bookswelike

Books reviewed by Christine Miller

10 Days by Gillian Slovo

Like her play* the novel is based on the London riots - the ripple effect of the police's mishandling of a black boy's behaviour on families, a soon to be demolished housing estate, and further afield. Plus an undercover cop gone AWOL. The tension is exaggerated by an unbearable heat wave. The power play between politicians and police about public order is interesting but those involved are too much like caricatures and perhaps thus detract from the essential tragedy.
*The Riots - produced at the Tricycle Theatre, London, in November 2011.
(bwl 81 Summer 2016)

A Broken Mirror by Merce Rodereda

This is a family saga set in Barcelona, stretching from the 1870s for some 60 years. It is told in fragments by different characters, as the reader follows the founding of a dynasty and its disintegration. This is another interesting and beautifully written book by this Catalan author.
(bwl 37 December 2006)

A God in Every Stone by Kamila Shamsie

This is an epic novel that is part love story but also includes subjects such as war, colonialism, nationalism, and archaeology. The story takes you from 1914 to 1930, from England to Turkey and then Peshawar and from the conflict of WWI to the fight for Indian Independence. The author describes places so beautifully, particularly the orchards of Peshawar, and she combines her main characters' various storylines very cleverly. An absorbing read.
(bwl 73 Summer 2014)

A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

A beautifully crafted, historical novel of exiles and love. Dr. Victor Dalmau caught up in the Spanish Civil War, and Roser, who is pregnant with his missing brother's child, flee to seek refuge in Chile. Married at first for convenience, a lasting love grows. They are forced into exile again by the Pinochet regime but eventually return to Chile. By describing individuals' lives, loves and tragedies Allende takes you on a magnificent journey through historical events.
(bwl 100 Spring 2021)

A Summer of Drowning by John Burnside

A haunting story set mainly in the white light of summer on a small island in the Arctic Circle. Liv looks back on a particular summer. She is living with her artistic mother almost in isolation with no sense of her future. Two boys and a man drown and another disappears mysteriously. Fascinated by myths she fears that something supernatural is happening but perhaps she is simply losing touch with reality.
Ed's note: John Burnside was winner of the 2011 T S Eliot Prize for Poetry with Black Cat Bone
(bwl 64 Spring 2012)

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

It took me a little while to get into this book but it was well worth persevering. It consists of the parallel narratives of two women; Nao in Japan and her diary that is found washed up on the beach by Ruth, a writer, who lives on an island off the West Coast of Canada. It is in the main the unravelling of the mystery surrounding the diary but also about our shared humanity and history.
(bwl 73 Summer 2014)

A Venetian Bestiary by Jan Morris

A delightful book, small enough to fit into a handbag or larger pocket and dip into over coffee or a drink in Venice or when dreaming of visits. It observes Venice and its history through the animals depicted in paintings and sculpture. I was transported by the imaginative writing which adds a deeper layer to your understanding of the city. If you are a Morris fan, you will want to add this to your collection.
(bwl 45 April 2008)

A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks

This captures the lives of a group of people in London in a week in 2007, including a tube driver, an arrogant literary critic, a trophy wife, and crucially, a city banker and an Islamic militant. The latter two are plotting destruction in different ways. As the story unfolds the characters' lives interweave - most are being invited to the same dinner party - and tension increases. Some characters are better defined than others but it is an interesting read.
(bwl 62 Autumn 2011)

After Me Comes the Flood by Sarah Perry

Perry's debut novel garnered much praise. John's car breaks down and he seeks help at a dilapidated grand country house where they seem to expect him. So the mystery starts. It is heavy on atmosphere, unsettling and strange with curious characters who are not always what they seem. For my taste it was perhaps rather too gothic but beautifully written with a strong opening to lure you in.
(bwl 83 Winter 2017)

Ammonites and Leaping Fish: A Life in Time by Penelope Lively

This is not a memoir exactly rather a reflective look at old age, her own life, the history she has lived through, memories and how they shape us all, the pleasures of reading and writing and six objects important to her. The book is a joy to read - beautifully written (as you might expect), thoughtful and totally absorbing. If you have enjoyed her novels, you will enjoy this.
(bwl 75 Winter 2015)

An Equal Music by Vikram Seth

A novel for all who enjoy a well written story but this one is enhanced by its musical background. The love story of Julia and Michael (love that is lost, found but ultimately denied) is paralleled by the musical theme. It is a beautifully written story which resonates when you finish it rather like a piece of music echoes in your head long after a concert.
(bwl 15 October 2002)

And Finally, Matters of Life and Death by Henry Marsh

Facing his own mortality after a diagnosis of prostate cancer, symptoms long denied, Marsh, a retired neurosurgeon, gifts us his discursive book on becoming a patient, his continued joy in building things, his love for his grandchildren and much more. He is candid in his thoughts about his work, life and dying but this is not a bleak book without any humour. He is an optimist who believes in the power of hope, no matter how small.
(bwl 107 Winter 2023)

Are We Having Fun Yet? by Lucy Mangan

Mangan is a columnist, writer and TV critic for The Guardian, as well as an author. Often her writing relates to feminism, and this is no different. Written in diary form it takes you through the year, as a working mother searches for a moment to herself in the maelstrom that is family life. However, she uses a light touch and the book is genuinely funny and warm hearted.
(bwl 104 Spring 2022)

Aria by Nazanine Hozar

We follow the story of Aria, abandoned as a baby in Tehran, through to motherhood. We meet gentle Behrouz who found her, the three important 'mother' figures and her friends. Aria's personal story is set against the growing social/political unrest culminating in the 1979 revolution overthrowing the Shah. She experiences the poverty of the traditional south and the wealth of the westernised north of Tehran. An enjoyable story but I felt it lacked a certain depth.
(bwl 97 Summer 2020)

At Night all Blood is Black by David Diop, translated from French by Anna Moschovakis

This slim volume is an intense and uncomfortable read with much of it out of my comfort zone. The story is of a Senegalese soldier in WW1 who, brutalised by his war experiences and guilt over the death of his 'more than brother' friend and fellow soldier, descends into madness. From traditional village life they were thrown into a dehumanising nightmare. Despite the subject there is almost a mystical quality to the writing (and translation) that raises it above just a war story. (Winner of the 2021 International Booker Prize and other prizes)
(bwl 101 Summer 2021)

