Letters From the Past by Erica James

 

                                   

Hardback: 508 pages

Genre: Romantic Fiction, Family Saga, Historical Fiction,

Publisher: Orion 2020

Source:  Tywyn Library

First Sentences: Out in the garden Evelyn Devereux could hear ringing from inside the house. with an energetic step, she dashed up the lawn, assuming it was one of the children calling to say which train they would be on.

Setting: Suffolk, England

Review Quote: 'A captivating read: beautifully written and heartrendingly sad' Daily Telegraph

My Opinion:  As a long time fan of the author I had been looking forward to reading this sequel to  Coming Home to Island House. Letters From the Past is a heart rending story with the return of an extensive cast of characters.

The reader catches up with the extended Devereux family nearly twenty years later in the early sixties. Every characters story is told with flashback chapters to the war years. Erica James does a skilful task of bringing everything together in such a way that makes for an absorbing read. Poison Pen letters received by various family members bring all sorts of issues and secrets to light, causing much trouble and stress.

To be honest although it is not necessary to have read the previous novel, it will add to your enjoyment if you have done so. I am now left wanting to know what happens to all the characters next, another volume maybe? Recommended to fans of the author and those readers that love a family saga.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

Suffolk, 1962. The Devereux family are gathering for a party, and a series of anonymous letters are about to turn the sleepy village of Melstead St Mary upside down . . .

Evelyn is preparing to celebrate her 20th wedding anniversary, but there are secrets she's never told her beloved husband, Kit. Secrets that stretch back to her wartime days at Bletchley Park . . .

For Hope, her sister-in-law, happiness has never come easily, and the letter she receives could destroy her fragile world. While, up at Melstead Hall, Julia has discovered that life she married into comes at a heavy price.

And halfway across the world, the indomitable Romily is longing for home. But with the Devereux family under threat, she finds herself confronting her own closely guarded secret. Can she save the day, and seize her own chance of happiness?

From the gorgeous Suffolk countryside to the sun-baked desert of Palm Springs, let Erica James sweep you away...

Author Profile:         

                                                   

                                                           Courtesy of Authors Website

In the author's own words from her website.

I grew up on the south coast of England with never a thought in my head as a child that I would one day be an author. But somehow, I’m now the author of twenty-four bestselling novels, with recent Sunday Times Top Ten bestsellers including Swallowtail Summer, Coming Home to Island House, Letters from the Past, and Mothers and Daughters.  With sales of over five million around the world, including a No. 1 in Norway, I’m told that my books are loved by readers looking for beautifully drawn relationships, emotionally powerful storylines and evocative settings. 

In 2006 my novel Gardens of Delight won the Romantic Novel of the Year award and in 2020 I received the Nielsen Silver Award for sales of over a quarter of a million copies for both Love and Devotion and Tell it to the Skies. 

I live in Suffolk and travel as often as time permits to see my eldest son and his family in the US and my youngest son in Japan.

Photographs, Trailer and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Erica James - Official Website.   Erica James - Twitter.  Instagram - Erica James

Goodreads Author Profile  Erica James - Amazon Author Page.  Erica James - Facebook

Daughters of War by Dinah Jefferies

 

                                           

Hardback: 538 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Harper Collins 2021

Source:  Tywyn Public Library

First Sentences: If only it was late summer, and she could smell the sun-soaked scent of fir and spruce and be able to stand and watch the finches and starlings flitting between the branches. Her optimism might have outweighed the claustrophobic sensation of life leaning in, of ancient lichen-covered stone houses enclosing her as she walked through the village and the light began to fail.

Setting: Dordogne, France 1944

Series: Daughters of War (#1)

Review Quote: ‘A warm and engrossing tale of passion and courage. I loved it’ Rachel Hore, author.

My Opinion: Dinah Jefferies is a favourite author of mine, she has the skill of transporting the reader to locations that come alive on the page.’Daughters of War’ is the first volume in a trilogy about three sisters. Set in 1944 in France it is all about their lives living in occupied territory during WWII.

The story is told from the different perspectives of the protagonists, three sisters, Helene, Elise and Florence. Living in difficult times, experiencing the terrors of occupation, Helene the eldest, tries to keep her sisters safe but it becomes increasingly difficult. The author has a very descriptive style of writing which I feel helps the reader  immerse themselves in the surroundings and know the characters. However, this also means that the horrors the girls witness are also hard hitting and emotional to read.

