Classics Club Spin: Careful, He Might Here You by Sumner Locke Elliott

When I put together my classics list, I deliberately went in search books that were considered Australian classics and included them as part of my list. One of my choices was this book, Careful, He Might Hear You by Sumner Lock Elliott. When the spin landed on this as the selection I was pretty happy. I had no idea, though, that I would love this as much as I did.

I am not sure that this author is one that I knew particularly much about, although I had heard of the movie version of this book which was made back in the 1980s. Apparently Elliott was a very successful writer and well known in the US. This book, which came out in 1963, was very autobiographical and also very successful, winning the 1963 Miles Franklin prize which is our top literary prize.

Our story opens with a glimpse into the life of a young boy named PS, so called because he was a postscript to his deceased mother's ridiculous life. Sinden died shortly after his birth, and with his father being perennially off searching for gold, his Aunt Lila and Uncle George are raising him as requested by his mother before she passed 

They live a very modest lifestyle, but there is a lot of love and Sinden is fondly remembered as Little One. When PS and his aunt go to visit her grave they refer to it as the The Little Garden, planting flowers but never mentioning that it is his mother's final resting place. It might be more whimsical as opposed to truthful, but PS is happy and secure.

When Aunt Vanessa turns up, PS's life is gradually turned upside down. Vanessa was sent to England at a young age to be a companion to a relative and so the life she leads is very different to that of her sisters. Vanessa believes that she too has a mandate to care for PS. In her eyes, this means providing him with the very best of everything including education, elocution correction to get rid of his terrible Australian accent, piano lessons, a big house, and impressive toys. These are all things that the humble Lila and George can not possibly provide

Ultimately this leads to a bitter custody battle over the bewildered little boy who just wants to go home and who doesn't really understand what it going on.

Whilst this is PS's story, we also get glimpses into the past lives of the sisters, including Sinden who was a writer who had received critical claim but not financial success. We also meet the father, Logan, who is irresistible to the sisters and who, ultimately, absconds from all responsibility for his son. One of the fun things for me was that Logan comes from Bacchus Marsh which is just up the road from me. 

Ultimately though, this is a quintessentially Sydney book. We catch the ferry across the harbour and the train to various locations, we feel the heat and witness spectacular summer storms and so much more. It is also a Depression story, with particular reference to the impact of the world financial situation on ordinary Aussie families.

This is a long book, coming in at 495 pages. It was very readable and I read it in a couple of days. I just had to pick it up to read and see what happened next at every opportunity My emotions ebbed and flowed with the story, and I recognised some of the bewilderment that PS felt from my own childhood experiences when my parents divorced. 

Bring on the next Aussie classic!

This book was one of the books I nominated for 20 Books of Winter and counts for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge, the Big Books of Summer (hosted by Sue at Book by Book and Melinda from A Web of Stories) and also fits my read on a theme book club theme which is Secrets.

Sunday Salon: Three mini reviews for Women in Translation Month

As we come to the end of August, I find myself with a number of books that I have finished for various blogging/bookstagram events where I have not yet written a review. I have found over the last couple of months that I have more books to review than I have days in the month spare in the blogging schedule. Today, I am therefore going to share some mini reviews books that I have read for various challenges or events which end today.

One of my blogging goals for this year is to review everything that I read by Australian authors, and all historical fiction novels. The books I am doing a mini review of today are books that don't fit into either of these categories. I do have some other books read but not reviewed which do fit into these categories and I will be reviewing them in September (hopefully!)

The Library of Heartbeats by Laura Imai Messina 

This was a lovely read. When Shuichi returns to his home town following the death of his mother, he doesn't realise that a young boy named Kenta had been spending time with her. At first, Kenta was wary of Shuichi but eventually they build a relationship. The way the story is told means that we just get a layer revealed, and then another layer and so on, until we find out the truth of Shuichi's life which has been shaped by his health issues.

The author is actually Italian but has lived in Japan for more than 20 years so clearly loves all things Japanese. I loved the way the author shared stories about Kenji which is Japanese calligraphy. It was interesting that the titular library was important to the story but didn't really appear until late in the story. 

