The Tuscan Child

Somewhere in between cosy mystery and historical fiction, this was my first read by Rhys Bowen. I enjoyed it thoroughly and it moved along quickly for me (mainly because I just had to find out what was going to happen!)

Joanna has had a lonely, difficult childhood. Losing her mother at the tender age of eleven, her father is distant and hardly the nurturing type.

“All my life I’d wanted him to love me. I think he did, in his own way, but not like my mum did.

I don’t remember him ever hugging me. When I was little he had taken me on his knee and read books to me, but that was the extent of our closeness. I don’t think he knew how to be a loving parent. Like all upper-class boys he was sent off to boarding school at seven and had learned to lock away his feelings.”

Although bright and self-motivated Joanna suffers loneliness and rejection at school (her father being the art teacher doesn’t help matters), but she continues to pursue an education. When she receives notice that her father has passed away and learns he had been a downed airman in Italy during the Second World War, it is only too easy for Joanna to determine to find out the mystery behind a letter to an unknown woman, Sofia Bartoli, found in his belongings.

And there the story really begins. Joanna is nothing if not determined. Although none of the villagers seem to remember her father, she does have the address on the letter and it’s contents to prove that Hugo Langley had truly been there during the war. It is her perseverance and burgeoning mother-daughter friendship with Paola, who is all too pleased to rent out a room and meals to an English girl, that gives Joanna hope that her father’s story will not remain hidden.

Paola not only teaches Joanna about cooking with fresh herbs and vegetables but includes her in village festivities and market day. The author certainly makes the Tuscan region appealing, and the food! the food, the food, the descriptions of the meals Paola serves: “She put some of the white cheese into a bowl, chopped up and added some of the herb I had now decided was mint, then grated some lemon zest on to it. Then she took a spoon and carefully stuffed this mixture into each of the blossoms.

She dipped a scoop in the the big jar of olive oil and lit the gas under a pan.

‘Now the batter,’ she said...”

When Joanna is implicated in a local murder, the mystery of who actually perpetrated the crime and whether the crime could be related to secrets from the past (including Joanna’s father), continues to move the story to a satisfying conclusion.

I enjoyed this book, although with a few minor (and not really worthy of mention) quibbles. There is a lot of drama as the reader hopes along with Hugo, Joanna’s father, that he will eventually be able to escape without repercussions for the village from the occupying Germans.

Grant

It was with a huge sigh that I finished the last few pages of “Grant” and closed the book. This may be the longest book I have yet read (no, I haven’t read “Les Miserables” yet! it’s on my list!) It was meaty, satisfying, and chock-full of stories, anecdotes, and factual analysis of the popular Civil War general and President. But it did take me longer to read than any other book (mainly because it had so much information –over one hundred references in some chapters!), and I had to concentrate at times or flip back to remember which character the author was referring to.

This is an ambitious biography of Ulysses S. Grant (not his real name. He was christened “Hiram Ulysses”), and one the author took very, very seriously. Although largely sympathetic to Grant, the author does try to be even-handed in his portrayals. For instance, the subject of alcoholism comes up more than once. The author strives to present Grant’s alcohol addiction as either inflated by his critics, or a battle fought and conquered early in Grant’s life.

Starting with the marriage of his parents and early childhood, the first half of “Grant” is taken up with the West Point years, the Mexican war years, and the nation’s struggle and descent into Civil War along with descriptions of the major battles. I was surprised to learn that General Grant himself was invited to accompany President and Mary Lincoln to the theater the very night that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. The second half deals with the Reconstruction period (some difficult historical scenarios here), Grant’s years as President and the aftermath, up to his death.

I learned so much in this book and realized that one reading is simply not going to be enough to keep in my memory. This is a book I will want to refer to (since I love history) more than once. The author writes a very sympathetic portrait and occasionally includes witnesses complimenting Grant’s military prowess as being equal to Napoleon himself. Relieved to finally land upon a general who would ‘do something’ and who actually began to win battles, Grant’s relationship with President Lincoln was one of mutual admiration.

