Book Review: The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester

The Paris Seamstress

by

Natasha Lester

 

 

 

Publisher:  Hachette Australia

Publication date: 27th March 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 448

RRP: $29.99 (paperback) $12.99 (e-Book)

Format read: e-Book

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

 

About the book

 

1940. Parisian seamstress Estella Bissette is forced to flee France as the Germans advance. She is bound for Manhattan with a few francs, one suitcase, her sewing machine, and a dream: to have her own atelier.

2015. Australian curator Fabienne Bissette journeys to the annual Met Gala for an exhibition of her beloved grandmother's work - one of the world's leading designers of ready-to-wear. But as Fabienne learns more about her grandmother's past, she uncovers a story of tragedy, heartbreak and secrets - and the sacrifices made for love.

Crossing generations, society's boundaries and international turmoil, The Paris Seamstress is the beguiling, transporting story of the special relationship between a grandmother and her granddaughter as they attempt to heal the heartache of the past. 

 

My review

 

I love Natasha Lester’s books so I didn’t even read the blurb. I just jumped straight in. I immediately became engrossed in Estella’s story and was quite shocked when the story jumped to 2015 and Fabienne. I think this, in turn, made me a little less interested in Fabienne’s story.

The Paris Seamstress is a look at fashion during the 1940’s and how many companies copied designs from the big Parisian fashion houses and reproduced them. Paris was the fashion capitol of the world.

The story moves from war-torn Paris to New York where a very outspoken and opinionated Estella finds it hard to break into the fashion industry. She has her own distinct ideas on fashion but are the American women ready for these ideas.

I found the overall plot of the Paris Seamstress to be quite complex and I had trouble keeping up at times. Just as I became totally engrossed in one timeline the story would switch over and I felt a resentment at being pulled away from my story. For me the gap between each switch was too large.

What I loved about the story was the strong female characters and the two burgeoning love stories.

The Paris Seamstress is filled with mystery, love, hope, optimism and loss. All centred around the fashion industry.

The problem with holding A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald up as one of my favourite books ever is, it’s a hard act to follow.

3.5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐½

About the author

Photo credit: Hachette Aus

Natasha Lester worked as a marketing executive before returning to university to study creative writing. She completed a Master of Creative Arts as well as her first novel, What Is Left Over, After, which won the T.A.G. Hungerford Award for Fiction. Her second novel, If I Should Lose You, was published in 2012, followed by A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald in 2016, Her Mother's Secret in 2017 and the Top 10 Australian and international bestsellers The Paris Seamstress in 2018 and The French Photographer in 2019. The Age described Natasha as 'a remarkable Australian talent' and her work has been published in numerous anthologies and journals.

In her spare time Natasha loves to teach writing, is a sought after public speaker and can often be found playing dress-ups with her three children. She lives in Perth. 

   

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

                                 Historical Fiction Challenge  #2020HistFicReadingChallenge

 

Book Review: Letters From Berlin by Tania Blanchard

Letters From Berlin

by

Tania Blanchard

 

 

 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 

Publication date: 7th October 2020

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 448

RRP: $32.99AUD

Format read: Uncorrected paperback

Source:Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

Berlin, 1943

As the Allied forces edge closer, the Third Reich tightens its grip on its people. For eighteen-year-old Susanna Göttmann, this means her adopted family including the man she loves, Leo, are at risk.

Desperate to protect them any way she can, Susie accepts the help of an influential Nazi officer. It means she must abandon any hope of a future with Leo and enter the terrifying world of the Nazi elite.

But all is not lost as her newfound position offers more than she could have hoped for … With critical intelligence at her fingertips, Susie seizes a dangerous opportunity to help the resistance.

The decisions she makes could change the course of the war, but what will they mean for her family and her future? 

 

My review

 

Inspired by real events Letters From Berlin, set during the last two years of Nazi ruled Germany, is narrated by Susanna an Aryan German but living with her adoptive family of mixed Aryan and Jewish heritage. This mix gives a perspective I haven’t read before.

These mixed families were protected from persecution at the beginning of the war however as conditions worsened and hatred spread the children of mixed marriages were targeted.

Letters from Berlin is a story of love and desperation. Opening on Susanna’s 19th birthday her family own a large estate in the country that supplies food to the Nazi officers which in turn provides them with a level of protection. We see a Berlin that is flourishing as Susanna is taken under the wing of a family friend who introduces her to glamorous cocktail parties and stage shows. Thus highlighting the vast difference in lifestyle of the upper-class Germans and the villagers.

