Archives

Coffins & Confetti by Ruth Graham

Jul31

All You Need Is Love

Coffins And Confetti by Ruth Graham is a wonderful look at life following a Birmingham celebrant as we see funerals, weddings and general life observances.

Ruth Graham has a very personable style that feels like reading a letter from a dear friend. As we glimpse snapshots of her life, we feel incredibly privileged to see into her heart and soul. She writes with clarity and honesty, using humor too.

Funerals may be sad or seen as a celebration of life as the deceased’s family and friends remember them with love and laughter.

The funerals of the very young or those who have taken their own lives are very sad.

Marriage is the opposite side of the coin. It is a happy event if marrying for the right reasons.

Ruth Graham has a delightful open style that will appeal to all ages.

We see that life is not always rosy but if you have love, you are rich beyond measure. “We’ve only got the basics materially but… we’re rich people in love and support. Nothing else matters”, is a quote from a husband married for sixty five years.

This is an honest, enjoyable and entertaining read.

Continue reading →

The Boy From Block 66 by Limor Regev

Apr5

Powerful – May We Never Forget

The Boy From Block 66 by Limor Regev is a powerful true tale of Moshe Kessler and his family during World War II.

Moshe Kessler was born in an area that kept swapping between being Czech or Hungarian territory. He was born in 1930 and forced to grow up very quickly under the Nazi occupation of Hungary.

We see how previously close neighbours and friends turned as the jackboots marched in.

Moshe Kessler spent over a year being transported to various concentration camps and on death marches until liberation in the spring of 1945. He had grown up in the Jewish faith but like many, he felt abandoned by God in the camps. Moshe Kessler turned his back on God, only returning to faith in later years.

Continue reading →

A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz

Feb14

Angel Dog

A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz is the most beautiful heart-warming book about Dean and Gerda Koontz and their dog Trixie.

Trixie was an amazing golden retriever who was so much more than a dog. She was an angel in disguise, as more than one person noted.

Trixie was a remarkable dog who seemed to know and understand just what her humans were saying. She had an uncanny insight into the nature of people, knowing just who could be trusted and who couldn’t. She also seemed to be able to sense danger.

As I read through A Big Little Life, Trixie came ‘alive’ to me. Her personality bounded from the pages and into my heart. I ‘lived’ this book.

Continue reading →

Yvonne Child Of The Somme by Sara Rowell

Nov23

Fascinating

Yvonne Child Of The Somme by Sara Rowell is a fascinating glimpse into a bygone era.

The reader becomes immersed into French life during the early part of the twentieth century. The author drops in on mother Marie’s life as a domestic servant in 1900 before following Yvonne’s life from 1901.

Life for women in France at the turn of the century was hard. We learn that a third of all births in Paris in 1900 was to single mothers and yet there was no pressure on the fathers to claim responsibility. Females were at the mercy of males. Domestic servants were at risk of abuse from other male servants or their masters.

The poor were seen as a problem for society that was ruled by the male elite. “The wealthy male elite… saw poor people not as individuals but as a … problem.” There was no poor relief and life was a lottery. Many women could not afford to keep their babies.

Continue reading →