enriching experience. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxE99xW_KCEkC20-z43P8VMRXmrkx9e-LRs8NuVYfqmGhXGY8qCgIaMzk82qfSCRK9inYUOm4jc7B98KruS-g3maww2uGJ7sPkHaiRwJz_vHiOiJ4-sCLeLvG5WbnD8LMNdIllR6e2g4-Pmins23LJed0Xa8RKEr7A-WlGPFfAFXUiu5Ln00/s4500/The%20Picture%20Bride%20IG%20blog%20tour%20banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4500" data-original-width="4500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxE99xW_KCEkC20-z43P8VMRXmrkx9e-LRs8NuVYfqmGhXGY8qCgIaMzk82qfSCRK9inYUOm4jc7B98KruS-g3maww2uGJ7sPkHaiRwJz_vHiOiJ4-sCLeLvG5WbnD8LMNdIllR6e2g4-Pmins23LJed0Xa8RKEr7A-WlGPFfAFXUiu5Ln00/w640-h640/The%20Picture%20Bride%20IG%20blog%20tour%20banner.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-15075407218518480582022-06-27T17:55:00.004+01:002022-06-27T17:57:24.076+01:00The Girl from Jonestown by Sharon Maas<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_JbFp5bIstHLNdBQZxDmS-WOCQtG3e3CHeSiGeodbbujl-38Y2DWVhrRM1vrSuyMRtTtRhxlAXGnys0WE3nVshsKDNdzo7NVhhVH7a9OmC-deF5aCRVfKFYnSGAFI5qFaKIDbcUtEUp6vJbcJW5Uic12XD0xHXVy2xCdx2Bz-fj3Eq4XhTI/s2560/The-Girl-from-Jonestown-Kindle%20%281%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_JbFp5bIstHLNdBQZxDmS-WOCQtG3e3CHeSiGeodbbujl-38Y2DWVhrRM1vrSuyMRtTtRhxlAXGnys0WE3nVshsKDNdzo7NVhhVH7a9OmC-deF5aCRVfKFYnSGAFI5qFaKIDbcUtEUp6vJbcJW5Uic12XD0xHXVy2xCdx2Bz-fj3Eq4XhTI/s2560/The-Girl-from-Jonestown-Kindle%20%281%29.jpg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1667" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_JbFp5bIstHLNdBQZxDmS-WOCQtG3e3CHeSiGeodbbujl-38Y2DWVhrRM1vrSuyMRtTtRhxlAXGnys0WE3nVshsKDNdzo7NVhhVH7a9OmC-deF5aCRVfKFYnSGAFI5qFaKIDbcUtEUp6vJbcJW5Uic12XD0xHXVy2xCdx2Bz-fj3Eq4XhTI/s600/The-Girl-from-Jonestown-Kindle%20%281%29.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_JbFp5bIstHLNdBQZxDmS-WOCQtG3e3CHeSiGeodbbujl-38Y2DWVhrRM1vrSuyMRtTtRhxlAXGnys0WE3nVshsKDNdzo7NVhhVH7a9OmC-deF5aCRVfKFYnSGAFI5qFaKIDbcUtEUp6vJbcJW5Uic12XD0xHXVy2xCdx2Bz-fj3Eq4XhTI/s2560/The-Girl-from-Jonestown-Kindle%20%281%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;">It's my </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_JbFp5bIstHLNdBQZxDmS-WOCQtG3e3CHeSiGeodbbujl-38Y2DWVhrRM1vrSuyMRtTtRhxlAXGnys0WE3nVshsKDNdzo7NVhhVH7a9OmC-deF5aCRVfKFYnSGAFI5qFaKIDbcUtEUp6vJbcJW5Uic12XD0xHXVy2xCdx2Bz-fj3Eq4XhTI/s2560/The-Girl-from-Jonestown-Kindle%20%281%29.jpg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;">turn on the blog tour for Sharon Maas's amazing, compelling new book</a>, The Girl from Jonestown. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_JbFp5bIstHLNdBQZxDmS-WOCQtG3e3CHeSiGeodbbujl-38Y2DWVhrRM1vrSuyMRtTtRhxlAXGnys0WE3nVshsKDNdzo7NVhhVH7a9OmC-deF5aCRVfKFYnSGAFI5qFaKIDbcUtEUp6vJbcJW5Uic12XD0xHXVy2xCdx2Bz-fj3Eq4XhTI/s2560/The-Girl-from-Jonestown-Kindle%20%281%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_JbFp5bIstHLNdBQZxDmS-WOCQtG3e3CHeSiGeodbbujl-38Y2DWVhrRM1vrSuyMRtTtRhxlAXGnys0WE3nVshsKDNdzo7NVhhVH7a9OmC-deF5aCRVfKFYnSGAFI5qFaKIDbcUtEUp6vJbcJW5Uic12XD0xHXVy2xCdx2Bz-fj3Eq4XhTI/s2560/The-Girl-from-Jonestown-Kindle%20%281%29.jpg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;">This is the </a>publishers' description of the story:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">The woman looked at me, anguish brimming in her eyes. I picked up the note she’d left and read the scrawl: </span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">HELP!!!</span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;"> Then: </span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">Mom.</span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;"> <wbr></wbr>Followed by a number.</span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">A gripping and heartbreaking read, based on the true story of the Jonestown cult, one of the darkest chapters in American history.</span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />When journalist </span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">Zoe Quint</span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;"> 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, </span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">Jim Jones</span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">, dark eyed and charismatic, claims to be a peaceful man who has promised his followers paradise.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />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.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />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.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />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?<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_JbFp5bIstHLNdBQZxDmS-WOCQtG3e3CHeSiGeodbbujl-38Y2DWVhrRM1vrSuyMRtTtRhxlAXGnys0WE3nVshsKDNdzo7NVhhVH7a9OmC-deF5aCRVfKFYnSGAFI5qFaKIDbcUtEUp6vJbcJW5Uic12XD0xHXVy2xCdx2Bz-fj3Eq4XhTI/s2560/The-Girl-from-Jonestown-Kindle%20%281%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; text-align: left;">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 </span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; text-align: left;">Where the Crawdads Sing</span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; text-align: left;">, </span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; text-align: left;">Before We Were Yours </span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; text-align: left;">and </span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; text-align: left;">The Girls</span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; text-align: left;"> will be captivated by </span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; text-align: left;">The Girl from Jonestown.</span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_JbFp5bIstHLNdBQZxDmS-WOCQtG3e3CHeSiGeodbbujl-38Y2DWVhrRM1vrSuyMRtTtRhxlAXGnys0WE3nVshsKDNdzo7NVhhVH7a9OmC-deF5aCRVfKFYnSGAFI5qFaKIDbcUtEUp6vJbcJW5Uic12XD0xHXVy2xCdx2Bz-fj3Eq4XhTI/s2560/The-Girl-from-Jonestown-Kindle%20%281%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;">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. </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_JbFp5bIstHLNdBQZxDmS-WOCQtG3e3CHeSiGeodbbujl-38Y2DWVhrRM1vrSuyMRtTtRhxlAXGnys0WE3nVshsKDNdzo7NVhhVH7a9OmC-deF5aCRVfKFYnSGAFI5qFaKIDbcUtEUp6vJbcJW5Uic12XD0xHXVy2xCdx2Bz-fj3Eq4XhTI/s2560/The-Girl-from-Jonestown-Kindle%20%281%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;">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.</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_JbFp5bIstHLNdBQZxDmS-WOCQtG3e3CHeSiGeodbbujl-38Y2DWVhrRM1vrSuyMRtTtRhxlAXGnys0WE3nVshsKDNdzo7NVhhVH7a9OmC-deF5aCRVfKFYnSGAFI5qFaKIDbcUtEUp6vJbcJW5Uic12XD0xHXVy2xCdx2Bz-fj3Eq4XhTI/s2560/The-Girl-from-Jonestown-Kindle%20%281%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;">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.</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_JbFp5bIstHLNdBQZxDmS-WOCQtG3e3CHeSiGeodbbujl-38Y2DWVhrRM1vrSuyMRtTtRhxlAXGnys0WE3nVshsKDNdzo7NVhhVH7a9OmC-deF5aCRVfKFYnSGAFI5qFaKIDbcUtEUp6vJbcJW5Uic12XD0xHXVy2xCdx2Bz-fj3Eq4XhTI/s2560/The-Girl-from-Jonestown-Kindle%20%281%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrMn8cgBqOZRVfPavL8CigmH1ww2qLMLQr_SZT6cPOGd5ONg4OY-rqMp6j-FfwkcdQuglP-sp6HZD_32cjJW_EHo02b_a-9p0PVMJH-lAulEsnn2--fQ5EtBzz5GCichXPpy73mGMhFUi4NsVhpkfWyUqsgSbWRnpKjiJJ2Phfc_7xKscB5s/s780/Sharon%20Maas%20Author%20Photo%20%281%29.jpg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="511" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrMn8cgBqOZRVfPavL8CigmH1ww2qLMLQr_SZT6cPOGd5ONg4OY-rqMp6j-FfwkcdQuglP-sp6HZD_32cjJW_EHo02b_a-9p0PVMJH-lAulEsnn2--fQ5EtBzz5GCichXPpy73mGMhFUi4NsVhpkfWyUqsgSbWRnpKjiJJ2Phfc_7xKscB5s/s600/Sharon%20Maas%20Author%20Photo%20%281%29.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEGN9Dk4l7V3t8mRN_N3WotJFvlq9FVVoqO6Y9683t8gHoVnIun-YiFmRgTzxsBAIm-jeJ_fIn678WMWUd6kyr6JMi8rHi5TlQK_Ipl9FE2JeW28YbrpPzDIx39CL_Pe9DNtOQamtNYnpfzAYFq7ctrWzi82qnsUckCqi06MJnNtMGvs8QxI/s1800/The%20Girl%20from%20Jonestown%20-%20Blog%20Tour.jpg" style="display: block; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">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 </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sunday Chronicle</em><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 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 </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Violin Maker’s Daughter</em><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Soldier’s Girl</em><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">Her Darkest Hour</em><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and many other novels.</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEGN9Dk4l7V3t8mRN_N3WotJFvlq9FVVoqO6Y9683t8gHoVnIun-YiFmRgTzxsBAIm-jeJ_fIn678WMWUd6kyr6JMi8rHi5TlQK_Ipl9FE2JeW28YbrpPzDIx39CL_Pe9DNtOQamtNYnpfzAYFq7ctrWzi82qnsUckCqi06MJnNtMGvs8QxI/s1800/The%20Girl%20from%20Jonestown%20-%20Blog%20Tour.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1120" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEGN9Dk4l7V3t8mRN_N3WotJFvlq9FVVoqO6Y9683t8gHoVnIun-YiFmRgTzxsBAIm-jeJ_fIn678WMWUd6kyr6JMi8rHi5TlQK_Ipl9FE2JeW28YbrpPzDIx39CL_Pe9DNtOQamtNYnpfzAYFq7ctrWzi82qnsUckCqi06MJnNtMGvs8QxI/s600/The%20Girl%20from%20Jonestown%20-%20Blog%20Tour.jpg" /></a></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-26844080779960819022022-03-26T21:52:00.004+00:002022-03-26T21:56:05.681+00:00My Mother's Gift by Steffanie Edward<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDNuRiWDa9mj40gwXPASa-hK2cjoZKJCE18BouEkT4_PG98aTHhnjVx9EqdTmo_TMSN_7_lAfp3sMFhhaLzJKrUQZxbtVaPpvW8V5foWRamgLMAFmVMk2XHx1dIrxhtW7PRSXNa_6764yn6NhUY9jd1sffk6Lr__eOVOKKqhFbEp2edavEJk/s2339/My-Mothers-Gift-Kindle.