“He (Grant) struggled to augment public confidence without raising unrealistic expectations. “I do not know any way to put down this rebellion and restore the authority of the Government except by fighting, and fighting means that men must be killed. If the people of this country expect that the war can be conducted to a successful issue in any other way than fighting, they must get somebody other than myself to command the army.”

Not as sympathetic to General Lee (and there were a few surprises there), the author makes no bones about the South ‘building up’ their generals and the North tearing them down. I found the chapters on the Civil War to be of great interest. I was pleased to see that Grant dealt compassionately with the Southern army and its’ generals:

“…Grant furnished legal protection to scores of southern generals who turned to him for pardons… Grant’s most improbable intervention came on behalf of John Singleton Mosby, the notorious “Gray Ghost” whose raiders had bedeviled his army in northern Virginia…. Grant issued a safe conduct that allowed Mosby to move about, rescuing him financially. Mosby repaid the surprising kindness by becoming a steadfast friend and ally of Grant, who later described him as “an honest, brave, conscientious man.”

If you have time (and you enjoy history), you won’t lose by wading through this (but, give yourself room to read it… it took me almost two weeks)!

Hiding in the Light

A very inspiring story, both tragic and encouraging.

When my daughter ordered this from the library she told me, ‘you have to read this Mom!’ It is quite eye-opening.

Rifka Bary is brought up in an abusive, restrictive home (some situations described seem so harsh and difficult to take in!), but her life begins to change when she is introduced to Christianity through a classmate. When Rifka discovers the acceptance from a loving God and the person of Jesus becomes real to her, she must keep her new faith secret. As time passes, Rifka realizes exposure is inevitable, and she decides to escape rather than risk further life-threatening abuse.

“I tiptoed into the hallway, scanning for any signs of wakefulness or motion. With each hollow step through the living room, I was cognizant of all I was leaving behind: my culture, my family, my identity, my religious heritage, my memories, perhaps even my future. I quietly twisted the knob on the front door, opened it, then couldn’t seem to prevent it from slamming noisily behind me. I didn’t care. I had to leave.”

Thankfully, she is helped along the way but encounters several challenging and difficult situations. Since Rifka is underage, she is treated as a runaway and passed along to detention centers and not-always-nurturing foster homes.

Her case becomes nationally known as various legal agencies enter the fray and the news media opens her plight up to the public. Today the author is a college graduate and there is a happy ending, although her biological family continues to be estranged and unrepentant.

A very fast-paced book that keeps the reader involved and hoping for a good outcome.

Miss Buncle’s Book

Barbara Buncle lives in the small village of Silverstream. She is able to live comfortably on her ‘dividends’ (although her coat and hat are a little ‘shabby’), but when her bank account begins to run low, she realizes it’s time to take some action.

Barbara doesn’t have the qualifications to work in an office or school (the reader will realize that this book was written in a different time when few professions were open to women). And so a solution comes to mind; why not write a book, a book about the things she knows best? Those things just happen to be her neighbors… and so, Barbara’s troubles have just begun.

Finding a publisher was the easy part. She has written so cleverly that at first her publisher isn’t aware that her stories are about real people. When ‘Disturber of the Peace’ is released, we find that the title is an apt one. One after another the villagers rise up in fury as they read this newly published bestseller. Barbara meanwhile is shocked to discover her book has become so popular, but she happily travels to London to buy herself some new clothing, little realizing the storm that is brewing in the village.

Luckily for Barbara, there is one good friend who sticks by her. The village doctor’s wife Sally Rider is a wonderful character, brave and forthright and she comes to Barbara’s defense when the entire village seems to be on the hunt for this horrendous author. Everyone knows that ‘John Smith’ (Barbara’s pen name) cannot possibly be the staid, dull Barbara Buncle and they are on the search to find (and punish) the nefarious creature who discloses their innermost secrets.

I will never tire of reading “Miss Buncle’s Book”. Not only clever, the author has given portraits that are amusing, wry, and point out the flaws in human nature. If you haven’t read this one, I highly recommend you hunt down a copy and enjoy an escape into the (somewhat) peaceful world of Silverstream.

Dear Mrs. Bird

AJ Pearce really did her homework on this one!