Attlee: A Life in Politics by Nicklaus Thomas-Symonds

Nicklaus Thomas-Symonds through his thorough research gives a thoughtful and very enjoyable interpretation of Attlee's political life, its successes and failures. Attlee played important roles in such things as the war coalition, Indian Independence, nationalisation of the utilities, the welfare state, etc and led a very disparate group of Labour politicians. However, his style of leadership and lack of 'charisma' can mean his role is underestimated.
(bwl 62 Autumn 2011)

Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer by Ali Smith

The author wanted to write a quartet of novels that reflected the times in which they were written, little knowing, I imagine, how turbulent they would be. The first novel, Autumn, was published in 2016 and the final, Summer, in 2020. Through characters meeting as strangers and others reuniting, she reminds us of our shared humanity. In the background are familiar issues such as the EU Referendum, immigration, climate change and repercussions of Brexit. She also draws on our engagement with art, film and science. Despite the time constraints she imposed upon herself, the novels do not feel rushed or skimpy in depth. There is levity and despair but ultimately there is the hope that comes with decency and regard for each other, These books have much to offer in my view.
(bwl 102 Autumn 2021)

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo

Katherine Boo is a journalist who had written about poverty in the US and wanted to do the same in India - her husband is Indian. She spent three years in a Mumbai slum getting to know the residents - their choices, desires and frustrations. She documents the corruption in government, schools and charities, at the same time showing how some people try to get round such obstacles to their advancement. She does not ask for the reader's pity.
(bwl 68 Spring 2013)

Birdcage Walk by Helen Dunmore

Against the ferment of the French Revolution, the novel is set in Bristol where a small group of idealistic radicals, including women, embraces the prospect of change. These are not the famous but ordinary people who leave no mark on history. Concurrent is the collapse of the building boom of Clifton's terraces because of the political uncertainty. Most important are the family relationships about which she writes so well and a mystery. Well worth reading.
Ed Note: Birdcage Walk does exist as a path leading through the overgrown graveyard of a Clifton church which was bombed in the Second World War. If you know Bristol, you will find yourself walking recognisable parts of the city with the author.
(bwl 84 Spring 2017)

Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier

Chevalier vividly reconstructs 18th century London, particularly Lambeth - you can almost smell it. Jem and Maggie, bordering on adulthood but from different backgrounds and experiences, form the connection with Blake's 'Songs of Innocence and Experience'. Blake is their neighbour and influence. Whilst the book is beautifully written and researched, I was not completely satisfied by it, perhaps because, having seen the Blake exhibition, I wanted more about him and should have read a biography.
(bwl 45 April 2008)

Burning Questions by Margaret Atwood

These essays and pieces were written between 2004 and 2021. I am a fan of Atwood as a writer and a person, having heard her 'in conversation' occasionally over the years. Her interests and curiosity are boundless, and she is self-deprecating and quite droll. She does consider the big issues of the day: climate change, wealth inequality and the perilous state of democracy but also fellow writers and her own writing. The book remains at my bedside.
(bwl 104 Spring 2022)

Chasing the Monsoon - A Modern Pilgrimage Through India by Alexander Frater

An utterly engaging and often amusing book about pursuing the summer monsoon around India, inspired by childhood memories of a picture of Cherrapunji, the wettest place on earth, and his father's passion for meteorology. The journey, Indian history and recollections of his childhood on a South Pacific island are interwoven beautifully and the host of characters very entertaining. A fine piece of travel writing - I wanted to stand in the monsoon rain too!
(bwl 39 April 2007)

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

An absorbing novel about the complications of families linked through divorce. Life is messy. Events can lead to tragedy and memories lie hidden. Patchett follows the lives of the various 'siblings', going to and fro in time. Through one of them, Franny, she can also question what happens when real life is exploited in fiction because Franny reveals all to her lover, a novelist. Written with great empathy, understanding and some humour.
(bwl 85 Spring 2017)

Complete Short Stories by Elizabeth Taylor

No grand adventures here but stories full of the pains, pleasures and hypocrisies of ordinary lives. Her characters may be isolated through loneliness, be disappointed ill-matched couples or unkind children. She seems to be able to conjure up a whole novel within the confines of the short story with her keen understanding of and sensitivity to human foibles, plus a wry smile. This is a hefty tome but wonderful to dip into because her writing is so good.
(bwl 66 Autumn 2012)

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

Strong characterisation and atmosphere permeate this novel, together with Southern dialogue. Set in small town rural Mississippi one main protagonist is white (Larry) and the other black (Silas). The story is set in the present and the past. When a teenage girl disappears - Larry is a suspect - and their childhood friendship ends. 20 years later another disappears and suspicion falls on Larry again. The plot twists and turns to a redemptive ending of friendship regained.
(bwl 71 Winter 2014)

Dark Winter by David Mark

I am not usually drawn to crime fiction but, having been greatly entertained by the author at a library event, I thought I would try his debut novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Set in a rather bleak Hull in winter DS Aector McAvoy is a thoroughly decent detective, getting on with solving murders. Intriguingly victims all prove to be sole survivors of earlier tragedies. The tightly woven plot is filled with well-drawn characters and descriptive scenes.
(bwl 95 Winter 2020)

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende

An epic novel stretching from colonial Chile to China and to the mayhem of the Californian gold rush. It is a passionate book exploring themes of racism and greed, as the heroine, abandoned by her lover, pursues him to California. The pursuit becomes a journey of self-discovery. The pages teem with colourful characters giving the reader a strong sense of the diversity of the people who created California - I found Tao Chi'en particularly interesting.
(bwl 7 February 2001)

Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante

Not part of the Neapolitan quartet. Without warning Olga's husband, Mario, abandons her and their two young children for a younger woman. Her loss, grief and madness as her world falls apart are so excruciatingly well drawn that you feel it could be somewhat autobiographical. This is definitely not for the faint-hearted but the skilful writing drives you on as you share Olga's suffering on this painful roller coaster of a ride.
(bwl 78 Autumn 2015)

Death and the Penguin: translated by George Bird by Andrey Kurkov

I thought I should read a Ukranian author and, having heard him speak about the invasion, I decided on Kurkov. This is the story of Victor, a writer of obituaries, and his pet penguin, Misha. They live together in Victor’s flat. Although often darkly comic, it is not without warmth and humanity, particularly when a young girl, Sonya, is left with him. However, oppression and fear mount and Victor flees alone. Bizarre but worth the read.
(bwl 108 Spring 2023)

Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery by Henry Marsh

The occasional description of brain surgery may not be for the squeamish but this leading NHS neurosurgeon honestly describes his successes and failures with great compassion for his patients, their families and his colleagues. Another thread in the book is his critical frustration with the NHS itself as it loses itself in bureaucracy, delays and computer passwords. Some may wish to consider surgeons as 'gods' but I preferred his humanity.
(bwl 75 Winter 2015)

Esther's Inheritance by Sandor Marai

Written in 1939 and recently translated into English this is a tale of lost love. Esther lives a reclusive life until an old love turns up and throws her life into disarray. Esther is frustratingly too passive for today's tastes perhaps but the story is beautifully put together.
(bwl 50 March 2009)

Flâneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice and London by Lauren Elkin

A flâneur (male) is one who aimlessly wanders while observing city life but Elkin wants us to recognise that women have done the same, including herself. Those discussed include writers such as Virginia Woolf, the war correspondent Martha Gellhorn and others for whom walking alone, exploring a city, was a necessary freedom and inspiration. The cities chosen by Elkin are those in which she has lived, explored and sometimes felt displaced. A very interesting read.
(bwl 82 Autumn 2016)

Flood of Fire by Amitav Ghosh

The final part* of his magnificent trilogy draws all the storylines together. It is a tour de force, full of action to the end with its various characters illustrating the lack of moral justification for the Opium Wars. British characters speak an amazing mixture of Indian-English not always easy to read/understand but intended perhaps to show us how India has enriched our language and culture. The deep research does not hold back this vivid tale.
(*Ghosh has hinted that this may in fact not be the end of story after all.)
(bwl 80 Spring 2016)

Foster by Claire Keegan

A young girl from a large and growing family is sent one summer to live in the countryside with two unfamiliar relatives, the Kinsellas. Their kindness, love and care gift her emotional growth but she is equally a gift to them. There are detailed descriptions of the rural landscape and rich characterisations, despite its brevity. Its emotional impact is deep and lingers long after reading. Keegan’s gift to the reader perhaps.
(bwl 112 Spring 2024)

Fresh Water for Flowers (translated from the French by Hildegarde Serle) by Valerie Perrin

Despite mostly revolving around a cemetery, this is about life and above all love. Violette is keeper at the cemetery in a small French town. Filled with grief she finds peace in the confidences and companionship of fellow workers and visitors, together with her garden. However the arrival of one visitor disrupts this quiet rhythm and challenges her to open up her heart. The book has enormous charm with characters and places readily visualised.
(bwl 99 Winter 2021)

Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore

Better known for her short stories perhaps, Lorrie Moore's writing continues to be both lyrical and funny as it looks at domestic USA. We follow the outsider, Tassie, who, to support herself while at college, looks after an African-American toddler, adopted by a strange, sophisticated couple with a hidden secret. Tassie feels more and more a stranger at home because of her experiences, intensified by the mystery surrounding her boyfriend.
(bwl 54 November 2009)

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid storytelling mostly about the lives of some black women, spanning a century to contemporary Britain. The protagonists have different social and cultural backgrounds but despite the struggles, including those of race and feminism, much feels positive with a sense of supportive togetherness. There is the joy and laughter of shared time and memories. However, I still find the plural pronoun used for a single binary individual cumbersome. (Not a large feature thankfully).
(bwl 97 Summer 2020)

Glister by John Burnside

Innertown: isolated, forgotten, its chemical factory - which has poisoned the landscape and the inhabitants - is decommissioned; teenagers play and hunt in its expanses; boys disappear, the authorities, without any evidence, claim they have run away; the town policeman knows otherwise; then there is the mysterious Glister. Narrated through the eyes of teenager, Leonard - clever, sensitive and frightened - Burnside, with his poet's voice, creates in the strange landscape a dark and haunting beauty.
(bwl 49 January 2009)

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

A disconcerting book as nothing is as it seems to be. It opens as a thriller but then becomes more a tale of a disintegrating marriage. The story has two narrators - the husband and wife - giving very different perspectives. It is very dark and its twists and turns endlessly surprise or shock. A powerful and well written story, not for the faint hearted, but neither protagonist won my affection - as probably intended.
(bwl 69 Summer 2013)

Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood

Atwood takes on Shakespeare's The Tempest. The play about imprisonment, revenge, forgiveness and enchantment is to be produced by the inmates of a modern prison. The director, not an inmate, grieves over the death of his daughter and from this stems his creativity, together with his vengeful desire to expose the corruption of those in power. Atwood's interpretation covers the themes of the original. You may miss the glorious Shakespearian language but it is a terrific read.
Ed Note: This is the fourth in the Hogarth Shakespeare series of modern interpretations, following Jeanette Winterson's The Gap of Time (The Winter's Tale), Howard Jacobson's Shylock is my Name (The Merchant of Venice) and Anne Tyler's Vinegar Girl (The Taming of the Shrew)
(bwl 83 Winter 2017)

Head Gardeners by Ambra Edwards - photographs by Charlie Hopkinson

This is a gem about the unsung heroes of gardens ranging from the likes of Sissinghurst to the rooftop of the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Fourteen personal profiles offer differing insights into each gardener and the variety of roles he/she may undertake from artist, project manager, conservationist to social worker. You get a real sense of the healing power of plants and trees and of the gruelling work involved in a garden's upkeep.
(bwl 95 Winter 2020)

Here on Earth: A Twin Biography of the Planet and the Human Race by Tim Flannery

This Australian zoologist and environmentalist takes a look at the history of the earth and mankind, believing that the understanding of the nature of each might provide a more optimistic future for the world. He supports the naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, who saw cooperation rather than Darwin's fierce competition. However, he warns that we must "strive to love one another and to love our planet as much as we love ourselves". Is that possible?
(bwl 64 Spring 2012)

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie

The novel's main themes are identity, conflicting localities, love and politics. Classical stories seem to be influencing contemporary writers at the moment and Shamsie references Sophocles' Antigone in a sister's desire to bury her brother after he is declared a traitor at whatever cost to herself. Shamsie takes on the difficult subject of radicalisation and handles it with much understanding and care. It is a thought provoking novel that is also very readable.
(bwl 89 Summer 2018)

