Review: Liberation

Title: Liberation

Author: Imogen Kealey

Publisher: 31st March 2020 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 370 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

The must-read thriller inspired by the true story of Nancy Wake, whose husband was kidnapped by the Nazis and became the most decorated servicewoman of the Second World War - soon to be a major blockbuster film.

To the Allies she was a fearless freedom fighter, special operations super spy, a woman ahead of her time. To the Gestapo she was a ghost, a shadow, the most wanted person in the world with a five-million Franc bounty on her head.

Her name was Nancy Wake.

Now, for the first time, the roots of her legend are told told in a thriller about one woman's incredible quest to save the man she loves, turn the tide of the war, and take brutal revenge on those who have wronged her.

My Thoughts

‘No wonder they’d sent her. German soldiers might stop and stare at her, but they’d never believe she was a spy. The best disguise we have is the assumptions other people make about us. Nancy knew that better than anyone.’

Imogen Kealey (Imogen Robertson) (Darby Kealey) have done a fabulous job in my opinion of co-writing this book. Being Australian, I am familiar with Nancy Wake and I found this account to be action packed and fast moving. Together, these two authors regale some of the heroic events that Nancy was involved in, taking place in France during WWII. Nancy was quite the heroine with many courageous acts in her efforts to defeat the Nazis. 

It is first interesting to consider a woman not only being sent out on these missions for the French Resistance in the first place, but also having men listening to and responding to her orders is quite something. That in itself is remarkable. Such strength of character to never cower from her attempts to liberate the French from occupation. 

This book gives a fast, action packed account of some of her exploits. Some readers found this interpretation to be too movie-like, but I really didn’t mind it. Being well written it was exciting and there were a range of characters that were well represented. Although literary liberties may have been taken to make for better reading, there is definite research undertaken here and all is accounted for in the Authors Note at the conclusion. So this is most definitely a fictionalised account of events as the ‘White Mouse’ (aka Nancy Wake) as she seeks to cause havoc among the Nazis. 

Being based on truth makes events truly inspirational in the face of such atrocities. This is  a well paced book and truly heartbreaking at times. I defy any reader not to get behind this eclectic group of resistors, being empathetic to what drove them to face the onslaught of Hitler and the Gestapo. If you enjoy tales set in World War II, would love to learn about a courageous Aussie who sought to assist in the liberation of occupied France, then this action packed, riveting account will surely entertain and educate. 

‘Did he really expect her to back off now? Start quivering in her shoes and leave it to the men to fight back? The Nazis had torn her life apart. It was a life she had fought hard to make and she loved it, and France and Henri, with her gut and her soul. They wanted her just to sit there and wait for someone to fetch it all back for her while she kept herself busy with a bit of typing?’

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 Switch

Title: The Switch

Author: Beth O'Leary

Publisher: 28th April 2020 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 300 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: contemporary, womens fiction

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

Eileen is sick of being 79.

Leena's tired of life in her twenties.

Maybe it's time they swapped places...

When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen's house for some overdue rest. Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She'd like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn't offer many eligible gentlemen.

Once Leena learns of Eileen's romantic predicament, she proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love. Meanwhile Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire. But with gossiping neighbours and difficult family dynamics to navigate up north, and trendy London flatmates and online dating to contend with in the city, stepping into one another's shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected.

Leena learns that a long-distance relationship isn't as romantic as she hoped it would be, and then there is the annoyingly perfect - and distractingly handsome - school teacher, who keeps showing up to outdo her efforts to impress the local villagers. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, but is her perfect match nearer home than she first thought?

My Thoughts

‘This ... this stupid swap ... ’ I spit it out ... ‘was meant to help, and all it’s done is make things worse. I’m done, Grandma. I’m done with all this.’

The Switch - I loved this book in so many unexpected ways! The story of  79 year old Eileen and her granddaughter Leena ‘switching’ lives for two months. I was looking for light and frivolous .... I got that and so much more with a strong emphasis on family and friends.  In the isolationist world we currently live in,  this is the near perfect book to curl up with and escape with some wholesome writing and many an endearing tale to tell. 

Whilst light in tone for the most part, there are some serious topics delved into that add real substance to this read. On the base level this is a book about family and fallouts, mixing things up in the hope of finding your place in life with a strong sense of community involvement. Where it really steps up is when themes such as loneliness, loss/grief, mental illness and domestic abuse are touched upon in really sensitive and touching ways. 

