Keswick Life

Lifestyles in Keswick and its environs

Book Worm

BOOKWORM REVIEWS: Holiday Gift Shopping List

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By Suzanne Nash

The holidays are upon us and so it is time for my Christmas Gift List of books to get your Christmas shopping started… or so you can start your wish list of what you’d like to find under the tree this year! I have been working hard to compile a list with an assortment of books that might fit any tastes. I am often asked if I actually read everything I recommend, and I can assure you that I have read each and every book I suggest… so it has been a very busy month for me!

Let’s start with some compelling fiction choices…

Promise by Minrose Gwin takes place in Tupelo, Mississippi and is based on the real event of a devastating tornado that ripped through the town on Palm Sunday in 1936. It left more than 200 people dead in its aftermath, but the official casualties did not include the black citizens of Tupelo which made up one third of the town’s population. This novel looks at the aftermath of the flood and the racial divisions, the destruction as well as the relationships amongst the townspeople. Dovely, a local laundress, is tossed into a lake by the violent winds and crawls out, injured, searching for her family. She makes her way to the home of the McNahh family, who she works for but despises. No one in the McNabb house has survived except the teenage daughter Jo. Jo however has a head wound and, in her confusion, she finds a baby that she decides is her baby brother Tommy. She is determined to protect this baby. Jo and Dovely must navigate this complicated and devastated landscape carefully. The background between the two families unfolds as well as the resentments and secrets that have shaped their worlds. It is beautifully written and will make you want to explore this forgotten part of history.

The Only Story by Julian Barnes is the winner of the Mann Booker Prize in 2018 and tells the story of Paul Casey who has an affair with Susan MacLeod, a married woman, in the ’60s. When they run away together to set up house in London, they leave behind Susan’s two grown daughters and Susan’s husband who they call Elephant Pants. Barnes explores how first loves can change your life and asks the question: What is love and devotion?

The Last Romantics is a novel about a poet looking back at her life and is written by Tara Conklin. Poet Fiona Skinner is giving a talk at a poetry reading late in her life and is asked about the inspiration for her most famous poem, The Love Poem. Up until now she has never revealed the tale behind this poem but finally, she is ready to open up about her past. When her father died when she was a child her mother went into what the rest of the family referred to as “the Pause” and the children are left to fend for themselves for close to three years. The siblings, Renee, Caroline, Joe, and Fiona become very close, dependent and loyal to each other. They face difficult choices and the story focuses on the fallout of their choices. It is a wonderful and interesting story told from multiple viewpoints that often spill over into each other and closely looks at the repercussions of having to grow up too fast.

I have a particular fondness for historical fiction and there are several really good choices this year if you have someone on your list who is also a fan.

The Huntress by Kate Quinn is spectacular on all fronts. Quinn is the author of best seller, The Alice Network, and has succeeded in yet another winner in my book! In this latest offering there are three story lines, three narrators and alternating timelines but she manages to pull it all off splendidly. In the midst of WWII, in the darkest regions of Siberia, Nina Markova struggles to overcome her past and becomes one of the famous Russian bomber pilots known as the Night Witches. When her father is denounced as a traitor to Russia she must flee and comes into contact with Lorelie Vogt, the Huntress of the German Reich, in Poland where Lorelie commits atrocities which put her on the list of war criminals. After the war in 1950s Boston, Jordan MacBride is interested in becoming a news photographer. Her father is a widowed antiques dealer who would prefer that she stay home to run his shop. When her father decides to marry a German woman named Anneliese who also brings a young daughter to the newly formed family, Jordan is taken aback and suspicious. Anneliese’s daughter Ruth seems traumatized and barely speaks but wins Jordan’s heart and once her father passes away, Jordan becomes closer to her stepmother and accepts her as a friend and confidant. All three of these women’s lives intersect as the Huntress becomes the hunter in the tightly packed novel. I was excited to learn more about the real Night Witches and it is worth taking a look at the real story behind this historical fiction.

The Poison Bed is by Elizabeth Freemantle and takes place in the Jacobean Court of 1615 in London. I did not know a great deal about this time period in English history and was so fascinated to learn about Robert and Francis Carr who were actually imprisoned on suspicion of murder during that time period. In this historical fiction Robert is the lover of King James I and Francis was the wife of an abusive man, Sir Thomas Overbury. There are period details throughout that make this story come alive and paints a picture of the court environment. Frances is unfortunately a pawn in this world of men and yet she has more political knowledge than most of the men surrounding her. I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced thriller.

A Double Life by Flynn Berry is another historical fiction/thriller based on a true crime: The Lord Lucan Case set in London in 1974. Berry is the writer of the best selling The Girl on the Train novel and this new piece of fiction is just as fast paced and riveting. Claire is a doctor in London who harbors a secret. She is actually the daughter of a notorious killer who has escaped justice. When the police inform Claire that they have found her father, she is forced to go back over what happened in her childhood and figure out whether her father is wrongly accused or guilty of the violent attack on her mother that left another woman dead. Most Americans don’t know about the Lord Lucan Case that this story is based on but again, it is worth the time to look up the real story that is stranger than any fiction.

If you need a good mystery to keep you company over the holidays, try one of these…

The Dry by Jane Harper is a stand-alone mystery debut from 2016 and takes place in Australia. Aaron Flak reluctantly returns home to a small rural Australian town suffering under severe draught. He has come home to pay his respects at a funeral for a childhood friend, who has died under suspicious circumstances. Luke Hadler apparently came home one day and shot his wife and young son and then took his own life, leaving his baby girl alone in her crib. His parents don’t believe that their son could have acted in this way and ask Aaron to look into it. Aaron is now a financial investigator with the police and decides to stay for a bit to see if this could be linked somehow to the death of his friend Ellie several years before. Small town rumors and bigotry abound, and the rough scrabble life of the Australian farming community takes the forefront in this well-written mystery.

Jump from Australia to Spain and delve into the Galician countryside in All This I Will Give to You by Delores Redondo and translated by Michael Meigs. Manuel Ortigosa is an author in Madred who has been happily married for 15 years in Alvaro. When he suddenly is informed that his husband has died in a car accident far away from where he is supposed to be, secrets begin to be revealed. Alvaro is apparently very wealthy and the owner of a vast estate in Galicia. Manuel must travel to meet Alvaro’s family and deal with the estate affairs and comes face to face with prejudice and deceit and suddenly begins to think that perhaps his husband’s death was no accident. This is a page turner that kept me guessing to the end. I have been watching more movies and series and reading more books from Spain recently and I am hooked on the style of writing and storytelling.

