Blogtour: Grandmothers by Salley Vickers

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.

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.

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.

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.   

"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.

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.   

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.

The Poison Garden by A.J. Banner

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,

Expectation by Anna Hope

Hannah, Cate and Lissa come together at school and college, and share a house on the edge of a Hackney park.  Their futures seem limitless and exciting: the world is their oyster.

As time passes, their golden futures have tarnished as none has managed to have it all.  A career, a relationship, a family, a home, a better life seem elusive.  We follow their paths and their relationships, get to know them better and discover what transpires.
They are three different women with three different lives that are interwoven.  I was sad to leave them at the end and would love to return to them in the future.

Expectation is an intelligent and well written book, with plenty to think about.

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Nellie is a beautiful young teacher, engaged to a man who is successful and wealthy. on the brink of an exciting new life.

Vanessa, who still loves her husband, has suffered the breakdown of her marriage  and is struggling to survive alone. 

In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I will keep this review short and sweet.  This book is full of twists, shocks and surprises and is a pacy, engaging read.  It's well worth spending time with.

The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay

This delightful book tells the story of Somlata, a resourceful eighteen-year-old who marries into the Mitras family. Once the family was noble and grand but now they find themselves in straitened circumstances due to their ability to spend and their inability to see the need to work in order to produce the income to support their habits.  Their grand house is divided into apartments for the various family members and upstairs lives her husband's irascible and formidable widowed aunt.  It is Somlata who discovers the body of Pishima and also her ghost, who tells her to hide her jewels from the rest of her avaricious relatives, and Somlata is an obedient girl.

It also tells the story of Somlata's daughter, Basoma and how she finds her identity and destiny.  As strong and principled as her mother, Basoma is a feisty delight.

I enjoyed this window onto a slice of Bengali life.  There are a number of levels to this story and so it is a rewarding book for both the individual reader and the book club.  I just wish there had been a glossary for all the titles of various family members, although with perseverance I got the hang of it in the end.  Nonetheless, it was a good read.

Stop at Nothing by Tammy Cohen

An enjoyable book, though I did sometimes get impatient with Tess, the main character.  When her daughter is threatened with a serious attack on her way home from a night out, Tess is outraged on her behalf and wants her to feel safe in her neighbourhood.  So far so good, but while she initially co-operates with the police, when they fail to find the culprit and stop actively pursuing the case, Tess decides to take the law into her own hands.  Her friends and her estranged husband fail to dissuade her from this crusade, and she comes close to getting into trouble with the law herself in consequence.  What saves the story is that Tess is a fundamentally sympathetic character who has been having a very hard time since the breakdown of her marriage and she desperately needs to start taking charge of her life in a constructive way, move on and rebuild it anew.  She has a secret, which is eventually revealed to us.  Meanwhile, she has a new friend in Frances, the woman who witnessed and saw off the would-be attacker.  She appears to be highly supportive to Tess and her daughter, Emma - but is she all that she seems?  Can Tess get justice and make her family's world safe again? There are some interesting plot twists and suspense, and it is an entertaining read.

The Poison Garden by Alex Marwood

A beautifully written, extraordinary novel which is an engrossing and haunting read, The Poison Garden is one of those rare books you finish reading and immediately want to read again.  It is the story of Romy, an engaging character who is taken by her mother to live in a commune in deepest Wales, which gradually reveals itself to be less a power-sharing group and more a patriarchal cult.   Everyone has their role, and children are expected to acquire life skills from an early age and play their part in community life.  However, as power struggles begin, who can resourceful Romy trust?  And, when she escapes the confines of the community, how can she and her siblings learn to live in the world the rest of us know?  You may be able to take the girl out of the  commune, but can you take the commune out of the girl?  This is a thoughtful and intelligent story which raises many question about how we raise and protect our children, and being an Alex Marwood book, there are strong psychological themes and twists to entertain and surprise the reader.  I thoroughly recommend this superb read.