I've already picked up another book by this author which is called The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World.

This was one of the books I nominated for 20 Books of Winter. I read this in August, so this also counts for the Women in Translation month and the Books in Translation challenge hosted at Introverted Reader. The translator was Lucy Rand.

Rating 4/5

Butter by Asako Yuzuki

I had been really looking forward to reading this book since I first heard about it last year and I even requested it from Netgalley but the file format was painful so I didn't read it then. Earlier this year I went to hear the author talk at Melbourne Writers Festival and it was a really interesting conversation. However, it wasn't until my book club chose to read this book that I finally read it. We normally read on a theme but this month we agreed to all read the same book. It's fair to say it wasn't a really popular choice. 

So what did I think? I will admit I struggled with it a bit. The story is that the main character, Rika,  is a journalist who decides that she wants to interview a woman who has been convicted of killing three of her lovers. Kajii is an enigmatic character who is overweight and so people can't understand why she could attract so many men. Kajii is also very manipulative, even with Rika. From behind bars, Kajii manages to change Rika's life by interesting her to amazing food and has her reevaluating her life.

The subtext is about feminism and role of women in Japanese society, the pressure to look a certain way. However, there is also a lot about weight and fat shaming which I found a bit difficult. The words fat, weight and heavy appear more than 100 times in this book.

The book evoked quite strong reactions. One of our book club members declared that she had never hated a book more than she hated this one. My reaction is more muted. I am glad I finally read it, but I didn't love it mainly because of the repetitiveness and the fat shaming. I did love the food references and I am determined that at some point I am going to try rice with butter and soy sauce which was one of the first recipes Rika tried. I have seen this mentioned in various Japanese books.

It does also prompt an interesting question about why we get fascinated by women who kill, particular multiple people.  Recently in Australia there is a case of a woman who killed three members of her extended family by feeding them poison mushrooms in a Beef Wellington and the case seemingly captivated the nation.

This was one of the books I nominated for 20 Books of Winter. I read this in August, so this also counts for the Women in Translation month and the Books in Translation challenge hosted at Introverted Reader. At 464 pages, this book also counts as a Big Book of Summer. I am also sharing this post with Weekend Cooking and Foodies Read. The translator was Polly Barton. 

Rating 2.5/5

Dallergut Dream Department Store: The Dream You Ordered is Sold Out by Lee Mi-Ye

This book is a little bit different than my normal reads. The Dallergut Dream Department Store is somewhere we might visit in our dreams. There we can choose from a number of different floors where they specialise in different types of dreams. You could choose to dream of stardom or success, or loved ones who have passed on or dream of delicious food. You might wonder how we pay for these dreams? We pay with the emotions that these dreams elicit.

Penny starts working at the Dream Store and we join her as she meets the many colourful characters who work in the store. She is learning how the store operates by working in different roles, and soon finds herself working with the boss. Penny also meets the dream makers, some of whom are almost celebrity like figures

I think my favourite floor was the one where pets could come and get their dreams. Given the number of times we see our dog chasing rabbits in his dreams, it made me smile!

This author is Korean and the translator, Sandy Joosun Lee, was very enthusiastic about her role in translating this book.

I liked this enough that I have the next book out from the library to hopefully read soon.

This was one of the books I nominated for 20 Books of Winter and also counts for the Books in Translation challenge hosted at Introverted Reader. 

Rating 3.5/5

The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson

 

Years ago I read Helen Simonson's debut novel Major Pettigrew's Last Stand (reviewed here) but it was only earlier this year that I finally picked up another book by her. I read The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club as part of Cook the Books (my review). I knew then that I had to read her only other book which is this one.

When I picked this book up from the library I was surprised by how big it was. At 592 pages this is a chunkster and yet, as I was reading it, I didn't feel like it was taking a long time to get through.

