Review: The Valley of Lost Stories

Title: The Valley of Lost Stories

Author: Vanessa McCausland

Publisher: 2nd December 2020 by Harper Collins Australia

Pages: 406 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: contemporary, mystery, women’s fiction

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Beautiful, beguiling and treacherous ... Big Little Lies meets Picnic at Hanging Rock in a secluded valley over the Blue Mountains.

Four women and their children are invited to the beautiful but remote Capertee Valley for a much-needed holiday.

Once home to a burgeoning mining industry, now all that remains are ruins slowly being swallowed by the bush and the jewel of the valley, a stunning, renovated Art Deco hotel. This is a place haunted by secrets. In 1948 Clara Black walked into the night, never to be seen again.

As the valley beguiles these four friends, and haunts them in equal measure, each has to confront secrets of her own: Nathalie with a damaged marriage; Emmie yearning for another child; Pen struggling as a single parent; and Alexandra hiding in the shadow of her famous husband.

But as the mystery of what happened seventy years earlier unravels, one of the women also vanishes into this bewitching but wild place, forcing devastating truths to the surface.

My Thoughts

I read and loved Vanessa’s first book, The Lost Summers of Driftwood, and was therefore full of anticipation to read her latest release. Here she has proven, yet again, that she is a skilful writer capable of creating true atmospheric stories with locations that will draw her readers in. 

‘And don’t you feel it? There’s something about this place. This whole valley. After all, I'm not spiritual, but I don’t know ... I can’t really articulate it. I feel like anything could happen. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad, given I live such a boring life.’     

Set in two timelines (which Vanessa handles seamlessly) a mystery slowly unfolds. This is a book with a number of themes. Foremost is the theme of friendship with the four women who go away, and tied into that of course, are the issues each of them face and how these are brought to the surface through their interactions. Whether it be parenting or marriage issues, Vanessa covers all bases with each of her Mums. I also very much enjoyed the second yet shorter narrative on Jean from the 1940s and her sad plight. 

 ‘The dark cliffs loomed above her, a reminder of just how far they were from everything. There was no sound save the movement of leaves in the breeze and the occasional hoot of an owl. But she sensed the thrum of life under the inky blanket. She looked up. The sky was clear and star-strewn. There was a brightness to the night sky that you didn’t get in the city. It was like looking to the edge of the universe. Perspective. How tiny her worries. How small her

world. She took a deep breath. They really were in the middle of nowhere.’

Perhaps, however, the highlight of this book, which sets it apart from similar ones, is the true gothic feel Vanessa brings to it. The location itself is critical to the tale and when cleverly combined with key aspects, the reader has an old school gothic mystery in their hands. Locked doors, possible ghost sightings, no phone coverage, go hand in hand within this remote Australian bush refurbished hotel. 

Whilst I did not find this as strong a read as Vanessa’s first book and parts of the mystery are somewhat easy to deduce, there is enough on offer through other aspects of the story with its subplots to keep the reader turning the pages. A little mystery in both a historical and contemporary context with a set of female mother/friend issues is quite an undertaking but Vanessa certainly pulls it off. 

‘So many stories lost, steeped into the soil, into the valley’s soul.’

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

Review: Pianos and Flowers

Title: Pianos and Flowers

Author: Alexander McCall Smith

Publisher: 19th January 2021 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Pages: 192 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: short stories, historical fiction

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

A delightful compendium of short stories inspired by images in the renowned photographic archive of The Sunday Times.

A picture can paint a thousand words, but what about a vintage photograph?

In 2015 Alexander McCall Smith wrote a book entitled Chance Developments: Unexpected Love Stories, in which he imagined the stories behind five chanced-upon black and white photographs. Who were those people, why were they smiling, what made them sad? He so enjoyed the experience that when The Sunday Times generously offered him access to their early 20th century photograph archive he jumped at the opportunity.

My Thoughts

‘A lot of people don’t notice the interesting things around them. They go through life thinking everything is very dull, and all the time it’s the opposite.’