How to Paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall

There are four threads to this novel - two in Umbria in the 1960s where a famous artist (Morandi?) is reaching the end of his life and a young flower seller's increasing blindness leaves her very vulnerable. In contemporary Britain a sculptor who has corresponded with the artist faces middle age and his daughter grieves recklessly for the death of her twin. It also meditates on art and creativity which slows the story but not too much.
(bwl 69 Summer 2013)

In Memoriam by Alice Winn

Two young men at public school dare not declare their true feelings for each other. Boys are predated upon by older boys but that is accepted. However, they find moments of comfort together when surrounded by the horrors of the trenches, death and the banality of WW I. Only towards the end of the book do they acknowledge their true feelings. Winn’s reading of other war writers, such as Pat Barker, has given her own writing great assurance
(bwl 109 Summer 2023)

In the Name of the Family by Sarah Dunant

Following Blood and Beauty (bwl 73), Dunant continues her story of the Borgias. While age lessens Pope Alexander's power, his son, Cesare, rampages through Italy gaining land and power. Lucrezia, though still young, is a 'political' bride for the third time. Machiavelli now has a role and the constant scheming will provide him with much for his own writing. Dunant enthrals this reader with her interpretation of the history and her research into even the smallest details of daily life.
(bwl 85 Summer 2017)

Inside the Wave by Helen Dunmore

Dunmore was known as a novelist and poet but this, her final collection of poems, was the first I had read. It was by my bedside for many months. She faced death from cancer and explored the path towards it, caught inside the wave of living and dying. I was moved by her words and the simple beauty of her language. In the final poem, death gathers her up like a mother would a small child. I hope it was like that.
(Helen Dunmore died in June 2017.)
(bwl 93 Summer 2019)

Letters to Camondo by Edmund de Waal

This sensitive author reveals the history of Moise de Camondo, a wealthy Jewish art collector, and his descendants with links to de Waal's own Ephrussi family. He does this through imaginary personal letters to the dead Camondo who was originally from Constantinople. He became part of Parisian high society, embracing its culture and freedom only to have his descendants murdered in concentration camps in WWII. The letters are reflections on family, history, collections and the desire to belong.
(bwl 101 Summer 2021)

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

As the Civil War rages President Lincoln grieves for his young son, Willie, and visits the crypt. His grief and their mutual love trap Willie in the bardo* where we meet a veritable cast of 'ghosts'. I appreciated Saunders' creativity, humour and found it very moving in places. However, I did not thoroughly enjoy the book. The style felt mostly like a script and perhaps unusually an audio version would have resonated better with me.
*Bardo is a transitional realm in Tibetan culture rather like purgatory.
(bwl 100 Spring 2021)

Lion Heart by Justin Cartwright

Maybe too many threads to this novel with family, spying, politics and romances/affairs, together with the interweaving of Richard the Lionheart's return from the Holy Land and the relic of the Holy Cross. Richie Cathar seeks to understand his father, his relationship with his 'true love', Noor, and subsequent lovers and is an overly self-absorbed character for me. However, Cartwright does write well and reminds us how long our 'interference' in the Middle East has been.
(bwl 71 Winter 2014)

Lucky by Alice Sebold

A difficult book to recommend because it is about rape. Alice Sebold tells of the brutal university rape which transformed her innocent life. It tells of her struggle to come to terms with what happened to her, the effect on her relationship with family and friends and her determination to get her attacker convicted for the crime. It is a disturbing book but reveals the strength of the human spirit.
(bwl 17 February 2003)

Matrix by Lauren Groff

The book is an imagining of the life of the medieval poet, Marie de France, ejected from court life and sent to a remote, impoverished royal English abbey. She transforms it through leadership, ambition and 'visions', aiming for a feminist utopia. The daily life, trials and tribulations are magnificently described but I found I had reservations, perhaps the present tense, lack of variation in tone and slightly Marie herself.
(bwl 105 Summer 2022)

Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty

A winter break tests the fault lines of a long marriage. It is an intimate study of an ordinary marriage marked by an earlier event. Solace is sought along divergent paths - one spiritual and the other that of alcohol. The book, like life, is happy, sad, funny and very serious. The writing was faultless, filled with sympathy for its characters, and the ending thoughtful. The impact was more profound than I imagined at first.
(bwl 88 Spring 2018)

Milkman by Anna Burns

Through the young female narrator you sense the destructive force that male violence, fear, unfounded rumour and enforced boundaries can have on a community during 'The Troubles' of the 1970s. The worst thing is to be noticed, as she is through reading while walking (!) and the unwanted attention of an older paramilitary man. I was amused by its dark humour and, after the initial adjustment to the style, completely drawn in by the narrator's voice.
(bwl 91 Winter 2019)

Monster Love by Carol Topolski

The topic is difficult (child murder by deliberate neglect) but treated by a better author it would have made an interesting if not enjoyable read. For me it left a bitter aftertaste. The book uses different voices to tell the story but the drama is served up early and not maintained sufficiently.
(bwl 50 March 2009)

Nocturnes: Five stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro

Ishiguro's first venture into short story writing and the writing is as elegant as ever. The stories are about relationships not music per se and the sadness within each is tempered with moments of comedy. The book also looks at what makes a success (celebrity) today - a facelift or a younger woman perhaps. I have enjoyably dipped into it more than once.
(bwl 57 Summer 2010)

Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout

Strout likes to revisit her characters in this case the indomitable Lucy Barton, recently widowed and reconnecting again with her first husband, William. You feel like a confidante as she muses on their life together, the pain at the end of their marriage and their subsequent lives. A family secret of William's leads them to explore what we know (or not know) about those closest to us. Without any flourishes, it is a truly absorbing read.
(bwl 103 Winter 2022)

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

A poignant and compassionate novella of ignorance, innocence and unspoken words. The tragic consequence of being unable to articulate thoughts and fears. McEwan creates the early 60's period with clarity, drawing you in with the description of the hotel room in the beginning. He elicits your empathy towards the two main characters and you suffer with them, perhaps looking back at times when you felt the same inability, to whatever extent, to share your feelings.
(bwl 40 June 2007)

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

By the Thames in midwinter a pub is filled with storytellers. A drenched, wounded man, holding an apparently dead child arrives. This provides them with their next story and ours. The child, not dead after all but not speaking, is claimed by different people whose stories we hear. The story flows fast and slow, twisting like the river itself. I was captivated by the writing and the atmosphere Setterfield created.
(bwl 93 Summer 2019)

