Author Bernard Cornwell describes The Winter Sea as "engaging" and "compelling," and I couldn't agree more. From start to finish I was enthralled with the alternating stories of Sophia (1708) and Carrie (present time) and the beautiful setting, Cruden Bay in the north of Scotland. Carrie McLelland is a novelist whose current work focuses on the struggle of the Jacobites to restore King James to his rightful throne in Scotland during the early 18th century. When Carrie sees Slains Castle for the first time she is drawn to the area and inspired to include it in her story. Her agent and good friend, Jane, suggests that her novel might be enriched by including a character from whose point of view the story is told, so Carrie chooses a female character that she names after her several-times-great grandmother, Sophia Paterson. Suddenly Carrie is creatively inspired beyond her wildest dreams and Sophia's story flows swiftly from her fingers. During conversations with her father, a genealogist, and through historical documents provided by a local retired physician, Dr. Weir, Carrie discovers that the story she is writing about Sophia is, for the most part, true. Dr. Weir introduces her to the concept of genetic memory, the theory that memories, like physical traits and personality, might be passed down randomly through the generations. As coincidences continue to pile up Carrie seriously considers that her writing may in fact be Sophia's actual memories rather than fiction.
Kearsley's sense of romance and love of history are evident in The Winter Sea. The reader roots for happy endings for Sophia and John and for Carrie and Graham. Kearsley expertly weaves together the present and the past, leaving the reader feeling every emotion, almost experiencing firsthand the dedication and desperation of the Jacobites. I couldn't put to wonderful book down and the one thing I regret about reading it is that it had to end! Kearsley uses chapters of Carrie's novel, interspersed with Carrie's own story, to tell a magical, compelling story that I will not forget for a long time to come. I've already read The Rose Garden and Mariana. Now I'm desperate to read more!
BIBLIOPHILY
Sunday, August 26, 2012
ALYS, ALWAYS (Harriet Lane)
Frances Thorpe is a nondescript, competent book reviewer relatively unconcerned with her appearance or with decorating her apartment. She is at that age where she is considered "on the shelf" in terms of romance and her company is rumbling with rumors of downsizing. One icy winter night, while driving home to London from a weekend at her parents, Frances spots a light in the distance and discovers an overturned car occupied by a woman, whom she can hear but not see. She calls emergency services and comforts the woman until help arrives, then continues home. As it turns out, the woman, who did not survive, is Alys Kyte, the wife of a celebrated author, Lawrence Kyte, and mother of 2 grown children. At the family's request, Frances eventually meets with them and tells them a lie, that Alys's last words were, "Tell them that I love them."
This novel is described as a "psychological thriller, " but I didn't quite see that. If it had ended differently, it could have become a Lifetime movie, but there were no psychotic breaks or frenzied killings. Instead, we are guided through Frances' realization that her association with Alys's death has made her a "person of interest" to important people in the literary world, and she decides to take advantage of her new reality by developing a deeper relationship with Alys's family, particularly with Alys's daughter, Polly, and her widower, Lawrence. Frances is subtle, patient, and not always honest in her quest transform herself from uninteresting Frances Thorpe to a woman of mystery and compassion, sought after both personally and professionally by people who count.
Lane's first novel is a fascinating psychological study of an opportunist, a woman who takes advantage of a tragedy to transform her life. I kind of hope that there is a sequel because I keep wondering if Frances will eventually be exposed or if her transformation is so complete that she becomes real, like the velveteen rabbit!
This novel is described as a "psychological thriller, " but I didn't quite see that. If it had ended differently, it could have become a Lifetime movie, but there were no psychotic breaks or frenzied killings. Instead, we are guided through Frances' realization that her association with Alys's death has made her a "person of interest" to important people in the literary world, and she decides to take advantage of her new reality by developing a deeper relationship with Alys's family, particularly with Alys's daughter, Polly, and her widower, Lawrence. Frances is subtle, patient, and not always honest in her quest transform herself from uninteresting Frances Thorpe to a woman of mystery and compassion, sought after both personally and professionally by people who count.
