Review: The Silence of the Grils

Title:  The Silence of the Girls

Author: Pat Barker

Publisher: 30th August 2018 by Penguin Books

Pages: 336 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: historical fiction, Greek mythology, retelling

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

From the Booker Prize-winning author of Regeneration and one of our greatest contemporary writers on war comes a reimagining of the most famous conflict in literature - the legendary Trojan War.

When her city falls to the Greeks, Briseis's old life is shattered. She is transformed from queen to captive, from free woman to slave, awarded to the god-like warrior Achilles as a prize of war. And she's not alone. On the same day, and on many others in the course of a long and bitter war, innumerable women have been wrested from their homes and flung to the fighters.

The Trojan War is known as a man's story: a quarrel between men over a woman, stolen from her home and spirited across the sea. But what of the other women in this story, silenced by history? What words did they speak when alone with each other, in the laundry, at the loom, when laying out the dead?

In this magnificent historical novel, Pat Barker charts one woman's journey through the chaos of the most famous war in history, as she struggles to free herself and to become the author of her own story.

My Thoughts

In The Silence of the Girls, women who up until now were mostly ‘silenced’ regarding the story of the Trojan War, are given a voice. How wonderful! So for all Greek tragedy lovers out there, this is basically a re-telling of the final few scenes from, The Iliad’s Trojan War but from the voice of a Greek slave. The voice here is that of Briseis, a Trojan captive given to Achilles as a war prize.

“I was no longer the outward and visible sign of Agamemnon’s power and Achilles’ humiliation. No, I’d become something altogether more sinister: I was the girl who’d caused the quarrel. Oh, yes, I’d caused it – in much the same way, I suppose, as a bone is responsible for a dogfight.”

The author tells the story of the female characters who lie in the background of this ancient Greek epic. The women who normally we never hear from, are now given a voice - their thoughts and feelings. These are the women who are at the mercy of their captors, the very men who killed their fathers, brothers, husbands and now find themselves trying to survive and make an existence (I won’t say ‘life’) for themselves. Through Briseis eyes, the reader is given front row seats to not only the support network among other female captives, but also the rift between Agamemnon and Achilles and the impact of their fallout, not only on the war, but also to pertinent individuals.

“Something else, something I couldn’t put my finger on, had made me turn back. Perhaps no more than a feeling that this was my place now, that I had to make my life work here.”

I feel this really is sublime writing in portraying not only the resilience but also determination, healing and angst of both sides of this tragic tale - Greek and Trojan. The everyday brutalities are front and centre as you are faced with not only war, violence and ensuing slavery, but the pertinent issues of rape, slavery and death. This is just so unique as this previously male dominated story is now given the yin to its yang, the light to its shade- the female voice has been awaken.

“...we spent the nights curled up like spiders at the centre of our webs. Only we weren’t the spiders; we were the flies.”

If you have read and loved, The Song of Achilles or The Iliad, you will be entranced by this haunting tale. The horror of war, the mistreatment of women matched against the love and strength of characters is truly moving. The Silence of the Girls sheds light on a well told Greek tale and will leave you richer for the experience.

There was nothing to be gained by clinging to a past that no longer existed. But I did cling to it, because in that lost world I’d been somebody, a person with a role in life. And I felt if I let that go, I’d be losing the last vestige of myself.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

Review: The Ones You Trust

Title: The Ones You Trust

Author: Caroline Overington

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia, 20 August 2018

Pages: 352 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: Mystery and Thrillers

My Rating: 3 Cups

Synopsis:

Emma Cardwell is the host of the top-rating morning TV show ‘Cuppa’. She has it all,  fame, fortune, gorgeous family, beautiful house, the perfect life, but is it what it seems? Who can she really trust?

When her 17 month old daughter gets taken from daycare by a stranger, we see a family in turmoil and a mother desperate to find her little girl. Emotions run wild and relationships are tested. A virtual group of strangers come together to #FIND FOX!