Palestinian Walks - Notes on a vanishing landscape by Raja Shehadeh

These walks around Ramallah, Jerusalem and the ravines by the Dead Sea span 26 years and as you accompany this human rights lawyer on these journeys you experience the transformation from hills of olive groves and orchards to one of Jewish settlements, the Wall and what it means to the displaced Palestinian farmers to lose this 'biblical' land. He understands the damage to ordinary people and is frustrated by his own helplessness when faced with injustice.
(bwl 49 January 2009)

Perfect Hostage: A Life of Aung San Suu Kyi by Justin Wintle

Not a straightforward biography. Instead her father's and her own life are used to describe the history of modern Burma/Myanmar. The book covers the important details of her life and her tragic involvement in the country's politics. It makes it clear that the campaign for democracy was not due to one-person (her) and makes an interesting/controversial point that perhaps her Buddhist pacifism prevented the 1988 rising from being forceful enough.
(bwl 56 Spring 2010)

Playing Sardines by Michèle Roberts

A 'delicious' collection of short stories written with a poet's eye for language and imagery. 'Delicious' because food is a theme in some of the stories, along with obsession, jealousy and the anticipation of a loved one's return. Her descriptions of food, food stalls, the countryside are so intense that you both see and smell everything. The collection is diverse, as though gathered in a basket. Savour it!
(bwl 10 August 2001)

Prince of the Clouds by Gianni Riotta

(translated by Stephen Sartarelli) I did wonder whether I would enjoy a book that included military strategy as part of its story but I loved it. It is an elegantly written book that combines romance and the attempt to apply military strategy to life. Set in Sicily after the war, the main protagonist (Count Terzo) is a military scholar who cares for his mysterious wife and becomes embroiled in the affair of two young lovers and the politics of the island.
(bwl 16 December 2002)

Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

The third in his cycle of novels is again set around the Sempere & Sons bookshop. Set in 1957 a man enters the bookshop, buys and inscribes the most expensive book. This sets in train the back story of imprisonment and betrayal. Not the magic of the first book but the gothic atmosphere, characters and story are entertaining and absorbing - Fermin is a treat. More to come.
(bwl 66 Autumn 2012)

Rapture by Carol Ann Duffy

A book of poetry that follows the early rapture of a new love affair through to the sadness at its end. You almost feel you want to read it through in one go as you follow the path of the relationship. Beautifully constructed and accessible poems that completely absorbed me. Her name has been put forward as a potential poet laureate but don't be put off by that!

* Winner of the 2005 T.S. Eliot Prize
(bwl 49 January 2009)

Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler

Tyler has the unfailing ability to tenderly observe the tiny details of ordinary lives and make them so interesting that you care about the characters. Micah leads a happily ordered, if somewhat OCD, existence until his 'lady friend' deserts him - understandable to the reader but not to Micah. Then the son of a former girlfriend arrives on the doorstep to unravel his life even more. The ending is hopeful which pleased me greatly.
(bwl 97 Summer 2020)

School for Love by Olivia Manning

Reissued, a great read about ordinary people caught up in the drama of Jerusalem in 1945. Waiting for passage to England the recently orphaned Felix Latimer arrives from Bagdad to board with the dreadful Miss Bohun, She is an Ever-Readie, supposed to offer charity and love, but she is completely avaricious, making life miserable for her boarders. Mrs. Ellis, a pregnant young widow, moves into the house and disrupts everything.
(bwl 62 Autumn 2011)

Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron

Thubron took me on another long, fascinating journey. This time we follow some 7,000 miles of the old silk route, starting in the heart of China. This is a 21st century traveller meeting the ancient world. It is full of (mis)adventures, endurance and compassion, all of which are described in his beautiful writing. This book benefits from time set aside for a longer read - rather than a page or two at bedtime - if possible.
(bwl 111 Winter 2022)

Skios by Michael Frayn

I am not a great fan of farce but Frayn is a master of the genre. Once you accept the initial preposterous mistaken identity - in these days of Google more than unlikely - there is a delightful dig at the lecture circuit that academics (and others) so love. The gullibility of the audience as they listen to nonsense is amusing and the book is full of twists and turns. Ideal light-hearted holiday reading perhaps but I'm still not a total convert.
(bwl 65 Summer 2012)

So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan

My introduction to Keegan was reading Small Things like These. She can stun you with the clarity of her writing. Not for her lengthy, flowery descriptions but place and characters are carefully drawn. In this novella the narrative takes place over one day. A man, Cathal, reflects on a relationship, time shared and what might have been. The reveal at the end is perfect but awful.
(bwl 111 Winter 2024)

Sophie and the Sibyl (A Victorian Romance) by Patricia Duncker

The Sibyl ( George Eliot), Max Duncker* (German publishing house), and the beautiful 18 year old Sophie von Hahn. The latter suspects that, despite the narrator's emphasis on the Sybil's age and ugliness, Max has completely fallen under her spell. Max is trying to secure German rights to Middlemarch (another three-way relationship). Duncker deliberately interrupts the story with her narrator's asides but these distracted me from the characters and storyline, despite being entertaining and informative.
Ed. note: The German publishing house, Duncker, did publish some of Eliot's work but Patricia Duncker is not related. The surname simply inspired the novel.
(bwl 78 Autumn 2015)

Stop What You're Doing and Read This by Authors Various

Ten essays that discuss the experience of reading - how it can help us to understand ourselves and the universe in which we live. The pleasure we get from reading and the transformation it can make to our lives. The authors come from different backgrounds and experiences but share the passionate belief in the importance of reading to improve the quality of life. Preaching to the converted on this site perhaps but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Ed's Note: The authors are: Carmen Callil; Nicholas Carr; Jane Davis; Mark Haddon; Blake Morrison; Tim Parks; Michael Rosen; Zadie Smith; Jeanette Winterson; Maryanne Wolf and Mirit Barzillai
(bwl 65 Summer 2012)

Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan

Set in the 70s when Britain was suffering industrial unrest and terrorism, beautiful Serena finds herself in the world of espionage, albeit in a rather low-key way as she 'adopts' an aspiring young writer. The terrific twist at the end did not compensate for my lack of enthusiasm for the general story and the intrusion of real people in the story, knowing references to Martin Amis, Tom Maschler, etc. But the writing is good.
(bwl 67 Winter 2013)

