A Life of the Twentieth Century by Irene Even

I firmly believe that we should never criticise others until we have a walked in their shoes. Do you recall that saying?

Born into a free and democratic Country in the twentieth Century I can not imagine what life was like as Europe was drawn into another war. I can not imagine waking up, living and going to bed scared, hungry and living all the time wondering who it is safe to trust. Neither can I imagine making decisions, that when it became clear they were the wrong ones, being forced to endure life with those poor choices, made out of desperation.

As I read this book which is a true account of the author's life, although the names have been changed and the book is written in the third person, I was often in awe of how the author managed to live with those decisions. How did she keep her emotions in check as she grieved for her parents and the loss of her free existence?

I get a sense that the book has been toned down from the horrors that she would have observed. The patience that was exhibited to her husband is overwhelming and I am quite sure he deserved none of it. The decisions to move to Canada and to go into teaching, to follow her dreams.

Having got to the end of the book I wasn't sure I could compose a coherent review. I am a reflector and felt that I needed to think about the book after I had read it. None of us can truly imagine how the author's life was. In fact we can not be sure that this book encapsulates her life entirely, only what she chose to share with the readers.

Overall I enjoyed the book, I loved how the characters evolved and I felt that they had been bought to life, so that I cared and felt a variety of emotions with them all.

To see what others thought about the book be sure to visit the other book tour participants

March 2 - Working Mommy Journal - review / giveaway
March 2 - Elizabeth McKenna Romance Author - book spotlight / giveaway
March 3 - Deal Sharing Aunt - book spotlight
March 3 - Celticlady's Reviews - book spotlight
March 3 - Girl With Camera - review / giveaway
March 4 - Keenly Kristin - review / giveaway
March 4 - Bound 4 Escape - review
March 5 - Life as Leels - review
March 5 - The Things We Read - review
March 5 - A Universe in Words - book spotlight
March 6 - A Soccer Mom's Book Blog - review / giveaway
March 6 - Green and Glassie - review / author interview / giveaway
March 9 - StoreyBook Reviews - book spotlight / giveaway
March 9 - Booknerd - review
March 10 - Readers' Muse - review
March 10 - Nighttime Reading Center - review / author interview / giveaway
March 11 - The World As I See It - review / giveaway
March 11 - View From the Birdhouse - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
March 12 - Confessions of a Reader - author interview
March 12 - Luxury Reading - review / author interview / giveaway
March 13 - Unshelfish - review / giveaway
March 13 - Library of Clean Reads - review

​March 13 

- Historical Tapestry - review / author interview

A Life of the Twentieth Century is available from Amazon

Interview with Irene Even, author of A Life of the Twentieth Century

Today Historical Tapestry brings to you an author interview from Irene Even.

A Life of the Twentieth Century is written in the third person and fictional names, but all events and places are true. This is Irene's life story.

1) Why did you decide to write a memoir?

The writing of my memoir wasn't so much a decision but a natural follow up to a life that needed a rational interpretation of all that I have lived through.

2) Was it difficult to remember some of the painful incidents of your childhood when writing the book?

My painful memories were hidden so deep inside of me that most of the time I was not aware of them. It wasn't until I sat in front of the computer that those hidden memories appeared to me on the screen as if ​it​ was a new revelation.

3) Would you consider your book inspirational?

I think that this book is inspirational on so many level​s​ as it points out that no matter what, you always have a choice. It is so easy to slip into the role of the victim, thereby remaining​ a victim. As I look at Aya the way she carries on under all circumstances, I see a very inspirational person​

4) How did you write your book? Did you first jot down all your ​memories​ or did you just decide to write and see what came of it?

The writing of my memoir was the most amazing experience ​for​ me because I had​ never ​known​ what I was going to write about once I set out to do it​. I never kept a diary or made notes; I just sat down in front of the computer and the story ended up​ writing itself, while I was only the facilitator as I worked the key board.

5) Why do you want people to read your story?

