Category: Historical Fiction

A New Post and A New Author

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Hello everyone! I am not sure if anyone is still out there reading blogs, but I am back, ready to blog again and to share my reading and gardening successes (and failures) with you all. 

2022 has been a year of change and sadness for me. I sometimes look back at everything that’s happened and want to collapse in despair but somehow I keep going.  Part of the reason why I want to return to blogging is because I feel that in the whirlwind of this year I have lost myself a bit. This is an effort to remind myself of the books and authors I love and the things that give me pleasure.

Despite not having read very many books this year and feeling blah about reading the majority of the time, I have read a few gems lately. Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson was funny and incredibly entertaining. I loved it. And Lucy by the Sea was another great novel in Elizabeth Strout’s series about the lovely Lucy Barton. I also really enjoyed The Hero of This Book by Elizabeth McCracken, auto-fiction (though she says it isn’t) about the author’s memorable mother. It is very moving and a delight.

However, the book I read that made me long to run out and buy everything the author has ever written and immediately cancel all plans to binge on his books is Mr. Wilder and Me by Jonathan Coe. What a marvelous novel. It wasn’t on my radar at all, but one night I was looking for something to read and happened upon it among my library’s ebook offerings. I downloaded and began reading – I didn’t stop until several hours later. I was enthralled by the story of a young Greek woman, Calista, who through some twists of fate, becomes involved with the film director Billy Wilder and his circle of friends and colleagues. Wilder is at the end of his career and knows his style of humor and filmmaking is out of fashion. It is the 1970’s and violent, deeply serious films are the trend. He decides to make a serious film himself – a tale of a washed out Hollywood actress and the journalist who tries to find her. Part of it is filmed in Greece and Calista is invited to join the crew. Though the novel begins on a lightish note, there is a moving backstory that underpins the filmmaking plot. It is incredibly well done and I completely adored it.

So now Jonathan Coe is added to my list of “must read” authors and I have ordered a few of his books online. I have Christmas week off and see it as an ideal time to have a little Coe fest. Christmas with Coe! Have you read his novels?

Mr. Godley’s Phantom by Mal Peet

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I bought Mr. Godley’s Phantom by the late author Mal Peet a while ago on a recommendation from someone on Twitter (I think), but I couldn’t remember why it had appealed to me enough to buy a copy until I started reading it. Set in the 40’s? At an isolated estate in Devon? With possible ghosts? Yes, to all of these!

A short, yet intense story, Mr. Godley’s Phantom centers on Martin Heath, a young man who served in WWII and is finding it hard to readjust to civilian life. He was among one of the first troops to arrive at Belsen and has recurring nightmares of the atrocities he witnessed at the concentration camp. He lives with his widowed mother and doesn’t work, spending his time playing cards and drinking too much with her.

Salvation comes in the form of a letter from an old army friend who offers him a position as a chauffer for Mr. Godley, an elderly and wealthy man who lives at Burra Hall. Heath settles in to his new position, driving the frail man and also helping around the house and garden when required. He also strikes up a friendship with the housemaid, Annie, but he still has nightmares. He still sees visions.

And I won’t go beyond that because if I said more it would ruin the story for you. I’ll just say that some eerie plot twists then commence and the suspense and disquiet are really well done. It might be ambiguous or not – depending on how you see it. You should all read it and tell me what you think!

If you like The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters or A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr, you might like this. It is a powerful little gem.

My New Year, New Reads Recommendations

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As I mentioned in my previous post, last Saturday was my bi-annual book buzz program at the library where I work. After reading about 15 books for the program I narrowed down my picks to the following titles. I do try to choose a variety of books, but I also want them to be a reflection of my style and taste – after all they are my personal picks. My co-presenter, Melissa, reads much different books then I do and between us I think we do a good job of providing something for everyone!