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin

This is the story of Anne Morrow Lindbergh and her marriage to the iconic Charles Lindbergh from its magical beginning, through the heartbreak of their child's kidnap and death, and the years that followed. You really see into her heart; her love of her deeply flawed hero/husband and finally her search for independence. I think that Benjamin captured Morrow's voice and the period through which she lived, taking her well out of her husband's shadow.
(bwl 77 Summer 2015)

The Casual Vacancy by J K Rowling

Pretty Pagford wants nothing to do with its ugly, urban neighbour, Yarvil, and its particularly awful council estate, The Fields, but it must when a councillor dies. The novel starts slowly but Rowling creates a medley of characters as these two worlds clash. No fantasy in this novel instead the familiar cry of lack of money for services. Her young characters are particularly vivid and play the most dramatic parts in the story. Not simple entertainment.
(bwl 67 Winter 2013)

The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater

A glorious appreciation and evocation of winter and Christmas. The book includes personal memories, historical facts, anecdotes and recipes. His pleasure in Christmases past and present is infectious. I was amused by his dislike (somewhat shared) of e-cards. I was utterly caught up in the sights, sounds and smells of these months. Also there is the bonus of additional, delicious recipes to try. I have noted to start reading it again in November this year!
(bwl 87 Winter 2018)

The Collini Case by Ferdinand von Schirach

Translated by Anthea Bell.
Despite knowing who the murderer is this is a taut thriller where a young lawyer tries to defend the inexplicable, vicious murder of a German business man by an Italian. The defendant will admit his guilt but not why. A major part of the story takes place in a court room, as the lawyer painstakingly seeks an answer. Additionally, he knew the murdered man and is in love with his daughter. An absorbing read.

Ed's Note: Ferdinand von Schirach is a lawyer and his book played a part in the setting up of a German Ministry of Justice Committee to look at the effects of the Nazi past on the current state of the Ministry.
(bwl 71 Winter 2014)

The Cut Out Girl: A Story of War and Family, Lost and Found by Bart van Es

The author seeks to discover the truth about the unexplained rift between his family and the Jewish girl, Lien, fostered by his grandparents during and after the WWII. It is about holocaust survival, Dutch resistance and collaboration, as well as how a childhood spent hiding your identity may define your life. The conversations between the author and Lien lead to understanding, reconciliation and shared affection. The writing is sensitive, gentle and non-judgmental. A worthwhile read.
(This won the Costa 2018 Biography award and the Costa Book of the Year 2018)
(bwl 92 Spring 2019)

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

This was a best seller in France probably because of its philosophical bent. It is full of eccentric characters, particularly the two narrators - Renée, the concierge who hides her intellect and aesthetic leanings behind her prickly exterior, and Paloma, a precocious 12-year-old 'philosopher'. For me the book came alive with the arrival of Kakuro Ozu. It will either charm or annoy you, or perhaps both.
(translated from the French by Alison Anderson)
(bwl 57 Summer 2010)

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim

Published in 1922 after the author had spent a month in an Italian Castello overlooking the Ligurian Sea, you imagine that she was so entranced by the views, colours and scents that she had to share these with readers. Four disparate women, previously unknown to each other, rent a castle for a holiday away from their rather joyless lives. Initially there are petty misunderstandings but slowly their lives are transformed by this adventure and happiness is regained. A charming holiday read.
(bwl 109 Summer 2023)

The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree(Translated from Farsi. The translator's name has been withheld by Shokoofeh Azar

Banned in Iran, the book follows one family's struggle after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, as related by the ghost of a daughter burned to death when zealots entered the house in Tehran. They escape to the countryside for sanctuary. As the title suggests the book is full of magical realism and the author's deep understanding of Persian folklore. So much so that I found these aspects overwhelmed the story. Deeply imaginatively written but flawed for me.
Ed's Note: Shortlisted for the 2020 International Booker
(bwl 98 Autumn 2020)

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng

There are so many threads to this book - memory and its loss, war, gardens, art, archery and tattooing - but the author draws you in with his skilful writing, contrasting descriptions and sometimes Zen atmosphere. Yun Ling experienced the brutality of a Japanese camp in which her sister died and subsequently helped to prosecute war criminals. The story unfolds with her dilemma of working with a famous Japanese gardener to create a garden in her sister's memory.
(bwl 66 Autumn 2012)

The Hero's Way: Walking with Garibaldi from Rome to Ravenna by Tim Parks

It is uncertain that I would have read a straightforward account of Garibaldi's retreat from Rome with Anita and his 'patriots' in 1849 but I really enjoyed experiencing the past and the present as the author and his partner follow in Garibaldi's footsteps. I learned so much about Garibaldi's determination, courage and strategic thinking during this difficult march with his loyal supporters alongside the Italian landscape, the people, their lives and the aches and pains of hiking.
(bwl 102 Autumn 2021)

The Hiding Game by Naomi Wood

An artist in 1980's England begins a figurative self portrait, so different from his usual abstracts. Thus he reflects on his life, particularly as a Bauhaus student in Weimar. A tight group forms in the almost cult-like atmosphere of the school, against the backdrop of rising Nazism. He remembers the love, betrayal and wilful ignorance that caused so much pain, most of all his obsession with a fellow student. A timely read for the Bauhaus centenary.
(bwl 94 Autumn 2019)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Food for thought in this - do we own our cells? A story of tissues taken from a poor black woman without her consent or her family's knowledge. Her cancer cells aided and continue to aid research - hence her immortality. They created an industry but her family was and is too poor for healthcare plans in the USA. A mixture of scientific discovery and ethics together with research about Henrietta, her life and family.
(bwl 60 Spring 2011)

The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild

The novelist is steeped in the art world and her knowledge shines in this 'satirical' book about it. Part love story, part research adventure to discover the creator of a painting (the painting has a voice) and part cooking spree, it is filled (too much?) with exuberant characters. Ultimately Rothschild makes a strong case for the power and beauty of art to provide solace and joy but the novel was not totally satisfying for me.
(bwl 81 Summer 2016)

The Innocent by Ian McEwan

I bought this tale of surveillance and love for a trip to Berlin. Leonard Marnham, the innocent, is a minor pawn in the games between West and East but discovers freedom and love in the divided city. It is very atmospheric of the period, both in place and people, but in the central twist I had to skip pages - too squeamish. The ending allows for a happier conclusion of the story.
(bwl 69 Summer 2013)