Tania Blanchard shows the slow demise of Nazi Germany and how through fear for their own lives friends turned against each other. And as the Nazis started to get desperate they even turned against their own citizens. It was a time when no one was safe and the only information received was rumour and propaganda. As the story is told from the perspective of a German citizen we don’t get to see the terrible atrocities that were performed, only the rumours that were passed around.

Letters From Berlin tells how many German citizens were against the Nazi rule and longed for Hitler’s downfall. Many endangering their own lives to help Jews escape and also hiding prisoners of war. Susanna was a marvellous heroine, strong and determined, standing up for what she believed in and willing to do all she could to save her family.

Set over a short period of two years I felt the first half of the book was a bit slow however the second half delivered with raw emotion and believable suffering.

Letters From Berlin shows how the events of the war have a ripple effect, still affecting families many years later. 

 

4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Photo:Goodreads

 Tania Blanchard was inspired to write by the fascinating stories her German grandmother told her as a child. Coming from a family with a rich cultural heritage, stories have always been in her blood. Her first novel published by Simon & Schuster Australia, The Girl from Munich, was a runaway bestseller, as was the sequel, Suitcase of Dreams. 

Tania lives in Sydney with her husband and three children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

                                 Historical Fiction Challenge  #2020HistFicReadingChallenge

 

 

 

Book Club Book Review: The Wreck by Meg Keneally

The Wreck

by

Meg Keneally

 

 

 

Publisher: Echo Publishing 

Publication date: 1st September 2020

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

RRP: $29.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Beauty & Lace Book Club 

 

About the Book

  

1820, London.

 

Sarah McCaffrey, fleeing arrest for her part in a failed rebellion, thinks she has escaped when she finds herself aboard the Serpent, bound from London to the colony of New South Wales. But when the mercurial captain's actions drive the ship into a cliff, Sarah is the only survivor. 

 

Adopting a false identity, she becomes the right-hand woman of Molly Thistle, who has grown her late husband's business interests into a sprawling real estate and trade empire. As time passes, Sarah begins to believe she might have found a home - until her past follows her across the seas... 

 

My Review

 

I did wonder how I would like this story as I do love Historical Fiction however I’m not a big fan of political based Hist Fic. I’m happy to say this story isn’t heavy on the political side. Sarah is very likeable. She has had a hard life and I wanted her to succeed. She is feisty, strong and intelligent. She speaks her mind.

The wreck is a story of people pushed to their limit by poverty and hunger. Set during a time when even a peaceful protest has deadly repercussions when the Crown’s yeomen intervene.

"I will go with the men when they rise, though most do not want me to do so. Women hunger, and women die, so women must also fight."

Sarah McCaffrey is a strong female lead. She is not afraid to risk her life to fight for what she believes in.

The story quickly moves from London to Sydney, New South Wales and we see that conditions are much the same as back in England. The rich are protected and prosper whilst the poor suffer and go hungry. We follow Sarah as she tries to fight for equality but not really knowing who to turn to or where to start. All avenues seem to lead to violence and bloodshed being the only answer.

Set in the early 1800’s, Keneally paints a vivid picture of a growing Sydney with boarding houses, taverns, the busy harbour and the shanties and muddy streets of The Rocks.

Through a mix of characters Meg Keneally shows the constant danger and degradation some women endured, selling their bodies on the street, to earn money to live a meagre life. In The Wreck strong women come in many forms and even when they are fighting the same fight as the men they are sneered at and looked down upon.

Sarah is helped and taken under the wing of some kind people. Firstly the captain of the ship she escaped London on and then arriving in Sydney alone and penniless she is helped by business woman and philanthropist Mrs Thistle.

Mrs Thistle is a remarkably drawn character and a key player in changing the lives of women through benevolence rather than violence.

These strong women paved the way for more strong women to keep fighting to be heard, It, as we know, is a long fight through generations and I enjoyed reading Meg Keneally’s take on where it all started.  

4.5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ 

About the  author

Photo:Goodreads

Meg Keneally worked as a public affairs officer, sub-editor, freelance feature writer, reporter and talkback radio producer, before co-founding a financial service public relations company, which she then sold after having her first child. For more than ten years, Meg has worked in corporate affairs for listed financial services companies, and doubles as a part-time SCUBA diving instructor.