‘Never been one for worst-case scenarios,’ Jackson says. He crouches to dip his roller in the tray; his wrists are flecked with paint now, new, brighter freckles. ‘When they happen, you cope. And it’s usually one you’ve not thought of that gets you, so why worry?’

How would it be to not only switch places with someone else for a time but add to the mix the generational gap and it makes for many an amusing scenario. It’s great! Eileen may just be the winner as what is not to love with a 79 year old shaking it with the young ones in London - but its the sage advice that she brings with her that dusts the encounters with magic. In Yorkshire, Leena learning to face her grief is real and raw. Another plus to this tale is the depth in secondary characters - there are many here you will learn to love and some despise. I want to sit and eat biscuits on the Neighbourhood Watch committee! Similarly Beth accurately portrays the two distinct locales as you feel the buzz of London compared to the quirky charms of village life.

Covering a range of subjects with a cast of characters, not once does Beth confuse her readers - I was invested in each and everyone of them. You will smile and you will tear up - clever writing to lose yourself in. The message here is one of healing and hope, not only for the three generations of women, but also for their wider community of friends. Do yourself a favour and immerse yourself in this tale of fun and serious moments as they walk the path to find the missing piece in their life. Eagerly anticipate what Beth comes up with next. 

‘I take a shaky breath and go on. ‘When people talk about loss, they always say that you’ll never be the same, that it will change you, leave a hole in your life.’ My voice is choked with tears now. ‘And those things are undoubtedly true. But when you lose someone you love, you don’t lose everything they gave you. They leave something with you.’

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 Darkest Shore

Title: The Darkest Shore

Author: Karen Brooks

Publisher: 24th February 2020 by Harlequin Australia, HQ Fiction

Pages: 480 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 3.5 cups

Synopsis:

The independent women of Scotland stand up to a witch hunt, male fury and the power of the Church in a battle for survival in this compelling historical novel based on true events in early eighteenth century Scotland.

1703: The wild east coast of Scotland.

Returning to her home town of Pittenweem, fishwife and widow Sorcha McIntyre knows she faces both censure and mistrust. After all, this is a country where myth and legend are woven into the fabric of the everyday, a time when those who defy custom like Sorcha has are called to account.

It is dangerous to be a clever woman who 'doesn't know her place' in Pittenweem - a town rife with superstition. So, when a young local falls victim to witchcraft, the Reverend Cowper and the townsfolk know who to blame. What follows for Sorcha and her friends is a terrifying battle, not only for their souls, but for their lives, as they are pitted against the villagers' fear, a malevolent man and the might of the church.

Based on the shocking true story of the witch hunt of Pittenweem, this multi-layered novel is a beautifully written historical tale of the strength of women united against a common foe, by one of Australia's finest writers.

My Thoughts

I have read and enjoyed two Karen Brooks novels before (reviews HERE) and they have been exceptional. I was therefore eager to try her latest - a tale of witch hunts in eighteenth century Scotland.

This gripping and confrontational tale revolves around a group of women - fishwives - who are accused of being witches. There is a great deal of research that has gone into this fictional adaptation. Based on a true story this is a shocking truth and extremely cruel occurrence. In a world dominated by men and religion, these women come together and exemplify everything that embodies the word ‘friendship’. Add into the mix superstition and a clergy out for revenge and it is hard to believe that much of this story is true! These women fight to save their lives and the torture they endured can only be described as horrific. 

‘Listening to the reverend, Sorcha marvelled that this man of God, who should be alleviating people’s fears, was exacerbating them. When he should be encouraging unity, he was fostering discord and suspicion. How was this helping the town? It wasn’t. It was destroying it.’

Karen has done an incredible job of not only researching the trials themselves but capturing the time and place of Scotland during this period. The best part I believe, however, is her detailed characterisations. As she states, “I hope that this book, while dark and harrowing in parts, is understood as I intend it—not only to showcase female friendship, the great bonds and love that can exist between good and decent men and women, even when all about them is unravelling, but also to honour the community of Pittenweem and especially those who fell during these bleak and terrible times.”. The author’s note at the conclusion is most insightful after such a read. 

‘... slowly, carefully, she embraced the woman. She smelled of musty old caves, fear and hunger. Of nightmares and endless days of loneliness. She smelled of defiance.’

Despite all of this, I did struggle at times. There were parts of the book that seem overly drawn out and the reader needs to be patient and persevere to learn of this desperate time in history for women. This tale is so dark and difficult to read at times simply because of the material - it really is confrontational. Although uncomfortable and challenging,  it shines a light on both the good and bad to be found in human natures. 

