by Lisa Jewell
This story has three apparently separate stories.
1) A man is found sitting on a beach in England and he has no idea who he is. He is taken in by a local woman who is struggling raising three children but who has a kind heart and the tendency to rescue strays.
2) A family in the 1990's that is vacationing in the same town. There is a mother, father, brother and sister. A local, apparently wealthyboy, takes an interest in the girl but her brother is suspicious of him and protective of him. The girl is not to sure how she feels about him.
3) A young Ukrainian woman who has only been married for a few weeks is upset when her husband does not return home from work one day.
We are told about a news story about two people drowning and the father of one of the victim's having a heart attack and dying while trying to rescue them.
As the story progresses we find out the local boy had attacked the girl and her brother after the girl seemed to reject him. We think the man with amnesia might be him.
The newlywed goes to police who tell her that her husband's passport is a fake. She doesn't know what to do. As she searches through her husbands possession's she finds a set of wedding rings nicer that the ones he gave her. She also finds some keys and the name of a town. The same town that the drowning, the family and the amnesiac are in.
We then learn that the amnesiac is actually the girl`s brother. The shock of seeing her attacker alive after 20+ years has brought back amnesia. It was assumed that the boyfriend and the girl had drowned. We learn that he is the newlywed's husband. He is eventually located and charged with several sexual assault charges and murder of the girl.
It was an interesting story. The characters were engaging and the plot twist was interesting.
Tuesday, 2 May 2017
Tuesday, 17 January 2017
Swing Time
by Zadie Smith
I hated this book!!! It isn't very often that I have such a negative reaction to a book. I didn't enjoy it while reading it but forced myself to finish it as I hoped there would be some redeeming aspect to it. But there wasn't. Some of the review of the book are very positive but I couldn't stand it.
The book is about two girls of mixed race marriages growing up in London. One of the girls Tracey has a "bad girl" lack of respect for authority. She befriends the main character and they stay best friends for years, subject to Tracey's moods. Both girls take dancing lessons. It turns out that Tracey is a real star dancer, the main character, while she loves dance and loves to watch old movies and study all the dance moves, has flat feet and therefore cannot do ballet.
Tracey is a dreamer/liar. She claims her father is a dancer with Michael Jackson. In reality he is a criminal frequently in jail.
The main character has a mother who ignores/resents her family as she studies to better herself. Her husband is a postal worker. Eventually the family disintegrates.
At one point in time the two girls are asked to help at a dance recital. The money from the tickets goes missing and everyone blames Tracey.
Over tiime the girl occasionally runs into Tracey who despite her talent doesn't seem to be succeeding. She is on drugs, has several children and only ever makes it into the chorus.
The main character goes off to study media studies at a school outside London. She comes back to live with her father for a time until she manages to get a job with the new entity YTV. It is an exciting life with little work and lots of perks. She then gets selected to be the personal assistant for a perfomer Aimee. Her life becomes totally consumed by looking after Aimee, 24/7 and no holidays. She is an assistant and a confidante.
Aimee decides that she wants to build a girl's school in Africa so the main character makes several trips to Africa where she comes to realize that the best intentions of foreigners may not entirely work out. She meets two African men, one who professes his love for her (she rejects him) and a man Aimee wants (she starts having an affair with him). The main character doesn't react to any of the ridiculous things Aimee does until she adopts an African baby. The parents surrender her to Aimee for money. This really shocks and upsets the girll.
In the meantime her monther has gotten her PhD and become an MP. The mother and daughter don't have much contact. The girl is shocked to learn from her mothers former lover that she is dying of cancer.
When Aimee finds out that the main character is having an affair with her desired lover she fires her. In retaliation the girl posts details about the baby adoption. This of course infuriates Aimee.
When the girl returns to London she pays money for the "Lover" to come to England. His visa had been arranged by Aimee. She knows she doesn't love him . He has the good sense to leave and go out on his own to get an education.
The girl was told by her mother that Tracey has been harassing her to do something for her and her children, sending increasingly agressive emails. When she returns to England Tracey posts juvenile, provocative videos of the two of them dancing as children. This gets lot of press.