Beneath the Surface by Fiona Neill

I just finished reading this compelling, original story and was blown away by it.  Set in the fen land around Cambridge, it features a family which outwardly seems cohesive and strong, but who knows what goes on beneath the surface?  Grace married Patrick in the hope of love, security and a happy family.  Many of us do this, but who knows Grace's motivation, and how her own upbringing will shape her adult life?  Is Patrick as safe and sensible as he seems?  Their two daughters, Lilly (17) and Mia (9) are intriguing characters.  Lilly is very intelligent, popular, beautiful and stylish, while Mia is a creative and curious soul who struggles to write out her ideas but gives her all when subjects catch her imagination.  Everyone has their secrets, and struggles to keep them shut into their boxes but the pressure increases.  When Lilly is taken ill in class at school, is she grievously sick, the first victim of an epidemic or is something else at play?  Can the lid be kept down on what lies beneath the surface?  What is the truth and can they survive?  An intriguing, intelligent and topical book which rewards the reader and would be an excellent book group choice, it really deserves to be widely read.

Then She Vanishes by Claire Douglas

Three girls.

One missing.

One a murderer.

One desperately trying to find the truth.

This is such a good book that I vanished into it for a day or two, completely immersed in this thrilling, suspenseful  mystery which happens to be set in my part of the world,  so I had the additional  fun of trying to identify the seaside town of Tilby (which I reckon was mainly a hybrid of Clevedon and Portishead, but I stand to be corrected on that)!  Jess, the main character, is sympathetic; returning from London due to a hiccup in her career in journalism, she has a cheap flat to share with her boyfriend Rory, and a last-chance post in a bi-weekly newspaper.  A horrific  murder reconnects her to her childhood second family and she has the conflict between historic loyalties and the current need to do well in her job.  Margot, Flora and Heather have weathered a series of tragic events, and fate hasn't finished with them yet.  Claire has created a complex plot and turned it into a story that is unforgettable and enjoyable, with loads of suspense and twists thrown in.  I thoroughly recommend it.

Joe Country by Mick Herron

A well written, pacy spy thriller with plenty of action and questions of who can be trusted and who is in charge.  The action centres around a backwater of MI5, where personnel who have blotted their copybooks are put out to grass where they can't do too much harm.  To avoid spoilers, let's say that something crops up to provoke interest, and events start to spiral out of control.  The desk-bound find themselves out in the field and in a great deal of danger.  Can fieldcraft save their lives and can they rescue the son of a former colleague who happened to see too much and sought to profit from it?  The language Mick Herron uses is clever and just avoids being mannered.  And who knew that sleepy Wales could accommodate such excitement?  I will certainly be looking out for more from this author.

The Woman in the Dark by Vanessa Savage

A truly haunting story: the characters are still in my head several days after reaching the end of the book.  It is cleverly written and Sarah is a character to warm to, caught in a situation beyond comprehension as she tries to make a home with her family at the seaside, away from all she has known in the city.  Her husband is desperate to return to the house which accommodated his idyllic childhood  and, although she is not keen, she wants to make him happy.  Then strange things begin to happen and Sarah feels threatened.  Is she suffering a relapse of mental illness?  Is the house haunted?  How well does she know the people she loves?  A gripping thriller and a jolly good read.

All Thats Dead by Stuart MacBride

Stewart MacBride's latest investigation for Logan MacRae and his Police Scotland colleagues provides excellent entertainment and thrills.  Logan has returned to work after a year recovering from stab wounds sustained on the job, and hopes for a gentle reintroduction in the Professional Standards Unit, but fate and short staffing decree otherwise.  The detective he is assigned to support lands a case concerning a missing person which soon takes a gruesome turn.  The situation escalates and the pressure (from superiors, the media and common decency) increases.  A well-constructed plot and great character development make this book well worth reading.  I was fortunate to receive a pre-publication galley in return for an honest review, and I have no hesitation in recommending All That's Dead, an excellent addition to an excellent series.

Odd Girl Out by Laura James

 They said:- What do you do when you wake up in your mid-forties and realize you've been living a lie your whole life? Do you tell? Or do you keep it to yourself? Laura James found out that she was autistic as an adult, after she had forged a career for herself, married twice and raised four children. Odd Girl Out tracks the year of Laura's life after she receives a definitive diagnosis from her doctor, as she learns that 'different' doesn't need to mean 'less' and how there is a place for all of us, and it's never too late to find it. Laura draws on her professional and personal experiences and reflects on her life in the light of her diagnosis, which for her explains some of her differences; why, as a child, she felt happier spinning in circles than standing still and why she has always found it difficult to work in places with a lot of ambient noise. Although this is a personal story, the book has a wider focus too, exploring reasons for the lower rate of diagnosed autism in women and a wide range of topics including eating disorders and autism, marriage and motherhood. This memoir gives a timely account from a woman negotiating the autistic spectrum, from a poignant and personal perspective.