If you are an Audible listener, I want to offer up a nice little mystery you can listen to over the holidays. It is an Audible original and that is the only format for this novella by Dervla McTiernan. The Sisters is a mystery set in Ireland which is a prequel to her book The Ruin. Handsome Robert Collins has been accused of the murder of his girlfriend and his case has been assigned to new lawyer, Aifric. Aifric becomes suspicious in the way the case was handled by the police, so she happens to leave the brief open for her roommate and sister, Carrie to find. Both women face an uphill struggle in careers that are dominated by men. The sexism is rampant in this book and when Carrie decides that there really is something wrong with this case, she becomes determined to ferret out the corruption. This case could make or break her, and she struggles to prove herself as she and her sister run simultaneous investigations. Carrie will be featured in more upcoming books by McTiernan.

I haven’t recommended much fantasy lately so here are a few choices for the fantasy lovers out there…

Neverwold Wake by Marisha Pessi is a twisted sinister tale of a young girl whose boyfriend was found dead in a quarry lake a year ago. She reluctantly gathers with old friends from high school for a party and upon their drive home there is an accident and they all end up dead. The story doesn’t end there, however. They are forced to relive the day again and again until they vote and can agree on who among them will be allowed to live. Each character has something that causes the reader to doubt their honesty. It is part psychological thriller, part fantasy, part sci-fi and part mystery which makes it fascinating, as far as I am concerned.

The Near Witch is another fantasy recently published and it is by V.E. Schwab. In the town of Near children are disappearing and everyone is poiting the finger at “the stranger.” They don’t like strangers in Near. Young Lexi is a tracker like her father before her and she is determined to find the missing children before any more are lost. She doesn’t however believe that the stranger, who she learns is named Cole, is the person responsible for what is happening. Fighting agains the men in charge and the prejudice of the town, Lexi races to prove that her new friend is not evil. She believes that the disappearances are related to old stories and legends about the Near Witch who supposedly disappeared years ago. The songs she and the children sing hold clues as to the frightening tale:

“If the wind calls at night
You must not listen
The wind is lonely
And always looking for company.”

Lexi must hurry because her sister may very well be the next victim!

If you are more interested in something inspiring I suggest Lightly: How to Live Simple, Serene, and Stress-Free Life in which author Francine Jay encourages you to go beyond decluttering and really look at the idea of simplifying your entire life and get rid of thoughts, ideas, and lifestyles that weigh you down. It is more about a change in philosophy. If you want to start fresh in the new year this might just be the book for you.

Another attitude adjuster is a book I really love called Love Your Enemies by Arthur C. Brooks. In this age of contempt this book is a call to rethink how you approach and communicate with those you disagree with. Disagreeing is actually a gift which allows you to explore and exchange ideas and concepts and this exchange is a great opportunity to understand others and grow. What a great way to start the new year by making it a goal to be respectful and loving toward each other despite our differences… could this be part of what Christmas is about? Just a thought!

My last suggestion for a Christmas gift is a British literature classic, though you may have heard of it. The Christmas Hirelings, by Mary Elizabeth Braddon was written in 1894 and tells the story of a wealthy widower who is convinced by his friend, Tom Danby, to hire some poor children to keep him company during the Christmas Season (Christmas Eve to Twelfth Night). Sir John believes Christmas is for children and otherwise not to be bothered with, so is enamored of the idea of youthful excitement about his lonely estate during the holidays. But when Moppet, Laddie and Lassie arrive on Christmas Eve, Sir John is nonplussed by their smallness and grumpy about the whole endeavor. Things seem to be headed in the wrong direction until he is charmed by the 4-year-old Moppet. These children slowly win the heart of this crotchety old man and the reader learns the back story of how Sir John lost his daughters. You can still find the book, but I have really enjoyed listening to it and suggest you play it as you travel about during the holidays. It will put you in the Christmas mood!

I hope you enjoy the Holidays and festivities over the next few weeks and make sure you give the gift of books because books broaden our minds and open our hearts!

BOOKWORM: Cold Temps, Roaring Fires, Great Books

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By Suzanne Nash

The weather is turning very cold and a fire is roaring in the grate, so I think it’s time to offer up a few mysteries and thrillers to enjoy as you cozy up and stay warm and I have a group of them all centering around big old homes or ancients buildings that will keep you entertained. Enjoy the Thanksgiving Holidays and get ready for the upcoming book list for the Christmas Holidays!

– Suzanne Nash

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley is set in the Scottish Highlands on a secluded estate. A body has been found and snow has cut them all of from any help. Then the narration begins…three days prior to the body being found and rotates between multiple characters. There is Emma who planned this trip and it is quickly apparent that she is struggling to fit in and belong to her boyfriend Mark’s set of friends. Then there is the beautiful Miranda, who is married to Julien, and her best friend, Katie. Katie is the quietest and is harboring a secret. We also hear the thoughts of the manager of the Lodge, Heather, as well as the very attractive but aloof gamekeeper, Doug. Why would either of them agree to live out in the remote landscape and what are they running from? It’s a great mystery and perfect for cold and snowy weather.

Another tale with a similar bent is An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena. Once again guests are trapped at a remote location…only this time it’s Mitchell’s Inn in the Catskills. A blizzard begins, the power goes out and people begin to be picked off one by one. It’s a modern day take on an Agatha Christie mystery. David is a lawyer formerly accused of killing his wife. Gwen works in PR for a small firm in New York. Riley is her journalist friend suffering from PTSD. Candice White is an author who has come for the weekend to get some writing done. Beverly Sullivan is there with her husband Henry, and she is trying to save her marriage despite his neglect. Dana Hart is a beautiful actress engaged to the wealthy playboy, Matthew Hutchinson and the last couple is Lauren Day and her boyfriend Ian Beeton. Each of these characters reveal a little bit more of themselves as the story progresses and I found each time I thought I knew who the killer was, that person would end up dead and I would have to reassess the remaining suspects. It’s good little mystery that keeps me guessing!