When I first wrote my story I didn't have readers in my mind, but now that the story is written I would like people to read it because it is a true and incredible story, even to me​.

6) Writing about past events and family members may cause hurt feelings. Did you worry about what your children would think when you wrote you​r story?

At first I didn't think of anything, because it wasn't clear to me exactly what I was going to write about. However, once the story was told it did occur to me how my children might​ react to it. But when the book was written showed it to them and it was okay.​

7) How long did it take you to write your memoir?

It took me about 4 years

Book Synopsis:

A Life of the Twentieth Century is the story of Aya, who lived through the loss of her parents before the age of 3. At the age of twelve she was sent to a boarding school in Budapest, that closed after one year, because the Nazi army marched into the city.

Aya was left totally alone to face the Nazi occupation, and to experience all the horrors of the war. She faced many life threatening situations, such as prison, bombardment or even the possibility of being executed on the spot, without really comprehending the gravity of it all.

The end of the war was supposed to mean liberation, the return of hope and freedom for most people, however it didn't happen for Aya, who was part of a youth group on her way to Palestine. The destination of this youth group was to reach Italy and the Jewish Brigade. They crossed the Alps on foot from Austria to reach Italy.

As they reached their destination Aya met a soldier from the Jewish Brigade, who was supposed to be her Hero, her Saviour, but turned out to be the devil incarnate. From day one, this soldier of the Jewish brigade took control of Aya's life when she was only 15 years old.

After divorce, destitute and once again alone, she had no direction and almost no hope, when from deep inside her a small voice said; go back to school. It took all her courage to apply to university, where she was accepted and after 5 year was granted a B.A. and a Diploma of Teaching. She spent the rest of her life teaching, and as she contemplated her life she said to herself that if she had had all the choices in the world, she would have chosen teaching.

Author's Bio:

Irene Even was born in Hungary. As a child she lived through the Second World War, using false papers to survive. After the war, she immigrated to Palestine, lived in a Kibbutz, then later married and immigrated to Canada with her family. She returned to Israel to teach English and remained there for twenty-two years. Having written her memoir, A Life of the Twentieth Century, she now lives in retirement in Montreal.

A life of the Twentieth Century is available from Amazon

A review of the book will be published tomorrow.

​.​

Image of author courtesy of Debra who blogs at Girl With Camera

Fact Fiction Friday ~ Anne Frank

Continuing our new and regular feature here at Historical Fiction.  

Each Friday we will publish an historical fact based upon the date. Each fact will be accompanied by a book(s) title and perhaps a review or other snippet.

20th June 1943. Today marks the anniversary of the German round up of the Jewish population in Amsterdam.

I visited Amsterdam in my early teens. That visit included amongst others a visit to Anne Frank's house. I was incredibly moved by the account of the war years in The Netherlands, the legacy she left behind.

So it will not be a surprise that I am going to suggest The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.


I am also going to suggest this book. The Hidden Life of Otto Frank, who was Anne's father who survived the war.

Fact Fiction Friday ~ The Titanic

Continuing our new and regular feature here at Historical Fiction.  

Each Friday we will publish an historical fact based upon the date. Each fact will be accompanied by a book(s) title and perhaps a review or other snippet.

11th April 1912 - RMS Titanic leaves Queenstown Ireland for New York.

Today I am going to feature this book; Titanic Survivor: The Memoirs of Violet Jessop, Stewardess

Fact Fiction Friday ~ Kraków Ghetto

Continuing our new and regular feature here at Historical Fiction.  

Each Friday we will publish an historical fact based upon the date. Each fact will be accompanied by a book(s) title and perhaps a review or other snippet.

14th March 1943 - Kraków Ghetto, one of the five biggest Ghetto's created in Poland by the Nazi regime was "liquidated"

One of the most horrific and yet memorable part of my degree in history was the visiting of one of the former camps. The silence, the desolation and the staunch reminder that so many people perished. Yet, some people, against all the odds survived and have been brave enough to record the life during this very dark part of European history.