Here are the books I recommended for the first quarter of 2020. All publication dates are for the US:

you're not listening

You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why it Matters by Kate Murphy – If you like Quiet by Susan Cain, You Just Don’t Understand by Deborah Tannen or just want to improve your listening skills this is a perfect book for you. Published January 7th.

long bright river

Long Bright River by Liz Moore – This novel held me in thrall and I absolutely enjoyed reading every page. If you like the crime novels of Tana French and Laura McHugh or the character driven family dramas of Celeste Ng and Jean Kwok you should try Long Bright River. Published January 7th.

girl with louding

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare – If you like stories about triumph over adversity with strong female protagonists you will love The Girl with the Louding Voice. Published February 4th.

independence square

Independence Square by A.D. Miller – This is a novel about power, corruption and money and how all of those combined can not only impact governments but change the lives of ordinary people caught in the machine. If you like novels about political intrigue and novels by Robert Harris and John Le Carre you should try Independence Square. Published February 4th.

house of trelawney

House of Trelawney by Hannah Rothschild – If you want to know what Downton Abbey might turn out like 80 years on if Lady Mary’s son George happens to be a womanizing, ineffective buffoon incapable of hanging on to his money than you should read House of Trelawney. It’s also a good read if you love satire and plots that are proudly over the top. Published February 11th.

firewatching

Firewatching by Russ Thomas – This new police procedural series features a fascinating main detective, colorful supporting characters and a clever plot. It’s set in Sheffield, Yorkshire and reminded me of the Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson (also set in Yorkshire) so if you like the Banks series you will like this one. It will also appeal to readers who like Susie Steiner and Dervla McTiernan or any of the British police shows like Shetland or Broadchurch. Published February 25th.

lady in waiting

Lady in Waiting by Anne Glenconner – If you like to read aristo-lit, books about royalty and fabulously rich people and if you are a fan of The Crown you will love Lady in Waiting. Published March 24th.

house of glass

House of Glass by Hadley Freeman – I enjoyed this unraveling of the mystery of Freeman’s paternal family combined with her concise and insightful description of twentieth century Jewish history. If you like Catherine Bailey and the WWII histories of Caroline Moorehead you will enjoy House of Glass. Published March 24th.

miss austen

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby – With humor and compassion Gill Hornby has brought Cassandra Austen to life and created a compelling portrait of a single woman in the early 19th century. If you liked Longbourn by Jo Baker, The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen Flynn or are a Janeite you will enjoy Miss Austen. Published April 7th.

Are there any books on my list that you’ve already read or look forward to reading?

Is anyone participating in the Mini Persephone Readathon this weekend? I am going to try to read two Persephones over the next few days. We’ll see how it goes!

Mary’s Monster by Lita Judge

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IMG_8579As you all probably know, 2018 is the 200th anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. There are lots of books and articles being published about the book and its author (when I have time I want to read this one from The New Yorker) in this commemorative year.

One of the most intriguing of these tributes is Mary’s Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein by Lita Judge. It was brought to my attention by a coworker who was pondering where it should go in our collection at the library. It is an illustrated volume that tells the story of Shelley’s childhood and young adulthood in the form of first-person free verse poems from her own point of view. Can you see our dilemma? Should it go in the biography section, the fiction section or the graphic novel section?

Whatever section it is in it is a fascinating and beautiful book. The illustrations are dark and gothic (you can see some of the images here) and perfectly convey the feelings Mary has as she mourns the lack of a mother, suffers a rocky relationship with her father and stepmother, the joy yet hardship of running away with Percy Bysshe Shelley as a teen, jealousy, grief, creative intensity – Judge covers it all. The poems are laden with intensity and emotion and tell Mary’s story in a forthright and sympathetic way. I really loved it and hope it will find an audience at my library – at every library.

If you are interested in Mary Shelley and in Frankenstein I think this is one of the books about her published this year that you need to seek out.

Are you planning to read anything about Mary Shelley this year?

(How did we end up cataloging this book? As Young Adult Fiction).

The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard

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After my marathon month of reading galleys for the Fabulous Fall Reads presentation I gave at the library yesterday, I needed something absorbing, old-fashioned and satisfying to sink into – and I definitely found that with this novel. The Light Years is one of those books that is complete and total cozy comfort reading – but comfort reading that is very insightful, has realistic, well-drawn characters, is observant and funny. Lots of people are just now discovering Elizabeth Jane Howard, probably because after she died last year there was a flurry of interest in her books. Hilary Mantel wrote a passionate endorsement, which certainly got me interested in reading her, and lately Rachel from Book Snob, has urged us to give EJH, and specifically the Cazalet Chronicles, a try on the Tea or Books? podcast.