What I thought:-

An absolutely fascinating account of living with autism which, as the song says, is different for girls.  The Rosie books by Graeme Simsion, and A Boy Made of Blocks, by Keith Stuart, are enjoyable to read as well as informative, but Laura James's experiences have been rather different and I found them very relatable.  There is food for thought not only in respect of autism but also in how we fail to respect and celebrate the differences we all have, and how we have to conform in order to deal with the world, instead of being able to find the way that individually works best for us.  It is a really well written book, and an engrossing and illuminating read.

On The Bright Side by Hendrik Groen

They said: A funny but also touching diary praised for its wit and realism' BBC Radio 4 Front Row The Old-But-Not-Dead Club return, in the sequel to the INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 ¼ Years Old, bringing with them some life-affirming lawlessness. Chaos will ensue as 85-year-old Hendrik Groen is determined to grow old with dignity: to rise up against the care home director. NO more bingo. NO more over-boiled vegetables. NO more health and safety. 85-year-old Hendrik Groen is fed up to his false teeth with coffee mornings and bingo. He dreams of escaping the confines of his care home and practising hairpin turns on his mobility scooter. Inspired by his fellow members of the recently formed Old-But-Not-Dead Club, he vows to put down his custard cream and commit to a spot of octogenarian anarchy. But the care home's Director will not stand for drunken bar crawls, illicit fireworks and geriatric romance on her watch. The Old-But-Not-Dead Club must stick together if they're not to go gently into that good night. Things turn more serious, however, when rumours surface that the home is set for demolition. It's up to Hendrik and the gang to stop it - or drop dead trying . . . He may be the wrong side of 85, but Hendrik Groen has no intention of slowing up - or going down without a fight. Praise for Hendrik Groen 'A story with a great deal of heart, it pulled me in with its self-deprecating humour, finely drawn characters and important themes. Anyone who hopes to grow old with dignity will have much to reflect on' Graeme Simsion 'There are many laughs in this book but it's so much more than just a comedy. It's a story about how friendship, selflessness and dignity lie at the heart of the human experience. When I'm an old man, I want to be Hendrik Groen' John Boyne 'I laughed until I cried and then laughed and cried some more' David Suchet 'Thoughtful, anxious and gruff... Laced with humour' The Best New Fiction Mail on Sunday 'Amusing [and] wickedly accurate' ***** FIVE STARS Sunday Express 'Highly entertaining ... a fiction so closely based on the observation of real life that it is utterly convincing' Daily Express 'Full of off-beat charm and quirky characters' Cathy Rentzenbrink, Stylist 'Hendrik pens an exposé of his care home. This geriatric Adrian Mole made me laugh and think. Terrific' Fanny Blake, Woman and Home I thought: I have become rather fond of Hendrik Groen and his friends in the Old But Not Dead Club. have read his two books and On The Bright Side continues to explore Hendrik's life in a care home as aging continues to throw its challenges against the desire for a life well lived. The friends organise regular outings and adventures to spice up their lives and to escape into the outside world. There is a lot of fun, some adjustments to be made and some sadness and loss, too. There is so much food for thought within these pages, although I know that some of my older friends have found the original book a difficult read, saying it was a bit close to home. What passes for care in the social welfare system does not not always seem very caring, especially when financial budgets are cut. There is some consideration of whether a life is always worth continuing or whether there is a place for euthanasia. I think that these issues are too often swept under the carpet and we should consider them. Hendrik Groen may tend to the curmudgeonly but he is wryly humorous, humane, thought-provoking and thoughtful, a worthy commentator on life as an octogenarian. I hope he has more to say in the future.

The Extremist by Nadia Dalbuono

They said:-

On a hot summer’s morning in Rome, three public places — a McDonald’s, a preschool, and a café — come under siege from a group of terrorists who appear to be Islamic extremists. When word comes through that the terrorists will only negotiate with Detective Leone Scamarcio, no one more surprised than Scamarcio himself.

The young man with frightened eyes who speaks to Scamarcio seems anything but in control. He says that Scamarcio is the only person he can trust to care about the truth. Then he gives Scamarcio an unusual list of demands, including that everything must be done without police or intelligence involvement, and within twenty-four hours — or the hostages die.