 

Emmeline Lake is young and a little impetuous. This side of her nature comes out most when she accepts a job typing for a woman’s magazine, mistakenly thinking that this will be a true journalist’s position. Instead she is given the task of typing letters for Mrs. Bird, an older, stern and no-nonsense figure who intimidates the rest of the staff. After all, Emmy’s dream is to become a wartime correspondent:

” I … wanted to be a proper Correspondent. A lady war journalist like the ones I had read about who marched off to report on Spain’s Civil War with nothing more than two fur coats and a fierce determination to find out the truth. I wanted to be part of the action and excitement.”

As time goes on Emmy is disillusioned to find that Mrs. Bird blithely discards those letters she feels inappropriate or distasteful. Instead of helping those in distress, those who are struggling with real-life issues, Mrs. Bird prefers to answer light and fluffy queries like which color hat to wear to a social gathering. Emmy however finds a way around Mrs. Bird and, although aware that she is pushing the limits of integrity, decides to reply to the letters that Mrs. Bird ignores.

“The paper didn’t mention women like the ones who wrote to Mrs. Bird. Women whose worlds had been turned upside down by the war, who missed their husbands or got lonely and fell in love with the wrong man. Or who were just young and naive and had their heads turned in a trying time. Problems that people had always had, only now, with everything so topsy-turvy, they were expected to just battle on. Who was supporting them?”

In between, Emmy’s best friend from childhood, Bunty, shares her flat, encourages Emmy when her fiance dumps her, and joins her in dates and outings amongst nightime bombing raids.

This is not, however, just a novel about writing letters. The war picks up along with the pace of the bombing raids and soon all that Emmy holds dear is threatened with irreplaceable loss. As the war escalates and brings change, Emmy herself learns to grow as a person, and discovers that there are occasions when compassion triumphs over appearances.

I have read several historical fiction novels set during World War 2 but this author really brought to life the effects of the bombing raids on London. At first (being honest here), I had to stick with the story as it seemed to be slow to progress (for me). But as the pace of this novel picks up, the reader is caught up in the events of wartime London.

The author explains in the afterword how the novel started when she found a 1939 magazine and was impressed by the letters written by real women: … I was struck by the huge number of letters in which women faced unimaginably difficult situations in the very toughest of times.”

The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.

This historical fiction novel about Josephine Bonaparte (throughout the story known as ‘Rose’…until Napoleon prefers her as ‘Josephine’) kept my interest all the way through. Beginning with her life on a sugar plantation in the Caribbeans, Rose is only a young teenager when a fortune teller predicts she will someday become queen. Her first marriage brings a son and daughter, but Rose is disappointed with her husband’s indifference to her and eventual infidelities.

“In church we learned that the Queen is expecting another child. There was much rejoicing. I felt the festivities as if they were for me, for I know what she feels, I know her joy.”

When the Reign of Terror begins with many political intrigues and dangers, Rose learns to navigate Parisian society, but not as successfully as she would hope. Eventually both she and her husband are imprisoned. Rose’s imprisonment lasts several months.

“The tocsins began ringing again at dawn. I went to the window, pulled back the drapes. A group of men, ruffians, were in the street, two carrying pikes. One was wearing the blue tunic of a dockman of Marseille. He saw me at the window and screamed, “Death to the aristocrats!” I backed away from view.”

Rescued by the death of Robespierre and the end of the Reign of Terror, Rose is eventually freed from prison.

Rose has many friends and learns to become adept at both domestic and political affairs, often writing letters of support or attempting to help free those who remain imprisoned. It is a very difficult time with personal danger (being careful not to address each other as “Madame” or “Monsieur”, but instead, “Citizen”), food shortages, and financial woes in addition to concerns for her son who is serving in the military.

“The Austrians have cut off supplies to Paris – we are entirely without. We whisper – not of gossip, but of grain: where it might be found. (Those who know stay silent.) Every day there are riots for food.”

It is late in this first book in a trilogy of her life that Rose finally meets Napoleon Bonaparte.