Siege by David Humphry

As I said yesterday, I read this book back in 2007 when I obtained an early released, signed edition from the author.

Here are the details from the back cover:

"Manchester 1976. The oldest living Victoria Cross holder and the last survivor of three friends who went to do their duty for Queen and country in the Boer War collapses at a remembrance Sunday service. A young newspaper reporter is assigned to cover the story and is treated to a unique first hand insight of life before and during the siege of Ladysmith in a long forgotten war, fought over three quarters of a century earlier. Natal 1899. Britain and her empire are at war with the Boer republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State. Three old school friends, Privates Charlie Browell, Walter Shawcross and Frank Hoyland are involved in their first armed conflict which will leave one of them dead and another the proud recipient of Britain’s highest gallantry award, the Victoria Cross. As the twentieth century beckons, this last great imperial war will have far reaching consequences for many people including the three generations of the van Oppen family, riding on commando together in the service of the Transvaal Republic; Sarah Dyson, a volunteer nurse who finds love among death, disease and deprivation; Ada Dunkley, matriarch of a prominent Ladysmith family, left shattered by the tragedy of a murder of which and innocent man is accused and Joseph Ncube, a fifteen year old Zulu boy left disillusioned as his loyalty and courage are quickly forgotten after the siege is lifted."

The author is a member of the Boer War mailing list and a web page about the book is Here

Review:

A page turning story about a young reporter sent to interview the last surviving British soldier of the Boer War. The reporter sits and listens as the old soldier relives the moments and events of 1899. The stench of illness & death, the friendships which were so treasured because they could be snatched away through the events of war, the way the black South Africans who were unrewarded for their involvement in the war were treated, and of the nurses who cared for the soldiers against all odds.

Entwined through the story are three generations of South Africans who are fighting the same war, but on opposite sides and of how one of the medals of the eldest generation of this family came to be back in Manchester with the surviving British soldier.

A really enjoyable book, well researched, and will there be a sequel?......Very thought provoking to someone who has an ancestor who fought in the Boer War.

Fact Fiction Friday ~ Siege of LadySmith

Continuing our new and regular feature here at Historical Fiction.  

Each Friday we will publish an historical fact based upon the date. Each fact will be accompanied by a book(s) title and perhaps a review or other snippet.

28th February 1900 ~  The Second Boer War - 118 Day Siege of Ladysmith is lifted. The book to accompany the fact is Siege by David Humphry. 

I read this book back in 2007 when I obtained an early advance, signed copy. Pop back tomorrow when I will share my review of the book!

Animal Farm by George Orwell

My book group recently read this classic by George Orwell.

The reading of Animal Farm plunged me back to senior school. My English Lit class had this as one of our O-Level reads about the same time as we covered the Russian Revolution onwards period in the history O-Level Class. Our teacher for English Lit was an enthusiastic chap who really enabled us to see beyond a series of farm animals talking.

In many ways it gave a degree of concept to the political history of Russia at that time and the country it was to become. We truly have no idea of how frightening it must be to live in such a Country where there is no democracy. Where you work, live and believe what the regime tells you to, if you don't the consequences are harsh and so much more.

I wonder what prompted Orwell to write such a book. I know he spent time in India although he died here in England, but I would be interested to know what his catalyst was. Perhaps the stories of what was happening at the time simply prompted his creativity or was there more to it?

I was very surprised that the majority of the group had never read Animal Farm. Have you and did you enjoy it?

Fact Fiction Friday ~ Battle of Verdun

Continuing our new and regular feature here at Historical Fiction.  

Each Friday we will publish an historical fact based upon the date. Each fact will be accompanied by a book(s) title and perhaps a review or other snippet.

21st February 1916 ~ The Battle of Verdun begins in France in 1916. The battle was to last ten months, covering a front of 15 miles. More than 700,000 men died. The book to accompany the fact is this biography of The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916 by Alistair Horne.

Fact Fiction Friday ~ Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH!)