Lane's first novel is a fascinating psychological study of an opportunist, a woman who takes advantage of a tragedy to transform her life. I kind of hope that there is a sequel because I keep wondering if Frances will eventually be exposed or if her transformation is so complete that she becomes real, like the velveteen rabbit!
Friday, August 17, 2012
DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE MURDER (Joanne Fluke)
Joanne Fluke just cannot go wrong with her Hannah Swenson series. This was our August selection for the Christie Capers book club and we were as pleased with the recipes as we were with the mystery! When Rev. Bob Knudsen and his wife Claire finally take a honeymoon in Hawaii, Rev. Mike, who spent his teenage years in Lake Eden. arrives to take over pastoral duties at the parish during their absence. Grandma Knudson remembers Mike and his cousin Paul from their youth and soon raises some concerns with Hannah about Rev. Mike's actual identity. What happened to his chocolate allergy? Why does he "remember" her couch as being a different color than it actually was? Is he really who he says he is? Are the sacraments he is performing really valid?
Hannah and her sister Andrea investigate Rev. Mike and come up with logical explanations for the changes in him, setting Grandma's mind at ease. Hannah, however, is agitated as a new dentist, Dr. Bev, joins Norman's practice. Bev was once engaged to Norman, Hannah's devoted boyfriend (well, one of them), and Hannah suspects that Bev is looking to rekindle the relationship. When Hannah discovers Rev. Mike dead in the parish office, though, Norman willingly turns his back on Bev and joins Hannah in investigating the apparent murder.
Fluke provides some interesting twists and turns in the 14th Hannah Swenson mystery and her recipes are mouthwatering. Try the Butterscotch Bonanza Bars. They are easy to make and absolutely delicious! Oh, and read the book, too. You'll want to go back for seconds!
Hannah and her sister Andrea investigate Rev. Mike and come up with logical explanations for the changes in him, setting Grandma's mind at ease. Hannah, however, is agitated as a new dentist, Dr. Bev, joins Norman's practice. Bev was once engaged to Norman, Hannah's devoted boyfriend (well, one of them), and Hannah suspects that Bev is looking to rekindle the relationship. When Hannah discovers Rev. Mike dead in the parish office, though, Norman willingly turns his back on Bev and joins Hannah in investigating the apparent murder.
Fluke provides some interesting twists and turns in the 14th Hannah Swenson mystery and her recipes are mouthwatering. Try the Butterscotch Bonanza Bars. They are easy to make and absolutely delicious! Oh, and read the book, too. You'll want to go back for seconds!
Sunday, August 5, 2012
THE CORPSE OF ST. JAMES'S (Jeanne Dams)
Dorothy Martin, American ex-pat, and her husband, retired Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt, are invited to Buckingham Palace to attend the presentation of the George Cross to Alan's friend Jonathan Quinn. Jonathan is a retired police officer who was severely wounded during an act of heroism. After the ceremony they discover the body of a teenage girl under the shrubbery in Saint James Park and Jonathan later admits that he recognized the vistim as the daughter of his childhood friend Jemima. Against Alan's better judgment, the trio decides to investigate on their own rather than immediately informing the police of the girl's identity in hopes of protecting the girl's mother, who works at the palace.
As usual, Dorothy's investigation runs into twists and turns and roadblocks, but both her husband and the local police have come to realize that her reputation as a superb amateur sleuth is well-deserved and they value her insights even when they are exasperated by her involvement. I love Dorothy's hats and her bad knees (now greatly improved due to knee replacement surgery). She is such a lovable character, more worldly than Miss Marple and more down-to earth than Agatha Raisin. She and Alan enjoy occasional love scenes that fade out in a pleasingly old-fashioned way and their home in the shadow of the Sherebury Cathedral s is the perfect English cottage. As usual, I recommend this series highly. The mysteries are always good and the sense of place is wonderful!
As usual, Dorothy's investigation runs into twists and turns and roadblocks, but both her husband and the local police have come to realize that her reputation as a superb amateur sleuth is well-deserved and they value her insights even when they are exasperated by her involvement. I love Dorothy's hats and her bad knees (now greatly improved due to knee replacement surgery). She is such a lovable character, more worldly than Miss Marple and more down-to earth than Agatha Raisin. She and Alan enjoy occasional love scenes that fade out in a pleasingly old-fashioned way and their home in the shadow of the Sherebury Cathedral s is the perfect English cottage. As usual, I recommend this series highly. The mysteries are always good and the sense of place is wonderful!