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2339" data-original-width="1524" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDNuRiWDa9mj40gwXPASa-hK2cjoZKJCE18BouEkT4_PG98aTHhnjVx9EqdTmo_TMSN_7_lAfp3sMFhhaLzJKrUQZxbtVaPpvW8V5foWRamgLMAFmVMk2XHx1dIrxhtW7PRSXNa_6764yn6NhUY9jd1sffk6Lr__eOVOKKqhFbEp2edavEJk/s600/My-Mothers-Gift-Kindle.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><b>Book Description</b><span style="font-size: x-small;">:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">Can your heart belong somewhere that you’ve never called home?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">When </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">Erica</span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> gets a phone call to say her mother, </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">Ione</span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">, 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.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">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…</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">A captivating tale of grief, love, and what it means to find home, perfect for fans of Andrea Levy, Jojo Moyes and Amanda Prowse</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>My thoughts:</b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really enjoyed reading this story and thought it balanced loss and hope superbly. An excellent read.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div></div><a href=""></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pzPeHQET43oiIP0vhDpTlRh6glMnTIwTFGLIe73Cq5f0hipL9i0C3s17RdKgQuxMLAogOqB4UWFJLZGYgrcCvVWz7HJ9DATfxXEURVRktskRwjjkrXTBvkg93EC31S4PJyUcNPmn2yt83DaWFMDHJmefsNYErcfOcsoZ7uyzKger-YK3o88/s520/Steffanie%20Edward%20author%20photo.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pzPeHQET43oiIP0vhDpTlRh6glMnTIwTFGLIe73Cq5f0hipL9i0C3s17RdKgQuxMLAogOqB4UWFJLZGYgrcCvVWz7HJ9DATfxXEURVRktskRwjjkrXTBvkg93EC31S4PJyUcNPmn2yt83DaWFMDHJmefsNYErcfOcsoZ7uyzKger-YK3o88/s400/Steffanie%20Edward%20author%20photo.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pzPeHQET43oiIP0vhDpTlRh6glMnTIwTFGLIe73Cq5f0hipL9i0C3s17RdKgQuxMLAogOqB4UWFJLZGYgrcCvVWz7HJ9DATfxXEURVRktskRwjjkrXTBvkg93EC31S4PJyUcNPmn2yt83DaWFMDHJmefsNYErcfOcsoZ7uyzKger-YK3o88/s520/Steffanie%20Edward%20author%20photo.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></a><div style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;">Author Bio:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pzPeHQET43oiIP0vhDpTlRh6glMnTIwTFGLIe73Cq5f0hipL9i0C3s17RdKgQuxMLAogOqB4UWFJLZGYgrcCvVWz7HJ9DATfxXEURVRktskRwjjkrXTBvkg93EC31S4PJyUcNPmn2yt83DaWFMDHJmefsNYErcfOcsoZ7uyzKger-YK3o88/s520/Steffanie%20Edward%20author%20photo.jpg"></a></div><div style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;">Steffanie Edward was born in St Lucia, brought up in London and now straddles between the two.</div><div style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;">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 <i>Wild Seed </i>by Octavia E Butler, and <i>Woman at Point Zero </i>by Naawal El Saadawi.</div><div style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;">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, <i>Yvette, </i>didn't make it into print, but the main protagonist, Yvette, has muscled her way into Stephanie's debut novel, <i>This Other Island.</i></div><div style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;"></p><div style="color: #1155cc; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.saedward.com/&source=gmail&ust=1648413767403000&usg=AOvVaw3OmT1ML1IgKxkm3ySBd_Lf" href="https://www.saedward.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank"></a><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.saedward.com/&source=gmail&ust=1648413767403000&usg=AOvVaw3OmT1ML1IgKxkm3ySBd_Lf" href="https://www.saedward.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.saedward.com/</a></div><p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pzPeHQET43oiIP0vhDpTlRh6glMnTIwTFGLIe73Cq5f0hipL9i0C3s17RdKgQuxMLAogOqB4UWFJLZGYgrcCvVWz7HJ9DATfxXEURVRktskRwjjkrXTBvkg93EC31S4PJyUcNPmn2yt83DaWFMDHJmefsNYErcfOcsoZ7uyzKger-YK3o88/s520/Steffanie%20Edward%20author%20photo.jpg"></a><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pzPeHQET43oiIP0vhDpTlRh6glMnTIwTFGLIe73Cq5f0hipL9i0C3s17RdKgQuxMLAogOqB4UWFJLZGYgrcCvVWz7HJ9DATfxXEURVRktskRwjjkrXTBvkg93EC31S4PJyUcNPmn2yt83DaWFMDHJmefsNYErcfOcsoZ7uyzKger-YK3o88/s520/Steffanie%20Edward%20author%20photo.jpg"></a><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/EdwardsaEdward&source=gmail&ust=1648413767403000&usg=AOvVaw1iupjd008DYxHe9pkk304G" href="https://twitter.com/EdwardsaEdward" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/<wbr></wbr>EdwardsaEdward</a></p></div><div style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pzPeHQET43oiIP0vhDpTlRh6glMnTIwTFGLIe73Cq5f0hipL9i0C3s17RdKgQuxMLAogOqB4UWFJLZGYgrcCvVWz7HJ9DATfxXEURVRktskRwjjkrXTBvkg93EC31S4PJyUcNPmn2yt83DaWFMDHJmefsNYErcfOcsoZ7uyzKger-YK3o88/s520/Steffanie%20Edward%20author%20photo.jpg"><div style="display: inline !important; padding: 1em 0px;">Buy Link:</div></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pzPeHQET43oiIP0vhDpTlRh6glMnTIwTFGLIe73Cq5f0hipL9i0C3s17RdKgQuxMLAogOqB4UWFJLZGYgrcCvVWz7HJ9DATfxXEURVRktskRwjjkrXTBvkg93EC31S4PJyUcNPmn2yt83DaWFMDHJmefsNYErcfOcsoZ7uyzKger-YK3o88/s520/Steffanie%20Edward%20author%20photo.jpg">Amazon: <span style="color: #00b9ee; font-family: Open Sans, Georgia, Times New Roman, Helvetica Neue, serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-size: 14px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial;">https://geni.us/</span></span><wbr></wbr>B09QL7J4RSsocial</a></div><span style="color: #888888; display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pzPeHQET43oiIP0vhDpTlRh6glMnTIwTFGLIe73Cq5f0hipL9i0C3s17RdKgQuxMLAogOqB4UWFJLZGYgrcCvVWz7HJ9DATfxXEURVRktskRwjjkrXTBvkg93EC31S4PJyUcNPmn2yt83DaWFMDHJmefsNYErcfOcsoZ7uyzKger-YK3o88/s520/Steffanie%20Edward%20author%20photo.jpg"><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;" /></a></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAX4MKCgXSPYy9UDDpNPGA3gLCU5U_0q6QMgBYzfv-1n765UHVJoTFr4iX7TxjEWwd30Kl5FpZ9ErSE7kNgsYjlk96dBVhcTteU4sC3nOw_YwQQRfP-_DrayLqPOPbHn16oUVA9eH-uECW-CoUst5_eqFglWfSqsUO1iWQM-rqKGD2FSenXI/s1600/My%20Mother%27s%20Gift%20-%20Blog%20Tour.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1120" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAX4MKCgXSPYy9UDDpNPGA3gLCU5U_0q6QMgBYzfv-1n765UHVJoTFr4iX7TxjEWwd30Kl5FpZ9ErSE7kNgsYjlk96dBVhcTteU4sC3nOw_YwQQRfP-_DrayLqPOPbHn16oUVA9eH-uECW-CoUst5_eqFglWfSqsUO1iWQM-rqKGD2FSenXI/w447-h640/My%20Mother's%20Gift%20-%20Blog%20Tour.jpg" width="447" /></a></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-59461900594452510112022-03-18T21:15:00.001+00:002022-03-18T21:15:11.243+00:00Blog Tour: The Postcard from Italy by Angela Petch<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;">Today is my turn on Bookouture's Blog Tour for Angela Petch's new book, The Postcard from Italy. </blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKEIYdSutIviNxI1amWtU-U8rTdn0trcMqkt7nbP84CJVa2OuUD8kx9b2XLEwAPmrbH3yqrhg83DOVr-Q1_6WU4wZKbjF1p3SiYkxImYNKnUtSGNdbiPuhK1koClu4f2RYI0uX6gFHYVyvwON9y2Yn48WXJmhmSMNOVneHv0AQLfXP0Rde4kQ=s2339" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2339" data-original-width="1524" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKEIYdSutIviNxI1amWtU-U8rTdn0trcMqkt7nbP84CJVa2OuUD8kx9b2XLEwAPmrbH3yqrhg83DOVr-Q1_6WU4wZKbjF1p3SiYkxImYNKnUtSGNdbiPuhK1koClu4f2RYI0uX6gFHYVyvwON9y2Yn48WXJmhmSMNOVneHv0AQLfXP0Rde4kQ=w260-h400" width="260" /></a></div><br /><p> 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:-</p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">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?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">England, present day.</span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> Antique-shop-owner Susannah wipes away a tear as she tidies her grandmother’s belongings. </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">Elsie</span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">’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?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">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…</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">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?</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;"> Or will it tear her apart?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">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.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>My Thoughts:-</b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">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.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">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?</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">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.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">There are</span></span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> 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,</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">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.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><b style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">About the author:</b></div><div style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIqo0FJpe0BKSL3nwDC8VxcVaFzCjZ1CsGfhTrfsJLSfYSkZ5owkeIfPi4nvPycvDnhex_8d5prJXX4uZ7aaFzV-V50r0STlU2d-lEC6_HCxHUZOZwtLaLqb2z5oBVwlSS13hsSI9mS7sE1zYV14UAdSug17RYdXwQrrdqtLneuLFdRTQeRZs=s953" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="953" data-original-width="783" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIqo0FJpe0BKSL3nwDC8VxcVaFzCjZ1CsGfhTrfsJLSfYSkZ5owkeIfPi4nvPycvDnhex_8d5prJXX4uZ7aaFzV-V50r0STlU2d-lEC6_HCxHUZOZwtLaLqb2z5oBVwlSS13hsSI9mS7sE1zYV14UAdSug17RYdXwQrrdqtLneuLFdRTQeRZs=s320" width="263" /></a></div><br /><b style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white;"><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Published by Bookouture, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Angela Petch</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is an award-winning writer of fiction – and the occasional poem.