My Thoughts

While I was reading “The Ones You Trust”, I identified with the main protagonist, Emma, for most of the book. She was a busy working mother of 3 and was worried about aging and losing her job to a younger, more attractive prospect. Anyone in their 40s like Emma could easily identify with this.

Before I started the book, I actually expected Emma to be your typical TV star, spoilt, having everyone at her beck and call, everyone else bringing up her children (that bit was true!) and very unlikeable. The way that Caroline Overington wrote about her, made me feel very differently and changed my opinion of her. She portrayed her as a down to earth, busy, working mother of 3, who loved her family and treasured her children, especially her little girl Fox Piper:

‘...she was Emma’s only girl, and Emma had gone all out in her nursery, splurging on a Scandinavian cot…”.  

When Fox went missing it really tore at my heartstrings, seeing Emma and those around her go through such a painful ordeal, especially when they didn’t know if she was dead or alive. “...where and how would this story end…?” I found the character of Maven, ‘...the most powerful woman in TV land…’, very entertaining and humorous. She was portrayed as a cutthroat woman without a heart, who exploited people for publicity, but her caring side shone through when she rushed to Emma’s side after the kidnapping, “...okay, okay, let me help…”.

This book gave me an insight into what it’s like behind the scenes on a popular TV show. It demonstrated that no matter how perfect things look on the outside, when you delve deeper, you always find something there! It also demonstrated the levels some people will go to, to keep up the facade.

Unfortunately, even though I really enjoyed the book, I was quite disappointed by the very end. Towards the end there was a twist, which I identified with, but then she threw in a further twist that I really didn’t like. I couldn’t see how this explanation was warranted and it changed my opinion of Emma, the main character, and because I had identified with her throughout the entire book, it left a sour taste in my mouth.

Overall, I would recommend this book for the insights it provided, but be prepared for an unsatisfying conclusion.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Sisters and Brothers

Title: Sisters and Brothers

Author: Fiona Palmer

Publisher: 28 August 2018 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 384 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: contemporary

My Rating: 3.5 cups

Synopsis:

A poignant novel of heartbreak, adoption and a father's love by beloved bestselling Australian author, Fiona Palmer.

Bill, 72, feels left behind after the death of his adored wife. He relies heavily on his only daughter, Sarah.

Sarah, career woman and perfectionist homemaker, struggles to keep up with the Joneses. As her husband grows distant, she has no support network.

Emma, a down-to-earth nurse and busy mother of three, always dreamed of having a sister . . . But nothing prepares her for the shock results of a routine blood test.

Adam, a successful florist, was raised by his mother. As his dreams start to fall into place, he can't stop thinking about the father he never had.

Finally, Michelle is trying to build cake-making into a career. But at 46, has she left her run too late to fall in love, have children and find her birth parents?

These five very different people - all connected but separated by secrets from the past - could be facing their futures together. After all, friends will come and go but sisters and brothers are forever . . . The new novel of heartbreak, adoption, family and a father's love by the Top Ten bestselling author of Secrets Between Friends, Fiona Palmer.

My Thoughts

Sisters and Brothers is a well written, poignant story that really does encapsulate the modern family with all its complexities and messiness. Families ain’t what they used to be! Therefore, it is not surprising to learn that this is not just one story, but in fact a number of stories. With flashbacks to the past and present day, each member of this extraordinary family is given the opportunity to tell their story, resulting in an emotional tale of love and loss, life and death and hope for the future.

‘I love how parents keep stuff. It doesn’t matter what it looks like. It’s a time capsule of sorts, isn’t it?’

At its heart is the story of Bill - both in 1975 and modern day where he is now in his 70s. One story (out of the many covered in this book) that I particularly enjoyed was that of Bill and Debbie in 1975. That was such a heartwarming tale of true love. There are many others lining up to tell their tale - Sarah, Emma, Adam, Michelle - and although the connections were there I just found it a bit too much to be honest. I get that its modern, a truth for many but for me, all too much for one poor family. I felt really sorry for Sarah and thought her overall attitude and only one meltdown was rather admirable!