She is co-author with Tom Keneally of The Soldiers' Curse and The Unmourned, the first two books in The Monsarrat series. Her first solo novel was Fled, and The Wreck is her second. She lives in Sydney with her husband and two children.

 

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

                                 Historical Fiction Challenge  #2020HistFicReadingChallenge

 

Book Review: Feathers by Karen Hendriks

Feathers

by

Karen Hendriks

illustrated by Kim Fleming 

 

 

 

Publisher: Empowering Resources 

Publication date: 1st September 2020

Genre: Children's / Picture Book

Pages: 36

RRP: $17.00AUD

Format read: Softcover

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Back cover

 

'Dad, it's my wish feather.'

I gently place my dream treasure under my pillow,

Mum promised to always be with me....

 

My review

 

Feathers is a beautiful, gentle book about a young boy remembering his mother. The story starts with the boy running in the garden trying to catch some floating feathers. He tells his dad that mum said feathers help you capture good dreams. His father now joins in.

The delightful watercolour pictures are joyful as the boy and his father run around with smiles on their faces, catching feathers. With the feather under his pillow dad puts him to bed that night and he has lovely, happy dreams of his mother.

Picture books are a relatable way of learning how to talk about and explore difficult emotions in an engaging and meaningful way. 

Feathers gently explores the theme of loss. Death is never mentioned only that mum's star is shining in the sky. The young boy and his father are remembering his mother in a happy way. I loved that the inside cover has delightful watercolour illustrations of different feathers labelled with the relevant birds.

Symbolising loss has a beneficial effect on healing and I know people who have used sightings of rainbows, birds and cloud formations to remember loved ones. Karen Hendriks use of feathers as a symbol is soft, gentle and calming.

I think this would be a valuable resource for any family that has lost a loved one be it mother, father or grandparent. It would also be valuable for general classroom discussion.

ages 3 - 7 years

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Karen was a primary school teacher and has always loved using picture books to brighten children’s lives.

Karen lives on the south coast of New South Wales with her family and little dog Elmo.  Being by the sea, with sandy toes and close to nature is what makes Karen happy. She rides her pushbike with Elmo in the basket along the beaches.

Karen loves to travel anywhere, whenever she can.  She keeps on dreaming and planning of things to see and do. But to Karen the simple things in life are just as important, like writing and laughing and having fun. 

Karen can be found writing in local coffee shops or even on scraps of paper or typing some random idea into her phone.  She believes kindness is catching just like hugs from picture books.

With the lightness of a feather in the breeze Karen hopes her stories reach and find you.

 

About the illustrator

Kim can vividly remember being amazed at the age of 4 when she mixed red and white together and got pink. It was magic!

Her mastery of pink led Kim to many other colours, and a love of art began. 

A move to Melbourne, led Kim to discover the glorious world of children’s book illustration... and she often declares that she has ‘the best job in the world’.

She loves using layers of collage and watercolour washes, and creating sweet, heartwarming characters. She also sometimes uses ink, acrylics and hand-carved stamps

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

 

 

Book Review: My Daddy is Different by Suzi Faed

Over the next few weeks I will be showcasing books written specifically to help children understand feelings, emotions and the ever changing world around them. 

I find picture books are a wonderful go to if a child is frightened or overwhelmed over something they don't understand. Often written in a peaceful way with simple words they help children unravel feelings on their own level.

The first book I have to bring to you is:

My Daddy is Different 

by

Suzi Faed

Illustrated by Lisa Coutts

 

  

Publisher: Empowering Resources

Publication date: November 2019

Genre: Children's picture book 

Pages: 32

RRP:$17.00AUD

Format read: Softcover

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

  

I used to have a Daddy who was like all other Daddies. One who would go to work, and play with me when he was home. But one day, something changed. He started saying strange things, doing strange things. I was confused.

My Daddy is Different is a beautiful story, written to nurture any child who may have a loved adult in their life who is suffering from mental illness.

My Review

The story is told in the first person by a young boy as he notices a change in his father, as he sinks into a state of depression, and this confuses him and makes him afraid.