Continuing our new and regular feature here at Historical Fiction.  

Each Friday we will publish an historical fact based upon the date. Each fact will be accompanied by a book(s) title and perhaps a review or other snippet.

14th February 1852 ~ Great Ormond Street Hospital became the first hospital to provide inpatient beds specifically for children in London (The National Children's Hospital in Dublin had been established in 1821).

The book to accompany today's fact is The Remarkable Story of Great Ormond Street Hospital by Kevin Telfer.

Fact Fiction Friday ~ Do Not Pass Go!

Continuing our new and regular feature here at Historical Fiction.  

Each Friday we will publish an historical fact based upon the date. Each fact will be accompanied by a book(s) title and perhaps a review or other snippet.

7th February 1935 ~ The popular and classic board game, Monopoly was invented this day in 1935. The book to accompany today's fact is Do Not Pass Go by Tim Moore

Whilst this book is not a historical fiction it does, in addition to being very funny give historical facts about the locations named on the traditional board game.

Anyone for Monopoly?

Fact Fiction Friday ~ Heading to India

Continuing our new and regular feature here at Historical Fiction.  

Each Friday we will publish an historical fact based upon the date. Each fact will be accompanied by a book(s) title and perhaps a review or other snippet.

24th January 1857 ~ The University of Calcutta was founded as the first University in Asia. Today there are two books to accompany the fact. First is The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. This book I read back in 2005. From my brief notes I enjoyed it as it made my top ten of the year!

The second book is a book I read more recently, I think back in 2013. I recall being excited to read it, and the book was good, but it could have been so much better. That book is The Fishing Fleet by Anne De Courcy

The Key to Lawrence by The Cargills

Background

Next year, 2014, will be the one hundredth anniversary of the start of World War 1, which contemporaries called the Great War. Two years from now on May 7, 2015 will be the centennial of the sinking of the Lusitania. Key to Lawrence, an historical thriller by Linda and Gary Cargill, commemorates this anniversary. The authors start out the novel with the last voyage of the Cunard ocean liner from May 1, 1915 to May 7, 1915 when the vessel sank in the Irish Sea six miles from land.

Many mysteries remain about the sinking of the famous ship. The greatest is the mysterious second explosion which took place within minutes after the German torpedo hit the liner at exactly 2:10PM British time. It seemed to have no cause and hastened the demise of the Lusitania which sank and disappeared beneath the waves in only eighteen minutes. By 2:30PM it was history.

 Robert D. Ballard in his book, Exploring the Lusitania: Probing the Mysteries of the Sinking That Changed History, postulates that vapor pockets from the coal-fired engine caused the big explosion. But it's only a theory, and no one really knows. If Captain Turner knew he was kept quiet by Cunard and the British government for the rest of his life. They even appeared at the inquest and pulled him out of it the day after the sinking. 

The British government remains the only entity who might actually know the true fate of the ship. They are the only ones who would know what was actually being carried in the hold other than a fortune in famous paintings for Sir Hugh Lane. Were there guns? Ammunition? Something else that might attract German attention?

The Lusitania is as elusive today as it was one hundred years ago.

Book Synopsis for Key to Lawrence

Who is that sinister-looking stranger who keeps eying Miss Dora Benley on the Lusitania pier on May 1, 1915? At dinner the first night in the grand dining room he sends her a threatening note. He orders her to hand over her father's birthday package. She carried it aboard, a gift from Sir Adolphus Ware, the car magnate her Robber Baron father is sailing to England to meet over a tire deal. If she doesn’t obey, the wastrel threatens to blow up the ship. There's nothing inside the package except an empty humidor! Dora had better figure out what's going on, or the saboteur will send her to the bottom of the Irish Sea. 

Book Trailer





The Key to Lawrence is going to be available to download free of charge for Kindle users at Amazon.com
and Amazon.co.uk from midnight on Christmas Day for 5 days.