Murder at the Queen’s Old Castle by Cora Harrison actually had me at the title and it is part of the Rev. Mother Mysteries. The Queen’s Old Castle is an old building in Cork, Ireland that was remade into a low-grade department store. It is 1925 and when the department store owner, Joseph Fitzwilliam, is killed during a very busy sale and the Rev. Mother Aquinas suddenly finds herself in the middle of a complex murder. There is a cast of characters that all could have been involved and it is up to her to sort out the truth from the lies. Helping her along the way are Eileen MacSweeney, a young ambitious reporter, and Detective Inspector Patrick Cashman. I enjoyed this enough that I am going to go back and read the rest of the series!

Alix Rickloff captures the imagination and introduces a bit of mystery in a lovely historical fiction, Secrets of Nanreath Hall. The setting is Cornwall, England in the 1940s and Anna Trenowyth is a WWII nurse who has just survived Dunkirk and is now assigned to the nursing staff at Nanreath Hall. Nanreath Hall also happens to the childhood home of her mother, Lady Katherine, who ran away from her family when she was young to pursue her dreams of painting. Anna knows very little about her mother or her family and so begins the quest to find out what really happened to her mother. The story jumps back and forth from the 1940s to 1913 and slowly the story unfolds.

The Snakes has most of its plot unfolding in a small hotel in France. Author Sadie Jones creates a psychological thriller that revolves around family dynamics and values, or lack thereof? Bea and her husband, Dan, decide they need a break from London and set off for a bit of an extended holiday, which they kick off with a visit to Bea’s brother in France. Bea’s parents have set Alex up with a hotel to run in an attempt to get him off of drugs and on a better path. They have not, however, taken the time to monitor him and his is going off the rails. When Alex winds up dead and Bea’s parents make an appearance to deal with the ensuing mess things really start to really unwind between Bea and Dan. Dan had no idea how wealthy Bea’s parents were and while Bea has tried to escape her parent’s influence, Dan quickly falls prey to all that money can buy. The snakes in the attic at Alex’s hotel are not the only snakes in this novel and it is a study in the ability of money to distort things and how much dysfunction can reside in one family. It is chilling…so sit a little closer to that fire!

BOOKWORM: Fall Weather Reading

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By Suzanne Nash

Halloween is right around the corner so once again it’s time for eerie tales filled with suspense and atmosphere. While not all of these are filled with ghosts and ghouls, they speak more about the monsters within us and in the people we know.

The debut novel, Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce, certainly will be perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train.  Everyone in this novel seems to be pushing boundaries and you are unsure from the get-go whether you can trust the narrator or not.  Alison is a criminal barrister who is at the top of her game.  She has just been handed her first criminal case and it seems pretty straight forward. A very posh woman has stabbed her husband and admits to doing so.  When Alison tries to learn a bit more and push the accused to try and save her from hanging, Alison finds herself hampered by her supervisor.  To make matters worse Alison is having a torrid affair with her cad of a supervisor, Patrick. And did I forget to mention she is a married woman who has a drinking problem with a young daughter?  Despite many cringe inducing drunken scenes, Tyce manages to get the reader to empathize with Alison and pull for her recovery and redemption.  This a great psychological thriller that will completely surprise you at the end.

Haunted Ground is the debut in a series about Nora Gavin and Cormac Maquire by Erin Hart which was published in 2003. In this first mystery a head is discovered in a bog in Ireland and experts are called in to determine the date of death. Years before a local woman disappeared with her son and her husband, Lord Hugh Osborne, was suspected of murdering them.  The Osborne home, Bracklyn House, holds many secrets which Nora and Cormac must unearth as both archeology and forensics are employed to uncover the truth. This is a very atmospheric book filled with Irish folklore, beautiful haunting landscape and the background of the traditional Irish music.  You can even order a soundtrack meant to accompany your reading of her books! I love all things which remind me of Ireland, so this was wonderful return to the green island.

Greer MaCallister gives us another type of horror and mystery in Woman 99. Set in San Francisco in the late 1880’s, this novel examines the life of women who didn’t conform to the strictures of society and family and what they risked by their behaviors. Growing up in Nob Hill provided a luxurious lifestyle but as Charlotte Smith and her sister, Phoebe, discovered, if you stepped out of line the consequences were horrific. Phoebe is unfortunately bi-polar and refuses to tow the line as her mother wishes. She soon finds herself committed to Goldengrove Asylum, much to the horror of her sister, Charlotte.  When Charlotte attempts a rescue, the reader is given a glimpse inside the world of the women’s asylum and all that an asylum entails. Stripped of your identity and given a number, your days are ruled by the wardens who insure you are mindlessly taken through your day.  The treatments and punishments are cruel and barbaric, though considered cutting edge at the time.  There are references to the investigative work of journalist Nellie Bly, who exposed the inhumane practices found in these institutions. This is a historical fiction that hits the mark with mystery, romance and family.

A creepy tale that will keep you up at night is The Hush by John Hart. Johnny Merriman lives secluded within 6000 acres that includes swamplands and mountainous areas in an area called Hush Arbor.  There is a mystery around what happened to him 10 years ago, but he rarely shows his face to the world. As long as Johnny stays within his area, he has strange and amazing powers, seeming at one with the nature that surrounds him.  Once he leaves the 6000 acres his gifts begin to wane.  Where have these powers originated from and how do they relate to the deaths and disappearances in Arbor Hush? When billionaire William Boyd decides he wants to buy up Johnny’s land to enhance his lodge and allow his guests to hunt big game, a confrontation is sure to take place.  What is out in the swamp that refuses to let anyone trespass? People are scared of Hush Arbor and they should be!

One of my favorite creepy novels this year is The Mere Wife by Maria Dabvana Headley.  I am a big fan of Beowulf and Headley has borrowed upon this classic epic poem to create a wonderfully written tale. Herot Hall is the perfect little community but hidden in the mountains overlooking this contemporary suburb is a former soldier, Dana, and her son, Gren. Of course, Gren is short for Grendal, as in…the monster in Beowulf. But as the reader quickly learns, monsters aren’t always obvious. Somethings that are labeled as monsters often aren’t and some things labeled as proper and good, often hide monstrous hearts. When Gren makes friends with Dylan, a young boy from Herot Hall, perceptions collide. The thin veneer that hides the true monsters of Herot Hall begins to crack and the chorus of the mothers plays backdrop to this amazing remake of an ancient story. The writing is brilliant! If you have never read Beowulf, it is one of the most important works of Old English literature and it is worth reading it, or even reading a little bit about it, before reading this novel so that you can see the parallels between the two. 