</span><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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.</span></p><div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Blog: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://angelapetchsblogsite.wordpress.com/&source=gmail&ust=1647719021709000&usg=AOvVaw1GXSZ-CCGzxKXbqxuA8cAh" href="https://angelapetchsblogsite.wordpress.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 14.2pt;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0563c1; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">https://angelapetchsblogsite.<wbr></wbr>wordpress.com</span></a></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Facebook: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/AngelaJaneClarePetch&source=gmail&ust=1647719021709000&usg=AOvVaw2gq0kQLVL3JhUnwmPne4yG" href="https://www.facebook.com/AngelaJaneClarePetch" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 14.2pt;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0563c1; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>AngelaJaneClarePetch</span></a></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Twitter: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/Angela_Petch&source=gmail&ust=1647719021709000&usg=AOvVaw2kVFmgYbtPjGnfbXZiFEy5" href="https://twitter.com/Angela_Petch" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 14.2pt;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0563c1; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">https://twitter.com/Angela_<wbr></wbr>Petch</span></a></p></div><div><br /></div><div>Buy Link:</div><div>Amazon: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://geni.us/B09RBCDT1Hsocial&source=gmail&ust=1647719021709000&usg=AOvVaw2pCfx9wtgHVw50MjRwNQyn" href="https://geni.us/B09RBCDT1Hsocial" style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #00b9ee; font-family: "Open Sans", Georgia, "Times New Roman", "Helvetica Neue", serif; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">https://geni.us/<wbr></wbr>B09RBCDT1Hsocial</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Audio:</div><div><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #1d1c1d; font-family: Slack-Lato, Slack-Fractions, appleLogo, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">UK: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://zpr.io/euVDi52PXv49&source=gmail&ust=1647719021709000&usg=AOvVaw3pRac9LKhhnekUK2d04y1W" href="http://zpr.io/euVDi52PXv49" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: #f8f8f8; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1155cc; font-family: Slack-Lato, Slack-Fractions, appleLogo, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">zpr.io/euVDi52PXv49</a><br style="background-color: #f8f8f8; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1d1c1d; font-family: Slack-Lato, Slack-Fractions, appleLogo, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;" /><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #1d1c1d; font-family: Slack-Lato, Slack-Fractions, appleLogo, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">US: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://zpr.io/K3Z3PGgtVzrC&source=gmail&ust=1647719021709000&usg=AOvVaw0inKa50vN891fA6iYjMZWw" href="http://zpr.io/K3Z3PGgtVzrC" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: #f8f8f8; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1155cc; font-family: Slack-Lato, Slack-Fractions, appleLogo, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">zpr.io/K3Z3PGgtVzrC</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Listen to a sample here:</div><div><a aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-42737" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/the-postcard-from-italy-by-angela-petch-narrated-by-stephanie-lane&source=gmail&ust=1647719021709000&usg=AOvVaw1qHHHLpYQ7DfEm5cSXQkYn" href="https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/the-postcard-from-italy-by-angela-petch-narrated-by-stephanie-lane" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: #f8f8f8; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1155cc; font-family: Slack-Lato, Slack-Fractions, appleLogo, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>bookouture/the-postcard-from-<wbr></wbr>italy-by-angela-petch-<wbr></wbr>narrated-by-stephanie-lane</a><span style="color: #888888;"><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #888888;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>More about the Blog Tour:-</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGonCReQgo5hiAEck-LHCgDtMp2JWfWdyjvxw2XO73_0r64_ri6t4-FH-kzOY-BfKxTkqkAxrfBLioUJ0uz13dKKgDBwCzvaDwXzmxpC5sCtpwNtM-QbVqH94H9X9MFwNjmA8pFkxNQWsfPlHG7KhhYPsAOfN6PNjxxxZAHCh32yoEidB400A=s1700" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1700" data-original-width="1120" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGonCReQgo5hiAEck-LHCgDtMp2JWfWdyjvxw2XO73_0r64_ri6t4-FH-kzOY-BfKxTkqkAxrfBLioUJ0uz13dKKgDBwCzvaDwXzmxpC5sCtpwNtM-QbVqH94H9X9MFwNjmA8pFkxNQWsfPlHG7KhhYPsAOfN6PNjxxxZAHCh32yoEidB400A=w422-h640" width="422" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p></div></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-9027858821916711672022-01-24T20:07:00.001+00:002022-01-24T20:14:20.565+00:00All for You by Louise Jenson<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://netgalley-covers.s3.amazonaws.com/cover225901-small.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="134" height="400" src="https://netgalley-covers.s3.amazonaws.com/cover225901-small.png" width="260" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The book:-</h3><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 21.6px; font-weight: bolder;">MEET THE WALSH FAMILY</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 21.6px; font-weight: 400;"></span></span></h2><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 21.6px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">Lucy:</span> Loving mother. Devoted wife. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">And falling to pieces</em>.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">Aidan:</span> Dedicated father. Faithful husband. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">And in too deep</em>.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">Connor:</span>Hardworking son. Loyal friend. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">But can never tell the truth</em>.</span></p><h2 style="clear: both;"><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 21.6px; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Everyone in this family is hiding something, but one secret will turn out to be the deadliest of all . . .</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 21.6px; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Can this family ever recover when the truth finally comes out?</span></span></p></h2><p></p><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What I thought:-</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">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.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">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?</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4Lg2kgDYaiRKbxBlhgPGcNBNT6DP8ZEWswjZTNa7GLk9dDcQlb2L_FemsMxvGE6izPJSV9DjTwW1oeqoA_gFmtFkre5f2I9WinHkGC0DdKCr0G8w8kGh5bbE9hH3UkY3Oc2uftb4BYExD2B3DRQ_Go9D95feR3QSfqj9tIAyRalxDmKhodyo=s6500" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6500" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4Lg2kgDYaiRKbxBlhgPGcNBNT6DP8ZEWswjZTNa7GLk9dDcQlb2L_FemsMxvGE6izPJSV9DjTwW1oeqoA_gFmtFkre5f2I9WinHkGC0DdKCr0G8w8kGh5bbE9hH3UkY3Oc2uftb4BYExD2B3DRQ_Go9D95feR3QSfqj9tIAyRalxDmKhodyo=w158-h640" width="158" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-89667640024698506492022-01-24T19:19:00.001+00:002022-01-24T19:19:50.184+00:00A Secret at Tansy Falls by Cate Woods<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://netgalley-covers.s3.amazonaws.com/cover241833-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="255" height="400" src="https://netgalley-covers.s3.amazonaws.com/cover241833-medium.png" width="260" /></a></div><br /> Last May I made my first <a href="https://magicarmchairtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-inn-at-tansy-falls-by-cate-woods.html">visit to Tansy Falls</a> 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.<p></p><p><b> Publisher's description</b>:-</p><p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">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…</span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">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.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">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.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">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.</span><h4 style="text-align: left;">What I thought</h4><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">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?