The book starts in 1914 when a young woman named Beatrice Nash moves to the town of Rye to take up a position teaching Latin in a small school. She has no choice but to take a job after her father passes away leaving his estate in trust for Beatrice, which surprises her because she thought that her father was proud of her independence and would have trusted her to be able to take car of her own interests. Instead, she must ask for money from the estate, people who do not like her independent nature, so she is often left with too little to survive on

There she meets the formidable Agatha Kent, who has gone out of her way to insist that Miss Nash is a suitable candidate for the role, despite some opposition from other town leaders. Beatrice also meets Hugh Grange, a young man who is studying to be a surgeon and his cousin Daniel who dreams of being a poet. Then there is the (in)famous author who she is helping will help publish her father's papers.

It doesn't take long for Beatrice to start seeing the villagers for what they are. As a single woman she must be very careful of her actions, lest her reputation be damaged. Already some are shocked that she has moved to the town. She also sees the petty jealousies, the feuds, the class divide and the double standards that are rife.

The most promising of her Latin students is a young man named Snout, who carries around a copy of the classics and reads Latin for fun. But even with Miss Nash's support, young Snout is unlikely to get to further education because his family are Romany gypsies. Whilst the town is happy to call on a Romany healer when they need, they are never going to be accept them as their own.

When the war begins, the town graciously agrees to take in some Belgian refugees out of the goodness of their hearts...kind of. It doesn't take long for the villagers to feel less generosity of spirit, especially when the parade to celebrate them goes wrong. Soon, at least one of the refugees is being ostracised, when she most needs support.

It is really when the boys of the town start enlisting and the rationing starts that being at war begins to feel real. At first, it is a bit like a game with the young men dressing up in uniforms.When they start to come home injured, or even not at all, the reality sets in. The last section of the book is heartbreaking and I did get emotional reading it. Gone are the languid summer evenings and dinner parties, to be replaced by hardship and loss, no matter which class of society you belong to. 

Like all of Simonson's books so far this one is pretty deceptive as it doesn't feel like a lot is happening but when you look back a lot has happened! She is very adept at taking a small town and digging just under the surface so you see what is really underpinning town life and at exploring the different levels of society. She is also a master at the simmering slow burn romance which is integral to the story, but also almost a subplot. 

Now I, like many others, wait however long it takes for Helen Simonson's next book to come out. You will likely hear the cheers from here when it is announced! I will have very high expectations given that I have loved all three of her previous books. I think, though, this one is my favourite of the three. This book is a 5/5 read for me!

I am sharing this review with British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog, and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here. This was one of the books that I nominated for the Big Books of Winter and also counts as one of my Big Books of Summer.

Rating 5/5

One Hundred Years of Betty by Debra Oswald

 

Do you ever think about writing down your life story, and if you do, do you wonder if anyone else would find it interesting? 

Betty Rankin is looking back on her life as she approaches her 100th birthday, and she is sharing her story directly with the reader, warts and all, almost as if we are sitting down together. There are moments when she pulls back and says there's no need to say anymore about that time, but there are more moments when she shares funny stories about things that happen to her, her love life, her difficult relationships and so much more.

Betty, who at various times throughout her life is also known as Elizabeth and Liz and other variations, started life in the poor streets of East London where life was very tough. There were lots of brothers and sisters but also a father who tending to drink. We see what the impact of loss was on the family as the Blitz and other events take their toll and drive the family apart rather than together.

Betty is very bright and she hopes that maybe she might be able to continue her schooling but it wasn't to be. Instead we follow her from the streets of London across the oceans to Australia where she hopes for a better life as a ten pound pom. On the boat, she meets people who will be important to her throughout her life. Pearl is a glamourous girl with a very sweet nature, Athena is a Greek girl who is moving to Australia to marry a man she has never met, and Leo is a German Jew who has no-one left.

Once in Australia she meets the man who will become her husband. From the outside, it appears that life is looking up for Betty but appearances can be deceptive, and she is soon having to make ends meet and raise her kids doing whatever work she can find from working in bars to working as an artist's model. 

Betty has lived a long life and during her story she shares how many of the big world events and very personal events have shaped her, ranging from being a single parent, domestic abuse, feminism, misogyny, the Vietnam War, the AIDS epidemic, multiculturalism, her travels around the world and so much more. 