The Light Years is essentially a family saga featuring the Cazalet family – Brig and the Duchy, their three sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren. This first novel in the five part series begins in 1937 and ends just as summer is waning in 1938. In this book we’re introduced to all the members of the family, their struggles, fears, joys and interests. The looming war influences a lot of the action and interior thoughts of a majority of the characters, but they’re also plagued by such human concerns as aging, unwanted pregnancy, school hatred, infidelity, forbidden love, illness, etc. It’s absolutely riveting and I so enjoyed losing myself in the lives of this complex family.

I started the second book in the series, Marking Time, the day after I finished this but I had to drag myself away in order to speed read My Cousin Rachel for book club on Tuesday (which is not a hardship, I admit). As soon as I’m finished, though, I’m right back into the lives of the Cazalet clan.

Have you read Elizabeth Jane Howard and the Cazalet Chronicles?

Book Club: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

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My book club has been meeting for almost 3 full years now and for much of that time I’ve lobbied to get Gilead on our schedule with no success – until last month! Since this year we took turns choosing the books I knew this would finally be the year we read it (since I’d pick it for my month) and I’m very glad we did. What a marvelous book!

Gilead is written in the form of one long letter from Reverend John Ames to his six-year-old son. Reverend Ames is dying of a heart condition and wants to set down his family history and his thoughts on religion and life in general for his son to read in the future since he won’t be able to tell him these things himself. In a rather rambling style he moves from the past to the present – much like our thoughts work, but all in a really beautiful, lyrical style that is a joy to read.

The first bit of the novel is Ames’s musings and explorations of his heritage and childhood and then the letter switches to a present day description of his struggle to communicate with or trust his best friend’s son, Jack Boughton. Jack is a bad egg, so to speak, and Ames doesn’t like how he hangs around Ames’s son and wife and his cynical, unbelieving attitude. One of the book club members said she thought this part of the novel was unnecessary – she loved just reading about Ames’s memories and philosophical meditations. I thought the conflict (even if just internally) with Jack was fascinating and revealed many more depths of Ames’s character that will someday benefit his son.

Since my book club met during Thanksgiving week we didn’t get a very good turnout, but those of us who attended had a very passionate discussion. This is one of those books that is not only a pleasurable and rewarding read, but also makes for an incredibly stimulating discussion title. I think this is one of the best books that my book club read this year.

Have you read Gilead?

Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans

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crooked heart

In Crooked Heart we’re placed right in the middle of WWII-era London during the Blitz. Ten-year-old Noel is an orphan who’s been evacuated to the home of Vee Sedgwick, a woman who just can’t seem to get it together. She can’t hold down a job, makes enemies of her neighbors, and none of her money-making schemes yield results. When Noel enters her life she at first doesn’t see him as anything but a way to make ends meet (by using his ration card) and Noel sees her as something to be endured. Yet as the chaos of war upsets everything around them, even family ties and familiar surroundings, Vee and Noel create a bond that withstands the turmoil. This funny novel explores the dark side of the home front yet is ultimately heartfelt and endearing.

I loved this one! Thanks to Darlene for encouraging me to read it.

Book Club: The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

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My book club is continuing to take turns choosing our discussion titles each month. We’ve read some really varied things this year, including a lot more non-fiction than we’ve ever read (we have another non-fiction title up in August), a golden age mystery, a historical literary novel and a classic novel. So I wasn’t really surprised when one of the members chose a Regency romance for our July discussion. The member who chose it wanted to read it because it is her mom’s favorite book and she thought it would be fun to read it with the group. Her mom lives in Manchester, England and we wanted to Skype her in for the discussion, but she was understandably nervous about the reaction to her beloved novel (also it would have been 3:30 am in Manchester when we started our discussion).

As it turned out, she needn’t have worried because we all loved it! Heyer’s blend of humor, clever dialogue, a brisk moving plot, historical accuracy and, of course, romance, is an absolute delight. The Grand Sophy starts when Lady Ombersley is asked by her brother to take in his daughter Sophy who has lived abroad for much of her life. Lady Ombersley is hesitant as she, her husband and her children are all under the thumb of her eldest son Charles, who’s recently become heir to his uncle’s fortune. She doesn’t think that Charles will want the expense and hassle of trying to find a husband for Sophy, but reluctantly agrees to accept Sophy into her home anyway. Little does she know what she’s in for – Sophy turns out to be a very high-spirited manager who handily fixes the family’s problems and easily discerns what would be best for them better than they really know for themselves. She’s confident, doesn’t take offense and is lots of fun – a really memorable character.