If you aren’t interested in tales fit for the season of Ghouls, try these last two novels which are beautifully written fiction that you can enjoy any time of the year.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens transports you to the North Carolina coast and reminded me a bit of a book I loved as a child, Girl of the Limberlost by Jean Stratton-Porter. The story of Kya, who grows up poor and isolated in the marshes, fending for herself and shying away from the town and its inhabitants, slowly intertwines with a murder mystery that involves an older Kya.  Kya’s appreciation and attention to the details of the marsh life feature prominently in the story and it paints a beautiful picture of the marshlands and the unspoiled nature that is threatened by an encroaching civilization, and the narrow minded views of a small town who doesn’t welcome anything that is outside their sphere of influence. Kya’s gifts aren’t appreciated or acknowledged, yet her vision is pure and bound to the land in ways the townspeople could never understand. Owens weaves a song of nature and survival, love and loss that will play in your heart for a long while.

Canadian Christine Higdon offers up her debut novel, The Very Marrow of Our Bones, and I am hooked by her story telling style. It’s 1967 and two women have disappeared from a small town. Both Bettie Parsons and Alice McFee have gone missing, leaving their families and friends wondering what might have happened.  Rumors circulate but not trace is found of either of them.  Ten-year-old Lulu Parsons, daughter of Bettie, strikes up a strange and toxic friendship with Alice’s abandoned husband, Mr. McFee.  She and her autistic brother are vulnerable after their mother’s death, while her older brother, Trevor, takes off to escape the family drama.  Lulu’s resentment builds and after a pivotal incident she runs and keeps running for 40 plus years.  It is only when she returns home after the death of her brother that the pieces begin to fall in to place under the watchful eye of the ever-present Doris Tenpenny, the mute egg seller. Upon his death, McFee has left his house to Doris and Lulu for some reason and once a body is found under the privy, the pace quickens.  Who might the body be? And what could have happened? This is a remarkable tale, jumping from past to present and yet it is not difficult to follow. Often when stories switch from past to present with frequency in the telling, I feel jarred. But in this case, I felt there was smooth transition and real movement in the story line due to this technique. The characters are very real and have substance that keep you invested in the story line.  I especially felt drawn to Doris as we, the readers, have access to her thoughts while the other characters are not privy to her inner world.  I look forward to reading more of Higdon’s work.

So, enjoy the cooling weather, which I am so grateful for and get ready for roaring fires and Holidays which are right around the corner! Don’t forget to keep those books always near at hand!

BOOKWORM: Fall is on the Way — Back to School and Halloween

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By Suzanne Nash

White the temperatures are still a bit warm, fall is on the way and with it comes Back to School and Halloween. This is my favorite time of year and each fall I get excited for some spooky reads to get me in the mood for tricks or treats! So, here are a few treats for you…

A couple of witchy tales:

The Familiars by Stacey Halls takes place in 1612 England and revolves around the Pendle witch trials. Fleetwood Shuttleworth is pregnant but finds a note from her doctor which says she won’t survive the birth. When she unexpectedly runs into Alice Grey who just happens to be a midwife her fortune seems to turn. Alice promises to deliver a healthy baby to Fleetwood but things get complicated when Alice is accused of witchcraft. If you are unfamiliar with the English witch trials in Pendle in the 17th century this will introduce you to the history and how the lives of women in that time were subject to the whims of society.

A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness’s new book, is the first in a series about Diane Bishop. She is descended from a famous family of witches in Massachusetts but turns away from magic and instead becomes an academic. She heads to Oxford to do a little research on alchemy and that’s where geneticist Matthew Clairmont finds her. Together they must find out the mystery related to one of the rare books in the Bodlein Library. There is romance and fantasy in this fun novel just made for spooky season.

Next up… ghosts and haunted houses:

I discovered The Ghost Tree by Barbara Erskin while in London this year and found it perfectly eerie. Ruth goes to her father’s home to sort it out after his death and discovers an ancestor she wasn’t aware she had. Thomas Erskin, who was Lord Chancellor during the 1700s. The tale travels back and forth through time, introducing Thomas’ life and how a man he helped to hang has come back to seek revenge on all of Thomas’ ancestors. Ruth is also dealing with a wretched man named Timothy who along with his sister has been scamming Ruth’s deceased Father. This historical novel that is actually based on the author’s real ancestor, Thomas Erskin.

Forgotten Bones by Vivian Barz is a great thriller ghost story and I read the whole thing in one sitting. Susan Marlan is a police officer called to the scene of a traffic accident where a car has plowed into a telephone pole, and in replacing the damaged pole, a body of a young boy is found. This discovery leads to a farm where more bodies of children are recovered, and the search is on for a pedophile they believe is responsible. Meanwhile a college professor new to the area, Eric Evans, is starting to have horrifying visions of a dead young boy… of course Eric also happens to be a schizophrenic.

The Widow’s House by Carol Goodman is another house that is haunted. The house in question is River House and Jess and Claire Martin have moved in so they can be caretakers. The house is owned by their former mentor and professor, Monty, who has difficulty taking care of the property. Jess is a formerly successful writer who needs some space to capture his former glory and Clare wants to support him. Once they move in, Clare starts to hear sounds and suddenly the past starts to come back to haunt them.

BOOKWORM: The Heat is On – Summer Reads

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By Suzanne Nash

I am always able to read a great deal more in the summer months and I have been enjoying a pretty full bedside table lately so wanted to share just a few of the books I have been reading in July. I noticed recently that I have not had very many male narrators in my books over that last few months and wanted to rectify that immediately!

Ken Bruen has written loads of novels featuring the difficult alcoholic main character of Jack Taylor who somehow manages to work his way into your heart. Maybe it is his language or the way the narrative is short and emphatic and without any pretense but in his latest novel, In the Galway Silence, Brown once again lets Jack’s weaknesses play to the forefront. He is still drinking his Jameson and still popping pills but Jack seems happier and more settled. Of course, that cannot last for long and soon he is chasing up a double murder and suddenly finds a vigilante called “Silence” causing all manner of problems, including the disappearance of his girlfriend’s annoying nine-year-old son. Brown once said that the “Irish can abide almost anything save silence” and those words are never more apt that in this darkly funny addition to the series.