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

This is a beautifully expressed, emotional novel that held me in its magic. It is set in London now and in Cyprus at the time when the divisions between Turks and Greeks on the island increased and became horribly violent. It tells of a deep lasting love, trauma, displacement and grief through its main protagonists and a fig tree. Nature plays an important part in the novel. Shafak enchanted me again.
(bwl 106 Autumn 2022)

The Lady and the Monk: Four Seasons in Kyoto by Pico Iyer

Iyer goes to Japan to learn about Zen and to see if his romantic ideas about it are true. He meets Sachiko who dreams of all things American and through her begins to make sense of the contradictions of ancient and modern, East and West. First published in 1991 it seems a bit dated now but is still an enjoyable read.
(bwl 52 July 2009)

The Little Stranger by Sarah Walters

Whilst Walters evoked the period beautifully, I did find it slow. A measured unraveling of the story was probably supposed to be a virtue, but it was too much for me. The study of the Ayres trying to maintain standards that were no longer possible was sensitively drawn, as were the other characters. Supernatural events maintained the sense of unease but had it been written by a lesser author, I might not have got to the end.
(bwl 59 Winter 2011)

The Lost Spells by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris

This follows the enormous success of The Lost Words and is its 'little sister'. With extremely beautiful illustrations this is a book to be dipped into and read aloud to others or quietly to yourself. Morris's illustrations and Macfarlane's verses complement each other perfectly. I cannot wait to share it with our grandchildren or anyone else who cares to leaf through it when we are allowed visitors again.
(bwl 100 Spring 2021)

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

An imagining of the brief life of Lucrezia de’ Medici which is full of rich descriptions of the dress, jewels and life in the ducal palaces of Renaissance Italy. We follow her through childhood and early marriage of convenience to Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara. She is a pawn in powerful dynasties and the need for an heir. O’Farrell has distorted historical facts for a modern reading of the heroine, but it is an entrancing read. (The title refers to Robert Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’.)
(bwl 107 Winter 2023)

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

The horrors of the Burma Railway are unflinchingly related, as Dorrigo Evans, surgeon and senior officer, tries to save his men. However it is more about the deep shadow this casts on his life and that of others who survived. Meanwhile the Japanese Commander tenaciously avoids capture as a war criminal. Another important thread is the love story that continues throughout the book. A complex book that is difficult to define in a few words.
(bwl 75 Winter 2015)

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The setting is WWII in Nazi-occupied France and tells the stories of Vianne and Isabelle, two sisters with very different personalities and how they each respond in such dreadful times. Both are brave in different ways - rebellious Isabelle impetuously joins the resistance early on and Vianne is finally driven to risk her own life and her daughter's to save others. The descriptions of the brutality of the occupation and the concentration camps are heartrending but ultimately love and friendship shine through.
I understand that Isabelle's character is based on the late Andrée de Jongh (1916-2007) who repeatedly risked her life helping British and American servicemen escape on foot from Nazi-occupied Belgium and France.
(bwl 77 Summer 2015)

The Parisian by Isabella Hammad

This debut historical novel is drawn from family stories. Midhat Kamal leaves Palestine to study to become a doctor in Montpelier during WW1. He falls irrevocably in love but, feeling betrayed, he leaves for the hotbed of Paris. Returning to Palestine, he remains an outsider - the Parisian. Through him and an interesting cast of characters we experience the beginning of Palestine's fight for an independent state. It is so imaginatively written with its many layers demanding concentration.
(bwl 99 Winter 2021)

The Pedant in the Kitchen by Julian Barnes

This started as a series of articles in the Guardian Review and for that reason is better in small bites than consumed whole. Written with style and humour it will resonate with anyone who, unsure of their cooking skills and knowledge, seeks precision in recipe books. An entertaining alternative to yet another recipe book, perhaps.
(bwl 22 February 2004)

The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason

A debut novel with echoes of Conrad. The 19th C journey of a piano tuner to the depths of the Burmese jungle to repair a piano owned by a British Surgeon Major who uses poetry, medicine and music to quell uprisings, much to his superiors' unease. You follow the journey through Europe, the Red Sea, India and finally to Burma where the adventure really begins and the piano tuner's life is turned on its head.
(bwl 17 February 2003)

The Post Office Girl by Stefan Zweig

Christine lives in financial and emotional poverty in post WW I Austria. A rich aunt takes her to Switzerland where she temporarily experiences extreme wealth and freedom. She is transformed but then is suddenly returned to her former empty existence. She meets Ferdinand whose life has also been ruined by the war. There seems no hope for them so they consider suicide but take another route. Beautifully written but could be shorter perhaps.
(bwl 53 September 2009)

The Potter's Hand by A N Wilson

Inspired to read this by a visit to the Wedgwood Museum, I was not as engrossed as I hoped I would be. As a novelist is allowed, the author introduced invented characters alongside those that were real but he also altered dates and rearranged historical events with which I was less comfortable. However, it provides a fascinating insight into the Wedgwood family, Josiah's interest in science, radical ideas and his search for the perfect pot.
(bwl 73 Summer 2014)

The Sentimentalist by Johanna Skibsrud

A debut novel by a Canadian author about the devastating effect war (Vietnam) can have on someone and his family. When her own life falls apart, a daughter tries to learn the truth about her father before his memory fails. She shares a house with her father and the father of his friend who was killed where she has happy childhood memories. Skibsrud is a war veteran's daughter and brings her understanding to the novel.
(bwl 62 Autum 2011)

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Not a natural reader of crime novels I was intrigued by this book but found it pretty baffling until near the end. Set in a remote, large but decrepit country house, the main character wakes up in the body of a different party guest each day as he tries to prevent a murder that has happened many times before. Turton has a vivid imagination and loves Agatha Christie. I could admire the writing of this complicated plot but it wasn't really for me.
(bwl 93 Summer 2019)

The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste

Set in Ethiopia the book begins and ends with a box of photographs. In 1934 there are domestic tensions between Hirut, her employer, Kidane, and his wife, Aster. The story segues into the war between colonising Italians and the Ethiopian soldiers, both men and women. Often surprisingly lyrical in parts and devastatingly cruel in others, Hirut's resilience and dignity shine through. The photographer, an Italian Jew, forms a major part of the story too. A fascinating historical read.
(bwl 100 Spring 2021)