‘Sarah’s voice caught in her throat. Funny that more than a year later it still hurt like her funeral was yesterday.’

Overall, however, this is a book about family and what it can mean in today’s society. There will be triumphs and tragedies but it really all comes down to the love shared between each other. The characters are all strong and well developed and there are some noteworthy dynamics between them. I particularly liked Emma - she was the ‘glue’ that tried to bring everything together. Her message was one that can stand true for all of us, namely, enjoy each day with those you love and let tomorrow’s cares unfold as they will. Stay true to what is important in life.

All up this was an enjoyable read as Fiona takes you on a soul searching journey of love, forgiveness, hope, joy and acceptance. If you love the dynamics of families and undiscovered secrets then you will adore, Sisters and Brothers.

‘It was no ordinary family, that was for sure, but it was an extraordinary one.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Psychology of Time Travel

Title:  The Psychology of Time Travel

Author: Kate Mascarenhas

Publisher: 9th August 2018 by HarperCollins Publishers Australia

Pages: 320 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: science fiction, time travel, fantasy, mystery

My Rating: 2.5 cups

Synopsis:

A time travel murder mystery from a brilliantly original new voice. Perfect for readers of Naomi Alderman's The Power and Emily St John Mandel's Station Eleven.

1967 - Four female scientists invent a time travel machine. They are on the cusp of fame: the pioneers who opened the world to new possibilities. But then one of them suffers a breakdown and puts the whole project in peril...

2017 - Ruby knows her beloved Granny Bee was a pioneer, but they never talk about the past. Though time travel is now big business, Bee has never been part of it. Then they receive a message from the future – a newspaper clipping reporting the mysterious death of an elderly lady...

2018 - When Odette discovered the body she went into shock. Blood everywhere, bullet wounds, that strong reek of sulphur. But when the inquest fails to find any answers, she is frustrated. Who is this dead woman that haunts her dreams? And why is everyone determined to cover up her murder?

My Thoughts

Reading the synopsis had me intrigued - the story sounded just so interesting - four pioneering women discover time travel and by 2017 there is this whole culture of moving back and forth in time. There is a lot going on here - drama, mystery, politics, murder, time travel and much more! There is also underlying themes surrounding how a life plays out and factors that influence (in any phase or time) how the many events unfold and some things are inescapable no matter how many times (or selves) you delve into it.

Sadly, however, this was not the book for me. There are just so many characters (multiple of the one character in different timelines as well!), so many timelines - it was all a bit too much. This is a shame as the premise was really quite original but one cannot help but feel for its length, simple would have been a more effective approach - it was just so very convoluted. Despite the titled chapters, the variety of time periods and traveling back and forth were responsible for losing the plot from what could have been a good murder mystery.

The Psychology of Time Travel is indeed a unique and commendable project. I fully appreciate just how complex putting something like this together would have been. The whole concept behind not only a murder mystery but the technicalities of time travel and even the whole culture surrounding how to govern it is really quite profound. There is no doubt it is a most fascinating subject to many. Sadly, however, I just can't get around the fact that with a huge cast of characters, a confusing plot with multiple threads and storylines this book ultimately fell flat and failed to accomplish its goal.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

Review: The Forgotten Guide to Happiness

Title: The Forgotten Guide to Happiness

Author: Sophie Jenkins

Publisher: 26 July 2018 by Avon Books

Pages: 320 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: women's fiction, romance, contemporary

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

Sometimes, happiness can be found where you least expect it…

Twenty-eight-year-old Lana Green has never been good at making friends. She’s perfectly happy to be left alone with her books. Or at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Nancy Ellis Hall was once a celebrated writer. Now eighty, she lives alone in her North London house, and thinks she’s doing just fine. But dementia is loosening Nancy’s grip on the world.

When Lana and Nancy become unconventional house mates, their lives will change in ways they never expected. But can an unusual friendship rescue two women who don’t realise they need to be saved?

An irresistible story of love, memory and the power of friendship that readers of The Keeper of Lost Things and The Lidowill adore.