I am a huge fan of the author, Alexander McCall Smith. He is a prolific and incredible writer with his No.1. Ladies Detective Agency being a firm favourite of mine. Therefore, I was intrigued to learn about his latest short story collection. Previously, Alexander had written for the Sunday Times when he was asked to take photos from their archive and imagine the lives behind some of the everyday people captured. He did not know who the people were or the context behind the photograph. It is something I am sure we are all guilty of, looking at old photos and wondering about the lives of the various people we gaze upon. Here, Alexander uses his incredible imagination, takes tiny visual clues and creates a fictional story based on that. 

‘When we look in retrospect at the saliences of our lives, we realise, sometimes with astonishment, that this is how they are shaped: a single event; a chance word of advice; an apparently minor decision by another - any of these may dictate what happens to us and what we ourselves do.’

The stories vary but overall it is the pearls of wisdom I seek in Alexander’s writing. The detail and precision is incredulous with some of the stories being as profound as I expected. He has such a readable style and easily brings to life fictional dreams and desires from these still images. Alexander takes you for a brief interlude, a small snapshot, into what may have led the people to be at that place and time for the photograph to be taken. It makes for light and entertaining reading. 

Whilst I enjoyed the concept for this book, I have to admit that I am not a fan of the short story. It probably worked as a newspaper feature and would provide a good ‘inbetween’ read as a book. However, I did not find myself fully engaged and that may be due to the narrative structure rather than the narrative voice. Alexander has a true gift for writing and to take such a simple stimulus and weave stories around it testifies to that. 

‘Some lives are like that - they leave little trace, as unrecorded as were those countless lives led before writing and photography gave some degree of permanence to our human experience.’

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

Review: Beneath Cornish Skies

Title: Beneath Cornish Skies

Author: Kate Ryder

Publisher: 7th January 2021 by Aria & Aries

Pages: 416 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: women’s fiction, contemporary, romance

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

To an outsider, Cassandra Shaw's life looks perfect. She lives in a beautiful, luxurious house in the English countryside, with a handsome, wealthy boyfriend who insists she needn't do a days' work in her life. But Cassie knows that something is not right. Her boyfriend has grown colder, treating her more like a housekeeper than a future wife. And her time feels empty and purposeless.

Cassandra has always been riddled with insecurities and self-doubt, but, just for once, she decides to take a chance on a new beginning. She answers an advert for a live-in nanny, dogwalker, cook and all-round 'Superhuman' for a family living in a rambling manor house on the rugged North Cornish coast. The work is hard and tiring, but Cassie has never felt so fulfilled.

As Cassie learns to connect with the natural beauty unfolding around her, Cornwall starts to offer up its secrets. Soon, Cassie starts wondering if she was drawn to this isolated part of the coast for a reason. Why was she guided to Foxcombe Manor? What are the flashes of light she sees in the valley? Is it her imagination or does someone brush past her? And who is the mysterious man living deep in the woods?

A beautiful romance with a hint of ghostliness, Beneath Cornish Skies is for anyone who has ever longed to start their lives again.

My Thoughts

‘What is important is being true to yourself and not living life on someone else’s terms. We’re stronger than we know.’

Everyone dreams of escaping to Cornwall and that was what initially attracted me to this book. However, I would appear to be very much in the minority with my opinion of this book. Don’t get my wrong, it is a good read, but not at the level that many other reviewers have it at and I’m not sure why. 

I did enjoy my escape to Cornwall - rich in history and dramatic vistas - it just has that certain vibe. There are wonderful descriptions and a lot of research has been undertaken by the author. A lot of research and herein lies my first issue - there are some major information dumps and I just don’t go for that in a fictional read. I think the author even acknowledges this at one stage when she writes a character saying, ‘... he gives me a sheepish smile. ‘Let me know if this is information overload.’ Yes! I want to say, it is! So if a short history of the area appeals to you then you will enjoy the added details.

‘... also assist coastal protection by dissipating wave energy, capturing sediments and nutrients, and providing a carbon sink. Care for these marine plants is essential for our wellbeing and that of our planet.’ 

