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The Last Song Of Winter by Lulu Taylor

Apr2

So Beautiful

The Last Song Of Winter by Lulu Taylor is a most beautiful dual timeline novel that consumed me from the start.

The stories are set in the 1940’s and in present day. Both time periods are linked to a couple of families. The war consumes characters in the 1940’s. In present day there is a search for the truth. A resistance member ‘disappeared’ and her family and descendants really need to know what happened to her so that they can put the past to bed.

The novel is one of discovery as characters learn just who they are. A teen in the 1930’s is ‘helped’ to blossom as she is taken under the wing of a Parisienne lady. Her time at finishing school opens her eyes to new possibilities under the guidance of the older, more sophisticated female.

A lonely island off the Pembrokeshire coast holds its own secrets. The wild, untamed landscape appeals to some characters but not others. It contrasts sharply with the gay sophistication of Paris before the war.

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Eva Is Waiting by Romola Farr

Apr1

Highly Entertaining

Eva Is Waiting by Romola Farr is a gripping historical novel that I read in just two sittings.

The action is set in 1965 at a girls school. It is a time of uncertainty, only twenty years since World War II ended and is fresh in the minds of all. It is now at the height of the Cold War – a time of mistrust.

Historians will know of Berlin being split into four zones. The Stasi had far-reaching fingers and underhand tactics.

We see that war criminals hid in plain sight, blending in and denying their past.

The lead character is a teenager who finds herself haunted by a young Jewish girl who disappeared ten years earlier. Shadowy figures are seen, and the past is re-lived through dreams.

It is a time of awakening as the teen is on the verge between adulthood and childhood. The swinging sixties were definitely swinging in the girls boarding school!

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All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianne MacLean

Mar25

The Greatest Love

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianna MacLean is the most beautiful novel that I read in just one sitting.

The novel spans a lifetime as it is set in 1946, the following few years; and then into 1995.

The main setting is a wild and rugged small island off the mainland of Canada. The landscape is at one with nature – but nature can be dangerous.

The book is about the greatest love. It is a love that will never die, despite attempts by others to thwart it. People come and go; the years move on; relationships and people die – but this is a love that lasts. Like a diamond refined by fire. This is a love that only gets stronger.

All the characters were well drawn, likable and believable. I found myself cheering on the leading pair, willing their love to last.

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The Ghost Of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively

Mar23

Entertaining

The Ghost Of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively is a children’s adventure for ages ten years and over. Though written in 1973, it still entertains audiences today.

Penelope Lively has a young boy, James, as the central character. Having moved into a new house, things go bump in the day and night – and James gets the blame. It is only James who recognizes this for what it is, and sets about trying to help a spirit lay to rest. Few people believe James, except a carpenter.

James is a very likable lead character. He is very plucky and able to save the day on more than one occasion.

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