In Love is Blind author William Boyd introduces us to a piano tuner protagonist, Brodie Moncur, and we follow his journey from 1880s Scotland to France and Russia. Brodie narrates this story and we learn how he struggles to escape a miserable Scottish father and works his way from being a piano tuner in a Parish showroom to accompanying John Kilbarrron, the Irish Liszt, on his concert tours. Embedded in this story is also some pretty amazing homages to other books and there quite a few parallels to other great books that you might be able to notice. This is a historical saga that not only touches on the intricacies of piano tuning, captures the times and places in which Brodie travels in but also explores the blindness of love and the painful choices we have to make.  Boyd is a master of his craft and has written 15 novels to date, including Any Human Heart, and this latest offering shows that he is still a literary force to be reckoned with. 

French Exit by Patrick DeWitt is another darkly humorous novel that is partially set in Paris. It is about a very wealthy widow, Francis Price, and her adult son, Malcolm who seek to escape scandal and financial ruin by fleeing New York.  They are determined to survive and live in the beautiful sympathetic world of expats in Paris.  High Society has never been more humorous as these two continue to self-destruct in this lavish backdrop. The writing is brilliantly witty and the characters that live in the pages will keep you laughing. There is a psychic they meet on the voyage over, an investigator they hire to find her and a doctor who comes to make a house call, along with my favorite, Mme. Reynard, who is completely bonkers!  And one can’t forget the cat, Small Frank, where Frances believes the spirit of her late husband resides. None of them are particularly fond of the late husband.

If you want to keep laughing, you must pick up David Sedaris’ Calypso. I like it so much I kept stopping Bev to read him sections of it and he became enamored of the writing as well. While his subject matters are not always something you want to read about while you are eating dinner, I found his observations laugh-aloud funny most of the time.  If you like dark humor, no one does it better than Sedaris and each chapter delves deep in the sadness and humor of family relations, illness, loss and love. I love the fact you can put it down after reading a chapter and then pick it up a couple days later without losing anything. These are little gems strung together that can be read alone but when strung together become priceless.

My last book does not really have a male narrator but is the true story of several men and their impact on the history of Great Britain and India. The Patient Assassin: A True Tale of Massacre, Revenge, and India’s Quest for India’s Independence was written by Anita Anand and in the Intro she shares that she has a very real connection to the story she tells.  I always thought I had a passing idea of the history of India but must admit I did not know that much about Udham Singh and I asked my husband Bev (being an Englishman) if he had ever heard of him and he had not.  Once you read this book, you will understand why. In 1919, there is a massacre in India and one of its survivors pledges revenge. Years go by before the opportunity arises and Udham Singh becomes a hero to the Indian people and a blight to the British Empire. This is a fascinating story of the political climate, not only in India and in England, but also Russia and Ireland as native people fight to gain their independence from a colonial presence. The attitudes of the age are clearly laid out as the author takes us into the minds of political and military leaders and those who suffered in the shadows.

BOOKWORM: The Heat is On – Summer Reads

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By Suzanne Nash

It’s finally summer and with its arrival comes the summer reading list, so get ready for a beach bag full of great reading material, whatever your taste!

I’ll start with the mystery and thriller category of books with a relatively newly published novel called The Other Woman by Sandie Jones. I consider this a perfect summer read…. just enough psychological tension to keep your attention as you bake in the sun, but ok to put down if you need to take a dip!  Emily is the main character and she has finally found true love with Adam…or so she thinks. The title is a bit of a red herring, since the “other woman” in this case is Adam’s mother who is a scary piece of work. The snag is that Adam never sees the side of his mother that Emily sees.  Chaos and mystery ensue!

Another newly published thriller is Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear and I really loved the narrative of this charged novel. Cat Kinsella is a detective constable with the Metro Police Force when the body of Alice Lapaine shows up and throws her into the fears of her past. She has to face the memories that have plagued her for years and her suspicions that her father was involved in a disappearance of a young girl during a holiday in Ireland. Well written and filled with enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes, this is a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing.

The Shadows We Hide by Allen Eskens also involves questionable paternal ties. Joe Talbert Jr. is a reporter for the Associated Press in Minneapolis when he is sent to investigate the murder of a man who may, or may not, be his father. From all accounts Joe Sr wasn’t a particularly nice person, so there are plenty of suspects in his murder and with his death comes the possibility that Joe Jr may inherit some pretty valuable real estate which puts him in the crosshairs as well. Enjoy the ride, as Joe Jr struggles to find the truth about a man he never knew but who certainly will play a large role in his future!

Amber Cowie’s mystery, Rapid Falls, also asks its main characters to face the past to discover hidden secrets. Cara and Annie are sisters who struggle to maintain a relationship due to a past tragedy that impacted them both. Cara’s senior year of high school ended in disaster when a car carrying Cara, her boyfriend, Jessie, and Annie crashed. Jessie was killed and Annie can’t remember that night very well, but she spent time in jail for driving under the influence and has been fighting addiction ever since. The question is…what REALLY happened that night?

For a sweeter summer book try Cottage by The Sea by Debbie Macomber.  It’s an easy read that is a bit like the Hallmark Channel plots in its simplicity. Lead character Annie Marlow is recovering from the tragedy of losing her whole family in an accident when she decides to move to Oceanside in the Pacific Northwest.  It is a small coastal village she remembers from family vacations with her parents and the perfect place to heal. The village is of course filled with characters such as the town recluse, the troubled teen and a gentle giant of a man….single of course. It is simply written but that’s not a bad thing for a beach book.

If you are looking for a bit more of a bite to your summer try An Elderly Woman Up to No Good: Stories by Helene Tursten. I loved this tiny little treasure.  You can’t class it as a mystery because you know who committed all of the murders, but it is funny, short and very irreverent.  I have always enjoyed Swedish writers and Tursten didn’t fail to please me with her latest book. Maud lives in Gothenburg Sweden and this 88 year old is a force to be reckoned with.  She manages to solve any of the problems cast her way…whether it is travel problems, old boyfriends, antiques theft or someone looking to move into her apartment, with a method that is a bit over the top. You can finish each story in the time it takes you to rotate for a tan, so be sure to pick this one up!