Secondly I appreciate the main character's journey of growth and self discovery, however, I have to embrace my inner prude and state that the romance where both parties were married, albeit unhappily, did not make for comfortable/enjoyable reading. Yet once again, if you are in the space to read of a woman and man both breaking free of restrictive relationships then you will relate to the story.

Finally there is the supernatural element ... meh. I did not find it strong or relevant enough for my liking. I understand that given the rich history of an area such as Cornwall, there are sure to be a few ghosts but having it in the background of an already full plot just did not work for me. So all up this is a nice bit of escapism, I mean we would all rather be walking along the Cornish coast with a nice looking man on the cusp of commencing a new start to life. 

‘Cornwall attracts many a soul with baggage, but it welcomes us all and makes no judgement on the flotsam and jetsam that end up on its shores.’

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

Review: When the Apricots Bloom

Title: When the Apricots Bloom

Author: Gina Wilkinson

Publisher: 1st January 2021 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 320 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: fiction, contemporary, cultural Iraq

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

Inspired by her own experiences in Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s rule, Gina Wilkinson’s evocative, suspenseful debut is told through the eyes of three very different women confronting the limits of friendship and forgiveness, and the strength of a mother’s love.

At night, in Huda’s fragrant garden, a breeze sweeps in from the desert encircling Baghdad, rustling the leaves of her apricot trees and carrying warning of visitors at her gate. Huda, a secretary at the Australian embassy, lives in fear of the mukhabarat—the secret police who watch and listen for any scrap of information that can be used against America and its allies. They have ordered her to befriend Ally Wilson, the deputy ambassador’s wife. Huda has no wish to be an informant, but fears for her teenaged son, who may be forced to join a deadly militia. Nor does she know that Ally has dangerous secrets of her own.

Huda’s former friend, Rania, enjoyed a privileged upbringing as the daughter of a sheikh. Now her family’s wealth is gone, and Rania too is battling to keep her child safe and a roof over their heads. As the women’s lives intersect, their hidden pasts spill into the present. Facing possible betrayal at every turn, all three must trust in a fragile, newfound loyalty, even as they discover how much they are willing to sacrifice to protect their families.

My Thoughts

“So please tell us,” said Abu Issa, “how are your relations progressing with the foreign woman?”  “I’m doing my best. These matters take time.”                 

“In a perfect world, we could wait until the apricots bloom.  Alas, the world is not perfect.” 

What a revelation this book turned out to be! Gina Wilkinson was inspired by the time she spent in Baghdad whilst under the reign of Saddam Hussein and has produced a telling tale of life under this once brutal regime. Seen through the eyes of three women - two Iraqi and one Australian - it made for addictive reading.

The writing is exceptional for a first time novelist as both plot, characters and location are rich in their detail. Firstly, the plot is complex and a complete eye opener as to the harsh reality of mere existence in Hussein’s Iraq. It was brutal. 

‘But he doesn’t want democracy, he wants a regime of a different kind. One where men have all the power. He wants Iraq to be the sort of country where a woman can be stoned to death because she had the misfortune to be raped.” Rania jammed a cigarette between her lips. “It's madness.”

Secondly, the characters, both main and secondary, are real and flawed. Your heart goes out especially to Huda and Rania and the lengths they go to in protecting the ones they love. The themes are diverse yet cleverly interwoven - everything from friendship, loyalty and trust, to fear, intimidation and betrayal. The two Iraqi women in particular, have difficult and life changing choices to make. 

Thirdly, it was as if Iraq itself was a character. I had no idea about life pre or post the Hussein regime and what a revelation it was to be given a small window into life there. From an Iraq that was free and bountiful, filled with beauty and elegance, to one of corruption and so much history destroyed. This was a definite highlight in reading this book for me. 

‘... there was a gap in Iraqi history ... it was as if time, and collective memory itself, stopped when Saddam seized power, when war, sanctions, and tyranny brought the cosmopolitan “golden years” to a bloody end. Nowadays, there was only the glorious past or the future. The pain that came in between, no one spoke of aloud.’