A captivating read with engaging characters that makes the reader realise just how devastating  life in such circumstances must have been. The sisters story continues in the next volume ‘The Hidden Palace’, which I am looking forward to reading soon having already requested from the library. Highly recommended to fans of historical WWII fiction.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

A  sweeping historical novel of World War II from the international bestselling author of The Tea Planter’s Wife. 
France, 1944. In an old stone cottage, on the edge of a beautiful French village, three sisters long for the end of the war.

Hélène, the eldest, is trying her hardest to steer her family to safety, even as the Nazi occupation becomes more threatening.
Elise, the rebel, is determined to help the Resistance, whatever the cost.
And Florence, the dreamer, just yearns for a world where France is free.

Then, one dark night, the Allies come knocking for help. And Hélène knows that she cannot sit on the sidelines any longer. But secrets from their own mysterious past threaten to unravel everything they hold most dear… 

Author Profile:         

                                                                                               

                                                  Courtesy of Twitter Profile

Biography in her own words from her website

I was born in Malaysia but moved to the UK at the age of nine, going on to study fashion design, work in Tuscany as an au pair for an Italian countess, and live with a rock band in a commune in Suffolk.

A family tragedy changed everything, and I draw on the experience of loss in my writing, infusing love, loss, and danger with the seductive escapism of my locations. The sense of place, of history and of human nature is a heady mix in the novels.

Published in 29 languages in over 30 countries, I am currently writing an epic series for my new publisher Harper Collins (my 8th, 9th, and 10th novels) starting with Daughters of War set in 1944 in France (Sept  2021). I’ve always loved Italy but spent some years living in a tiny 16th Century village in Northern Andalusia, Spain. Now I’m delighted to have settled close to my family in the South West of England along with my husband and two enormous and very lovely Maine Coon cats.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Goodreads Author Profile  Twitter Profile. Dinah Jefferies - Official Website

Amazon Author Page

The Good Servant by Fern Britton

                                           

Hardback: 539 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Harper Collins 2022

Source:  Tywyn Public Library

First Sentences: George VI is on the throne. The King, his wife and his two daughters enjoy great popularity.

Setting: United Kingdom

Review Quote: ‘The warmth and empathy that have made Fern Britton such a popular TV presenter are evident in her latest novel’ Woman’s Weekly

My Opinion: ‘The Good Servant’ is a fictionalised account of a true story. When the late Queen Elizabeth II and her sister were children, they had a much loved governess Marion Crawford. She taught them for many years and took her duties to the Royal Family very seriously. Yet she shocked the establishment in her retirement by selling her story, which was published as ‘The Little Princesses’

Fern Britton has taken the facts as they are known publicly and woven them into a story of ‘Crawfie’s’ life within the Royal Family.  Of course we will never know the full truth but it is a fascinating glimpse into her life during those years, until it all went horribly wrong. Was it her fault? In some ways yes, but Marion had thought she could trust certain people around her.

It certainly seemed an apt time to be reading this novel, with certain royals being so much in the news at present! Worth a read if you are interested in the monarchy and enjoy historical fiction.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

1932. Dunfermline, Scotland.
Marion Crawford, a bright, ambitious young teacher, is ready to make her mark on the world. Until a twist of fate changes the course of her life forever…

1936. Windsor Castle.
At first this ordinary woman is in a new world, working as governess to two young princesses, in a household she calls home but where everyone is at a distance. As the course of history changes, she finds herself companion to the future Queen, and indispensable to the crown. And slowly their needs become her needs. Their lives become hers.

It’s then she meets George, and falls in love for the first time. Now Marion faces an impossible choice: her sense of duty or the love of her life.

Author Profile:         

                                                   

                                                  Courtesy of Facebook Profile

About Fern Britton in her own words from her Amazon Author Page

 I am an English television presenter and journalist who has worked in current affairs and Newsrooms since 1980. In the 1990's I hosted Ready Steady cook for the BBC and through the 2000's presented ITV's flagship daytime magazine This Morning.