I really enjoyed the diary format of the novel (although fictional), and the skill the author had in bringing a young girl’s hopes and fears to life. The upheaval of the French Revolution is realistically portrayed (as are the loose morals of some of the characters). Life in Paris both pre- and post-Revolution is sharply contrasted and Rose finds many opportunities to assist those in need. I found it so interesting, I could not put it down and am ready to continue her story with the next book in the series.

Orchard House

Tara Austen Weaver has always yearned for a closer-knit family. Her mother was raised by a very harsh stepmother (these days I would hope CPS would have been called in), and lacked the experience herself of a close family life. Although the author’s mother worked very hard to raise her two children, Tara does not gloss over the sacrifices and hardships of her childhood.

Growing up in a single-working-mom family, Tara had few school friends because she could never bring friends home, (the few attempts were abysmal failures). “I wanted friends to be able to open the fridge and get a snack without fear of what they might find there, collapse on a sofa, put their feet up on a coffee table… There were no coffee tables in our house. What little furniture we had was arranged around the edges of a large Chinese carpet… In the place where there should have been comfort, there was only emptiness.”

However, Tara’s memories of the garden she grew up in and the happy times spent there encouraged her to have hope that dreams can still come true. When her mother buys a house in Seattle with a large, neglected garden and orchard, the author’s dreams are about to become reality… or so she thinks.

“My obsession with dining tables was not new. My first big purchase in Seattle, before I ever thought I would live there, had been a dining table with long benches. It seemed like a symbol of the life I was yearning for – one that was slower, where we were all less busy and I could gather friends and family around for meals that lingered. The truth is I barely had any friends in Seattle at the time, and my family was held together by the most tenuous threads, but if I had the table, maybe they would come.”

The first half of “Orchard House” went a little slowly for me. I do love gardens and I love to work in my garden, but the repeated observations of various plants, soils, and the changing seasons began to get a little tedious. But then suddenly the book seems to take off (I do wonder if this was written initially as a series of essays), and there are anecdotes and lessons that are not to be missed.

For instance, when the author bakes a raspberry pie made from her garden berry bushes, realizes she can’t possibly eat it all herself, and invites a couple friends over… but, they will see her mess! They might notice the weeds, the piled up garden tools, the mounds of compost and broken flowerpots…

“Perhaps the secret was finding comfort in the way things were: a process of accepting rather than hiding.

The irony was that I liked it when other people let me see them as they truly were: less-than-perfect houses, disordered garages, overdue library books. The imperfections in my friends’ lives didn’t make me like them any less – they made me like them more. I felt more comfortable with the flaws in my own life, more intimately connected to them; it made me feel like family.

I knew this intellectually, but it was harder to apply. I might be able to appreciate rustic charm in a pie, to enjoy the comfortable clutter of a friend’s house, but I held myself to a higher standard – one I never managed to achieve. My friends didn’t have to be perfect. I just couldn’t give myself that same compassion.”

There are chapters on mulching (first time I’ve ever heard of ‘sheet mulching’), a pruning disaster and the time it took to recover from it, and a Thanksgiving dinner made solely from garden produce. There are gardening secrets and the long dark and dreary winters to get through, brightened by planning the next year’s garden. And there are happy days when the author’s nieces romp through their grandmother’s property, bringing out a playful side in her mother that she had never seen before.

I enjoyed this book and this is certainly not going to be a one-time read.

Mrs. Tim Carries On

When I pick up a DE Stevenson novel, I know I am in for a treat. I have enjoyed almost every one of her books (and she has written close to forty!) Although her novels are called ‘light romances’, I have found her characterization to be genuinely solid, with some historical interest often thrown in amongst wry humor.

“Mrs. Tim Carries On” is the second book in the Mrs. Tim series. Book one (“Mrs. Tim of the Regiment”) introduces the character and life of Hester Christie, based on the author’s own experiences as a British military wife. In the foreword, the author explains why she continued the story:

“…it was not until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 that I felt the urge to write another book about Hester Christie.

“Mrs. Tim Carries On” was easily written, for it it just a day-to-day account of what happened and what we did- and said and felt. The book was a comfort to me in those dark days; it helped me to carry on, and a sort of pattern emerged from the chaos.”