The story explains the highs and lows of a person with a mental illness as our narrator feels happy and safe when old daddy is back but confused when he withdraws again. Hospital stays are explained and the natural response of a child not wanting to go because it is strange and scary. He expresses his feelings of being afraid and worried that none of his friends would understand.

The emotional illustrations compliment the story with lots of sad faces and dark clouds when daddy is withdrawn and non-respondent but the pages are also interspersed with happy days and big smiles.

In the hospital he sees other children and realises he is not alone. There are other kids whose mummy or daddy had a mental illness too.

"Daddy looked at me and said, Remember I still love you. That will never change."

Filled with positive reinforcement I feel this book will be a valuable resource for anyone looking to explain mental illness to children.

Somethings I would have liked included in the story were:

• Words of encouragement and love from the boys mother.
• Acknowledgement that his friends would still be there for him.
• That it wasn't anything he did that made his father change.

Help lines are placed conveniently in the back of the book.


Children of Parents with a Mental Illness

www.copmi.net.au

Kids Helpline

www.kidshelpline.com.au

Kids Matter

www.kidsmatter.edu.au

Headspace

www.headspace.org.au

About the author 

Suzi is a qualified teacher, wife, full-time mother to an energetic and book-loving toddler, and a budding picture book writer.

She has a Bachelor of Arts in Writing and a Diploma of Education in Early Childhood Studies, hav

ing taught pre-primary before the birth of her daughter. Recently, she has completed a course in Writing Picture Books for Children.


Suzi is making her writing debut with her picture book, ‘My Daddy is Different’. Her father suffers from a mental illness, and this had a huge impact on her childhood. Her experiences inspire her writing, and she hopes that with this story, she can help children who are struggling with similar issues. She also has an interest in fostering children’s self-esteem, and hopes that her writing journey will offer opportunities to fulfil this.

Living in the coastal city of Bunbury, Western Australia, Suzi enjoys being close to the beach. With a toddler who is asserting her independence and two little dogs with big attitudes, life is busy, but in quiet moments, Suzi likes to read, write, play volleyball and tennis, and dream of the ever-elusive sleep in.

 

About the illustrator

 

Lisa is a Melbourne based illustrator who has illustrated many books and items mostly in the children’s market thanks to her charming character based style, and because she is a bit of a kid at heart.

She studied graphic design at Swinburne and has been a freelance illustrator since graduation.

Lisa enjoys working in dry pastel for it’s light, soft texture and the colourful mess she can make. She also uses pencils and acrylic paints. With these she loves to create and draw characters and their worlds, whether real or imagined.

Her favourite things in life inspire her illustrations. She is cat crazy and has two cheeky Devon Rexes called Coco and Elsa. She loves riding her bike especially long distances and up mountains. She also has a thing for striped clothing and often her characters are wearing something stripey just as she does. Oh, and she loves making and eating pancakes. 

 

 

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: The Good Teacher by Petronella McGovern

The Good Teacher

by

Petronella McGovern

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 1st September 2020

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 416

RRP: $29.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

Every evening, Allison watches her husband's new house, desperate to find some answers. Every morning, she puts on a brave face to teach kindergarten. She's a good teacher, everyone says so - this stalking is just a tiny crack in her usual self-control.

A late enrolment into her class brings little Gracie - sick and grieving. Allison takes the girl and her father, Luke, under her wing. She smothers Gracie with the love she can't give her own son. As others question her judgement and the police arrive at her door, Allison starts to wonder if she can trust herself.

When Gracie has a chance to go to America for treatment, Allison leads the school in a fundraising drive. But has she crossed a line?

How far will the good teacher go to save a life? And whose life will that be?

An intriguing tale of our times about kindness and betrayal, and the danger of good deeds.

 

My Review

 

Petronella McGovern has delivered again in her second offering in the domestic fiction genre.

Allison Walsh is The Good Teacher always going above and beyond for her students and their families, but now her husband has left her, and her 15 year old son Felix with him, for another woman and she is reduced to stalking his house to get a glimpse of the woman who stole her family.

It's a new school year and Luke and his 5 year old daughter Gracie have moved to Sydney to be treated at the children's hospital for Gracie's rare form of cancer. Allison invites Luke and Gracie to stay with her while they save for a life saving trip to America. Allison's invitation isn't wholly selfless as she pours all her energy into raising money for Gracie's trip is she using Luke and Gracie to replace the family she lost?