</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">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. </span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiE8YQnxQDcLVsoPZ0BaYg3PCgMM0gM1dTnIdLkSrL580B8nCPZB8wCgB14kSUnQ05oLvCCyLZYas8Ed7_lPA6jGfcm4aYp5T_AXDeA5y2REi087N7aSoJ8QMuAo56pgdm56DEZINscAiGbFqHVyqXS3YdWq-SCtHY1MKkHhrNUVz-TkeB_s_0=s1840" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1840" data-original-width="1120" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiE8YQnxQDcLVsoPZ0BaYg3PCgMM0gM1dTnIdLkSrL580B8nCPZB8wCgB14kSUnQ05oLvCCyLZYas8Ed7_lPA6jGfcm4aYp5T_AXDeA5y2REi087N7aSoJ8QMuAo56pgdm56DEZINscAiGbFqHVyqXS3YdWq-SCtHY1MKkHhrNUVz-TkeB_s_0=w390-h640" width="390" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">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.</span></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-34386573567786516582021-12-29T14:56:00.002+00:002021-12-29T14:56:35.110+00:00Shambolic Tapestry by Mark Walker<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0262/2357/5085/products/9781913675141_600x.jpg?v=1630067462" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="800" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0262/2357/5085/products/9781913675141_600x.jpg?v=1630067462" width="533" /></a></div><br /> 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.<p></p><p>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 <a href="https://www.thegreatbritishbookshop.co.uk/products/shambolic-tapestry">here</a> and through other bookshops. It is published by Honeybee Books.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-67024451653159583912021-12-29T13:01:00.000+00:002021-12-29T13:01:20.051+00:00Cover Reveal: Little Sister by Gytha Lodge<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxZsYkCic2cNbnswFJJgN-eIiGakToHqeBmjY_K2rnLR6irBgfARVo-nGP680yN1honcwdLdpKnneE' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /> 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.<p></p>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-15504962672229839942021-12-12T23:52:00.001+00:002021-12-12T23:52:25.073+00:00The Newcomer by Laura Elizabeth Woollett<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/scribe-publications/image/upload/w_800,/v1631292677/newcovers/9781913348380_rev1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="521" height="800" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/scribe-publications/image/upload/w_800,/v1631292677/newcovers/9781913348380_rev1.jpg" width="521" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>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.</p><p>The publishers describe it thus:- </p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: ff-scala-web-pro; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures contextual; font-weight: 700;">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.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: ff-scala-web-pro; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures contextual; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px;">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.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures contextual; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">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.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures contextual; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">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.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures contextual; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">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.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures contextual; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">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.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures contextual; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">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.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: ff-scala-web-pro; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures contextual; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px;"><br /></p>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-34874705428934085562021-07-18T22:48:00.009+01:002021-12-12T23:02:49.466+00:00Ghosts by Dolly Alderton<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/content/dam/prh/books/316/316664/9780241988688.jpg.transform/PRHDesktopWide_small/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="440" height="759" src="https://www.penguin.co.uk/content/dam/prh/books/316/316664/9780241988688.jpg.transform/PRHDesktopWide_small/image.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What Penguin say:-</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">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.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="background-color: white;">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.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Dolly Alderton's debut novel is funny and tender, filled with whip-smart observations about relationships, family, memory, and how we live now.</span></span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px;" /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What I thought:-</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">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.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">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? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Dolly writes beautifully and wittily, with an original turn of phrase and </span><span style="font-family: arial;">a real gift for description</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. </span></p><p><br /></p>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-85223676441022112782021-05-12T18:43:00.003+01:002021-05-12T18:46:48.024+01:00The Berlin Zookeeper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xSiSXZv0QQ0/YJwL_ZqiWEI/AAAAAAAAPOw/odJPiyasyfgOEEil2olhlXoTXJhDLM61gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The-Berlin-Zookeeper-Kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1334" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xSiSXZv0QQ0/YJwL_ZqiWEI/AAAAAAAAPOw/odJPiyasyfgOEEil2olhlXoTXJhDLM61gCLcBGAsYHQ/w416-h640/The-Berlin-Zookeeper-Kindle.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="color: #888888;"></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #888888; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><b style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Two women. One shocking wartime secret. And a family mystery just waiting to be discovered...</b><br style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><b style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Berlin Zoo, 1943:</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Ten-year-old Adelaide </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">and her newborn sister are orphaned after a devastating night of bombing. Heartbroken and frightened, Adelaide runs to her mother’s closest friend, </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Katharina Heinroth</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">, and the kind zookeeper takes the two little girls under her protection. As the bombing intensifies, Adelaide tries to shut out the horrors of war by caring for her tiny sister and playing with the adorable baby monkeys. But when Katharina organises a dangerous operation to enable children and animals to escape the battle-scarred city, something goes wrong. And Adelaide has to</span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> promise her adopted mother to keep a shocking secret. A secret that will change Adelaide’s life forever.</b><br style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><b style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Berlin Zoo, 2019: Bethan Taylor</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> notices the elderly lady sitting on the bench next to her seems confused, her thoughts flitting between past and present. Ada talks of her childhood, played out in an underground bunker beneath the animal enclosures during the war. As Ada’s story unfolds, Bethan is surprised to hear a name she recognises…</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Katharina Heinroth is at the top of a list of German names Bethan found in a hidden compartment of her late mother’s jewellery box. Bethan’s father couldn’t tell her anything about the crumpled piece of paper and she’s been searching for the meaning ever since.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><b style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">As the two women are brought together by the pain of the past can they help each other to heal? And after decades of silence, can Ada help Bethan to uncover a long-buried family mystery?</b><br style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><b style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">An unforgettable and heart-wrenching novel of a brave orphan girl and a shocking wartime secret, inspired by a true WW2 story.</b></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><b style="color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></b></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a fascinating story, unusual in that it takes place in war-torn Germany with ordinary people of the time, and that is a perspective we are not often exposed to. Not all Germans were Nazis, and they had a horrific time during WW2. This is an extraordinary story of survival and resilience, and it is also a mystery as, in the present day, Bethan tries to discover the truth of her ancestry which her mother had failed to uncover before she died. It is beautifully written and the characters engaging. The admirable, extraordinary attempts by the keepers to keep Berlin Zoo going and its animals alive and safe despite the privation and widespread destruction towards the end of the war are inspiring, and the members of the Zoo Family become ever closer in their efforts.