Just before she dies the girls mother suggests that she, the daughter, should do something for Tracey, i.e. take cae of her children and as the book ends she is going to see Tracey.
I couldn't relate to any of the characters, the main character was totally clueless, going along with whatever happened throughout her life. She really didn't care about anyone. Aimee was totally self centered. Tracey was self-centered and self-destructive. The girl's mother was a horrible neglectful mother. While her desire to improve herself was understandable she had no commitment to her family. She seemed more interested in helping strangers that caring for her own family. I don't buy her suggestion at the end of the book. It was totally unrealistic. Why should the girl do this? After the way Tracey treated her and her mother why would she want to? How would she support herself and the children?
While I think the author raised some important issues, lower class people surviving in England, the desire to better yourself, misguided celebrities and their charitable causes, I did not care about the characters or the story.
I hated this book!!! It isn't very often that I have such a negative reaction to a book. I didn't enjoy it while reading it but forced myself to finish it as I hoped there would be some redeeming aspect to it. But there wasn't. Some of the review of the book are very positive but I couldn't stand it.
The book is about two girls of mixed race marriages growing up in London. One of the girls Tracey has a "bad girl" lack of respect for authority. She befriends the main character and they stay best friends for years, subject to Tracey's moods. Both girls take dancing lessons. It turns out that Tracey is a real star dancer, the main character, while she loves dance and loves to watch old movies and study all the dance moves, has flat feet and therefore cannot do ballet.
Tracey is a dreamer/liar. She claims her father is a dancer with Michael Jackson. In reality he is a criminal frequently in jail.
The main character has a mother who ignores/resents her family as she studies to better herself. Her husband is a postal worker. Eventually the family disintegrates.
At one point in time the two girls are asked to help at a dance recital. The money from the tickets goes missing and everyone blames Tracey.
Over tiime the girl occasionally runs into Tracey who despite her talent doesn't seem to be succeeding. She is on drugs, has several children and only ever makes it into the chorus.
The main character goes off to study media studies at a school outside London. She comes back to live with her father for a time until she manages to get a job with the new entity YTV. It is an exciting life with little work and lots of perks. She then gets selected to be the personal assistant for a perfomer Aimee. Her life becomes totally consumed by looking after Aimee, 24/7 and no holidays. She is an assistant and a confidante.
Aimee decides that she wants to build a girl's school in Africa so the main character makes several trips to Africa where she comes to realize that the best intentions of foreigners may not entirely work out. She meets two African men, one who professes his love for her (she rejects him) and a man Aimee wants (she starts having an affair with him). The main character doesn't react to any of the ridiculous things Aimee does until she adopts an African baby. The parents surrender her to Aimee for money. This really shocks and upsets the girll.
In the meantime her monther has gotten her PhD and become an MP. The mother and daughter don't have much contact. The girl is shocked to learn from her mothers former lover that she is dying of cancer.
When Aimee finds out that the main character is having an affair with her desired lover she fires her. In retaliation the girl posts details about the baby adoption. This of course infuriates Aimee.
When the girl returns to London she pays money for the "Lover" to come to England. His visa had been arranged by Aimee. She knows she doesn't love him . He has the good sense to leave and go out on his own to get an education.
The girl was told by her mother that Tracey has been harassing her to do something for her and her children, sending increasingly agressive emails. When she returns to England Tracey posts juvenile, provocative videos of the two of them dancing as children. This gets lot of press.
Just before she dies the girls mother suggests that she, the daughter, should do something for Tracey, i.e. take cae of her children and as the book ends she is going to see Tracey.
I couldn't relate to any of the characters, the main character was totally clueless, going along with whatever happened throughout her life. She really didn't care about anyone. Aimee was totally self centered. Tracey was self-centered and self-destructive. The girl's mother was a horrible neglectful mother. While her desire to improve herself was understandable she had no commitment to her family. She seemed more interested in helping strangers that caring for her own family. I don't buy her suggestion at the end of the book. It was totally unrealistic. Why should the girl do this? After the way Tracey treated her and her mother why would she want to? How would she support herself and the children?