"Allison had realised that family didn't have to be narrowed down to Tony and Felix, it could be expanded to include whomever she wanted."

McGovern has highlighted the wonderful giving nature of people who will go out of their way to help others. Luke and Gracie are welcomed into the community with open arms.

Told in multiple points of view, each character has their own agenda around helping Gracie.

I like the short chapters on Felix's point of view and how the themes of Felix's school text, Othello, tie into events happening in his real life.

As with McGovern's previous novel, there is so much happening and it's all pertinent so I can't say too much without spoilers. There are plenty of red herrings and twists along the way. The Good Teacher induced a roller coaster of emotions; empathy, pride, sorrow, anger, satisfaction and joy.

Following on from  her success with Six Minutes Petronella McGovern has now, with her release of The Good Teacher placed herself firmly as the Queen of Australian domestic fiction.

About the author

 

Photo: Goodreads

Petronella McGovern is a writer and editor who grew up on a farm outside Bathurst, New South Wales. After working in Canberra for a number of years, she now lives on Sydney's northern beaches with her husband and two children. Her best-selling novel, Six Minutes, was published in 2019 and long-listed for the Australian Independent Bookseller Awards.

The Good Teacher is her second novel.

 

  

 

Click on cover to see review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

 

 

 

Book Review: The Women's Pages by Victoria Purman

The Women's Pages

by

Victoria Purman

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 2nd September 2020

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages:416

RRP: $32.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book 

 

Sydney 1945 The war is over, the fight begins.

The war is over and so are the jobs (and freedoms) of tens of thousands of Australian women. The armaments factories are making washing machines instead of bullets and war correspondent Tilly Galloway has hung up her uniform and been forced to work on the women's pages of her newspaper - the only job available to her -- where she struggles to write advice on fashion and make up.

As Sydney swells with returning servicemen and the city bustles back to post-war life, Tilly finds her world is anything but normal. As she desperately waits for word of her prisoner-of-war husband, she begins to research stories about the lives of the underpaid and overworked women who live in her own city. Those whose war service has been overlooked; the freedom and independence of their war lives lost to them.
Tilly realises that for her the war may have ended, but the fight is just beginning...

 

My Review

 

The Women’s Pages is a heartfelt, emotional and inspiring look at women, and their role in society, during and after WWII.

Set in Sydney in 1946 immediately post WWII with events during the war told in backstory The Women’s Pages is narrated via Tilly Galloway, working at the Daily Herald whilst her husband is away fighting.

Through Tilly, her family and close friends Purman has shown the different impact the war had on women, with some husbands returning but forever damaged, whilst others for a variety of reasons not returning at all. Women who had been earning a wage, and for the first time having money of their own, were suddenly unemployed whilst older men were also losing their jobs to young, returning soldiers. It was a time of adjustment for all and for some it wasn’t the dream they had envisioned.

The scenes around Sydney city and The Rocks, the war-time hardships and post-war celebrations on the city streets, were brought to life by Purman’s wonderful descriptions. 

With many mentions of the political climate and newsworthy events of the time the story is solidly set in it’s time frame.

Tilly comes from the wrong side of town but through perseverance and intelligence she rises from secretary to journalist however she is still never treated the same as the male journalists. She befriends fellow journalist George Cooper a forward thinking man, and there were few of them back then, who is happy to teach her the ropes of writing a good story.

Tilly and best friend Mary are waiting for their husbands to return from the war. They live on hopes and dreams and their anguish is heartfelt and real. 

Tilly’s sister Martha, with three boys to bring up is barely surviving on her meagre pay. She is helped often by her mother Elsie, who also offers meals and a helping hand to all local families, ill or down on their luck. 

Purman introduces the ongoing battle of the waterside workers through Tilly’s father, Stan, a staunch union man who worked hard and fought hard for these men to receive a fair days pay for a fair days work.

Purman has delivered a heartfelt story. The characters are likeable, their emotions and dreams are genuine and relatable. Through these characters we get a rounded view of the struggle for many during and after the war.

The Women’s Pages is a thoroughly researched novel that had me spellbound from cover to cover.

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author  

 

Photo: Goodreads

Victoria Purman is an award-nominated, bestselling Australian author. She is a regular guest at writers' festivals, has been nominated for a number of readers choice awards and was a judge in the fiction category for the 2018 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature. Her most recent novels are The Three Miss Allens (2016), The Last of the Bonegilla Girls (2018) and Australian bestseller The Land Girls (2019).