The author has kindly provided me with a free copy in exchange for a review. Sadly, because of some family health issues I have not finished reading the book, but a review will appear on Historical Tapestry shortly. Why not download a copy over the Christmas period and share your thoughts on the review?

Christmas at the Homeplace by William Leverne Smith

Earlier this year I was asked by Dr Bill, a fellow contributor to the In-Depth Genealogist magazine if I would review a book in the Homeplace Series. I was delighted to, and you can read that review HERE.

A few weeks ago I was delighted to be asked if I would review the latest in the series, a festive tale. What follows is some details about the book, the author and a trailer video before my review.

About the Book
Vision to Action Publishing announces the release of "Christmas at the Homeplace," by William Leverne Smith, aka, Dr. Bill, a resident of Hollister, MO, on October 25, 2013, at Amazon.com with the print edition, Kindle edition to following shortly.

Hollister, MO, October 25, 2013 -- "Christmas at the Homeplace is the fourth book in "The Homplace Saga" series of historical fiction family saga stores set in a rural river valley in the southern Missouri Ozarks near a fictional western branch of the Current River (NW corner of Shannon County). Set in 1996, the story has a "homecoming for Christmas" theme affecting members of the extended families of the central characters. "The Homeplace Saga" series

Will they all be home for Christmas? For the first time since their father died, Karen (Bevins) Winslow is expecting all her children in Oak Springs for Christmas 1996. This Christmas of homecomings offers some surprises as "The Homeplace Saga" continues. Will Staff Sergeant Travis Inman arrive home from Bosnia in time to see his baby daughter for the first time at Christmas? Will a life-long friend of the Winslow family move to Oak Springs permanently? Does Peter have a son? The boy's mother insists he does. How would this change the inter-generational dynamics in the family businesses in the Oak Creek valley of the southern Missouri Ozarks? Learn more by reading this latest addition to this continuing family saga.

Also, follow local veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Bevins and her young lawyer friend, Brian Kirk, as they temporarily lay aside their personal family history and genealogy research to work with City Librarian Judy Watson and others to form and create an Oak Springs Historical and Genealogical Society. Their hope is that by reaching out to the community they can locate additional local historical records on their families back to the first settlements in 1833 when Jennifer's McDonald ancestors were among those first arrivals in the valley. Learn what else occurs, before Christmas, as Jennifer and Brian devote their full attention to this new set of activities.

Book Trailer




About the Author

William Leverne Smith was born and raised on a Midwestern farm. A passion for family history and genealogy studies provides background for his writing.

He and his wife live in a cabin in the Missouri Ozarks.

When blogging and writing non-fiction projects, he goes by Dr. Bill (William L.) Smith, on such blogs as Dr Bill Tells Ancestor Stories, Dr Bills Book Bazaar, and others.

http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/

http://drbillsbookbazaar.blogspot.com/

The Review

Whilst I have read an earlier published book in this series, it is quite possible to read and get into the series from this book.

The characters are easy to get to know and I found that I was looking forward to catching up with the characters. This is a story, not just of family at Christmas, the interactions with kin, but also the responsibilities of running a family trust and the formation of local historical society.

I found that I need to start reading again from the beginning of the series, so that I can get a sense of timeline. That is not the fault of the book and author, but simply how I typically read and process books that are part of a series; I love to read them in order!

I enjoy this series and this book was a welcomed addition. There are relatively few genealogical type mysteries, so when one comes along it is always nice to read. What is really nice is when the book is part of a well created series, such as this one.

Book Details

Publisher: Vision to Action Publishing and CreateSpace
Format: Trade Paperback - 6x9 - 154 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1493510405
ISBN-10: 1493510401
Available from Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk

Murder by the Homeplace by William Leverne Smith

From the back cover

"A police radio scanner call of '419' - "dead human body" - on a bucolic fall afternoon in the south-central Missouri Ozarks small town of Oak Springs sends a part-time local newspaper reporter, Penny Nixon, on the adventure of her life-time. Warned by her editor to only look for 'human-interest angles' to the story, her actions bring her perilously close to interviewing the knife-wielding perpetrator of a bizarre murder. The victim is a recently disgraced young attorney who only weeks earlier was involved in a domestic violence incident with his 'banker's daughter' bride in this quiet small town."