‘There was something not quite right about someone who could inflict that level of pain on another human being, divest a woman of her robes without blinking a cold eye nor show any emotion as he pawed her flesh, pulled and searched… Searched, my arse. It was as if his soul had been dislodged or evaporated altogether. And they called her a witch.’

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: Chosen Ones

Title: Chosen Ones

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: 7th April 2020 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 420 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: fiction, fantasy

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

Fifteen years ago, five ordinary teenagers were singled out by a prophecy to take down an impossibly powerful entity wreaking havoc across North America. He was known as the Dark One, and his weapon of choice - catastrophic events known as Drains - leveled cities and claimed thousands of lives. The Chosen Ones, as the teens were known, gave everything they had to defeat him.

After the Dark One fell, the world went back to normal . . . for everyone but them. After all, what do you do when you're the most famous people on Earth, your only education was in magical destruction, and your purpose in life is now fulfilled?

Of all the five, Sloane has had the hardest time adjusting. Everyone else blames the PTSD - and her huge attitude problem - but really, she's hiding secrets from everyone . . . secrets that keep her tied to the past and alienate her from the only four people in the world who understand her.

On the tenth anniversary of the Dark One's defeat, something unthinkable happens: one of the Chosen Ones dies. When the others gather for the funeral, they discover the Dark One's ultimate goal was much bigger than they, the government, or even prophecy could have foretold - bigger than the world itself.

And this time, fighting back might take more than Sloane has to give.

My Thoughts

Chosen Ones is the first in an adult fantasy duology by Veronica Roth. I mostly enjoyed the Divergent series and was therefore curious to see what an adult book in this genre would look like. The book is divided into three parts with the inclusion of transcripts, newspapers and articles that appear at the end of many chapters. Some of these were interesting, however,  most of them just made the book seem much longer.

I expected far more than I got from this story and was really disappointed overall in the book. On the positive side the last part of the story was good and helped bump up my rating - there was action and surprises and some components were really inventive and creative. Roth is certainly most capable of strong world-building as seen in Divergent and also present in this book.  However, most characters were pretty ordinary and cardboard cutouts, except Sloane - she carried this book in my opinion - as long as you view her as a teenager and not the adult she is purported to be. Her angst is real and the approach to PTSD viable. Sloane was engaging through her multi layers and highly developed. 

‘Matt was looking at her in a way she didn’t like. Like she was a car that had broken down on the side of the road and he was looking under the hood to see what the problem was. Like there was something wrong inside her that he could make right. And maybe that was the entire problem with them - he didn’t see her; he saw who she could be with a few adjustments, and all she wanted was to stay busted and be left alone.’   

Sadly there were a few too many drawbacks for me. Firstly, it’s so long and slooow. I found the potential of the Chosen One trope a letdown with the exception of Sloane. I somehow expected and wanted more from this book - it was too caught up in ‘ten years ago ...’ and not enough action NOW (until the last few chapters). Then there is the whole young/adult argument ... this was clearly and undoubtedly a young adult story evident through the dialogue between characters - so much so it became annoying. This is not bad in itself, however, not what I expected from an adult fantasy debut. With so much focus on Sloane, the book would have more aptly been titled ‘Chosen One’ ... there was an uneven distribution of focus amongst the group. 

The last 30% of the book is what saved it for me - still has its faults, but an improvement from the former. I am disappointed wishing this were more adult and contained a faster pace, more engaging plot.         

 “Depends what you think I am, exactly. “Chosen, obviously. You both stink of it,” Sibyl replied, and Sloane felt like someone had dropped a stone directly into the center of her. “Chosen?” Sloane looked at Mox ... “Now, now,” Sibyl said. “Even the dark things of this world are Chosen. It’s not a badge of honor. If anything, it’s like a blinking arrow that says ‘Kill me!’

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: Gulliver's Wife

Title: Gulliver's Wife

Author: Lauren Chater

Publisher: 1st April 2020 by Simon & Schuster Australia

Pages: 416 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Birth. Death. Wonder … One woman’s journey to the edge of love and loyalty from the bestselling author of The Lace Weaver

London, 1702. When her husband is lost at sea, Mary Burton Gulliver, midwife and herbalist, is forced to rebuild her life without him. But three years later when Lemuel Gulliver is brought home, fevered and communicating only in riddles, her ordered world is turned upside down.