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

                                 Historical Fiction Challenge  #2020HistFicReadingChallenge

 

Book Review: The Night Whistler by Greg Woodland

The Night Whistler

by

Greg Woodland

 

 

Publisher: Text Publishing

Publication date: 4th August 2020

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 400

Format read: uncorrected eBook

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

 

About the book

 

It’s 1966. Hal and his little brother, newly arrived in Moorabool with their parents, are exploring the creek near their new home when they find the body of a dog.

Not just dead, but recently killed.
 

Not just killed, but mutilated.
 

Constable Mick Goodenough, recently demoted from his city job as a detective, is also new in town—and one of his dogs has gone missing. He’s experienced enough to know what it means when someone tortures an animal to death: it means they’re practising. So when Hal’s mother starts getting anonymous calls—a man whistling, then hanging up—Goodenough, alone among the Moorabool cops, takes her seriously.


The question is: will that be enough to keep her safe?
 

Nostalgic yet clear-eyed, simmering with small-town menace, Greg Woodland’s wildly impressive debut populates the rural Australia of the 1960s with memorable characters and almost unbearable tension. 

My review

  

Greg Woodland has delivered a gritty, dark and nostalgic, small-town crime thriller in his debut, The Night Whistler.

Set in country Australia during the summer of 1966. Twelve year old Hal and his family have recently moved to Moorabool for his father's job as Sales Rep for Prime Foods. 

At a time when kids jumped on their bikes and spent their days looking for adventure, Hal and his brother come across the body of a mutilated dog. 

Mick Goodenough has also recently arrived in Moorabool. Mick is on probabtion, demoted and sent to this small backwater town as punishment. After finding his pet dog mutilated and then being brushed off by his superior Mick decides to do some investigating of his own. He knows animal mutilation is a predecessor to murdering people. As Mick tries to investigate the killing he is stopped at every turn by his superior.

 Hal's mother starts to receive anonymous phone calls from a man whistling a tune. As Hal's father is away with work Hal assumes the role of head of the family and to protect his mother and brother he is determined to expose The Whistler.

The Night Whistler is filled with police cover-ups, bullying, racism, shonky council dealings, lazy policing and red-herrings making this small-town crime thriller a compelling read that is at times nostalgic and at other times spine-chilling.

NOTE: I do believe there is a much anticipated sequel in the offing.  

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author 

Photo: Goodreads

Greg Woodland is a writer, director, script developer and consultant working in Australian film and TV. He fronts an alt-country band called The Cheating Hearts and lives in Sydney with his wife and son. The Night Whistler is his debut novel.

  

 

 

 

 

 

Challenges entered: Book Lover Book Review Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

 

Book Review: Finding Eadie by Caroline Beecham

Finding Eadie 

by

Caroline Beecham

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 2nd July 2020

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 368

RRP: $29.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

About the book

London 1943: War and dwindling resources are taking their toll on the staff of Partridge Press. The pressure is on to create new books to distract readers from the grim realities of the war, but Partridge's rising star, Alice Cotton, leaves abruptly and cannot be found.

Alice's secret absence is to birth her child, and although her baby's father remains unnamed, Alice's mother promises to help her raise her tiny granddaughter, Eadie. Instead, she takes a shocking action.

Theo Bloom is employed by the American office of Partridge. When he is tasked with helping the British publisher overcome their challenges, Theo has his own trials to face before he can return to New York to marry his fiancee.

Inspired by real events during the Second World War, Finding Eadie is a story about the triumph of three friendships bound by hope, love, secrets and the belief that books have the power to change lives.

My review

Finding Eadie, set during WWII, highlights the importance of books and reading especially during times of hardship.

“It’s important to carry on giving people some much-needed escape from the cruel realities of war.”

“They are bound to one another and their country and the only freedom they still have is in the landscape of their minds”

Centred around Alice Cotton and the publishing company she worked for in London, Caroline Beecham brings to the fore the plight of women at a time when outward appearance was very important and unmarried mothers were scorned and vilified. A time when women went away, and lied about nonexistent husbands, to have their babies where no one knew them.

The men in the story were supportive but I noticed their surprise when they realised that Alice was intelligent and could give useful effective input into the publishing business. I found this aspect very real and it’s good to see how far we have come from the archaic outlook of the 1940’s.