Hester has two children, the buoyant, enthusiastic Betty and her son Bryan who is occasionally away at boarding school. This novel begins with Hester having just dropped off Tim at the train station on his embarkation for France.

“Have had several letters from Tim, and from what he says there seems to be very little fighting – except in the air – and, thank heaven, very few casualties. Have decided not to mention the war in my diary – or at least only to mention it as it affects me. Diary is to be an escape from war (if possible).”

But this resolution does not last long. When Tim doesn’t return from Dunkirk and there is no confirmation of his death, Hester is left to ‘carry on’ with her family life as best as she can. There are other military wives in need of Hester’s aid, there are tea parties with Polish refugees soldiers, and small intrigues with military families. Hester keeps busy with visits to the sick, shopping for the Barrack’s Christmas party, and encouraging her friends, finding that sometimes, first impressions are not always correct:

What a curious thing it is to look at these men! They are exactly like regular soldiers who have been in the army for years. They have the same habits, they have the same faults. A year ago – or less in some cases – these men were clerks, bakers, chauffeurs and a hundred other things, but they are soldiers now. They are cheery, irresponsible, vocal and sentimental; they grumble and swear; they laugh, they swagger a little – and why shouldn’t they swagger? Tony says they’re tough, and I can believe it.”

I don’t want to give away any spoilers as you will enjoy reading this world-war-two-era novel for yourself! Many of the author’s books are hard to find and out of print, but some titles have been reprinted and you can often track the others down. For myself, I find them to be light comfort reads, enjoyable and satisfying.

“News today most cheering. Roosevelt in, the Greeks doing well, and London free from air raids. I put on my coat and trip down to the Barracks, feeling on top of the world.”

Minding the Manor

“Everyone that knew me knew that I couldn’t resist a dare.” Mollie seems to be constantly accident-prone, getting herself into scrapes climbing trees, stealing strawberries and evading the local village bobby. Suddenly Mollie turns fourteen and it’s time to find a job.

Learning early on that higher education for her impoverished family is out of reach, she rejects the offer as seamstress in a ‘dark, closed’ shop and finds work in London as a scullery maid. Right from the start Mrs. Jones, the cook, instructs Mollie about the fifteen- hour work days, the tasks awaiting, and the behavior expected of her.

“At the end of my first week I was filthy, not to mention so dizzy and exhausted, my head seemed to fall through the pillow. It was Friday night. If I’d been at home I would have helped Mother shop in the market, scoffed sweets, and been licking my salty lips from the fresh kippers we’d have eaten for tea. My brother would be splashing about in the tin bath in front of the fire now.

I pictured Mother’s face, sitting down for the first time all week in front of the crackling fire in our cosy cottage. I missed it so much I could almost hear their laughter, taste the smoky, warm kitchen.”

Mollie’s spirit remains unbroken although her brief bout of homesickness diminishes when a new housemaid comes along to share a room and companionship. Flo quickly enters Mollie’s world and a long friendship begins that will last eighty years.

Mollie Moran is feisty, fun-loving, and cheerful. Her memoir is full of interesting anecdotes of what it meant to live and work as a servant for the upper class in pre-World War 2 England. She writes quite openly about the class system and the changes the war ushers in to English society. Although sometimes her humor is a little bawdy and she tells it like it is, occasionally exposing the seamy side of her experiences, this is a fast, interesting read and her courage in perseverance and hard work is admirable.

“Everything had to be done in a particular order too. You couldn’t just get to it when you fancied. Each hour of each day was strictly accounted for and the routines of kitchens in the old days wouldn’t be out of place in Her Majesty’s army. I certainly worked like a soldier, that’s for sure. And if I was the soldier, Mrs. Jones (the cook) was the culinary equivalent of a drill sergeant.”

Not just sheer drudgery though, Mollie finds plenty of opportunities to go dancing (although not always sanctioned by the cook and butler). Mollie’s adventurous spirit is undimmed by convention and she and Flo resort to climbing down the fire escape in order to attend a dance on a cold foggy night.