The author, Debra Oswald, is a very successful TV writer and has written some major Australian TV shows including shows like The Secret Life of Us and Offspring. It is probably no surprise then that Betty finds her way into the world of television and writing, and those parts of the book feel very authentic.

Betty isn't always likeable, and you can see why there are times when she has difficult relationships with the people around her. I guess, like all of us, she does what she thinks is right in order to be able to survive. She's doing the best she can given the scars she carries with her and the restrictions of the times that she lives in. At times, it almost feels like she is breaking the fourth wall as she gives the readers asides and commentary around the events of her own life. 

This is a fabulous read with a memorable main character who leaps off the page. I don't know that I would be friends with Betty but I will remember her for a long time!

I am sharing this review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here, and with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. It also counts for Aussie August 2025 on Bookstagram. It was also one of the books that I nominated to read for the Big Books of Winter.

Rating 4.5/5

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

I am sure that you all have a list of books in your head that people have suggested that you might like. And then they suggest it again and then maybe again,! Beartown is one of those books for me. Boy am I glad that I loved it when I did read it.

Beartown isn't the first thing I have read by Fredrik Backman. Last year I read a short story called The Answer is No which was a bit of fun, and I have watched both the Swedish and American movie versions of A Man Called Ove, so I expected a book that had funny parts with kind of serious undertones. Beartown is not that book!

Beartown is about an economically downtrodden town in a forest in Sweden. The main employers have closed down so the main thing that brings the town hope is the triumphs of the town's ice hockey team. This season they are flying, and they only need a couple more wins to bring the trophy home. But it isn't just about the trophy. If they can win the championships then maybe a new sports academy will be built in the town, bring jobs and prosperity. It's a lot of pressure to put on a group of kids.

There are so many characters in this book and so many contrasts. There is the GM of the team, Peter Andersson, who grew up in Beartown and made it to the big town playing professionally in Canada, only to end up back in town with his ultra competitive lawyer wife and two kids. In contrast, there are men that he played with in town who have never left and who struggle every day just to get by. There is the old coach Sune who built the club and the team culture but the board now want him gone but he doesn't get along with the current team coach David whose coaching ethos can be summarised in just one word. Win!

In the current team there is the star, Kevin, who is this generation's boy who is going to get out of Beartown and make it to the big time. There is Benji, who is Kevin's best friend who is also the enforcer on the team. And yet, he seems to drift around not really worrying too much about school hiding his own secrets from everyone. Then there is Amat, a younger immigrant kid who has been invisible up until recently when someone realises that he is super fast. Suddenly he is part of the team, with all that means, and his friends feel left behind. 

When I started reading the book it took me a little bit to get into it. Thanks to the way that Backman tells the story, you know that something bad is going to happen but it is just a question of when. That style of storytelling starts right from the opening line. 

Late one evening, toward the end of March, a teenager picked up a double-barrelled shotgun, walked into the forest, put the gun to someone else's forehead, and pulled the trigger. This is the story of how we got there.

The tension was built up so well, that in the end I had to put it down for a day or so. We had multiple view points from characters telling us what they were seeing and their own stories, which all helped build up the tension. Once I picked up the book again and got past the main catalyst event, I couldn't put the book down and I just had to see how it all played out, no matter how sad or angry it made me feel. 

And I did feel angry. Very angry at times. At an after party a young girl is raped and the ice hockey club basically implodes. Most of the club members are more concerned at the threat of losing one of their best players on the eve of their biggest games in years and soon people are suggesting that someone is trying to sabotage the team. The young girl involved very quickly becomes the pariah, with suggestions being made that she is lying, or that she was asking for it and so on. Relationships disintegrate, family's are traumatised and the whole town soon has an opinion.

Please don't let the fact that this book features ice hockey put you off reading it. The reality is that this book could be set in a town near you featuring your local sports. It just so happens that Backman set the book in Sweden and features ice hockey, but it could be a suburban cricket team near the beach where similar things happen. It is a universal story.  

I've been involved in kids sports varying from cricket to footy to basketball, and I have to say I recognised some of those parents and some of the attitudes, including the must win no matter what, the parents who you never see at the games, the ones you wish you didn't see at every game and everyone having a very strong opinion on what is the right thing for the club to do. It's just that the people in Beartown dialled it all up a notch or three.