While I think the author raised some important issues, lower class people surviving in England, the desire to better yourself, misguided celebrities and their charitable causes, I did not care about the characters or the story.
Sunday, 16 October 2016
The Wonder
Emma Donoghue
This book is by the author of the popular book "The Room".
It is the story of a British nurse who is sent to Ireland to watch a girl who has stopped eating. A local committee want to verify that she is truly not eating.
The girl is the daughter of a poor Irish farming community. She meets the local priest, Doctor, the girl's parents and a nun who is to watch the girl in alternating shifts along with her.
We find out that the Irish are very strong Catholics, somewhat superstitious too (fairies). The girl and her parents are very religious. The nurse, a trainee of Florence Nightengale, first searches the girls room for hidden food, she then starts to document the girls vital signs. She finds no evidence of any food being left or given to the girl but she is suspicious that the nun, might be working with the family to create a believe in miraculous behaviour.
The nurse and nun have been hired to watch the girl for two weeks. At first the girl's health seems to be okay and stable but after a week the nurse notices a definite deterioration in her condition, she becomes weak, her breathing and heart rate are affected. The nurse learns that the girl stopped eating shortly after her first communion (confirmation). She thinks it might be a hysterical reaction to this sacrement. The girl is praying all the time and cherishing her pictures of saints and other items.
However, she finds out later that the mother had been coming to the daughter's room and giving her food from her mouth. Now that the observers are there she has not been able to do this.
The girl's condition is deteriorating rapidly and the nurse notifies the doctor, the priest and eventually the committee. They all seem prepared to have the girl die. The nurse shouldn't do it but she confides her concern for the girl to a newspaper reporter who has come to do a story about the girl. He urges her to act on her concern.
The nurse eventually discovers that the girl's brother, who died previously had been having sexual relations with her. When the girl heard that this was a sin she fears her brother is in purgatory or hell for his behaviour and that this is why she is doing this extreme action... to save her brother. The nurse convinces her that she can die and become a new person, Nan. She convinces the girl that eating will kill her and give birth to this new girl Nan. The girl agrees to do this. While the family is out to a mass in honour of the girl the nurse sets fire to the girl's room and she carries the girl to the waiting reporter who takes the girl away.
It is assumed that the girl died in the fire. In reality the nurse, reporter and girl have fled Ireland and will start life as a new family.
This book really examined the role of faith, faith taken to the extreme, the pain of denial. The mother was told about what the Brother did but she admired him so much she told the girl to never speak of it again so the little girl was bearing this burden. It was an interesting story.
This book is by the author of the popular book "The Room".
It is the story of a British nurse who is sent to Ireland to watch a girl who has stopped eating. A local committee want to verify that she is truly not eating.
The girl is the daughter of a poor Irish farming community. She meets the local priest, Doctor, the girl's parents and a nun who is to watch the girl in alternating shifts along with her.
We find out that the Irish are very strong Catholics, somewhat superstitious too (fairies). The girl and her parents are very religious. The nurse, a trainee of Florence Nightengale, first searches the girls room for hidden food, she then starts to document the girls vital signs. She finds no evidence of any food being left or given to the girl but she is suspicious that the nun, might be working with the family to create a believe in miraculous behaviour.
The nurse and nun have been hired to watch the girl for two weeks. At first the girl's health seems to be okay and stable but after a week the nurse notices a definite deterioration in her condition, she becomes weak, her breathing and heart rate are affected. The nurse learns that the girl stopped eating shortly after her first communion (confirmation). She thinks it might be a hysterical reaction to this sacrement. The girl is praying all the time and cherishing her pictures of saints and other items.
However, she finds out later that the mother had been coming to the daughter's room and giving her food from her mouth. Now that the observers are there she has not been able to do this.
The girl's condition is deteriorating rapidly and the nurse notifies the doctor, the priest and eventually the committee. They all seem prepared to have the girl die. The nurse shouldn't do it but she confides her concern for the girl to a newspaper reporter who has come to do a story about the girl. He urges her to act on her concern.