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

The siege of Troy is viewed from the perspective of captured women. The main voice is that of Briseis, a queen who becomes Achilles' prize, an object to be used and abused. Barker tells of the women's experiences in the camp, their mutual support and fears. She truly brings alive the chaos and boredom of the encampment. However, as Briseis says, this is still Achilles' story. Troy stands for all wars where women are so treated, including today. A wonderful read.
(bwl 91 Winter 2019)

The Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende

Her father's abandonment of her mother and his children sets the course for Allende's feminism. She meditates on what it means to be a woman and what women want, such as to be safe, valued and loved. She hopes the book will 'light a torch' linking our daughters and granddaughters with those women already striving for these things and more. Allende writes with the compassion and the insight that comes with age, perhaps, and humour.
(bwl 103 Winter 2022)

The Story of a Life (Books 1-3) by Konstanin Paustovsky - trans. by Douglas Smith

An engrossing autobiography covering the childhood and early manhood of this Russian author, previously unknown to me. The writing is intense and filled with vivid depictions of the countryside, cities and characters he meets during a tumultuous period of Russian history including WW1 and the violence leading to the Russian Revolution of 1917. Poignantly for a reader now, he was educated in Kiev/Kyiv and returned as a journalist. Despite all, you sense his love for Mother Russia.
(bwl 106 Autumn 2022)

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Like many others I had waited a long time for Atwood to complete the written story of Gilead. After the TV series I think she chose well to choose three different voices, rather than simply follow June. Aunt Lydia is a powerful, disturbing presence throughout. Is she merely self-serving? The story rattles along but the ending is a little too neat a resolution. Perhaps because she chooses optimism - tyrannies are brought down by resistance.
(bwl 95 Winter 2020)

The Time of the Doves by Merce Rodereda

Merce Rodereda is a highly regarded Catalan author who fled to France after the Spanish Civil War when the Catalan language was suppressed. She began writing again in the 1950s. The book spans some 30 years, including the Civil War, as seen through the eyes of the main character, Natalia, an ordinary woman. You share her experiences as she survives in a difficult time. A beautifully written, descriptive book with Barcelona as the backdrop - the doves in the title do not bring the peace with which we associate them.
(bwl 37 December 2006)

The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist

(Translated from Swedish by Marlaine Delargy)
This novel is set in the near future where those without families, or who no longer play a useful role in society, are sent to the Unit where they serve society by taking part in experiments and donating organs. To her surprise, the lonely heroine, Dorrit, finds companionship and comfort (albeit constantly watched). She accepts her fate until she falls in love when life seems precious. A critique of societies that value economics above humanity.
(bwl 55 Winter 2010)

The Winter Vault by Anne Michaels

I loved her poetic writing and the philosophical musings interweaving the story although some may find its meandering irritating. As well as being a story of love and loss, she considers the effect of the dislocation of people from their roots and memories through the building of the Aswan Dam, the St. Lawrence seaway and the destruction of Warsaw in WW II. A melancholic book about ordinary but extraordinary people but one that ends in hope.
(bwl 53 September 2009)

The Year without Summer by Guinevere Glasfurd

The eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia was cataclysmic with floods, droughts, wildfires, summer snow, as well as civil unrest in the world. Glasfurd uses the stories of six individuals, both real and fictional, to explore this horrific event. It is a grim tale but with moments of light. Glasfurd wants to remind us of the potential climate catastrophe to which we may be heading. Some may not enjoy its episodic nature but I did.
(bwl 98 Summer 2020)

Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata

A short novel in which the main protagonist, Kikuji Mitani, reflects on his dead father's love life and becomes embroiled in the machinations of his father's mistresses and his love of the tea ceremony. Passive in character, he thoughtlessly has an affair with one of the mistresses and then her daughter whilst also being drawn to a proposed bride. Told with restraint and sensitivity.
(bwl 52 July 2009)

Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro

Another book of short stories, darker with hints of menace which reveal how we all deal with what life throws at us. The final story takes Munro away from her familiar Canadian landscape as she weaves a tale about Sophia Kovalevsky, the 19C female Russian mathematician who immigrated to Sweden. I found this particularly fascinating as it was a departure for her. The stories and writing are as good as ever.
(bwl 60 Spring 2011)

Trespass by Rose Tremain

Worlds are breaking apart. Anthony Verey thinks he can rescue his life by moving to France to be near his sister but her lover, Kitty, believes this will threaten their relationship. Verey chooses a 'mas' with a huge crack. It is owned by the alcoholic Aramon Lunel whose sister is condemned to live in an unlovely modern house nearby. The back stories of the protagonists point to disaster. As always Tremain is a good read.
(bwl 57 Summer 2010)

Vanishing and other Stories by Deborah Willis

I think Deborah Willis is a young Canadian writer to watch - rather in the vein of Alice Munro. This group of short stories gives readers insights into the moments that ordinary people share and the randomness with which people come and go in our lives. The stories are well crafted and I enjoyed every one. I look forward to reading more of her work.
(bwl 59 Winter 2011)

Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd

Set in Vienna just before WW I and then in London, France and Geneva during that war, this book is full of period atmosphere as the protagonist, Lysander, gets caught up in espionage with all its subterfuge. Personal dramas begin and run parallel to the main thriller aspect of the story with a side helping of psychiatry - it being Vienna. A page-turner and intriguing but I was uncertain about some of the characters.
(bwl 65 Summer 2012)

When the Lights Go Out by Carys Bray

Chris and Emma care deeply about social issues and climate change but, while Chris obsesses about the big issues and stockpiles food and medicine, Emma deals with more manageable local and domestic ones. Their marriage disintegrates as the rain falls constantly. Through their back stories we empathise with the characters and a marriage that is fiercely tested. Bray is a lapsed Mormon and loss of faith is also integral to the story. A book for our time.
(bwl 99 Winter 2021)

Windswept: Why Women Walk by Annabel Abbs

Women have always walked – out of Africa and searching for food, water and shelter. However, post-industrial societies confined women more. Abbs, whilst searching for her own reasons for walking, follows the paths of seven very different women who broke with convention and walked in ‘the wilds’. Did they escape into freedom of thought and to gain a sense of belonging in the landscape? Who can say but it was essential to them. Fascinating and a beautiful, meditative read.
(bwl 110 Autumn 2023)