It is also not just a young person's story. How many examples are there of successful sportspeople or entertainment stars where they are accused of behaving badly towards women, or other minority groups, and yet they are back playing sports after a short ban or find themselves working in the media? The message that this sends...being good at sports/singing/producing music etc is far more important than being a decent human being.

This book was a 5/5 read for me. I have already requested the next book from the library. Will I be ready to read it when it comes in? Yes, but I am going to have to psych myself up a bit I think! What I do know is that I will be emotionally invested in the story when I do read it. 

I am sharing this review with the Books in Translation challenge hosted at Introverted Reader.  This book was also one of my nominated 20 Books of Winter reads, and at 488 pages counts as a Big Book of Summer. 

Rating 5/5

Paris in July: Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin

Every year, as part of Paris in July, I try to read a book by a French author. I should say, I try to read a book by a French author other than Antoine Laurain because I also read his books as a matter of course. I am not sure when this book crossed my path, but I have been saving it since I bought it to read for Paris in July. This book was a big hit in France and Italy, especially during the lockdown years. 

This central character of this story is Violette Toussaint. When we meet Violette she is working as the cemetery keeper, which comes with a small house where she welcomes visitors, keeps records of all the burials, cares for the numerous cemetery cats and where she has her beautiful garden.

Through a series of flashbacks we learn more about Violette's past. She was abandoned by her mother at birth and raised in the foster system where she learned that "girls in care are happy with very little", a mantra she has carried into her adult life. She left school but had received very little in the way of education, teaching herself to read by reading The Cider House Rules by John Irving over and over and over. 

She met handsome Philippe Toussaint when she was very young and working in a bar, and quickly moved in with him. Their relationship was very much built on physical attraction.  Philippe was very lucky to have Violette. She worked incredibly hard while he spent his time going on rides on his motorcycle for hours at a time, picking up other women and playing computer games.

Before she become the cemetery keeper, Violette and Philippe were employed as crossing keepers in a small town. Their job was to ensure that the level crossing gates were closed before each and every train came through. Violette in effect lived her life between each train. Once she moved to the cemetery she was still opening and closing gates, but only in the mornings and evenings, and in the mean time she builds her world through her friendships with the gravediggers, one of who is named Elvis, with the local priest who has a conflicted mind about one particular issue and how it pertains to his calling.

One day her equilibrium is disturbed when a man called Julien Seul turns up at the cemetery. His mother Irene has given instructions for her ashes to be kept at the grave of a man called Gabriel Prudent, and he has no idea why. Violette helps Julien to put his mother's story together. In turn, he uses his role as a policeman to try and push Violette to making some changes in her life. 

This was a very interesting book to read. Structurally, it is a bit all over the place. We get to hear Violette's story, but it is also interspersed with flashbacks. We then get Julien's story and his mothers story of her volatile love for the man whose grave she wishes to share. We also learn something of many of the people who are buried in the cemetery and occasionally we get Philippe's story as well. 

When I watch French film I often think that one of the strengths is that there is a variety of elements in the film. For example, even if a film is a comedy it will still have a section of sadness or despair or mystery. This book is like that. It would be easy to look at Violette and think that she had a terrible life  but in a way she is an apparently simple character with a very complex story to be told. She is also a woman who has learned how to find joy, even if it is by wearing a bright pink dress hidden under her grey coat. She is very content in her role and has built a close community around her and knows who she is.

There is also something of a mystery in the book. There is a major event which completely changes Violette's life. As I was reading I could feel the foreboding building, but I didn't know exactly why. And when it did happen, it was heartbreaking.  Afterwards, both Violette and Philippe try to figure out what exactly happened, but separately, emphasising how much their relationship is flawed.  

I loved that each chapter starts with a epitaph that might be left on someone's grave. Many of them are really lovely. There are so many examples throughout the book so here are just two. 

If a flower grew every time I thought of you, the earth would be one massive garden

What do you expect will become of me if I no longer hear your step, it is your life or mine that's going. I don't know. 