Earlier this year I took part in the book tour to celebrate the launch of the latest edition to the fictional Home Place Series by Dr Bill.

This recent novella is set in the fall (Autumn if your this side of the pond!) of 1987, just after Back to the Homeplace.


Author

Dr. Bill is a life-long learner with a passion for family history and, more generally, the social history of each of his ancestors and their descendants. He enjoys writing on various platforms and venues, including six blogs, novels, non-fiction books and ebooks, three topics published at Examiner.com .

He is author of The Heritage Tourist column published at the digital magazine The In-Depth Genealogist.

Check out Dr. Bill’s first novel, “Back to the Homeplace,” which is a family saga loosely based on my family history research and life through the years; and blog: The Home Place Series He can also be found at Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories: Dr Bill Tells Ancestor Stories

Review

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, I liked the characters; they were well developed. The central character called Penny is a newspaper reporter/freelance writer and I liked the way the storyline was written, in a conversationalist style.

As a reader it was almost possible to walk alongside Penny as she seeks and uncovers information through her interview skills. The moment I started reading the novella had a feel of Kinsey Malone from the Alphabet series by Sue Grafton and I smiled as Dr Bill threw that bit in too!

This does not feel like a regular who done it, but as a gentle mystery, as the character teases the information from her interviewees. Written in a diary style it is easy to keep track of the flow of information as the story builds. A lovely modern piece to historical fiction.

I really must seek out the rest of the series.

Disclaimer - I was provided with a copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford

It seems hard to believe but it is more than 3 years since I read Jamie Ford's excellent debut novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Ever since that time I have been waiting with a high degree of expectation for his follow up effort.

Once again, Ford has chosen to set his story in Seattle and to feature Asian characters in difficult situations. Whereas in Hotel it was World War II Seattle, this time he has cast his eye further back to the 1920s and 30s. This was a time of tremendous change and upheaval: the fledgling movie industry is changing entertainment in a way that continues to develop even now, the stock market crash is on the horizon, there is prohibition and the Charleston is the dance of choice.

For anyone who is of a minority race though and particularly for a woman without societal support, this is a hard time to get by and it is this element that provides a lot of the background for the story. The story starts in 1934 when we are introduced to a young boy named William Eng. He lives in a Catholic orphanage, and he is destined to live there until he comes of age. He believe that his mother is dead, has never known his father so he cannot be released from the orphanage into their care and he knows that no one is going to want to adopt a Chinese boy. He has only a couple of friends in the home - Charlotte, a blind girl with a traumatic past, and Sunny, a native American boy.

As a birthday treat, he goes to the movies with some of his classmates and whilst there he sees a woman on the big screen who he believes could be his mother. When he finds out that she is travelling to Seattle, he is determined that he is going to get to meet her and so he sneaks out to the theatre.

When he does meet Liu Song Eng, who is now known as Willow Frost, we hear her story of how she came to be a single woman with a child, considered to be a fallen woman by everyone in her community, and how it was that she gave William up. If there was one word that I would use to describe Willow's life it would be depressing. When Willow's mother dies, her lecherous husband Uncle Leo not only brings in his first wife who treats Willow appallingly but he also makes advances on her. It is a time where a woman has no rights, so Uncle Leo can take all of the money that she earns and she has no recourse at all, and if she loses her job singing for tourists it is highly unlikely that she will be able to easily gain another.

Once Willow gives birth to William, she is determined to keep her baby, and she has high hopes of being able to achieve her dreams of a life with a debonair man who pays court to her named Colin. With the effects of the Great Depression being felt at every level of society, and when dream after dream is destroyed Willow gets to the point where she feels like there is no other way out but to give up her child.