When the Apricots Bloom is an amazing debut read - one that I would highly recommend. Reading the author’s notes at the end was revealing and to turn the final page with an appreciation that we are all the same no matter race or creed. Friendship and love of family knows no borders. 

‘Huda had thought she was so smart, that she could type a few letters, take the foreigners’ money, and manage the mukhabarat too. She’d ignored the voice inside her whispering, 'You're playing with fire.’

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

Review: Before the Storm

Title: Before the Storm

Author: Di Morrissey

Publisher: 27th October 2020 by Pan Macmillan Australia

Pages: 432 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: women’s fiction, contemporary

My Rating: 3.5 cups

Synopsis:

Face her demons? Or run?

After being double-crossed by a devious colleague, career woman Ellie Conlan quits her job on principle. With no idea what to do next, she retreats to Storm Harbour, an idyllic Victorian beach town.

Ellie's grandfather runs The Storm Harbour Chronicle, the trusted local newspaper. As Ellie is drawn into a story about a development which could split the coastal community - and involves her with the influential O'Neill family - an event she has long suppressed threatens to overwhelm her.

Dark clouds gather as rumours fly and tensions mount. And when a violent storm breaks and rages, Ellie will finally have to confront her past.

My Thoughts

‘I bet everyone in this town has a story of one kind or another.’

A Di Morrissey book is always a guaranteed engaging read. On offer this time around is a well rounded tale about a rural community with all the family and friendships in small community living. A key and interesting theme Di gives to this tale is one of the importance of the media, particularly when it comes to shining the light on both freedom of speech and keeping those in power accountable. 

‘Enough!’ bellowed Patrick. ‘I run this paper. Council runs the town. Let’s stick to what we do, whether or not we agree on the ways in which we do it. I don’t try to run the council, so don’t you try to tell me how to run my newspaper’

Before the Storm also tells the tale of Ellie who is searching for the life that fits her best - whether it be in the corporate city world or living with her grandfather in the rural community of Storm Bay assisting him with the publication of the local paper. So it is clear that there is much on offer here to entice the reader with a variety of themes and stories - personal development, lifestyle, family secrets, small community living and of course, the importance of the media. 

‘... you’re not happy here, in your apartment, in the city. A minute ago you sounded so flat and worried. Now you’ve come alive with energy and passion. Ellie, you don’t want to be here, that’s all it is.’

I did enjoy this book, not so much as Di’s previous tale on ‘The Last Paradise’ (HERE), but still a solid and engaging read. It goes a little slow in places and some of the characters and dialogue was stereotypical at times. Overall, however, this is another engaging and thoughtful story to lose yourself in for a few hours. 

‘I believe one sees a place, no matter how well you think you know it, through the prism of past and present sensibilities, don’t you think?’ ... ‘Memories so often dictate emotions.’

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

Review: A Moment for Me

Title: A Moment for Me - 52 Simple Mindfulness Practices to Slow Down, Relieve Stress, and Nourish the Spirit

Author: Catherine Polan Orzech

Publisher: 1st January 2021 by New Harbinger Publications, Inc. Reveal Press

Pages: 384 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: Health, Mind & Body, Self-Help

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

If you could do one thing for yourself today, why not do a quick mindfulness ritual?

In our busy, high-stress lives, sometimes we all need to slow down, breathe, and just be. But, as easy as that sounds, many of us are intimidated by the practice of meditation. Fortunately, you don’t have to experience a divine awakening or reach profound enlightenment to take advantage of this ancient practice. The simple rituals in this take-anywhere guide can help you get started—right now!

In A Moment for Me, you’ll learn to create a personal and well-rounded mindfulness practice to last you all year long. Featuring 52 satisfying and easy rituals, you’ll find quick inspiration to help you make mindfulness a regular part of your routine. The best part? You can use this book as a weekly dose of spiritual insight, or use each chapter as a standalone ritual. Whatever feels comfortable and meaningful to you!