On a more serious note Wayetu Moore’s She Would Be King is a masterpiece and well worth putting on your list. She weaves a tale of mythic proportions out of three special people’s lives who are sent by forces beyond themselves to save Liberia. Gbessa is the young girl who will not die, June Dey is a runaway slave from a Virginia plantation whose strength cannot be tamed, and Norman Aragon is the bastard son of a scientist in Jamaica who takes advantage of a young Maroon girl working for him.  Callum, the father, is determined to learn the secret of his Maroon slave, Nanni, who can disappear from sight and has magical powers which her son inherits.  These three larger than life characters come together on the shores of Liberia in Monrovia, an American colony formed for freed slaves in the 1800s. This a tale of magic and hope and the desperation of oppression and it is beautifully written.  It has made me want to learn a lot more about the history of Liberia, which prior to this book I knew very little about. Monrovia is indeed the Capital of Liberia and was named after President James Monroe in 1822 and was founded by the American Colonization Society as a self-sufficient colony for emancipated black slaves.

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict is a novel based on the life of Heddie Lamar.  I must admit I knew a little about Heddie Lamar, but this book shines a light on what a truly remarkable woman she was.  An Austrian Jew from Vienna she ended up marrying an arms dealer who provided equipment to Mussolini and eventually Hitler.  She was often the only woman in the room during strategic discussions involving the weaknesses in the Nazis military equipment and when she finally escapes her abusive husband, she makes her way to America and Hollywood.  Heddie was not only beautiful but canny as well. She works with a composer to invent and patent a radio guided torpedo system that can’t be jammed and struggles to be taken seriously by the US Military. She helped to develop technology we still use to this day.  She was not just a pretty face but an intellectual powerhouse!

I hope you have time to enjoy a few books this summer and I will be sure to refill your beach bag next month. Stay cool and keep reading!!

BOOKWORM: The Heat is On – Summer Reads

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By Suzanne Nash

The heat is on and the summer days mean time for the beach or pool.  I have been taking advantage of afternoons at Keswick Club and soaking up the sun while reading my way through this month’s book list.

I thought I’d start you off with some nonfiction selections. The first book has a long title…Mrs. Sherlock Holmes: The True Story of New York City’s Greatest Female Detective and the 1917 Missing Girl Case That Captivated a Nation and the title sort of fills you in on the subject matter.  Author Brad Ricca explores the life and career of Grace Humiston who was a lawyer, detective and the first female U.S. District Attorney. She was a New York Society girl who after becoming a lawyer starts to discover the problems immigrants have in this country.  Many of her clients are Italians who are promised jobs in the US but once they are here, they find themselves trapped in a financial nightmare.  Grace follows the trail to Louisiana and Florida, pursuing unethical employers who basically run a slave trade. When an 18-year-old girl, Ruth Cruger, goes missing and cops just write her disappearance off as a runaway, Grace starts to look into it and becomes convinced that it a possible case of white slavery. This is a pretty incredible story of a trailblazing woman that I had never heard about prior to this book. 

Sargent’s Women: Four Lives Behind the Canvas is another book about strong women and the man they inspired. Local author, Donna M. Lucey, also wrote another book I recommended a while back, Archie and Amalie. This time Donna spent years researching the many female portraits of Singer Sargent, looking for the women who moved her to learn more about them.  Each section is devoted to one of the women…except for one, which covers two. The Pilgrim is about Elsie Palmer, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is about Sally and Lucia Fairchild, The Madonna is about Elizabeth Chanler and The Collector is about Isabella Stewart Gardner. Each of these women were captivating and family friends of Singer Sargent and he painted them in a way that still draws people to their rich personalities.

Go to My Grave by Catriona McPherson is a mystery that takes place in Ireland where a lovely B&B has just been opened by a mother and daughter team. The Breakers is on the coast in Galloway and Donna Weaver has guests arriving for an anniversary celebration, but those guests know the house because they have been there before, a long time ago. All eight have gathered and the view is great, and the food is amazing and then one by one they start showing up dead! The relationship between these friends is not all that it seems and as Donna has to piece together the real motive behind the murders, before she becomes one of the victims.

This is a great little gem of a mystery that’s perfect for the summer.

Take a journey to Tangiers this summer for another great mystery. Christine Mangan will delight you with her debut novel, Tangerine.  It’s the 1950s in Tangiers and Alice Shipley is trying to find her way in a new environment with her husband John.  She hates Tangiers and spends all of her days locked away in her apartment too scared to go out. Suddenly her old friend, Lucy Mason, shows up at the door and everything gets crazier.  The book alternates narrators between Alice and Lucy and the reader starts to get a look at their past relationship and the “incident” that ended their friendship.  You are never sure whether you are hearing the truth from each narrator or not. Each chapter reveals their own perspective on events that transpire, and they don’t always agree on how things unfold. The two girls had roomed together in college in the Northeast and were inseparable until something happened that caused Alice to leave Lucy behind and get married.  Now they are back together, wary of each other and unsure of their future. This is a slowly building mystery which matches the heat of the summer and I think it’s a perfect summer read that will transport you to the exotic land of Morroco…so sip your mint tea and relax into this intoxicating novel.

Milkman by Anna Burns is by far my favorite read in a long time.  Truth be told, I listened to this book on tape which be why I loved it so much.  This is a literary masterpiece and won the Mann Booker Prize in 2018, which doesn’t surprise me a bit but it may be a little difficult for the American reader as it has the literary rhythm of the Northern Irish voice and it doesn’t address points full on but works its way around them lyrically. Taking place in Belfast this is a bit of an ode to the authors childhood and what life in Belfast during the troubles was like, but I have found this is the first book I have read that seems to truly give voice to the complexity of the situation.  I loved it and loved the narrators voice. There aren’t really any names given to the characters….just descriptions such as “maybe-boyfriend”.  The narrator is middle sister, and she has the unfortunate habit of reading while walking which makes her stand out in the neighborhood and because she stands out she catches the eye of a paramilitary man known only as the milkman, who really isn’t a milkman but you will learn more about that as you read.  Suddenly middle sister becomes “interesting,” which is NOT a good thing, and the rumors start to flow about her, which of course get back to her mother.  Violence is never far from the mind and fear abounds as everything that is done or left undone can put people in danger.  This book is poignant and wickedly funny in parts, but it is essentially an Irish book and you have to approach it with an ear for the language and the story telling tradition of that area of the world.  It is a complex novel but I absolutely love it and hope you will too!