Two plot lines run through Finding Eadie. Firstly the hardship suffered by businesses, especially publishing houses with rationing of paper meant a reduction in books being published and the London fires having destroyed almost all their printing equipment. The second storyline is the ostracization of unmarried mothers, baby farms, illegal adoptions and the women working to have laws changed to protect these babies.

The story travels from London to New York where we see the American side of Partridge Publishing. Leo Bloom is sent from New York to the London office to check through their accounts with a view to selling the London office. I loved the nostalgic mentions of blocks of book shops and how important books were for people’s mental health and it was sad to learn about the demise of a lot of these shops. These things are still extremely relevant, especially this year when books are being used to entertain and distract as we are isolating.

I was immediately invested in the characters and fascinated by the working of the book industry. This is the kind of story I want! A book I’m so engrossed in that the pages turn effortlessly. A story of true friendship as Alice’s friends support her at a time when lesser friends would have shunned her.

Finding Eadie is a feel good read, all nicely wrapped up at the end leaving a permanent smile on my face.

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Photo: Goodreads

Caroline Beecham is a novelist, writer and producer. She is the author of three books: the bestselling novel Maggie's Kitchen, Eleanor's Secret and Finding Eadie. Her debut novel was shortlisted for Booktopia's Best Historical Fiction in 2016 and nominated for Book of the Year and Caroline herself was named Best New Authro by AusRom Today.

She has worked in documentary, film and drama and discovered that she loves to write fiction and to share lesser known histories: in particular, those of pioneering women whose lives transport us back to the past, yet speak to us now.

This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie author challenge
and the Australian Women Writers challenge 

and the Passages to the Past Historical Fiction Challenge

Book Review: The Girl She Was by Rebecca Freeborn

The Girl She Was

by

Rebecca Freeborn

Publisher: Pantera Press

Publication date: 31st march 2020

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 386

Format read: paperback

Source: Won

 

About the book

 

‘She’d long ago stopped wondering whether anyone would find out what she’d done. It was in the past, and Layla didn’t dwell on the past.’

Layla was just like any other teenager in the small town of Glasswater Bay: she studied hard, went out with her friends and worked at the local cafe after school. But when her attractive, married boss turned his attention on her, everything changed.

Twenty years later, Layla's living a quiet life in the suburbs with a loving husband and two children. She's finally left the truth of what happened behind. Until she receives a text message: I know what you did.

For years, she’s outrun her past, turning away from her friends and her home town. Now her past is about to catch up.

 

 My review

Layla is a 17 year old student. Shy  and awkward, she doesn't have a boyfriend, has never been kissed. Her closest friends, Shona and Renee are growing up much too fast. leaving her behind. When her boss starts to give her extra attention she is flattered and finds it hard to say no.

Layla at 37 lives in the suburbs, has a wonderful husband and two children. On the surface her life looks perfect but a  secret lies hidden deep within her and threatens to destroy the life she has.

The Girl She Was is a story of manipulation and suppression. Layla is seduced by her married boss and begins a life of deep shame, secret meetings and lies. A life that she can't get out of without losing everything.

The Girl She Was is a timely read in the current #MeToo era. Perfect for readers who found My Dark Vanessa a little too disturbing. It's still as equally relevant. However we know that Layla has moved-on on the surface if not deep down emotionally.

"Sometimes he was a little rough, but it was only because I turned him on so much."

"It wasn't his fault we were in this position."

"You're no good, Layla. You're depraved, like me. That's why we are so good together."

Scott's manipulation and gas-lighting is rife throughout the book and I read this with a rising anger and a heavy heart.

There is an underlying mystery throughout of how the relationship ended and how Layla lost her friends.

With themes of facing your past, manipulation, consent, power abuse, gas-lighting and self hate. There are also uplifting themes of forgiveness, hope, moving forward and female friendships making The Girl She Was a compelling read. 

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Photo: Goodreads

Rebecca Freeborn lives in the beautiful Adelaide Hills with a husband, three kids, a cat, a horse, more books than she can fit in her bookcase and an ever-diminishing wine collection.

She works as a communications and content editor for the South Australian Government where she screams into the void against passive voice and unnecessary capitalisation.

She writes before the sun comes up and thrives on unrealistic deadlines.

 

This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie author challenge
and the Australian Women Writers challenge