With his face on every TV screen, and with all of Italy on alert, Scamarcio must race against the clock and elude the grasp of the increasingly unhinged chief of intelligence, Colonel Scalisi, to meet the terrorists’ demands, and to uncover the truth behind the attacks. But, as Scamarcio follows the young man’s clues, he finds that every question seems to turn up five more, and, as usual for this son-of-a-Mafioso policeman, nothing is as it seems.

What I thought:-

A topical, breath-taking and thrilling tale which begins as Rome is hit by a trio of terrorist attacks. Leone Scamarcio is not the obvious choice to negotiate on behalf of the authorities, but it seems he has no say in the matter.  He is reluctant to risk everything he holds dear, but could he live with himself and the consequences if he refuses to get involved?  

So begins a rollercoaster of events as Scamarcio embarks on his dangerous quest to free the hostages and to untangle an extraordinary web of mystery and, perhaps, corruption while trying to protect those he holds dear and to keep himself alive.  

This was a book I found hard to put down, and I enjoyed the extra dimension that the character of Scamarcio has developed in the course of this series (of four novels).  Nadia Dalbuono has written a plot of considerable complexity which makes compelling reading, and so vividly written I could easily visualise the action.  The story really begs to be adapted for screen, but meanwhile it is an engaging and exciting read.

The House by Simon Lelic

They Said:-

What if your perfect home turned out to be the scene of the perfect crime?

Londoners Jack and Syd moved into the house a year ago. It seemed like their dream home: tons of space, the perfect location, and a friendly owner who wanted a young couple to have it. So when they made a grisly discovery in the attic, Jack and Syd chose to ignore it. That was a mistake. Because someone has just been murdered. Right outside their back door. And now the police are watching them...

What I thought:-

Before I started this book, I was concerned that maybe it had already been done because I had read "The Girl Before" by JP Delaney earlier in the year, possibly this was because seeking a home in the overcrowded, unaffordable property market was a central element in both.  However, I need not have worried.  Simon Lelic told a very different, enthralling and engaging story of Jack and Syd, a couple in need of accommodation.  I was transported from my poolside lounger in Cyprus (good holiday reading) to their part of London, and was totally absorbed as their story and the mystery unfolded.  It is a moving tale: Syd has not had an easy life and, as she gets to know the house and the neighbourhood, disturbing echoes of her past developed, while Jack makes the grisly discovery in the loft.  It kept me guessing and threw me off the scent a few times, so the suspense was compounded.  A really enjoyable, surprising and satisfying tale, wherever you read it.

I am honoured to be part of this book tour - and look forward to discovering what other readers thought.  If you read it, please do let me know your opinions of it, too.

New Boy by Tracy Chevalier

They said:-

'O felt her presence behind him like a fire at his back.'

Arriving at his fourth school in six years, diplomat’s son Osei Kokote knows he needs an ally if he is to survive his first day – so he’s lucky to hit it off with Dee, the most popular girl in school. But one student can’t stand to witness this budding relationship: Ian decides to destroy the friendship between the black boy and the golden girl. By the end of the day, the school and its key players – teachers and pupils alike – will never be the same again.

The tragedy of Othello is transposed to a 1970s suburban Washington schoolyard, where kids fall in and out of love with each other before lunchtime, and practise a casual racism picked up from their parents and teachers. Watching over the shoulders of four 11-year-olds – Osei, Dee, Ian and his reluctant ‘girlfriend’ Mimi – Tracy Chevalier's powerful drama of friends torn apart by jealousy, bullying and betrayal will leave you reeling.

My thoughts:-

A very enjoyable take on the Othello story, with the action moved to the school playground, Dee and Osei (O) are around thirteen, and puberty is rearing its heated head among their classmates.  O is a newcomer and the only black pupil in the school, son of a Ghanaian diplomat posted to Washington DC.  Dee is the girl who takes her new classmate under her wing, with unforeseen and ultimately tragic results.  It is very clever transposition which works well and demonstrates the universal themes of the original play.  Young Adults will enjoy reading this, but older adults will, too.

The Ice by Laline Paull

They Said:-

THE ICE is an electrifying story of friendship, power and betrayal by the bestselling, Baileys-prize shortlisted author of The Bees.