Since then I have discovered the joy of writing novels. The Good Servant is my tenth novel. A breakaway from my usual theme of Cornish village life by the sea. The Good Servant focusses on a real woman who spent her twenties and thirties devoted to Princess Elizabeth ( Queen Elizabeth 2) and Princess Margaret as children, but ended up an outcast.

I live in Cornwall and have four children and three cats. I have a motorbike licence, a power boat licence and I make good roast potatoes.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page. Goodreads Author Profile  Fern Britton - Official Website

Facebook Profile  Twitter Profile

Snow Country by Sebastian Faulks

                                                  

Paperback: 351 pages

Genre: Literary Historical Fiction

Publisher: Vintage, Penguin Random House 2022

Source:  Tywyn Public Library

First Sentences: From his height only a hundred feet above the trees, the pilot could see two people running over the ground below - oncoming out of wood, another through a gate in the one, clinging on to his hat as he ran. Their goals a long brown tent, set against a hedgerow that marked the border of a field.

Setting: Austria

Review Quote: Sebastian Faulks' latest novel is beautifully written, shot through with a sense of the frailty of love that is at times reminiscent of William Faulkner's The Wild Palms... This is a superb novel ― Spectator

Literary awards:

Walter Scott Prize Nominee for Historical Fiction Longlist (2022)

Series:

Austrian Trilogy (#2)

My Opinion:  I have been reading the novels of Sebastian Faulks since the nineteen nineties and always find them to be thought provoking, so was not surprised that this title was selected as our latest bookclub choice. As a sequel to Human Traces(2005) it stands alone and there is absolutely no need to read it first, the only crossover is that we meet some of the same characters again, although not as protagonists and psychiatry plays a big role.

‘Snow Country’ is a heart moving and tragic love story set in a Europe, mainly Austria that is struggling to recover from WWI. Complex it is more of a character driven novel, which at times feel slow as there is really not a plot as such. The protagonists Anton and Lena in their own ways are both struggling to cope with living in a world of such political turmoil.

An intense read. If you enjoy a well researched historical novel, set in beautiful locations with strong characterisation, this is one for you.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

1914: Aspiring journalist Anton arrives in Vienna where he meets Delphine, a woman of deep secrets. Anton is entranced by the light of first love, until his country declares war on hers.

1927: For Lena, life in a small town has been cosseted and cold. When her love affair with a young lawyer crumbles, she leaves to take a post at the snow-capped sanatorium, the Schloss Seeblick.

1933: Anton is sent to write about the mysterious Schloss Seeblick. In this place, on the banks of a silvery lake where the roots of human suffering are laid bare, two people will see each other as if for the first time.

Author Profile:         

                                                     

                                                  Courtesy of Wikipedia - Photo from 2008

Sebastian Faulks CBE (born 20 April 1953) is a British journalist and novelist. I recommend reading his interesting Biography on his Website

Links to other posts I have written about Sebastian Faulks and his novels

LindyLouMac's Book Reviews: Sebastian Faulks

LindyLouMac's Book Reviews: Engleby by Sebastian Faulks

LindyLouMac's Book Reviews: Human Traces by Sebastian Faulks

LindyLouMac's Book Reviews: Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Wikipedia Profile.   Sebastian Faulks - Official Website.   Twitter Profile

The Weather Woman by Sally Gardner

                                                      

Hardback: 455 pages

Genre:  Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance

Publisher: November 10th 2022, Head of Zeus 2022 - Bloomsbury

Source:  Tywyn Public Library

First Sentences: On the 25th of November last year a frost set in which lasted seven weeks. It was recorded that the thermometer stood at 11 degrees below freezing point in the very midst of the city. 

Setting: London 1789 - 1814

Review Quote: 'Magical storytelling... A fresh take on the Regency novel' Good Housekeeping 

My Opinion:  I was recommended this title when I was last in the library, by a friend. Initially I was apprehensive as the blurb gave me the impression there might be a large element of fantasy involved, a genre that rarely appeals to me.

Within the first dozen or so pages I realised that the somewhat whimsical aspects of the storyline were just going to add to my enjoyment.

The protagonist is Neva Friezland, born into the fairground world of trickery and illusion is The Weather Woman of the title. Weather forecasting was not something that Regency England was ready for, especially as predicted by a woman. Turning her gift, or skill for making these predictions into a form of entertainment seems to be the way forward. Especially if she is not to be ridiculed.