My Thoughts

‘... It’s not what you’ll do for love, but what you’ll give up. This was my test and I wasn’t going to make the same mistake this time.’

The Forgotten Guide to Happiness is enjoyable and heartwarming with its touching storyline, solid characters and an easy to read writing style. It is most definitely not the typical formula for a romance book, which was good. There are a range of tales to be told here, that will undoubtedly engage you on more than one level.

‘Love. What was it all about? I thought about my dad and Jo-Ann’s unlikely alliance and whether love amounted to nothing more than finding someone you could watch Netflix with.’

The main character Lana is ‘challenging’, but her flaws are what make her more real. She is a writer searching for a subject for her next book, after her initial book about her whirlwind romance with a travel photographer was a hit. In her search for a story/hero (plus a search for a place to stay and money to pay for things) she befriends a famous feminist novelist from years gone by, who is suffering with dementia and the stepson that cares for her. So you see, apart from Lana’s journey, there is the journey of Nancy and her battle with dementia, plus Jack and his saddened view of love. More than the one proverbial string to this bow as I stated.

‘It’s not right, is it? What are we saving her from, Lana? What are we saving her for? So that she can live a long old age locked up in a place that’s not her own?’

The story was travelling along pleasantly enough until just over the halfway mark when, in my view, Lana completely lost the plot. I know .... I  know ... it was her journey, her lessons to be learnt - but seriously! For all her complaining, this particular event was a little hard to swallow. This twist in the tale did not make sense to me at all.  It was like Lana became a completely different person. This is where the story lost its way a bit for me.

‘We both had our baggage, and even though it wasn’t actually matching, it was definitely the same brand.’

The characters that kept me engaged to the end were Nancy and Jack. He is a good soul with so much heart. Nancy added the flamboyance to the tale  and more of her story would have been beneficial to the overall storyline. Not only her history, but her battle with dementia and its impact on those around her. Overall a good tale about love and the power of friendships.

‘These are the reasons that I like to write: it’s safe. It’s so much easier to make sense of the world in fiction, where there are rules and regulations and the writer has total control over people’s actions. The problem I’ve always had with real life is, you never know what’s going to happen.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Phantom Tree

Title:  The Phantom Tree

Author: Nicola Cornick

Publisher: 21st August 2018 by HARLEQUIN - Graydon House Books (U.S. & Canada)

Pages: 263 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: historical fiction, women's fiction, time travel, fantasy

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

“My name is Mary Seymour and I am the daughter of one queen and the niece of another.”

Browsing antiques shops in Wiltshire, Alison Bannister stumbles across a delicate old portrait – supposedly of Anne Boleyn. Except Alison knows better… The woman is Mary Seymour, the daughter of Katherine Parr who was taken to Wolf Hall in 1557 as an unwanted orphan and presumed dead after going missing as a child.

The painting is more than just a beautiful object from Alison’s past – it holds the key to her future, unlocking the mystery surrounding Mary’s disappearance, and the enigma of Alison’s son.

But Alison’s quest soon takes a dark and foreboding turn, as a meeting place called the Phantom Tree harbours secrets in its shadows…

My Thoughts

‘The secret of her past was safe at the cost it always exacted, that of isolation.’

The Phantom Tree I found to be a most engaging read. The story of two women, their relationship and how it unfolds over time. This is a time travel, historical novel - two aspects I love reading about. So you need to let go of preconceptions and enjoy some rich escapism, with a little bit of romance and mystery thrown in .

At its heart, this book takes up the fictional story of the very real, Mary Seymour. She was the daughter of Katherine Parr (sixth wife of Henry VIII) who went on to marry her true love (after Henry’s death), namely, Thomas Seymour. Mary’s parents both died while she was young and from that stage on, it appears that Mary herself disappears and there is little record of her in history books. Whatever became of her, no one really knows. So history lovers will delight as the author takes up a fictional possibility of what may have happened to Mary Seymour. It’s clever fiction presented in a most believable and well balanced tale of truth and fantasy.