THE SECRET LIFE OF OBJECTS (Dawn Raffel)
Have you ever looked at a simple, everyday object and really thought about its history, the stories associated with its travels through various lives? I recently bought a beautiful antique Limoges plate at a flea market. It has lilacs, my favorite flower, on it and gold trim and I wonder if it was part of a set of wedding china, or a special memento that someone purchased on a trip, or perhaps a treasured decorative object displayed lovingly in an elderly woman's living room. Maybe it was used to serve delicious cakes with tea or filled with cucumber sandwiches at a bridal shower. Someday it will have memories for me and, perhaps, for my family. I also have a little teapot that I bought for a couple of dollars at a shop in Bellows falls, VT and I wonder about where it came from and if someone loved it and used it, or if it was a cute gift that eventually took up room better used for something else. I have it displayed with my teapot collection in my kitchen.
What Raffel has done in this wonderful little book of essays (recommended to me by my good friend Helen) is to look at various objects and reminisce about the people and events linked to them that have been significant in her life: her mother's death, a trip, the loss of her engagement diamond, an eccentric relative. There is some sort of magic in Raffel's writing, bringing memories ans experiences to life through the objects that defined them. I can relate to this and, quite frankly, I wish I had written this book. My only complaint is that I didn't really enjoy the illustrations. I don't require photographs, but some of the drawing just didn't evoke the feelings that they should and it kind of detracted from the experience of reading it. Other than that, though, it was wonderful and I recommend it highly!
What Raffel has done in this wonderful little book of essays (recommended to me by my good friend Helen) is to look at various objects and reminisce about the people and events linked to them that have been significant in her life: her mother's death, a trip, the loss of her engagement diamond, an eccentric relative. There is some sort of magic in Raffel's writing, bringing memories ans experiences to life through the objects that defined them. I can relate to this and, quite frankly, I wish I had written this book. My only complaint is that I didn't really enjoy the illustrations. I don't require photographs, but some of the drawing just didn't evoke the feelings that they should and it kind of detracted from the experience of reading it. Other than that, though, it was wonderful and I recommend it highly!
THE ODDS: A LOVE STORY (Stewart O'Nan)
Sustaining a marriage for life can be a difficult task, and dealing with poor decisions, financial problems, infidelity, and the physical problems of aging can make loving one person for life seem like an insurmountable task that may not be worth it. Art and Marion Fowler have reached such a point in their marriage. After years of dedicated service to a financial institution, Art has been unceremoniously downsized. The big fixer-upper that turned out to be a money pit is on the verge of foreclosure. The affair that Art had 20 years ago still weighs on Marion's mind and emotions, but she has never confessed that she herself has dallied.
The couple decides to determine the fate of their marriage, literally, on a gamble. They return to Niagara Falls, their honeymoon destination, taking all of the money they have in the world with them. Their plan for their second honeymoon is to see the sights, perhaps rekindle their passion, and to either lose everything ( to return home to divorce and build separate lives) or to return home with enough casino winning to begin life, and their marriage, anew.
Quite frankly, Art and Marion's vacation is awful. Long lines, stomach troubles, fatigue, and too much alcohol create a sort of little vignette of their miserable life back home, but somehow they work as a team toward their goals. Will love (and luck) triumph? Think about the title, then read and find out!
The couple decides to determine the fate of their marriage, literally, on a gamble. They return to Niagara Falls, their honeymoon destination, taking all of the money they have in the world with them. Their plan for their second honeymoon is to see the sights, perhaps rekindle their passion, and to either lose everything ( to return home to divorce and build separate lives) or to return home with enough casino winning to begin life, and their marriage, anew.
Quite frankly, Art and Marion's vacation is awful. Long lines, stomach troubles, fatigue, and too much alcohol create a sort of little vignette of their miserable life back home, but somehow they work as a team toward their goals. Will love (and luck) triumph? Think about the title, then read and find out!
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