It's the day after tomorrow and the Arctic sea ice has melted. While global business carves up the new frontier, cruise ships race each other to ever-rarer wildlife sightings. The passengers of the Vanir have come seeking a polar bear. What they find is even more astonishing: a dead body.

It is Tom Harding, lost in an accident three years ago and now revealed by the melting ice of Midgard glacier. Tom had come to Midgard to help launch the new venture of his best friend of thirty years, Sean Cawson, a man whose business relies on discretion and powerful connections – and who was the last person to see him alive.

Their friendship had been forged by a shared obsession with Arctic exploration. And although Tom's need to save the world often clashed with Sean's desire to conquer it, Sean has always believed that underneath it all, they shared the same goals.

But as the inquest into Tom's death begins, the choices made by both men – in love and in life – are put on the stand. And when cracks appear in the foundations of Sean's glamorous world, he is forced to question what price he has really paid for a seat at the establishment's table.

Just how deep do the lies go?

My thoughts:-

Another very original, thoughtful book by Laline Paull, which is so different to The Bees but which drew me into the lives, dilemmas and values of its characters, and made me ponder the values of our world, where a sense of entitlement can trump good sense, respect of the natural world and blur the demarcations of ownership and stewardship.  Beautiful writing and enthralling story about profound issues.

Love Like Blood by Mark Billingham

They said:-

Internationally bestselling author Mark Billingham’s riveting new novel Love Like Blood marks the return of series character Tom Thorne, “the next superstar detective” (Lee Child), as he pairs up with perfectionist detective inspector Nicola Tanner of Die of Shame on an investigation that ventures into politically sensitive territory.

DI Nicola Tanner needs Tom Thorne’s help. Her partner, Susan, has been brutally murdered and Tanner is convinced that it was a case of mistaken identity—that she was the real target. The murderer’s motive might have something to do with Tanner’s recent work on a string of cold-case honor killings she believes to be related. Tanner is now on compassionate leave but insists on pursuing the case off the books and knows Thorne is just the man to jump into the fire with her. He agrees but quickly finds that working in such controversial territory is dangerous in more ways than one. And when a young couple goes missing, they have a chance to investigate a case that is anything but cold.

Racing towards a twist-filled ending, Love Like Blood is another feat of masterful plotting from one of Britain’s top crime novelists.

My thoughts:-

I just happened to start reading Mark Billington's latest DI Thorne novel after hearing on the radio of a large increase in the number of so-called honour killings (or maybe rather on the reporting of them), so it is an interesting, thrilling and riveting take on a very topical subject.    Tom Thorne is as maverick as ever but doing his best to toe the line sufficiently to prevent him falling foul of his bosses, while pursuing the best bet to unsettle suspects and catch the perpetrators of an odd series of deaths and attacks.  His domestic life with Helen and her wee Alfie is strained by the demands they both experience, being in The Job, but provided a refuge from the horrible crimes being discovered at work,  Phil Hendricks, his mate and handy pathologist, contributes to the story, as well as Nicola Tanner, a detective who is on compassionate leave following the murder of her partner Susan at their home.  There is danger, there are thrills and plenty of suspense and suspects: a very enjoyable and satisfying book.

The Summer of Impossible Things by Rowan Coleman

They said:-

If you could change the past, would you?

Thirty years ago, something terrible happened to Luna’s mother. Something she’s only prepared to reveal after her death.

Now Luna and her sister have a chance to go back to their mother’s birthplace and settle her affairs. But in Brooklyn they find more questions than answers, until something impossible – magical – happens to Luna, and she meets her mother as a young woman back in the summer of 1977.

At first Luna’s thinks she’s going crazy, but if she can truly travel back in time, she can change things. But in doing anything – everything – to save her mother’s life, will she have to sacrifice her own?

My Thoughts:-

This book is such an enjoyable read, engaging from the start and a clever combination of science fiction with romance.  Luna and her sister, Pia, travel to Brooklyn to sort out their mother's affairs after her traumatic death, and it is there, in Bay Ridge, that they learn more about her past, the identity of Luna's father and extraordinary things start to happen.  I was totally caught up in this wonderful tale, which is beautifully written and well researched for period detail, and although the ending was surprising and satisfying, I now miss Luna in my life.
I have already recommended it (on publication day) to a friend who wanted a good book to load to her kindle, and I'm happy to recommend it more widely.