So, enjoy these lovely books as you relax in to the summer months and try and stay cool! More to come to while away your long days next month!

BOOKWORM: Springtime Reads Coming Our Way

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By Suzanne Nash

As I write this I am on my yearly jaunt to London, so I thought I’d work on some books for April which have some connections to England. I love Sherlock Holmes mysteries and always feel connected to those tales while I am here so here are a couple books based on that marvelous detective.

Have a wonderful month and get ready for warmer weather that is on the horizon!

Laurie R. King has written several books that are based around a young woman, Mary Russell, who marries Holmes and helps him solve crimes in his later years. In Island of the Mad, Lady Vivian Beaconfield has disappeared from Bedlam while out on visitation. Mary Russell has a connection to Lady Vivian and so ends up journeying to Venice, chasing leads to locate her quarry. Sherlock accompanies her but he is on a different mission, which puts him in the company of Cole Porter who has rented a palace in Venice where he throws lavish parties in the midst of the rise of fascism in Italy. It is an exciting romp through the changing landscape of Venice during 1922 and explores how fascism changed the carefree lifestyle of the very wealthy who summered there.

The Whole Art of Detection: Last Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes by Lyndsay Faye is a compilation of fifteen stories, some of which were previously published in The Strand Magazine. The stories are well written and presented from various perspectives: some from Watson’s view and others as Sherlock’s diary journal entries. They are broken down in four sections: Before Baker Street, The Early Years, The Return, and The Later Years and it helps to have a previous knowledge of the Sherlock tales as references to the originals are sprinkled throughout. For anyone who loved the Arthur Conan Doyle stories this is a wonderful accompaniment to further round out the classics.

Becoming Belle by Nuala O’Conner is a historical fiction based on the real life of Isabel Maude Penrice Le-Poer-Trench (nee’ Bilton) who was born in 1887 to a very middle-class military family in a small British village. Small town life could not hold this spirited young woman who moves to London at age 19 and develops a double act with her younger sister under the name of Belle. She eventually falls in love with a young English aristocrat named William, Viscount Dunlo. William’s father was none too pleased when William, against his father’s wishes, marries the flamboyant actress. He sends his son to Africa and does everything he can do to separate them and actually takes Belle to court to try and put the marriage aside. O’Conner plays the story out and leads the reader through to how Belle becomes the Countess of Clancary in Ireland.

Following the theme of mystery, The Wildling Sisters will keep you guessing as it jumps in time from 1959 when four sisters spent a summer in the Cotswolds at their uncle’s home, Applecote Manor. The book opens with the girls bloodied hands and clothes. Leap forward 50 years when Will and Jessie Tucker move into Applecote Manor with their two children. Bella, Jessie’s teenage step-daughter, is angst ridden and moody and refuses to connect with Jessie. She notices the strangeness at their new home. Jumping back and forth between the present and the past the reader begins to untangle the mysterious disappearance from 50 years prior. One of my favorite lines is “Houses are never just houses. We move away, but we live forever where we were most alive. “Many things have remained at Applecote Manor, holding on to the past and wishing to be understood.

My favorite historical novel this month is The Wild Irish: A Novel of Elizabeth I and the Pirate O’Malley by Robin Maxwell. This is the amazing story of Grace O’Mally who eventually sails up the Thames and has an audience with Queen Elizabeth herself and apparently impressed the Queen with her stories and courage. If you love stories of strong women, then this novel with enthrall you. Grace was born to an Irish Chieftain who couldn’t tame his wild daughter and he needed to be on the sea. She was given the change to be on the boats with her father and she never gave up that life. She is the mother of the Irish Revolution and fought valiently against the British rule for years, leading her band of pirates to create havoc on the Irish Sea. At one point, she lead over 200 boats with an all-male crew and she earned the respect of all the other Chieftains. She was savvy when it came to politics and married to gain power and then threw out her husband and according to Irish law divorced him because he was unsuitable. All of this in the 16th century when women weren’t given a great deal of rights. This is all based on history and the novel led me to read much more about this renegade Irish woman. The meeting between the two women actually took place and I can just imagine how the meeting between Queen Elizabeth and Grace must have been incredible. These two strong, intelligent women must have appreciated the skill each must possess to survive in the male dominated world they both existed in.

I hope you enjoy these few stories from over the pond and next month I will give you the summer reading list since the weather is getting warmer and pool loungers and sandy beaches are waiting!

BOOKWORM: Discover New Books

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By Suzanne Nash

Sometimes you just hit on a few great finds in a row and this month I want to share some incredible new books that I have discovered. Occasionally I will review  books that were published years before but this month, these are new finds just out in 2018.

The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock: A Novel by Imogen Hermes Gowar takes place in London in 1785.  Trading merchant Jonah Hancock is frustrated when the Captain of Jonah’s ship returns to tell him that he has traded everything for one object: the body of a mermaid. In a different part of London Angelica Neal is mourning the loss of her protector who has just died, leaving her at the mercy of her former madam, Mrs. Chappel. Angelica and her maid, Eliza Frost, must figure out a way to keep Angelica living in the manner to which she has grown accustomed. Jonah and Angelica’s paths cross even as Angelica falls under the spell of George, a rather tedious wastrel. This may seem like a trite little romance novel, but it is anything but. The prose draws you in and while the characters aren’t always likeable there is something about them that invests the reader. A magic thread runs throughout this story that balances the sordid nature of Angelica’s life.

Another story with a magical theme is What Should be Wild. This is Julia Fine’s debut novel and it is a complex tale which weaves back and forth through time.  Masie Cathay lives with her father, Peter, at their estate which is called Urizon.  Masie must stay far away from other people because she is afflicted with a curse that causes her touch to either kill or reanimate. She lives secluded from everyone except her father and the housekeeper until one day she comes into contact with Matthew and her world changes. Suddenly they are drawn to the forest where the past dwells…literally. The women of Urizon from years past gather there….waiting. Waiting for what? Well turn the pages and you will find out.