The nurse eventually discovers that the girl's brother, who died previously had been having sexual relations with her. When the girl heard that this was a sin she fears her brother is in purgatory or hell for his behaviour and that this is why she is doing this extreme action... to save her brother. The nurse convinces her that she can die and become a new person, Nan. She convinces the girl that eating will kill her and give birth to this new girl Nan. The girl agrees to do this. While the family is out to a mass in honour of the girl the nurse sets fire to the girl's room and she carries the girl to the waiting reporter who takes the girl away.
It is assumed that the girl died in the fire. In reality the nurse, reporter and girl have fled Ireland and will start life as a new family.
This book really examined the role of faith, faith taken to the extreme, the pain of denial. The mother was told about what the Brother did but she admired him so much she told the girl to never speak of it again so the little girl was bearing this burden. It was an interesting story.
The Party Wall
by Catherine Leroux
This is a Quebecoise author, the book is translated into English. I think it is a finalist for the Man Booker or the Governmor General's awards this year.
It is a series of short stories, involving pairs of individuals. There are several stories for each of the pairs and at the end of the book several of the characters, from the different stories, get connected.
I don't usually like short stories but I have to say she is amazing at how she portrays powerful stories/situations in a very few pages. The stories are a bit quirky. One is about a woman whose son is a drifter. He comes home because he is ill and when she gets tested as an organ donor for him she is told she is not related to him genetically. She later learns that she is a Chimera, two distinct DNA in her body because of an undeveloped twin within her. Another story is about two sisters who wander around their town and one of them loses her legs on train tracks. A third pair is about a man who succeeds in becoming Prime Minister but whose success is destroyed when his wife discovers that they are actually brother and sister. They were given away for adoption when they were born. They still love each other and head out to the prairies to start a new life under assumed names.
It was a fascinating read, very sad at times, but an exceptional book.
This is a Quebecoise author, the book is translated into English. I think it is a finalist for the Man Booker or the Governmor General's awards this year.
It is a series of short stories, involving pairs of individuals. There are several stories for each of the pairs and at the end of the book several of the characters, from the different stories, get connected.
I don't usually like short stories but I have to say she is amazing at how she portrays powerful stories/situations in a very few pages. The stories are a bit quirky. One is about a woman whose son is a drifter. He comes home because he is ill and when she gets tested as an organ donor for him she is told she is not related to him genetically. She later learns that she is a Chimera, two distinct DNA in her body because of an undeveloped twin within her. Another story is about two sisters who wander around their town and one of them loses her legs on train tracks. A third pair is about a man who succeeds in becoming Prime Minister but whose success is destroyed when his wife discovers that they are actually brother and sister. They were given away for adoption when they were born. They still love each other and head out to the prairies to start a new life under assumed names.
It was a fascinating read, very sad at times, but an exceptional book.
Sunday, 9 October 2016
When the Music's Over
by Peter Robinson
This book was just released. Generally I have enjoyed the books by Robinson about Inspector Banks but I found this one very disappointing. Robinson has not published for quite a while and I am wondering if he has run out of ideas/inspiration.
I did not enjoy this book. I felt it was too derivative. It has two parallel crimes. One is a famous celebrity from years before who is being accused of sexual harassment of underage girls decades before. The other is the murder of a 14 year old girl who had sex/was raped by three people shortly before her death and was later brutally battered and found dead on the side of the road.
The story of the aged celebrity is just piggy-backing on recent news stories in Britain. The second story involves angst against immigrants and immigration in Britain and it turns out the young girl was part of a Pakisani run sex trade ring. The book may reflect the current mood in Britain but again I feel he was again just borrowing fron current events.
I generally like Peter Robinson's books but this one was really disappointing as far as I am concerned.
This book was just released. Generally I have enjoyed the books by Robinson about Inspector Banks but I found this one very disappointing. Robinson has not published for quite a while and I am wondering if he has run out of ideas/inspiration.
I did not enjoy this book. I felt it was too derivative. It has two parallel crimes. One is a famous celebrity from years before who is being accused of sexual harassment of underage girls decades before. The other is the murder of a 14 year old girl who had sex/was raped by three people shortly before her death and was later brutally battered and found dead on the side of the road.