One of the details that I found fascinating in the narrative was the idea that a young Chinese woman could lose her American citizenship if she married a Chinese national. This was something I hadn't heard of before.

I know when I read a book set in Melbourne I love the idea of seeing the familiar places and names. There is no doubt that Ford has done an incredible amount of research into historical Seattle so if you are familiar with that city I imagine that there would be an additional degree of impact for you. Similarly, there is a lot of fascinating details about the young film making industry and the films that were being filmed in Seattle during the 1920s. Something I did know but had reiterated through the story was the way it was difficult for any minority actor to get a break in the movies when so many of their roles were played by caucasian actors.

There were elements though that didn't work as well as I would have liked. I felt that there wasn't a lot of nuance in relation to some of the secondary characters. Uncle Leo was an out and out villain without a single redeeming feature. His wife felt like a caricature rather than a real character as did some of the nuns and the social worker sent to judge Willow on how well she can provide for her son both financially and morally.

I didn't feel as though I engaged as much with the characters as I could have which is a bit of shame because there was a lot to like in the book. I just wish that I had of been able to get lost in the world that Ford has created.

Rating 3.5/5

Tour Details

Link to Tour Schedule:http://tlcbooktours.com/2013/06/jamie-ford-author-of-songs-of-willow-frost-on-tour-october-2013/
Jamie Ford's website.
Jamie Ford on Facebook
Jamie Ford on Twitter.

About the book

From Jamie Ford, the New York Times bestselling author of the beloved Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, comes a much-anticipated second novel. Set against the backdrop of Depression-era Seattle, Songs of Willow Frost is a powerful tale of two souls—a boy with dreams for his future and a woman escaping her haunted past—both seeking love, hope, and forgiveness.

Twelve-year-old William Eng, a Chinese American boy, has lived at Seattle’s Sacred Heart Orphanage ever since his mother’s listless body was carried away from their small apartment five years ago. On his birthday—or rather, the day the nuns designate as his birthday—William and the other orphans are taken to the historical Moore Theatre, where William glimpses an actress on the silver screen who goes by the name of Willow Frost. Struck by her features, William is convinced that the movie star is his mother, Liu Song.

Determined to find Willow and prove that his mother is still alive, William escapes from Sacred Heart with his friend Charlotte. The pair navigate the streets of Seattle, where they must not only survive but confront the mysteries of William’s past and his connection to the exotic film star. The story of Willow Frost, however, is far more complicated than the Hollywood fantasy William sees onscreen.

Shifting between the Great Depression and the 1920s, Songs of Willow Frost takes readers on an emotional journey of discovery. Jamie Ford’s sweeping novel will resonate with anyone who has ever longed for the comforts of family and a place to call home.

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

Over recent years I have read several books that have all won prestigious book prizes. With many of them I have wondered just what the hype was all about, or was I being a complete philistine and missing the point, or not reading deep enough.

Then about two weeks ago a librarian and member of my book group presented me with my reserved copy of the Devon libraries summer read; The Light Between Oceans.

I started reading over the weekend and feel very tired today as I was awake finishing this book into the early hours.

The scene of the story is set when Tom, a decelerated war hero from the First World War returns to Australia and is given the chance to work temporarily at a lighthouse situated off the Australian coast, on a fictitious island called Janus.

Tom is ready for the peace and quiet of island living.Coming to terms with his war time terrors and survivors guilt he sets about living for months on the island, where the methodical process of keeping the lighthouse functioning becomes his anchor.

On a period of leave a few months later he reacquaints himself with a local girl from the shore and they spend much time together, and eventually the decision is made, Tom will marry Isabel.

It is during their time on the island that they encounter a rowing boat upon the rugged coast line of the island. The inhabitants are a dead man and a young, breathing baby. Isabel has had numerous miscarriages and this seems to her to be divine intervention. A baby for them to love and care for.

Tom struggles between duty to the procedural issues of the lighthouse, to his wife and to his own happiness. Ultimately Tom's struggle with his own conscience and doing the right thing tears his and Isabel's life apart, but once the wheels have started to turn there is no going back.