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bethan is our present day heroine who manages to secure a temporary prestigious post at the zoo to develop her veterinary knowledge and experience, as well as the opportunity to discover who she is and an interlude to reconsider where her life is going. </span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I found this book hard to put down, enjoying the mix of historic heroism in the course of everyday life, the relationships within the zoo community and also a satisfying element of love and romance.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was engrossing, satisfying and thought provoking and a really good read.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This review should have been posted in 7th May, but was delayed by illness. Unfortunately I missed my stop on the book tour organised by Bookouture, but I caught the next available opportunity and, hopefully, better late than never. Apologies, Anna Stuart and Bookouture.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><br /></div></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-27623366016313222292021-05-12T14:15:00.000+01:002021-05-12T14:15:21.833+01:00The Inn at Tansy Falls by Cate Woods<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-evgGUNvGTZw/YJvHAk4L6oI/AAAAAAAAPOk/JqYkBRZZU_8FHiKvMMrxDtWR1lO20W9lgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The-Inn-at-Tansy-Falls-Kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1335" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-evgGUNvGTZw/YJvHAk4L6oI/AAAAAAAAPOk/JqYkBRZZU_8FHiKvMMrxDtWR1lO20W9lgCLcBGAsYHQ/w418-h640/The-Inn-at-Tansy-Falls-Kindle.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><br /></div>Happy publication day to Cate Woods for The Inn at Tansy Falls.<div>I am honoured to have been asked to participate in the blog tour for this enjoyable novel, and really loved reading it. Being stuck in bed with a non-Covid virus was almost a pleasure when I had a trip to the Inn at Tansy Falls to entertain me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Poor Nell has had a lot of loss and sadness to deal with, and then she receives this letter:</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Dearest Nell, if you’re reading this letter, I’m already gone</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">. You’re my best friend in the world, and as my last request I’m asking you to lay me to rest hundreds of miles away, in my crazy gorgeous, totally one-of-a-kind hometown of <span class="il">Tansy</span> <span class="il">Falls</span>. I know you’re a born-and-bred city girl, but hear me out. After first losing Adrian, and then me… I know your heart is hurting, Nell. I think you’ll find that you need <span class="il">Tansy</span> <span class="il">Falls</span> as much as I do.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">So, I’ve got it all planned out. For two weeks, you’ll be staying at the sweet, local inn and every day you’ll be trying something new. And if you follow my instructions to the letter, you may discover there’s more to my story than you think. A surprise something… or someone at the end of it? Only you can find out!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Some last advice before you set off, Nell. Don’t forget your sturdy boots and make sure to give Boomer, the inn’s resident dog, a belly rub from me. Stay well away from former quarterback Brody Knott (boy, do I have some stories about him!). And finally, let the future bring what it brings. While <span class="il">Tansy</span> <span class="il">Falls</span> may look small, I know better than anyone that new beginnings can be found in all kinds of places. That little Vermont town you’d never heard of? Well, it might suddenly begin to feel just like coming home…</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div>Stunned and bereft following the death of her best friend, she debates whether to ignore the challenge of a trip to the USA at her behest, but with little to keep her at home, she decides that she has little to lose by taking ten days out of her mundane life to fulfil Megan's last wishes.</div><div><br /></div><div>What she doesn't expect is that by stepping out of her comfort zone, putting herself into the control of someone else (albeit her beloved bestie) and daring to say yes, she is going to have the experience of a lifetime and opportunities she would never have dreamt of. </div><div><br /></div><div>Cate Woods paints an immersive picture of Vermont in the "muddy season" and it was so pleasurable to be transported into this world as Nell experienced it. It was cheering to witness the effect of the journey, and the transformative consequences of it. I loved this story and am now champing at the bit to read the sequel Cate is writing, as well as longing to see Vermont for myself.</div><div><br /></div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rpJfOFJQI20/YJvGrAH9McI/AAAAAAAAPOY/FDuAgz5_6XwntIO6vk9uAE8bo13cDNCRwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Cate%2BWoods-9121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rpJfOFJQI20/YJvGrAH9McI/AAAAAAAAPOY/FDuAgz5_6XwntIO6vk9uAE8bo13cDNCRwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/Cate%2BWoods-9121.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A little about Cate Woods: <span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cate Woods made the most of her university degree in Anglo-Saxon Literature by embarking on a career making tea on programmes including The Big Breakfast, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and French & Saunders. After narrowly missing out on the chance to become a Channel 5 weather girl, she moved into the world of magazine journalism, then ghostwriting and now writes novels under her own name. She has written two best-selling romantic comedies – Just Haven't Met You Yet and More Than a Feeling – and a festive novel, The Christmas Guest, under the name Daisy Bell. Cate lives in London with her husband and two children.</span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/catewoodswriter&source=gmail&ust=1620907495763000&usg=AFQjCNEMXberw5f8njIhjCLs29gIqn4WaA" href="https://www.facebook.com/catewoodswriter" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>catewoodswriter</a><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.instagram.com/catewoodswriter/&source=gmail&ust=1620907495763000&usg=AFQjCNEW3yZ7wUfumCPsCnmki5QHuhTXuQ" href="https://www.instagram.com/catewoodswriter/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/<wbr></wbr>catewoodswriter/</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/catewoodswriter&source=gmail&ust=1620907495763000&usg=AFQjCNGnPLUBwzVUlYJ83g89FS3Rzhi7dw" href="https://twitter.com/catewoodswriter" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/<wbr></wbr>catewoodswriter</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Want to know what other people thought about this book? These are the other participants of the book tour, and the dates they are posting their reviews.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W2gT_bvi8Hs/YJvGoOBiIUI/AAAAAAAAPOU/5pOpqka5_CkrTJ_3wKJMh9UL2TORN0hLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1900/The%2BInn%2Bat%2BTansy%2BFalls%2BBlog%2BTour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1900" data-original-width="1100" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W2gT_bvi8Hs/YJvGoOBiIUI/AAAAAAAAPOU/5pOpqka5_CkrTJ_3wKJMh9UL2TORN0hLQCLcBGAsYHQ/w370-h640/The%2BInn%2Bat%2BTansy%2BFalls%2BBlog%2BTour.jpg" width="370" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>You can purchase The Inn at Tansy Falls at </div><div>your local book shop, Hive Books UK,</div><div><br /></div><div>Amazon: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bit.ly/33jlw9Y&source=gmail&ust=1620907495763000&usg=AFQjCNGd6Kh5HwTEnmmSpD40R_5WyOakXA" href="https://bit.ly/33jlw9Y" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/33jlw9Y</a></div><div><div>Apple: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://apple.co/3tUVyWF&source=gmail&ust=1620907495763000&usg=AFQjCNGZBOhMOed3JAjW7XXwyldqtJaYig" href="https://apple.co/3tUVyWF" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://apple.co/<wbr></wbr>3tUVyWF</a></div><div>Kobo: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bit.ly/3di864i&source=gmail&ust=1620907495763000&usg=AFQjCNGwvN2g_0g3pxbBz7HBEPDfD6Pw_Q" href="https://bit.ly/3di864i" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3di864i</a></div><div>Google: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bit.ly/3b1tSGQ&source=gmail&ust=1620907495763000&usg=AFQjCNHJ198aXvpgJ4jvcTLCMT_E-lUTpw" href="https://bit.ly/3b1tSGQ" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3b1tSGQ</a></div><span style="color: #888888;"><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /></span></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-34786743298256751182021-01-29T13:43:00.000+00:002021-01-29T13:43:34.854+00:00Blog tour: Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XFkgIOMGpTQ/YBQFFailcqI/AAAAAAAAOMc/5Fufh9zRPog9M0e0jbL9dg03CBc2Lt4-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Blog%2Btour%2Bbanner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XFkgIOMGpTQ/YBQFFailcqI/AAAAAAAAOMc/5Fufh9zRPog9M0e0jbL9dg03CBc2Lt4-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Blog%2Btour%2Bbanner.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>February 2020, when what we worried about were named storms that caused flooding and disrupted our travel plans, I was invited to Penguin HQ in London to meet author Ann Napolitano, to launch her novel, Dear Edward, in the UK. It was a grand day out, and meeting Ann was a delight. Over afternoon tea, Ann told us how she came to write Dear Edward, answered our questions about the story and we were able to talk about our reactions to it, too</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jU3HZmCpg_8/YBQIWsGM2bI/AAAAAAAAOMs/ABoWNjYe_2sb7z8l0ChXezD9OXEOGgUgQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_20200218_160515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jU3HZmCpg_8/YBQIWsGM2bI/AAAAAAAAOMs/ABoWNjYe_2sb7z8l0ChXezD9OXEOGgUgQCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_20200218_160515.