“We weren’t really rebellious, just high-spirited and desperate to get out and see and experience life. Working fifteen hours a day in the kitchens under the stern and exacting eye of an all-controlling butler and cook made life a bit claustrophobic at times. All we wanted was a little harmless fun. I doubted very much they’d see it that way, mind. We had deliberately defied Mrs. Jones’s orders and in 1931 that was a crime punishable by instant dismissal.”

There are long rides through the English countryside on her bicycle, and shopping expeditions in London with Flo, and as time progresses Mollie finds romance and her dreams for a husband and family are fulfilled.

“Minding the Manor” includes photos from Mollie’s album and also contains a recipe at the end of each chapter along with a household hint, shared along with several cooking ‘secrets’. I was so intrigued by Mollie’s story that I decided to read her friend Flo Wadlow’s “Over a Hot Stove” just as soon as I can obtain it!

 

Winter Birds

Sophie Hess is the last of her family. Her parents and both sisters have been gone for some years now. Reduced to the realization that she will soon be cast upon others for her aging body, she comes up with a solution (after all, she *does* have her pride). Sophie will *not* resort to a nursing home and so she sends out letters to extended family; ‘two nephews, two nieces, and one great-niece’ – offering in exchange ‘my money for their food and shelter’. After travelling to each home and a short stay, she chooses to board with her nephew Patrick and his wife, Rachel.

“Patrick’s words come back to me: ‘It was less than a week later that we received a letter from my aunt Sophie concerning her need for retirement accommodations.” I turn around to look at the living room of my retirement accommodations. What a grandiose term for such a house. I take in the old piano, the faded pink sofa, the large framed print of a lighthouse, the worn braided rug, the small tacky Christmas tree. Yet I prefer the retirement accommodations here at Patrick’s house over those in what they call a ‘home’ or a ‘facility’.”

Sophie’s life has not been ideal. She holds no pretensions about humankind: her dislike of Patrick and his verbiose self-absorption is all too evident. She does seem to like Rachel a little better, but her initial thoughts are revealing: “I know that Rachel cannot be as good as I imagine her to be. One does not live to be eighty and still harbor delusions about the fundamental goodness of mankind.”

Some readers may call this novel depressing. If the focus were only on aging, musings upon past resentments and bitterness, the hurts dealt upon us from those we love, and the slow passing of the days with television shows for company and only our meals to look forward to, we might agree. However, as the story progresses, Sophie’s life begins to unfold. Each memory is peeled back layer by layer and the reader begins to appreciate her character, her humor (although quite sarcastic at times), and her resilience. Yes, Sophie at first does seem bitter and resentful. She is certainly not optimistic nor outgoing, and she tends to avoid conversation with her caregivers, neighbors, and even those sitting next to her at the dinner table. But as we learn more about both Rachel and Sophie, their story leads to an appreciation of the surprises life itself holds in store.

Rachel has her own hurts to overcome, with a recent tragedy shadowing her days. Rachel’s character, though, in contrast to Sophie (although her losses are huge), is never objectionable. Although she has trouble sleeping at night (and who wouldn’t in her circumstances), she is never mean-spirited and doesn’t seem to tire of bringing Sophie her meals or washing her clothes (perhaps unrealistic? nonetheless, admirable). Patrick steps in occasionally and orders Rachel to ‘take a nap’ and then Sophie must endure his tiresome company at lunch time.

When neighbors move in next door complete with disabled child and a troubled teenager, Sophie, a retired teacher, is called upon to help tutoring and life begins to change for both her and Rachel.

I love all of this author’s writing, and although this book is a little slow-moving at times (there is a lot of soul-searching and musings), I marvelled at the author’s clever twists and references to literature. Not a fast or light read, but not overly dramatic either, “Winter Birds” is insightful (the birds that Sophie watches at her bird feeder each day correlate with the events in each chapter), with hidden nuggets of meaning for the reader to find in both plot and personality. This book won yet another Christy award (the author’s first Christy award for “A Garden to Keep”) and Publishers Weekly lists “Winter Birds” among the best 100 books of 2006.

If you are looking for a thoughtful, quiet read with hidden lessons to be uncovered, you will enjoy “Winter Birds”.