The story of the aged celebrity is just piggy-backing on recent news stories in Britain. The second story involves angst against immigrants and immigration in Britain and it turns out the young girl was part of a Pakisani run sex trade ring. The book may reflect the current mood in Britain but again I feel he was again just borrowing fron current events.
I generally like Peter Robinson's books but this one was really disappointing as far as I am concerned.
The Light of Paris
by Eleanor Brown
This story is about a woman who is in an unhappy marriage, bullied and controlled by her husband. He tells her what to wear, criticizes what she eats, selects their homes and furnishings. He thinks that if he keeps her nicely dressed she will be happy an accompany him as required to social events.
She gets angry at her and he threatens to divorce her. She is shocked by this announcement and thinks about trying to reconcile with him but she has a trip booked to visit her mother and she decides to do that so tha her husband can calm down. When she gets to her mother's, with whom she does not have a good relationship, she is shocked to find that her mother is planning to sell the family home and move to a condo.
She starts prowling around the house and discovers her painting supplies in the basement. She remembers how much she loved to paint as a young woman. She also finds a diary of her grandmother's in the attic. In the diary the grandmother describes how she was being encouraged to get married by her parents. To avoid this fate she agrees to act as escort for a disagreeable cousin on a trip to Europe. It become clear on the boat over to Europe that her cousin won't listen to her and doesn't want her around. She hopes her cousin will settle down when they reach Europe but instead the girl leaves her for friends she met on the boat.
The girl's grandmother is forced to tell her parents what has happened. They are furious as are the cousin's parents and want her to return home immediately. She has arrived in Paris and doesn't want to leave so she gets a temporary job at an American library in Paris. She meets a French artist and they fall in love and have an affair. After a few months she finds out that he has had five years of freedom funded by his family and he must now return to take over the family business and marry as decided by his family.
She is distraught and gets pneumonia. She is "rescued" by a family friend who happens to be in Europe. He had escorted her at her coming out party and they had had sex on that occasion. Once she recovers the man asks her to marry him.
The main character is engrossed in her grandmother's story and finds it hard to reconcile the girl in the diary from the straightlaced Grandmother she remembers. While she is staying at her mother's she meets a kind man who has opened a restaurant next to her mother's house. She is also intrigued to see the life in the neighbourhood, the shops, the friendships. It seems like a much nicer place that what she remembered as a young woman.
Her husband arrives and takes her home. She decides she cannot live an lie and leaves her husband to go back to her home town. She finds a small apartment and plans her new life.
The book was a bit of chicklit but it was an okay story.
This story is about a woman who is in an unhappy marriage, bullied and controlled by her husband. He tells her what to wear, criticizes what she eats, selects their homes and furnishings. He thinks that if he keeps her nicely dressed she will be happy an accompany him as required to social events.
She gets angry at her and he threatens to divorce her. She is shocked by this announcement and thinks about trying to reconcile with him but she has a trip booked to visit her mother and she decides to do that so tha her husband can calm down. When she gets to her mother's, with whom she does not have a good relationship, she is shocked to find that her mother is planning to sell the family home and move to a condo.
She starts prowling around the house and discovers her painting supplies in the basement. She remembers how much she loved to paint as a young woman. She also finds a diary of her grandmother's in the attic. In the diary the grandmother describes how she was being encouraged to get married by her parents. To avoid this fate she agrees to act as escort for a disagreeable cousin on a trip to Europe. It become clear on the boat over to Europe that her cousin won't listen to her and doesn't want her around. She hopes her cousin will settle down when they reach Europe but instead the girl leaves her for friends she met on the boat.
The girl's grandmother is forced to tell her parents what has happened. They are furious as are the cousin's parents and want her to return home immediately. She has arrived in Paris and doesn't want to leave so she gets a temporary job at an American library in Paris. She meets a French artist and they fall in love and have an affair. After a few months she finds out that he has had five years of freedom funded by his family and he must now return to take over the family business and marry as decided by his family.
She is distraught and gets pneumonia. She is "rescued" by a family friend who happens to be in Europe. He had escorted her at her coming out party and they had had sex on that occasion. Once she recovers the man asks her to marry him.