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Now I've been invited to participate in the blog tour to mark Dear Edward's paperback release on 4th February, and it's lovely to look back on that day, before Covid lockdowns changed our lives so utterly.<div><br /></div><div>Dear Edward was inspired by the true story of a boy who, against all the odds, was the sole survivor of an air crash. Edward's family take a flight across America from New York, to start a new life on the West Coast. Unfortunately the plane comes down on the way and miraculously Edward survives.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although this sounds incredibly tragic, the book is actually very uplifting, as Edward and others who care for him learn to live despite their losses. Growing up means negotiating the hopes and expectations of others as well as our own, and this is forced on Edward in the absence of the shelter of his birth family. It is not a disaster novel, but a positive story of love and recovery.</div><div><br /></div><div>As the publishers say, Dear Edward is:-</div><div><br /></div><div> "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px; font-weight: bolder;">A transcendent coming-of-age story about the ways a broken heart learns to love again.</span></div><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px;">One summer morning, a flight takes off from New York to Los Angeles: there are 192 people aboard. When the plane suddenly crashes, twelve-year-old Edward Adler is the sole survivor.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px;">In the aftermath, Edward struggles to make sense of his grief, sudden fame and find his place in a world without his family. But then Edward and his neighbour Shay make a startling discovery; hidden in his uncle's garage are letters from the relatives of other passengers - all addressed him.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px;">Following the passengers' final hours and Edward's unique coming-of-age, </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px; line-height: 1; max-width: none;">Dear Edward</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px;"> asks one of life's most profound questions:</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px;" /><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px; font-weight: bolder; line-height: 1; max-width: none;">What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live?"</span><div><p>I was engrossed by this book and enjoyed it very much. It provides so much food for thought and is sensitively and thoughtfully written. It vividly illustrates a skilfully told story of the passage from childhood to adulthood and the negotiation we all have to make of becoming our own person. It would also provide interesting threads of discussion for book clubs. I am very happy to recommend it and look forward to reading more from Ann Napolitano.</p><p><br /></p></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-47702857069361890292021-01-24T17:37:00.001+00:002021-01-24T17:37:41.741+00:00The Island by C.L. Taylor<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/netgalley-covers/cover201682-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="255" height="400" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/netgalley-covers/cover201682-medium.png" width="260" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">The blurb:</em></strong></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">Lost</em> meets <em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">The Hunger Games </em>in the thrilling new young adult novel from C.L. Taylor, the <em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">Sunday </em></strong></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">Times </em>and million-copy bestselling author.</strong></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;">***</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">Welcome to The Island.</strong></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">Where your worst fears are about to come true…</strong></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;">It was supposed to be the perfect holiday: a week-long trip for six teenage friends on a remote tropical island.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;">But when their guide dies of a stroke leaving them stranded, the trip of a lifetime turns into a nightmare.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;">Because someone on the island knows each of the group’s worst fears. And one by one, they’re becoming a reality.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">Seven days in paradise. A deadly secret.</strong></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">Who will make it off the island alive?</strong></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;"><br /></strong></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">My thoughts:</strong></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;"><br /></strong></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">Although this book is marketed for young adults, it could be enjoyed by a much wider audience. This retired grandmother certainly found it very enthralling and enjoyable.</strong></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">Take a group of six sets of parents who have known each other since ante-natal classes and developed the habit of taking an annual holiday together. Transport them all to an exotic setting, Thailand, where one of the children is to celebrate a birthday with a trip to a remote and uninhabited island off the coast for a week of wilderness living together with their teenaged friends. </strong></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">When things go wrong and all six are forced to face their greatest fears, it is hard to know just what is happening and who is behind it. Cally Taylor has written an engrossing, enthralling and enjoyable thriller which paints a vivid backdrop to challenges which will test the resilience of these young people to the full. It is a brilliant read which I highly recommend.</strong></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for access to an advance readers copy in return for a fair and honest review.</strong></p>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-75688557995825574102021-01-20T12:00:00.000+00:002021-01-20T12:30:25.506+00:00Jane Corry's New Book: Cover Reveal<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Exciting news: Jane Corry has a new book being published this summer, and I am privileged to be able to be part of the cover reveal today, so you'll know what to look out for in June! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-73tF7R4qJnA/YAdr9ZN3WWI/AAAAAAAAOI4/MfAobX3tPAY9qXg7v3TqyS3mcBOZRj5FQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/JC-cover-reveal-final.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-73tF7R4qJnA/YAdr9ZN3WWI/AAAAAAAAOI4/MfAobX3tPAY9qXg7v3TqyS3mcBOZRj5FQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/JC-cover-reveal-final.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To read what I thought of her last book, read <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/22671329/7934744963266923954">here</a>. And to find out more about Jane and her books (published by Penguin) follow this <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/126/126571/jane-corry.html">link</a>.</div><br /> <p></p>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-79347449632669239542021-01-19T23:41:00.001+00:002021-01-19T23:41:56.357+00:00"I Made A Mistake" by Jane Corry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/content/dam/prh/books/309/309670/9780241984659.jpg.transform/PRHDesktopWide_small/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="441" height="400" src="https://www.penguin.co.uk/content/dam/prh/books/309/309670/9780241984659.jpg.transform/PRHDesktopWide_small/image.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
They said: </h3>
<div style="-webkit-box-orient: unset; -webkit-line-clamp: unset; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625em; line-height: 1.64706; margin-top: 0.80902em; max-height: none; max-width: 100%; min-height: 1.64706em; overflow-wrap: normal; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; transform: none; width: 531px;">
In Poppy Page's mind, there are two types of women in this world: those who are faithful to their husbands, and those who are not. Until now, Poppy has never questioned which she was.</div>
<div style="-webkit-box-orient: unset; -webkit-line-clamp: unset; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625em; line-height: 1.64706; margin-top: 0.80902em; max-height: none; max-width: 100%; min-height: 1.64706em; overflow-wrap: normal; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; transform: none; width: 531px;">
But when handsome, charming Matthew Gordon walks back into her life after almost two decades, that changes. Poppy makes a single mistake - and that mistake will be far more dangerous than she could imagine.</div>
<div style="-webkit-box-orient: unset; -webkit-line-clamp: unset; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625em; line-height: 1.64706; margin-top: 0.80902em; max-height: none; max-width: none; min-height: 1.64706em; overflow-wrap: normal; overflow: initial; text-overflow: clip; transform: none;">
Someone is going to pay for it with their life . .</div>