In a climate of desperate poverty and violence, Mary is caught in a crossfire of suspicion and fear driven by her husband’s outlandish claims, and it is up to her to navigate a passage to safety for herself and her daughter, and the vulnerable women in her care.

When a fellow sailor, a dangerous man with nothing to lose, appears to hold sway over her husband, Mary’s world descends deeper into chaos, and she must set out on her own journey to discover the truth of Gulliver’s travels . . . and the landscape of her own heart.

My Thoughts

‘Why did he return? Where has he been? Nobody seems able to say for certain and his presence in the tavern would suggest he is not as ill as you suggest. It wouldn’t be the first time a man’s gone native and come back, would it, Missus Gulliver? Nor will it be the last.’

Gulliver’s Wife is Lauren Chater’s second novel. Her first, The Lace Weaver (review HERE) was wonderful. This is a much different story. Here Lauren has creatively imagined the tale of Mary Gulliver, the wife of the famous Lemuel Gulliver whose fictional adventures were written by Jonathan Swift in Gulliver’s Travels.

In this tale Lauren has presented an engaging fictional recount not only into the imagined fallout from her husband's infamous voyage, but and perhaps to a definite higher regard, the life and times for women in early 1700 London. Lauren brings to life the sights, sounds and smells of London through rich and detailed prose. Research is clearly evident as you trail along with Mary and her daughter Bess to the many locations and situations they find themselves in. Add to this a convincing reimagined plot to this famous tale of the Gulliver’s seafaring adventures and there is much to entertain here. Lauren does not hold back as themes of domestic violence, drug use and childbirth are forefront. 

During this period in history, life was extremely difficult for women to say the least. Women were the property of the men they were married to and abusive relationships were most common. Mary was granted a little more freedom as Lauren placed her in the role of a midwife which granted her a more independence and enabled the reader to venture forth with her to a myriad of cases. Even still, Mary still finds herself often powerless to the demands of her returned husband and she has to work hard to protect those she loves, namely her son and daughter. 

‘Because what if she fails? What are the consequences? They are worse for women than for men. Any small error in judgement, any scandal . . . She has spent the better part of her life avoiding drama, but now drama has found her.'

Bess is Mary’s daughter and it was a clever move to include her as another viewpoint into the hardships women had to endure. Lauren I feel, authentically captures not only the day to day living but also the midwifery practices of the time and the challenges they faced as male doctors sought to take control. The relationship between Mary and her daughter is well represented and realistically portrayed with the challenge to assume more control of their lives with strength and resilience. 

‘How she wishes she could go back and unsay the things she said and say others in their place. She would peel back the hurt like rotting floorboards and lay bare all the things she should have told Bess years ago. Now, time is against them. The breach is so impossibly wide neither can hope to mend it.’

Gulliver's Wife is a tale that will not only transport you back to 1700 London in exquisite detail but will also educate you on the struggle for  women and all of this tied together with a fascinating reimagining of the return of the infamous Lemuel Gulliver.

‘How many of these sailors have never returned home? How many cannot face their families after what they have done and seen? Is it possible Lem never went to Sumatra at all, but holed up in a place like this with a pipe for comfort? Did the years slip by in a whisper? Did they pass in a fever dream, while somebody–a woman, perhaps–milked the last of his coins from his purse, transmuting gold into smoke rings?’

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: Where the Lost Wander

Title: Where the Lost Wander

Author: Amy Harmon

Publisher: 28th April  2020 by Lake Union Publishing

Pages: 328 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: historical fiction, womens fiction

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

In this epic and haunting love story set on the Oregon Trail, a family and their unlikely protector find their way through peril, uncertainty, and loss.

The Overland Trail, 1853: Naomi May never expected to be widowed at twenty. Eager to leave her grief behind, she sets off with her family for a life out West. On the trail, she forms an instant connection with John Lowry, a half-Pawnee man straddling two worlds and a stranger in both.

But life in a wagon train is fraught with hardship, fear, and death. Even as John and Naomi are drawn to each other, the trials of the journey and their disparate pasts work to keep them apart. John’s heritage gains them safe passage through hostile territory only to come between them as they seek to build a life together.

When a horrific tragedy strikes, decimating Naomi’s family and separating her from John, the promises they made are all they have left. Ripped apart, they can’t turn back, they can’t go on, and they can’t let go. Both will have to make terrible sacrifices to find each other, save each other, and eventually…make peace with who they are.

My Thoughts

Amy Harmon has a new book out! Sign me up! Amy is one of those buy without knowing authors, as her writing is so lyrical and you are always guaranteed to be swept away. ‘Where the Lost Wander’ is a wonderful tale set in 1853 on the Oregon Trail, a moving story of hardship and love.