Historical fiction threaded through with fantasy, mystery and romance with vivid descriptions of life in London during this period.  An unusual mixture of themes this story will appeal to many and is definitely worth reading.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

Neva Friezland is born into a world of trickery and illusion, where fortunes can be won and lost on the turn of a card.

She is also born with an extraordinary gift. She can predict the weather. In Regency England, where the proper goal for a gentlewoman is marriage and only God knows the weather, this is dangerous. It is also potentially very lucrative.

In order to debate with the men of science and move about freely, Neva adopts a sophisticated male disguise. She foretells the weather from inside an automaton created by her brilliant clockmaker father.

But what will happen when the disguised Neva falls in love with a charismatic young man?

It can be very dangerous to be ahead of your time. Especially as a woman.

Author Profile:         

                                                                        Courtesy of Goodreads 

                                                                                                                                             

Sally Gardner grew up and still lives in London. Being dyslexic, she did not learn to read or write until she was fourteen and had been thrown out of several schools, labeled unteachable, and sent to a school for maladjusted children. Despite this, she gained a degree with highest honors at a leading London art college, followed by a scholarship to a theater school, and then went on to become a very successful costume designer, working on some notable productions. 

After the births of twin daughters and a son, she started first to illustrate and then to write picture books and chapter books, usually with fairytale- or otherwise magical subject matter. She has been called 'an idiosyncratic genius' by London’s Sunday Times.

Her full and interesting biography can be read here on her website.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Sally Gardner - Official Website.   Twitter Profile   Amazon Author Page.   Goodreads Profile

Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce

                                                         

Hardback: 388 pages

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction

Publisher:  Doubleday 2020

Source:  Tywyn Public Library

First Sentence: When Margery was ten, she fell in love with a beetle.

Setting: New Caledonia

Favourite Quote: “You might travel to the other side of the world, but in the end it made no difference: whatever devastating unhappiness was inside you would come too.”               

Review Quote: 'A girl's own adventure...This is Rachel Joyce's best book yet ...Exciting, moving and full of unexpected turns.' THE TIMES

My Opinion:  Having just read a Rachel Joyce novel and also having this one on my TBR shelf made me decide to read it straight away, having enjoyed Maureen Fry Pleased I did as the perceptive and quirky story line kept me throughly entertained over the few days it took me to read.

An expedition such as the one Margery Benson is planning is not something to tackle alone, so she decides to find an assistant to travel with her. Misfortune has it that she ends up with the most unlikely of choice, Enid Pretty.  Against all odds this pair become friends, eventually but as they set off on this improbable adventure set in the 1950's you cannot but wonder how this is ever going to work.

With Rachel Joyce's talent for characterisation and her wonderful descriptions of the ladies adventures you cannot fail to be captivated. Fascinating to learn something about entomology and the inhospitable environment of New Caledonia. Overall highly recommended as another fabulous read from this talented author.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

She's going too far to go it alone.

It is 1950. London is still reeling from World War II, and Margery Benson, a schoolteacher and spinster, is trying to get through life, surviving on scraps. One day, she reaches her breaking point, abandoning her job and small existence to set out on an expedition to the other side of the world in search of her childhood obsession: an insect that may or may not exist--the golden beetle of New Caledonia. When she advertises for an assistant to accompany her, the woman she ends up with is the last person she had in mind. Fun-loving Enid Pretty in her tight-fitting pink suit and pom-pom sandals seems to attract trouble wherever she goes. But together these two British women find themselves drawn into a cross-ocean adventure that exceeds all expectations and delivers something neither of them expected to find: the transformative power of friendship.

Author Profile:         

                                                          Courtesy of Goodreads 

Rachel Joyce was born in London in 1962. She has written over 20 original afternoon plays for BBC Radio 4, and major adaptations for both the Classic Series, Woman's Hour and also a TV drama adaptation for BBC 2. In 2007 she won the Tinniswood Award for best radio play. She moved to writing after a twenty-year career in theatre and television, performing leading roles for the RSC, the Royal National Theatre, The Royal Court, and Cheek by Jowl, winning a Time Out Best Actress award and the Sony Silver.

For a full profile visit her Website

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Goodreads Profile   Rachel Joyce - Official Website   Instagram Profile

Amazon Book Page