The main character is engrossed in her grandmother's story and finds it hard to reconcile the girl in the diary from the straightlaced Grandmother she remembers. While she is staying at her mother's she meets a kind man who has opened a restaurant next to her mother's house. She is also intrigued to see the life in the neighbourhood, the shops, the friendships. It seems like a much nicer place that what she remembered as a young woman.
Her husband arrives and takes her home. She decides she cannot live an lie and leaves her husband to go back to her home town. She finds a small apartment and plans her new life.
The book was a bit of chicklit but it was an okay story.
Thursday, 18 August 2016
A Country Road, A Tree
by Jo Baker
This book is by the author of Longbourn, which I have also read.
It is a story about Samuel Beckett and his life in France during WWII.
The books starts off just prior to WWII and describes the social life of Beckett as he hangs out with famous people in the artistic community in Paris including James Joyce and Duchamp.
However, as WWII starts and France is invaded the artistic community leave Paris for safer locations.
It describes how Beckett could have returned to Ireland and had a safe life, as Ireland was neutral. But instead he decides to stay in France with his lover Suzanne. Things deteriorate rapidly, food becomes scare, they have little money to live on and Beckett is struggling to write.
Then they get invovled with the resistance and eventually their group is infiltrated so they must obtain new indentity papers and escape Paris. They are often hiding in barns, fields, they are often hungry as being in hiding they cannot get ration coupons. The title refers to a night when they were waiting to be picked up and taken to a safe location. They were told to wait by a tree on a country road but were not sure if they were by the right tree.
They get involved with the resistance again in the south of France, passing information, carrying weapons to resistance fighters. Beckett's health suffers as he is on the verge of starvation. He is in pain because of his bad teeth. The book does a superb job of portraying the situation on citizens and the resistance and the hardships they endured.
Near the end of the book Beckett has returned to Ireland and is living with his mother. He is appalled and embarrassed at the ordinary life there, with cakes and cream. It seems obscene compared to the deprivation he knows people in France are still facing. He wants to go back to France but unskilled people are not really wanted. A doctor friend of his invites him to join him as Quartermaster, setting up a small hospital in rurual France. Beckett jumps at the chance and is eventually able to get back to Suzanne.
This was a fascinating book. It makes me want to read Beckett again, I think I will now have a better understanding of the reason for the angst and despair in his works.
This book is by the author of Longbourn, which I have also read.
It is a story about Samuel Beckett and his life in France during WWII.
The books starts off just prior to WWII and describes the social life of Beckett as he hangs out with famous people in the artistic community in Paris including James Joyce and Duchamp.
However, as WWII starts and France is invaded the artistic community leave Paris for safer locations.
It describes how Beckett could have returned to Ireland and had a safe life, as Ireland was neutral. But instead he decides to stay in France with his lover Suzanne. Things deteriorate rapidly, food becomes scare, they have little money to live on and Beckett is struggling to write.
Then they get invovled with the resistance and eventually their group is infiltrated so they must obtain new indentity papers and escape Paris. They are often hiding in barns, fields, they are often hungry as being in hiding they cannot get ration coupons. The title refers to a night when they were waiting to be picked up and taken to a safe location. They were told to wait by a tree on a country road but were not sure if they were by the right tree.
They get involved with the resistance again in the south of France, passing information, carrying weapons to resistance fighters. Beckett's health suffers as he is on the verge of starvation. He is in pain because of his bad teeth. The book does a superb job of portraying the situation on citizens and the resistance and the hardships they endured.
Near the end of the book Beckett has returned to Ireland and is living with his mother. He is appalled and embarrassed at the ordinary life there, with cakes and cream. It seems obscene compared to the deprivation he knows people in France are still facing. He wants to go back to France but unskilled people are not really wanted. A doctor friend of his invites him to join him as Quartermaster, setting up a small hospital in rurual France. Beckett jumps at the chance and is eventually able to get back to Suzanne.
This was a fascinating book. It makes me want to read Beckett again, I think I will now have a better understanding of the reason for the angst and despair in his works.
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