There are also some really beautiful passages throughout the book. For example, this passage which shows the pride Violette takes in her stewardship of the cemetery.

In April, I put ladybird larvae on my rosebushes, and on those of the deceased, to combat greenfly. I'm the one who places the ladybirds, one by one, with a little paintbrush, on the plants. It's as though I repainted my garden in the spring. As if I planted stairways between earth and sky. I don't believe in phantoms or ghosts, but I do believe in ladybirds. 

If I think about how I would sum this book up I would say that it is probably overly long and a bit too complicated with many characters and storylines. Ultimately though, it is an unusual and beautiful book about hope and despair, life and death and love that is built around a really fascinating main character. I would read another book by this author in the future.

I am sharing this review with Paris In July hosted by Words and Peace and the Books in Translation challenge hosted at The Introverted Reader.  At 483 pages, this book also counts as a Big Book of Summer

Rating 4/5

Blog Tour: One Summer in Provence by Carol Drinkwater

 

Celia Grey's got a pretty good life really. She is a former actress who had a degree of fame in the UK but now lives in the south of France with her writer husband, Dominic and they run a vineyard that Celia inherited from her parents. The vineyard is doing quite well now, after they have worked hard for the last 10 years to bring it back to life. 

However, things haven't always been good. Celia's career was waylaid by a badly reviewed performance in one of her husband's plays whereas his career seems to have bounced back pretty well. She also had some hard times before she met Dominic, times that she hasn't ever even mentioned to him. 

To celebrate, and yes, to drum up prospective business for the vineyard, they decide to throw a huge party. Celia is totally involved in the organisation, to the point of distraction. There's so much to do. The week before the party she is contacted out of the blue by a man claiming to be the son she gave up for adoption many years ago. The son she has never ever mentioned to her husband. On impulse, Celia tells David to come to the party and offers him a place to stay. How on earth is she going to explain this to Dominic, especially when there never seems to be a right time to have any kind of conversation with him.

Then David turns up with someone else, his daughter Gillian, and she and Celia find it very difficult to connect at all. Are David and Gillian truly who they say they are? And can Celia, David and Gillian ever build any kind of relationship after so many years apart?

The author did a great job of really ratcheting up the tension on several layers in this book. There is the tension from hosting such a big event, the tension of suddenly having two people turn up and become part of your life and wondering if they really are who they say they are. Then there are the weather situations in the book, with danger lurking at any moment.

I recently read a book called Adam & Evie's Matchmaking Tour by Nora Nguyen and in the Author Note she says

Books let our imaginations travel where our feet cannot.

and that quote right there sums up why I love to read escapist books like this one. There were scenes in this book where I could feel the Provencal sun on my face, I could see the Mediterranean stretched out before me as I stood on a cliff top, I could smell the lavender and the citrus.  Sometimes, the escapist books I read can feel a bit lightweight, but this one was a much bigger, deeper story and I really enjoyed it. 

I loved the way that Drinkwater wrote about the big events in the book.  The main event of the book is a party where the author described having an alley of trees between which there is a table set with plates and glassware and platters loaded with local food. It's the kind of meal that looks as pretty as a picture and the food sounded absolutely amazing too! I would love to go and have this kind of meal one day, whether it be in the south of France, or just somewhere special near me! But there was also an almost casual party on a beach, where people came together to eat, drink and listen to music.

It was interesting to read all the details about the running of the vineyard, in particular about what happens when there is too much water. It's not something that I have really thought about before!

While I have been aware of Carol Drinkwater as an author, particularly of her Olive series which are memoirs, I had never read her. I am sure I have seen her on a couple of TV shows talking about her expat life living in Provence for many years.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I am so glad that I have finally had the opportunity to read this author! I will definitely be reading more at some point. There is quite a backlist of both fiction and non-fiction for me to read!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, with Foodie Reads hosted at Based on a True Story and with Paris In July hosted by Words and Peace. At 512 pages long, this also counts as a Big Book of Summer. Thanks to the publisher and Random Things Tours for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. 

Rating 4.5/5

About the Book

A season of surprises...