This was a beautiful book, with a lovely well researched story. There is much more that I could share with you, but I won't. Locate a copy and read it! For me this has the wow factor that many of the books that win prestigious book prizes lack. The book not only was well researched, but delivered a moral and ethical dilemma and as I turned the pages I wondered what I would have done in Isabel and Tom's shoes.

Thursday Threads - Inspired by Fiction?

The County library service has for the last few years selected a "Summer Read".

This year, the book of choice is The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman.

When I was at the book group a week or so ago, I was handed a copy in response to my reservation.

I started the book a day or so ago and love it. I can see why it has had some great reviews and one will be published here soon.

Within a few pages I had to remind myself to look a few things up on Google, and so my question this week is...

Do you find yourself inspired by fictional reading?

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

This is the July book selection for the my book group, although I have to wait until the end of the month to hear what the others thought.

At first glance this book might not seem to fit the criteria for historical fiction, however, the book is set in the period of history following the fall of the Eastern Block and USSR; and technically, in 21st Century Europe, Yugoslavia does not exist. Given these events I am sharing my review here.

The story is set in Yugoslavia and explores a young doctor called Natalia. Natalia is seeking to discover the truth of her grandfather's death which occurs whilst she is on a mission to deliver medical supplies to a desperate orphanage in the Balkans which have been ravaged by war.

The myths and folklore of the region; a tiger who escapes from captivity after the second world war bombings of Belgrade and settles in a remote mountain village near to where Natalia's grandfather is growing up. The tiger develops a relationship with a deaf mute girl who becomes known as the tiger's wife.

The heart of the myths are people trying to understand a sense of death; coupled with war and the conflict it brings. The myths survive whilst the ownership of the land and in some cases the people do not. This comes across almost as defiant in a way. This is further emphasised with the cultural mix and is shown through the story of the tiger who is a Muslim living in a Christian village, which for me re-enforced the defiance aspect.

There is a real sense of love between Natalia and her grandfather; and the tattered copy of The Jungle Book  humanises the storyline rather than become a politically aggrieved novel. The scene with the character referred to at "The Hat" seemed almost reminiscent of the KGB or various officials of the Soviet regime, and this was further illustrated with the Grandfather, in his role as a doctor forbidden under the regime to see certain patients with regular medical conditions.

This was an interesting structure of a novel for a first book by the author and the the story does seem to drift in places. I found that some the stories of the myths rambling. Overall I found the language was too flowery and there was a real sense of deepness, almost over deep and coupled with complex metaphors I found it too much. In fact, by the time I got to the end I wondered what I missed of the storyline?

My immediate thoughts as I read the book, certainly by page 50 was, had the author tried to create a book of similar vein to Animal Farm by George Orwell? If that was the case, the author has not pulled it off for me.

The Help By Kathryn Stockett

This was the read for my book group back in March. I had both read the book and seen the movie previously and loved both. The responses from the group were mixed and we had a great debate on racism, both across the pond and here in the UK.

The book is narrated by three of the central characters to the storyline; Skeeter Phelan, a white girl from the South and two black maids, Aibileen and Minny.

Skeeter is from a well established white family. She has graduated from college, has a set of friends and is active in the local community. Her plan is to enter the world of journalism and in doing so she challenges the behaviours and events of the time. Meanwhile, her mother wants Skeeter to marry into a good family, live in a big house with a black maid, but for Skeeter that just is not enough.

Determined to use her degree, Skeeter writes to the publishing house of Harper and Row in New York. When she hears back, it is not with a job offer, but with some good advice and wisely Skeeter quietly follows it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the author has managed magnificently for a first book, to transport the readers back to the deep south of the United States when the civil rights movement was steadfast in it's dreams, hopes and aspirations for the future; a time when Martin Luther said "I have a dream"

The characters and plot were strong and believable and I have rarely read a book twice in a year, but this one I have.