<h4 style="-webkit-box-orient: unset; -webkit-line-clamp: unset; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625em; line-height: 1.64706; margin-top: 0.80902em; max-height: none; max-width: none; min-height: 1.64706em; overflow-wrap: normal; overflow: initial; text-align: left; text-overflow: clip; transform: none;">
What I thought:</h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-box-orient: unset; -webkit-line-clamp: unset; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: AvenirNextLTW01-Regular, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625em; line-height: 1.64706; margin-top: 0.80902em; max-height: none; max-width: none; min-height: 1.64706em; overflow-wrap: normal; overflow: initial; text-overflow: clip; transform: none;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-51589787908160434402020-08-17T00:40:00.008+01:002020-08-17T00:43:36.540+01:00The Search Party by Simon Lelic<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/netgalley-covers/cover184976-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="255" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/netgalley-covers/cover184976-medium.png" /></a></div><p></p><h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #777777; font-family: Raleway-Light, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 0px; outline: none;">They Said:-</h3><h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #777777; font-family: Raleway-Light, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 0px; outline: none;"><br /></h3><div class="hidden-xs" id="descriptionFullTextBox" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; outline: none;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;">'HUGELY GRIPPING' Mark Billingham<br style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;" />'HEART-STOPPING' Elly Griffiths<br style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;" />'CLEVER AND ATMOSPHERIC' Mark Edwards</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;">16-year-old Sadie Saunders is missing.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;">Five friends set out into the woods to find her.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;">But they're not just friends...</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;">THEY'RE SUSPECTS.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;">You see, this was never a search party.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;">It's a witch hunt.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;">And not everyone will make it home alive...</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;">THE CHALK MAN meets THE HUNTING PARTY in this gripping story; witness four suspects as, alongside DI Fleet, you attempt to discover the truth about what happened to Sadie..</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NoRaqbDCJjc/XzmQaClcu8I/AAAAAAAAMd8/RBwypRAyP08rH49QJ84m1M5tG-o17V4PQCLcBGAsYHQ/s140/image004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="100" height="219" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NoRaqbDCJjc/XzmQaClcu8I/AAAAAAAAMd8/RBwypRAyP08rH49QJ84m1M5tG-o17V4PQCLcBGAsYHQ/w156-h219/image004.jpg" width="156" /></a></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none;"><br /></p><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: none; text-align: left;">What I thought:-</h3><div><div>Such an intensely suspenseful, twisty and engrossing story this is. I have been in thrall to Simon Lelic's writing for the last few days, enjoying the images he creates of the woodland setting and experiencing events from the viewpoints of his well-drawn characters. </div><div><br /></div><div>The situation of a missing teenage girl is the nightmare of most parents and it is easy to suspect the worst possible outcome; yet with no body, there is no certainty and there is also the possibility of other explanations for the disappearance. Sadie is popular, but within her group of friends there is ambivalence which surfaces when we follow the narrative via their different perspectives. Each relationship has its strengths and weaknesses, and these are not adults. An added twist is that the primary detective involved in the investigation has had past experience of a missing family member of his own, and he also has powerful instincts for truth. Further, the parents of the missing girl are not the most involved or caring. So many different strands present themselves, the truth is elusive, and the story is truly a web of possibilities. Gradually what happened is revealed and the conclusion is poignant, surprising and moving. The plot has been very cleverly crafted: Simon Lelic has created a stupendous novel which deserves to be widely read and enjoyed.
I really hope that this is not the last time we meet DI Fleet and Nicky, his DS work partner, because I would love to spend more time alongside them on another case.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="data:image/png;base64,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" /></div><div><br /></div></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-13696527703667336032020-08-10T23:09:00.000+01:002020-08-10T23:09:32.902+01:00Just Like The Other Girls by Claire Douglas<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/content/dam/prh/books/314/314381/9781405943383.jpg.transform/PRHDesktopWide_small/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="441" src="https://www.penguin.co.uk/content/dam/prh/books/314/314381/9781405943383.jpg.transform/PRHDesktopWide_small/image.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>This was a really engrossing story, set in my local area so I can confirm that the locations are authentic and well-drawn. Ageing but spry Elspeth feels safer with someone living in as a carer/companion in her Clifton mansion, and recruits Una to this role. It is a strange set up - Aggie comes in daily to cook and there is a gardener and a cleaner, too. Newly bereft Una is in need of a home and the good rate of pay is attractive so that she can save up to realise her dreams. She is to have two days off per week, and on those two days Kathryn, Elspeth's daughter, who lives nearby with her husband and sons, provides the support that Elspeth requires. She also manages Elspeth's art gallery in the arcade in Clifton Village, so she's a busy lady.</p><p>Una is thrilled to find that her room is in fact a suite of rooms in the attic and has never enjoyed so much space to herself. However, it soon transpires that this household also holds secrets and all is not as it seems.</p><p>This psychological thriller is probably Claire Douglas's finest work so far, an absolute joy to read as the suspense and mystery increase and danger threatens. There are twists and surprises as the story unfolds and the characters are interesting and engaging. I am very happy to recommend this book and look forward with pleasure to reading Claire Douglas's next offering.</p>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-70280064617885943142020-07-14T22:09:00.000+01:002020-07-14T22:09:18.993+01:00Supper Club by Lara Williams<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/netgalley-covers/cover193892-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="255" height="640" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/netgalley-covers/cover193892-medium.png" width="416" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">They said:-</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="il">SUPPER</span> <span class="il">CLUB</span> by Lara Williams</span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">is publishing in paperback on the </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">16<sup>th</sup> July.</span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #ff0066; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">This is a joyful, empowering story about speaking up, fighting back, and reclaiming your space. It is really wonderful lockdown reading. At a time where people are exploring the escape, comfort and joy of eating and cooking more than ever, <i><span class="il">Supper</span> <span class="il">Club</span>’s</i> visceral and seductive exploration of the psychology and pleasure of food will be the perfect companion.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; outline: none;">
T<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">wenty-nine year old Roberta has spent her whole life hungry - until the day she invents </span><span class="il" style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Supper</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span class="il" style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Club</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">. </span><span class="il" style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Supper</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span class="il" style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Club</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> is a secret society for hungry women. Women who are sick of bad men and bad sex, of hinted expectations to be thinner, smile more, talk less. So they gather at night to feast and drink and dance, seeking the answer to a simple question: if you feed a starving woman, what will she grow into? This is a story about the hunger that never goes away. It is a story about friendship, food and female rage. Above all, it is about the people who make us who we are – who lead us astray and ultimately save us.</span></div>
<div class="gs" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; width: 1119.2px;">
<div class="">
<div class="ii gt" id=":1at" style="direction: ltr; font-size: 0.875rem; margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="a3s aXjCH msg-1425607395855436144" id=":1as" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;">