Celia Grey appears to have the perfect life: married to Dominic, the man of her dreams, and living on a glorious, thriving vineyard in the south of France. To celebrate their good fortune, she decides to throw a huge party.

When she is contacted by a stranger who claims to be her long-lost son, David, the newborn she gave up at twenty and has never spoken of since, Celia impulsively invites him for the weekend of celebrations - without mentioning it to her husband.

Despite his surprise, Dominic graciously welcomes David and his unexpected companion - but secretly he harbours doubts. Is David really Celia's son? And who is the mysterious young woman travelling with him?

Only Celia can decide how far she will go to hold everything together, to keep her perfect life from unravelling...

One Summer in Provence is a story of betrayal and belonging, and of discovering love in unexpected places.

About the Author

Carol Drinkwater is a multi-award-winning actress, writer and film-maker, best known for her portrayal of Helen Herriot in the classic BBC television series All Creatures Great and Small. She is the author of twenty-five books, both fiction and non-fiction and including the bestselling Olive Farm memoir series set in the south of France. Her latest TV work is a six-part travel/lifestyle programme commissioned by UK's Channel 5, Carol Drinkwater's Secret Provence. Carol lives with her husband in France.

The Lost Story of Sofia Castello by Siobhan Curham

 

Sometimes when you pick up a book you just know straight away that it is really going to work for you! This is one of those books. I was hooked by the end of the prologue and basically couldn't stop reading from that point on!

Ghostwriter Lily Christie wants to continue to write for a living, but she is a bit disheartened after her last couple of gigs with people who barely cared about the story that they were telling even though it was their own story! She could do with a break. When she is contacted by her agent with a request for her to write a new book, she is a little bit surprised by the secrecy surrounding it. Having been presented with a Non Disclosure Agreement:

"Go on then, put me out of my misery - who's the client?" I ask as I sign it, praying I won't be disappointed. 

"Sofia Castello," she replies enigmatically

I frown. "The singer."

"Yes!" She smiles.

"The singer who sang "Ocean Longing"?" I ask, certain I must be mistaken.

"The very one."

"But it can't be." A shiver runs up my spine. "She's been dead for years!"

The book then follows Lily to Portugal where she meets the enigmatic Sofia who both wants to tell her story but also wants to keep her secrets. It's a difficult path for Lily who knows that Sofia isn't telling the whole truth . She doesn't understand why Sofia would specifically request Lily as a ghostwriter but then not be willing to be honest.

As far as the world is concerned, Sofia died in a plane accident during WWII when the plane she was travelling in was shot down by the Germans. Prior to her death, Sofia had a meteoric rise to stardom. Originally from a small fishing village in the north of Portugal, Sofia moved to Lisbon when she was 16 and became a varino, selling fish while dressed in colourful costumes. What set Sofia apart from the other varinas? Her ability to make up witty songs about her fish. One day, a man from a bar offers Sofia a chance to sing in his bar, and thus, from these humble beginnings a star is born. Right from the beginning though, the story of who Sofia is has been blurred between what the public knows and what the truth is. Soon, Sofia is working with major record companies, recording songs that will soon become anthems for Portugal during these troubled times.

Portugal was a neutral country during WWII, but that doesn't mean that Lisbon wasn't a hot bed of political activities from spying to German agents hunting down Jewish refugees and more. With Sofia's growing public profile she is able to attend events where she becomes useful for what she can learn and share. She also becomes friends with a young German girl, which brings her great joy in the friendship but they are both in danger.

It isn't only in Portugal that Sofia's fame is growing, and so she is sent to London to put on a show to help raise morale. There, Sofia falls in love with a man who she knows very little about, other than that he does important war work. Even here, the line between truth and untruths is very fine. Who can Sofia trust? Maybe just her musical partner?

I loved this book! There were twists and turns all along the way. There were some things that I saw coming but there were also a couple of reveals that I didn't!

The modern storyline which is set in the year 2000 was interesting too, with Lily using the time in Portugal to really take stock of her life, but the real star of the show was Sofia's story. I didn't think that the Lily's story really needed the nice little bow that was presented in the epilogue, but I do understand why the author chose to finish the book that way.