I wasn’t sure how the discussion would go since The Grand Sophy isn’t deep literature, but we actually had a very lively conversation about what the novel says about womanliness, romance, motherhood, and manipulation. It was one of the best discussions that we’ve had this year.

Next up we’re reading Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott.

 

Someone by Alice McDermott

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At my book club’s April meeting I presented three books for the group to choose from and the overwhelming vote was for Someone by Alice McDermott – because it is quite short! However, I was pleased with the choice as this is a novel I’ve contemplated reading for quite a while now and Sunday over at Ciao Domenica had nothing but praise for it which piqued my interest even more.

This is one of those books that is more of a character study than anything – there really isn’t a traditional plot arc that holds it all together. In fact, the narrative moves in out and between the present and the past with no discernible transitions so it takes about 20 pages to realize what McDermott is doing and to become comfortable with the structure. Once you do, though, it’s quite easy to ride the wave of the main character’s memories.

The novel is told in the first person by Marie Commeford, an elderly woman who grew up in Brooklyn during the thirties and forties. Most of her memories center on the years of her childhood and young adulthood. Her family is Irish Catholic and live in a predominately Irish Catholic neighborhood and she is close to her beloved father and older brother who’s already been chosen to attend seminary at a young age. Most of her memories have that tender, almost yearning quality that we have as adults looking back on our childhoods. There is a lot of death and a lot of disappointment in her life, but she tells her story very straightforwardly with little regret. As I’ve mentioned, there isn’t a lot that happens in the novel yet Marie’s unexceptional story is riveting, more riveting to me than that of a spy story or an adventure story. Reading about ordinary people is always fascinating because most of us are ordinary – yet when you read something like this you realize that everyone has an interesting life and that, truly, everyone is ‘someone’.

How did my book club like it? Well, I think the majority of us appreciated it, but there were two members who didn’t – they didn’t see the point of the meandering style and just didn’t enjoy reading about Marie’s life. Despite that we all managed to have a pretty lively discussion about the book and I think it really set off a lot of related examination of our own memories and life stories. All in all, I’d recommend this for book clubs as it is a) short and b) brings up a lot of issues that will lead to a thoughtful discussion.

Have you read Alice McDermott?

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

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paying guests

I consider Sarah Waters to be one of my favorite authors so of course I started reading The Paying Guests back when it was released last fall with much excitement. However, I didn’t finish it before I went to London and had to return it to the library before I left. While walking around Windsor after visiting the castle I saw a copy for sale in a bookshop and bought it with the idea of reading it on the plane home. Yet I didn’t finish it then either. Finally a few weeks ago I started it again and this time I was riveted. I couldn’t stop reading and finished the novel with that wonderful sense of satisfaction you feel after living in a truly wonderful story.

The book is set in London in 1922 when the aftermath of the war is still radiating through society. Frances Wray and her mother are left alone in a big, demanding house with little money and no servants. To make ends meet they take in ‘paying guests’, Len and Lily Barber, a young couple who come from a different world, a different class, a different social status.  Inevitable awkwardness and discomfort accompany their arrival to the Wray’s home, especially as Len is a bit slick and there is an odd undercurrent of bitterness in his relationship with Lily. As the weeks go by they all try to adjust to the strained situation and Waters brilliantly creates that feeling of unease for the reader that sits at the heart of all of her novels.

Frances and Lily are eventually drawn together – out of mutual loneliness and dissatisfaction – and their relationship takes a dramatic and erotic path that leads to murder. The plot then turns from a simmering love story to a tense police investigation and courtroom drama that only made the novel more interesting and complex. Waters is so good at examining the shifting state of relationships when they’re put under pressure and how her characters react to tragedy and anxiety felt so right to me.

I love the domestic details in this book – the descriptions of the cleaning, the meals, the everyday chores that bring the novel to life and transport us into the post-war society that was so rapidly evolving. These details ground the novel in reality when the characters and the plot take unfamiliar paths and helps to ratchet up the suspense and sense of terror that would plague anyone involved in a forbidden romance or a murder investigation.

I wasn’t disappointed with this latest novel by Sarah Waters and it seems to be the book that will earn her the huge readership that she deserves. She is really gaining a following here in the States – I’ve had conversations with two different patrons this week at my library about how they can’t believe they just discovered her writing. One of the patrons was sad to learn that Waters doesn’t crank the novels out and there was a five year gap between The Paying Guests and The Little Stranger. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another five years for her next novel.