So, why not get started today? Mindfulness meditation has never been so simple.

My Thoughts

“Mind the gap.” And there is a gap,  a small space that exists between thoughts. What would happen if we really “minded” it? If we really paid attention to what train of thought we were getting on and whether it was where we really wanted to go?’

What better way to start the new year than with this little gem on Mindfulness. A timely reminder to breathe and be present in the small moments of the everyday. Set out in monthly themes, made up of 52 chapters each containing a core concept to contemplate and reflect upon. The reader is then provided with practical suggestions to move from the theory to the practical in making small yet significant changes to their life. For it is in these seemingly mundane everyday activities that real life happens - so it makes sense to pay more attention to the little details as together they combine to make up one’s life.

The author declares that each and every day there are the little moments where we experience both enriching and depleting activities and it is about maintaining a balance between the two. How it is important to seek those moments of stillness, where you can let things go and be at peace with how things actually are. 

‘While it may be true that there is nothing we can concretely do right now to change the final outcome of some of our major stressors, we can reclaim our sense of mastery in our lives in myriad small ways in the tasks of daily living - one small step at a time. By reclaiming our ability to take care of things and influence the flow of our lives, we nurture an internal reminder of our competency and lessen the likelihood that we will succumb to being overwhelmed.’

Whilst there are indeed many mindfulness books out there, I think that this one is worth a look.

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

Review: Paris Time Capsule

Title: Paris Time Capsule

Author:  Ella Carey

Publisher: 6th October 2020 by Bookouture

Pages: 290 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, women’s fiction, romance

My Rating: 3.5 cups

Synopsis:

New York–based photographer Cat Jordan is ready to begin a new life with her successful, button-down boyfriend. But when she learns that she’s inherited the estate of a complete stranger—a woman named Isabelle de Florian—her life is turned upside down.

Cat arrives in Paris to find that she is now the owner of a perfectly preserved Belle Époque apartment in the ninth arrondissement, and that the Frenchwoman’s family knew nothing about this secret estate. Amid these strange developments, Cat is left with burning questions: Who was Isabelle de Florian? And why did she leave the inheritance to Cat instead of her own family?

As Cat travels France in search of answers, she feels her grasp on her New York life starting to slip. With long-buried secrets coming to light and an attraction to Isabelle de Florian’s grandson growing too intense to ignore, Cat will have to decide what to let go of, and what to claim as her own.

My Thoughts

“Don’t you see? So many people exist, so few live. Do you want to look back on a lifetime of regrets?”

I am a fan of Ella Carey’s and although this is one of her earlier novels, I was attracted by the topic that I had read about some time ago. You may recall the story of the opulent Parisian apartment that had not been entered into for over 70 years and was like a time capsule when entered around 2010. The owner had been Marthe de Florian, a French demimondaine and socialite during the Belle Époque period in Paris (1880-1914). Fascinating stuff to base a story on - what might be a story behind this abandoned apartment?

I was enticed by the combination of fact and fiction surrounding this discovery and had looked forward to reading this book for some time. The book, however, mostly delves into the present day issue of ownership and attempting to trace the theoretical history of the apartment. There are a few themes aside from the mystery which is eventually revealed in an all too convenient letter presented towards the end. I would have loved more of a focus on the apartment itself and the history of how it came to be abandoned. Instead, this is more a tale of Cat and her personal journey of growth and discovery in the present day. Not a bad thing in itself but just not what I had been expecting. There is much to enjoy about time spent in Paris with lots of cultural things to partake of. However, at its heart this tale is about Cat’s growth and her romantic partners.  

I will always read Ella’s books but it was clear this was an earlier effort (despite revisions) as having read her latest books it is evident how much Ella had developed as a writer. This is a light and enjoyable read but not a dual time historical narrative as expected. This book falls neatly into contemporary women’s fiction and enjoyable if viewed for those reasons. 

‘Was she yearning for the past? The romance of it all, the beauty, the glamour: these would be enticements indeed if one was fortunate enough to have been born in the upper classes.’

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