Elizabeth Crook has written a wonderful historical fiction that reads a bit like a tall tale.  The Which Way Tree takes place in Texas there is a demon panther, El Demonio de Dos Dedos, on the loose sometime during the Civil War. This panther has terrorized Benjamin’s family and in the first few pages the reader gets to hear Benjamin’s remarkable voice.  Benjamin is testifying to the story of his sister’s hunt for the panther that killed her mother and how that hunt got tangled up with the sorry life of Confederate soldier Clarence Hanlin.  I have to admit I fell in love with Benjamin’s voice.  We are introduced to him as he relays the beginning of his testimony to the judge in the case.  Later he is sent home to continue telling his tale through a series of letters and his perspective is told with such innocence and wonder that the truth of it, despite the tall tale nature of it all, seems incontrovertible. This author has breathed life into an old style of story and it’s so refreshing that I had to recommend it.

BOOKWORM: Winter Reading – Warmer Weather of the Horizon

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By Suzanne Nash

It is no coincidence that I chose to review the following books to coincide with me heading out of the country, as I know these involve controversial subject matters, but one of the best things about books is that they can spark conversations and thoughts about things that might otherwise be too difficult to approach.  Talking about an issue under the cover of book discussions rounds the edges somewhat and gives more room to engage in difficult topics.  That said, I am heading to London and leaving the Keswick crowd to mull over these things while I am away! I am joking a little here, and while I AM going away, I will be more than happy to talk to you about any of these books at any time upon my return.  There is nothing I love more than good conversation around interesting ideas and opinions, and I am sure these books will generate quite a bit of that! 

I happened to pick up two books at the library without realizing they were attacking the same subject from different angles.  One was a true crime story and the other a fictionalized version of the same story, both of which made reference to a classic American novel, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.

Now many people have definite opinions about the novel, Lolita, but I find most people have never actually read it.  It is an American masterpiece and despite the difficult subject matter, the writing is phenomenal.  And this is what makes this book such a perfect subject in our present-day atmosphere. It will make the reader contemplate how often a well-spoken narrative can make one accept abhorrent behavior. 

I had read this novel a long time ago when I was younger, and I must admit it didn’t bother me as much as it does now.  This time I listened to it on audible and the benefit of listening to it is the narrative voice of Jeremy Irons, which gives an added creepy quality to the story.  He really has the perfect aristocratic arrogance to capture the character of Humber Humbert. This silver-tongued gentleman describes his infatuation for a young girl named Dolores, who he nicknames Lolita.  Lolita is HIS Lolita and that is very clear.  There is a possessiveness in this entire story that underlines the fact that we are hearing this tale strictly from his perspective. He tries to convince the reader that his feelings are beyond his control and that Lolita has lured him into a predicament. He marries Lolita’s mother to stay close to the child he lusts after and the story blossoms from there. What is fascinating is the result of this novel on the American and worldwide culture.  Rather than causing disgust and the realization that pretty words can’t hide a manipulative heart, people ran out and began to dress as school girls and the term Lolita began to have suggestive meanings.  It even eventually led to the wide-eyed Asian anime characters that are so popular today.  It had worldwide implication that we still feel to this day. This is further examined in the first book I came across at the library.

In The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel that Scandalized the World author Sarah Weinman investigates the story behind the Nabokov’s novel. In 1948 an eleven-year-old girl was abducted from her home in New Jersey and Weinman delves into the abduction through newspaper accounts, court documents and interviews.  This is the first time the whole story of Sally’s abduction has been made public and Weinman finds evidence regarding how much Nabokov knew of this case before he finished his masterpiece in 1955.  She investigates why he tried to hide his knowledge of the case and its influence on his story. Not only is Lolita’s effect on society and culture explored, but the author also looks at Nabokov’s life and how protective his wife was of his artistic legacy. It is a wonderfully revealing book and really opens another view of this important piece of literature.

Rust and Stardust is a novel by T. Greenwood that is another take on the Sally Horner kidnapping. Taken from Camden New Jersey and spirited across country Sally Horner faces a kidnapper who is a far cry from Lolita’s self-proclaimed gentleman narrator. It is a fictional retelling but carries many of the details form Weinman’s book. This looks at the sad reality of a young girl taken by a man who doesn’t have aristocratic bearing or honeyed words. It is darker and more gruesome along the lines of a true crime story and will make you ponder once more how each narrator lends a different perspective of the same issue. What is worth considering is how this tale told in 1955 did spark a scandal but it also sparked a craze and this book was a bestseller worldwide. Fashions changed and songs were written about Lolita, so this has created controversy and discussion since it’s publication. I found the comparisons between these books to be very revealing and think it is interesting that these new novels and books referencing Lolita and the background of the story are timely considering the Me-Too movement.

If you cannot bring yourself to tackle Lolita and the books around it, then perhaps try Anatomy of a Miracle by Jonathan Miles.  This is another book that will make you ponder your beliefs. In Biloxi, Mississippi a veteran paraplegic named Cameron suddenly rises from his wheelchair in the parking lot of the Biz-E-Bee convenience store and walks.  Is it a fluke, a scam or a miracle?  Cameron finds himself in a firestorm of media and religious focus. Suddenly his life is full of people asking him for prayers and asking hard questions. He becomes the symbol for something he is not quite sure he buys into and his doctor struggles with how to meld her scientific reasoning with what has happened. This book is a witty and poignant look at whether we believe that only certain individuals would be worthy of a miracle.  If you happen to be the recipient of a miracle does that mean you are required to live up to all of the expectation that might come with it?

Educated: A memoir by Tara Westover was a book club recommendation for me and I was completely hooked after the first few pages. Tara grew up in Idaho and her family was Mormon but not quite like the Mormons you might be used to.  They lived off the grid and they had all of their children at home so that there was no record of their births. While the older three children went to school for just a few years, by the time Tara came along they didn’t even pretend to homeschool, the children were left to roam the hills until they were old enough to start working in their Dad’s business of scrapping. There is so much that will disturb you, amaze you and confound you about this memoir.  It will leave you with questions and make you grateful for a relatively normal childhood.  School will never look so good!

I especially love the final few chapters because it explores faith in God and what we believe we know about him- which is slightly humorous, in that we presume to know anything at all. I hope you will grab these issues and play with them and discuss these books with your friends because nothing is more enlightening that lively conversations around books and ideas. 

Have a wonderful month and get ready for the warmer weather that is on the horizon!