‘Feeling . . . not so much. Feeling is instant. It’s reaction. But thinking? Thinking is hard work. Feeling doesn’t take any work at all. I’m not saying it’s wrong. Not saying it’s right either. It just is.’

Amy is an incredible author - she can literally turn her hand to any genre. She could write something on a napkin and I would sign up to read it. I have read her fantasy, contemporary, historical - and each time she nails it. Her storytelling in any field, the characters she produces and research undertaken is always impressive. 

Now, the prologue!  WOW! Do you remember all those Westerns you would watch as kids, cowboys, Indians, settlers in wagons? Made me think of all that. She hits you with it in the beginning and then you wait the whole story to see when and where it will come to pass. This is not an easy read for anyone squeamish. It is brutal and confronting at times. Yet that was the reality for both pioneering families and Native Americans alike. 

“I know my own mind, Mr. Lowry. I always have. My own heart too.” “But you don’t know the terrain.” “I’m counting on you to guide me through it, John, all the way to California.” “I’ve never been,” he murmurs. “I don’t know how to do this . . . any of it.” “So we go steady and slow,” I say.

Then there are the characters. The story is then told in dual viewpoints by both Naomi May and John Lowry. This is a love story but counterbalanced against this is the suffering, hardships and incredible loss experiences by many. There are such interesting secondary characters also - Naomi’s mother and Jack’s father for starters - and the story behind Chief Washakie is worth reading for its own sake. The authors note at the end helped provide perspective to real events and characters. 

If you have never read an Amy Harmon book, I suggest you do (HERE) ... and soon. She has an incredible way with words and I will gladly read anything and everything she writes. This book is not one of my more favoured ones of hers, however that being said, I still loved it and would recommend it to those who have a particular interest in American pioneering history. 

“The hardest thing about life is knowing what matters and what doesn’t,” Winifred muses. “If nothing matters, then there’s no point. If everything matters, there’s no purpose. The trick is to find firm ground between the two ways of being.”

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: Just an Ordinary Family

Title: Just an Ordinary Family

Author: Fiona Lowe

Publisher: 24th February 2020 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA

Pages: 507 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: womens fiction

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Every family has its secrets...

Alice Hunter is smarting from the raw deal life has thrown her way: suddenly single, jobless and forced to move home to her parents' tiny seaside town. And now she faces an uncomfortable truth. She wants her twin sister Libby's enviable life.

Libby's closest friend Jess Dekic has been around the Hunter family for so long she might as well be blood. She's always considered herself a sister closer to Libby than Alice ever could be...

Libby Hunter has all of life's boxes ticked: prominent small-town doctor, gorgeous husband and two young daughters. But when she is betrayed by those she loves most, it reveals how tenuous her world is...

For Karen Hunter, her children are a double-edged sword of pain and pride. She's always tried to guide her girls through life's pitfalls, but how do you protect your children when they're adults?

As the family implodes, the fallout for these four women will be inescapable...

My Thoughts

I have read a few Fiona Lowe books, Home Fires, from last year totally flawed me (review HERE). This book, whilst similarly dealing with small town life, is a different story but still one of great character analysis. Just An Ordinary Family investigates themes such as love, trust, betrayal and regret. Fiona herself stated that she wished to highlight ..”how often we delude ourselves that our actions will only result in one specific outcome and that when we explain ourselves, others will understand and forgive.” But do they?

The characters here are both real and relatable, they make mistakes as we all often do and this tale investigates the regrets that often come from not facing those errors. Relationships that go to the brink because of misunderstandings and words expressed in anger. The question is, can these issues be overcome? Will secrets, once revealed, leave wounds that cannot heal? Fiona will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions with each of her  main characters as they face the consequences of their actions. They are flawed and thus don’t make the best decisions but they are human, that being, their intentions are often pure or well meant. Readers will have to decide for themselves who they support and why, with opinions more than likely to differ - but isn’t that true to life? 

The only drawback is the length of this book - it is a long one. At times the dialogue goes round and round in circles and could in some parts have been condensed. There are multiple storylines with a lot going on. Yet once I passed halfway I became fully engaged in each of the women's quests. 

Overall this is an epic family saga focusing on love and forgiveness. It’s intense and real with a walkaway message to treasure each and every day. 

‘We owe it to the children to honour our mistakes, learn from them and live the best version of ourselves.’

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.