The sights, sounds and food of Portugal came to life as well. I could really do with a Portuguese custard tart right about now just thinking about this book! And the description of the air raids on London that Sofia witnessed were so well done.

I have read a number of Siobhan Curham books now, and I have liked them all. Sofia Castello's story will stick with me for a long time and I think it is Curham's best book yet! I loved it from the very beginning to the end

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host, and with Bookish Books challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books. This also counts for my read on a theme book club where the current theme is War. At 402 pages, this also counts as a Big Book of Summer! Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy. 

Rating 4.5/5

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

 

Do you have a book that is a go to when anyone asks for recommendations? I have a few, one of which is The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. Do you want a really good read? Have I told you about The Rose Code by Kate Quinn? Do you want a good WWII story? The Rose Code. WWII from a female experience? The Rose Code. Which makes it even more unfathomable that it has taken me more than three years to read this book and she has published two more since then. Maybe I was worried that this book wouldn't live up to The Rose Code, but I needn't have worried.

So what prompted me to finally read this book? My read on a theme book club has chosen War as it's next theme and when I looked through my Kindle this one jumped out at me. I think I have about 50 books that will fit the theme but this was where I started.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko is a young mother who is separated from her much older manipulative husband who refuses to take the final steps required to finalise their divorce. Supported by her parents as she raises her son, Slavka, she is studying history and working at the public library. Taunted by him, she also takes up marksmanship, a skill which will give her an unexpected trajectory into Soviet history.

When war breaks out, Mila was among the thousands of young women who signed up to fight for the Soviet Army and soon her skill with her gun sees her becoming a sniper. This isn't only about being able to kill an adversary with a single shot, although with her life motto of "Don't Miss" Mila is very focussed on that, it is also about being able to wait in silence for hours watching, calculating, almost stalking her mark. Soon her hit count is rising, and yet, as is true for so many women who perform amazing tasks in war, the recognition that she should get for her skill is very slow in being given. 

The portrayal of war is very detailed about the conditions, about the injuries and death, and the very specific skills a sniper must have and use on a daily basis. However, we also see a Mila who is trying desperately to remain connected to her true self and her son by sending him different types of leaves that she finds.  She also carries her dissertation around with her every where she goes in the hope that she will finish it one day.

Interspersed with Mila's war stories are sections which tell of her visit to the US where she was sent along with others to try and convince the US of the need for a second war front to help relieve the pressure on the Soviet Army against the Germans. Here, Mila meets and befriends Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the American president. She also has to brave the belittling press pack who don't necessarily believe that she is a sniper and so ask her about her underwear and other inane questions. 

Here is where the story deviates from the known history, with the introduction of an unnamed character who has a plan where Mila will take the blame for his actions which, had they been successful, would have completely changed the course of the war.

I loved the various methods and voices  that Quinn uses to tell the story. We see Mila through diary entries made by Mrs Roosevelt, we hear from her adversary and all through the text we see Mila's humour as she shares lines from her official memoir along with those of her unofficial version. For example, here is one from very early in the book

My memoir, the official version: Every woman remembers her first.

My memoir, the unofficial version: Those words mean very different things for me than most women

In the hands of a lesser author, it would have been possible that this story could have been very bleak and upsetting, but balanced between the injuries, death, and fighting there are moments of joy, mostly found through the friendships and yes, love, that Mila finds on the battlefield and in her life.

It is interesting looking at the events of this book through the lens of the current situation between Ukraine and Russia. A lot of the action takes place in the Ukraine and Lyudmila Pavlichenko was born in what we would now call Ukraine. At the time that the book is set, Mila was a proud Soviet. It is likely that if she was still around Mila would rather be addressed as a proud Ukrainian that is just a guess on my part. 

And now if I am asked for a reading recommendation about women in war I will have to say have you read The Rose Code or The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn.

I am sharing this review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here at The Intrepid Reader and Baker. This is also one of my nominated 20 Books of Winter, and at 435 pages counts as a Big Book of Summer (well Winter but you know what I mean!). Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy. Sorry it's so late!

Rating 4.5/5