The descriptions are fabulous, especially those in Tudor times, and I found the dialogue engaging in both periods. With a neat balance between events of past and present, the author allows us to appreciate life many centuries apart. The extraordinary element in this particular tale is that a character travels forward in time and this presents a whole range of issues unforeseen. Not only having to adapt from Tudor to modern day society, but also attempting to return to her own time. A nice switch up from the usual time slip novels.

So herein lies the challenge. Time slip situations need be handled with care and this one is okay. I chose not to question the workings of it to any great length. This story’s true strength lies in the historical tale (one story invariably tends to be stronger than the other) with the fantastical time travel aspect and modern day story not as strong. Still, I enjoyed it overall.

All up I found The Phantom Tree to be a most engaging work of historical fiction, mashed up wonderfully well by the unique travel forward in time. It felt somewhat plausible and that is of course, what attracts historical fiction readers - to delight in mixing things up occasionally.

‘This was not simply a case of what seemed on the surface to be a mad fantasy; there had been deceit on her part at every step.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

Review: The Botanist's Daughter

Title:  The Botanist’s Daughter

Author: Kayte Nunn

Publisher: 31st July 2018 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 400 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

In Victorian England, headstrong adventuress Elizabeth takes up her late father's quest for a rare, miraculous plant. She faces a perilous sea voyage, unforeseen dangers and treachery that threatens her entire family.

In present-day Australia, Anna finds a mysterious metal box containing a sketchbook of dazzling watercolours, a photograph inscribed 'Spring 1886' and a small bag of seeds. It sets her on a path far from her safe, carefully ordered life, and on a journey that will force her to face her own demons.

In this spellbinding botanical odyssey of discovery, desire and deception, Kayte Nunn has so exquisitely researched nineteenth-century Cornwall and Chile you can almost smell the fragrance of the flowers, the touch of the flora on your fingertips . . .

My Thoughts

The Botanist’s Daughter is a remarkable read that I thoroughly enjoyed. From beginning to end I was enthralled as this book ticked all the boxes in what I look for in a good, well rounded story. A well documented dual narrative (always tricky to pull off) that was so well executed with past and present stories sublimely linked, you will fall under its spell from the moment the box of treasures is discovered in the opening pages.

“... as Anna looked at it she had a sudden premonition, a feeling of apprehension. Exactly what had she discovered? What changes would this bring to her carefully ordered life?”

Chapters are presented from the alternating POV of our two female leads - two journeys, separated by time but bound together through adventuring into the unknown. They may have been different women from different centuries but both were most certainly on a journey of discovery. Elizabeth would travel from Cornwall, England to Valparaiso, Chile in an attempt to honour her father’s dying wish. Anna would travel from Sydney to Cornwall to find answers to her box of discoveries. Both women and their stories will engage you in their determination to overcome obstacles. The characters and indeed both tales, truly complement each other to provide a captivating tale (or two!) I humorously appreciated the ‘Australianisms’, they brought a smile to my face! With references from the ‘old dunny’ (toilet) to ....

“...skipping ahead of them over the cracks in the pavement, eager for the Redskins and Violet Crumbles that were stacked on the shop’s narrow shelves.”

For Kayte’s Nunn’s first attempt at historical fiction, she has done an amazing job. The secondary characters have depth, the plot never drags, the scenic descriptions - particularly of Chile - are vivid and the way all the puzzle pieces are finally brought together in the end is most satisfying. There is some romance in both timelines, but I appreciate how the author stayed true to the heart of the novel, that being, one of a family mystery.

I have no hesitation in highly recommending The Botanist’s Daughter to lovers of historical fiction, dual narratives and an enticing mystery (this has a real Kate Morton flavour). One would be hard pressed not to pick up this stunning book with a cover which in itself is so very inviting. From the locked box containing a diary detailing a long ago journey, to two strong and compelling females imbued with curiosity and courage to set out on journeys of discovery across the globe must surely intrigue the best of us.

“She was, of course, there to fulfil the promise she had made him, the promise that had kept her from collapsing with uncontrollable grief when he died, and had sustained her throughout the long and terrible voyage.”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release