<div lang="EN-GB" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="m_-1425607395855436144WordSection1">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pjvg68pCbBw/Xw4WMszyb1I/AAAAAAAAMPk/-r9xjyGS_Hw4YRLwsitel0yhozP746RTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/image007.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="344" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pjvg68pCbBw/Xw4WMszyb1I/AAAAAAAAMPk/-r9xjyGS_Hw4YRLwsitel0yhozP746RTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image007.png" width="262" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lara Williams </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">is the author of the short story collection <i>Treats</i>, which was shortlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, the Edinburgh First Book Award and the Saboteur </span><u></u><u></u><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Awards and longlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize. Her debut novel <i><span class="il">Supper</span> <span class="il">Club</span> </i>has been <b>translated into five languages</b>, <b>won the Guardian 'Not the Booker' Prize</b> and was listed as a <b>Book of the Year 2019</b> by <i>TIME, Vogue </i>and other publications. Lara Williams lives in Manchester and is a contributor to the <i>Guardian, Independent, Times Literary Supplement, Vice,</i> <i>Dazed </i>and others.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 14px;"></span></div>
<div class="col-xs-12" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: left; min-height: 1px; outline: none; padding-left: 12px; padding-right: 12px; position: relative; width: 996px;">
<div class="hidden-xs" id="descriptionFullTextBox" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; outline: none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">
What I thought:-<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
At first, this story and Roberta reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant: someone adrift in their own life. Then I was reminded of "I May Destroy You", and Michaela Coel's character, Arabella. These resemblances were not strong, but there is something of a theme, perhaps a sort of coming of age story. We emerge into the world at eighteen or twenty-one, independent and responsible for ourselves, but it is in our twenties that we really explore who we are and what we want from our lives. This is an extraordinary, genre-defying book, with its themes of self-exploration, identity and appetite, learning what we want and need and being ready to commit to a path. It is also about family and friendship, and how sexuality fits in. Roberta learns to feel entitled to seek what she wants and the agency to say no to what is not right for her. She explores her place in the world and her right to take up that space. And there is also food, glorious food aplenty: but can there be too much of a good thing? I very much enjoyed reading this tale.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="hidden-xs" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; outline: none;">
<div class="row" style="border-top: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-left: -12px; margin-right: -12px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 24px; padding-top: 24px;">
<div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-4 margin-standard-bottom" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: left; margin-bottom: 12px !important; min-height: 1px; outline: none; padding-left: 12px; padding-right: 12px; position: relative; width: 332px;">
1</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-13902148884088984562019-11-09T00:00:00.000+00:002019-11-09T00:00:03.277+00:00Blogtour: Grandmothers by Salley Vickers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/netgalley-covers/cover169624-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="255" height="640" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/netgalley-covers/cover169624-medium.png" width="412" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
When I was invited by Viking Books UK to read and review a new book by Salley Vickers, I was thrilled to bits because her writing has never failed to enthrall me: I hope one day to return to Venice to search for Miss Garnet's Angel.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I was told that the new book was entitled "Grandmothers" and I thought how apt this was, in the year when I became one. It seemed extraordinary that my first-born baby was carrying a little one of her own and the prospect of grand-parenthood was happily anticipated by my best-beloved and me. I confided in a friend that it seemed I was to become a grandmother and she told me, "It's the best thing, the very best," before selling me some yarn with which to commence my knitting duties.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Over the years, I developed a very close relationship with my Gran, mother of my mother. Her memories gave me insight into who my own mother was, and I loved her tales of when her own children were little. We would go out exploring the countryside together, she was my confidant and fate brought us into closer proximity when we left London for rural Buckinghamshire for work. I was devastated when she died a short while before my first-born arrived, as I had looked forward to them meeting. She had arranged for a teddy bear to be made for her first great-grandchild, which was duly loved and treasured. She was an important link to my history, and where I had come from - as indeed were all my grandparents.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Being a grandparent has only just begun for me, but I appreciate the perspective of this role. I am free of the relentless responsibility and hard work of parenting and am not sleep deprived, but my experience of mothering my own children gives me insight into what may be going on with the baby, while understanding what my daughter is experiencing. I can be a listening ear, sounding board and provide a slightly distanced point of view. I am loving the cuddles, tenderness, fun and Eskimo kisses, and am fascinated with learning who my grandson is as he grows and develops. It seems a great privilege. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KDfwbK75HH8/XcW_u8cQcUI/AAAAAAAAJJU/q6pB6mannncs-V7K5Q4xdQ_tRn92H2DugCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG-20191106-WA0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1120" data-original-width="1101" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KDfwbK75HH8/XcW_u8cQcUI/AAAAAAAAJJU/q6pB6mannncs-V7K5Q4xdQ_tRn92H2DugCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG-20191106-WA0003.jpg" width="393" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
"Grandmothers" is a beautiful book. I did not expect to receive a beautifully cloth-bound hardback volume with a blue ribbon bookmark and William Morris end-papers, so this was certainly added value (and, having studied bookbinding, I really do appreciate the quality). It is a joy to behold and it is also a joy to read, an immersive story populated by beautifully described characters who feel very real to me.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
There are three grandmothers: Nan, Blanche and Minna, who are all very different (one lives in a tower block, one in a mansion flat and one in a shepherd's hut on a smallholding) but have in common a grandmotherly relationship to a child. These grandmothers perform an essential role in their families, providing childcare, a bit of discipline and spoiling, and a consistent security when life is troubled. Billy, Kitty and Rose all enjoy spending time with their grandmothers, and the grandmothers provide a touch of magic in helping problems to be solved, given time. In the meantime, their presence through school terms and holidays oils the wheels of daily living and, when their paths cross, they help one another and friendships develop. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
So, to me this book is about love and community across generations and a testament to being who we are and being true to ourselves. Life is better if we are not too constrained by generational roles and if we are open to learning to give and take support from one another. It is a wonderful read and I will be enjoying it again. Thank you, Salley Vickers, for writing a tale both wise and delightful.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KwT_blzUYns/XcX5ZwTkPQI/AAAAAAAAJKM/E52HS5yjkgEUnxZEM47wS8YbMeYSpSDFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Grandmothers%2BBlog%2BTour%2B%2B%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KwT_blzUYns/XcX5ZwTkPQI/AAAAAAAAJKM/E52HS5yjkgEUnxZEM47wS8YbMeYSpSDFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Grandmothers%2BBlog%2BTour%2B%2B%25281%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671329.post-32099914058355849822019-10-22T22:02:00.000+01:002019-08-14T22:06:00.475+01:00The Poison Garden by A.J. Banner<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/netgalley-covers/cover166277-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/netgalley-covers/cover166277-medium.png" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
Can anyone's life ever be perfect? Elise Watters seems to have it all: a beautiful home on a north Pacific island; an interesting job running a herbal shop inherited, like her house, from her mother; a happy second marriage to the community doctor; friendly neighbours... But her idyll threatens to unravel and she begins to question who she can trust. Is she paranoid, as her husband suggests? Or is everybody out to get her? Who can she trust? And why is everything going wrong? If it all sounds rather histrionic, that's because it is. However, there is plenty of suspense and many twists to keep the thriller-seeker satisfied,</div>
Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com1