Book Review: A Woman's Work by Victoria Purman

 A Woman's Work

by

Victoria Purman

Publisher: Harper Collins Australia

 

Imprint: HQ Fiction

 

Publication date: 5th April 2023

 

Genre: Women's Fiction / Historical

 

Pages:  358 

 

RRP: $32.99AU (Paperback) 

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of A Woman's Work

A Woman's Work is a poignant look at the expected role of married women post WWII Australia.

 

Set in 1950's Australia when the chance of winning a cash prize in a cooking competition could open up a wealth of opportunity.

Told through the dual narrative of two Australian mothers; Ivy Quinn, war widow and single mum to 12yo Raymond, and wife and mother of five, Kathleen O'Grady.

Victoria Purman knows how to immerse her readers into the lives of others. We get a very personal view of both Ivy and Kathleen's lives; their dreams, internal conflicts and despair.

Ivy is a single working mum, she constantly worries if she is doing enough for Raymond, he has no father figure and she is concerned this may have a negative effect on him.

Kathleen, a SAHM of five, finds her days overwhelmed with washing, cleaning and cooking. Her and her husband have grown apart and she feels lost.

 

Both women find a new purpose and confidence when they decide to enter the Australian Women's Weekly recipe competition with a  cash prize of £600.

I immediately connected with Ivy and her son Raymond. Kathleen took me longer to work out. I didn't like her at all until the penny dropped and I realised she had severe depression (sometimes I need these things spelled out to me).

I loved all the cooking and recipes and whilst reading I had so many things I would have liked to ask my grandmother about. I also enjoyed all the nostalgia Purman invokes with the inclusion of rationing, movies of the time, fantales, the Melbourne Olympics and Bex powders.

A Woman's Work is a truly engaging read, and even though set in the past is perfect for contemporary fiction readers.

My rating 4 / 5    ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Victoria Purman is an Australian top ten and USA Today bestselling fiction author. Her most recent book, The Nurses' War, was an Australian bestseller, as were her novels The Land Girls and The Last of the Bonegilla Girls. Her earlier novel The Three Miss Allens was a USA Today bestseller. She is a regular guest at writers festivals, a mentor and workshop presenter and was a judge in the fiction category for the 2018 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature and the 2022 ASA/HQ Commercial Fiction Prize for an unpublished manuscript.

I'm off to make some cheese and gherkin scones! 😀

Book Review: The Death of John Lacey by Ben Hobson

 The Death of John Lacey

by

Ben Hobson

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

 

Publication date: 31st January 2023

 

Genre: Crime / Mystery

 

Pages: 352

 

RRP: $32.99 (Paperback)

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via DMCPR Media 

 

My review of The Death of John Lacey

The Death of John Lacey is not only a story about John Lacey, it's a story about the harsh Australian countryside.

Hobson delivers an authentic Australian historical drama set during the mid to late 1800's. Told through the dual narrative of Ernst Montague, the son of a convict sentenced to life in Australia, and that of John Lacey, a smooth talking entrepreneur.  Ernst and John's lives cross at different times as the reader is taken to the gold fields and surrounding areas where men and women work hard to survive.

 

Hobson builds an ominous feel around John Lacey as he lurks around the gold fields doing favours and building alliances. He is a man that lusts for power and rules the town with an iron fist. Hobson also cleverly builds empathy for Ernst even though he is on the wrong side of the law and when Ernst and John confront each other the town will become divided.

I loved the conversations between the male characters, they were slow and sparse, coming across as very authentic. I also enjoyed reading about Australia and it's early years. It was a harsh country with some cruel men but there were also those that were willing to help others at their own expense.

If you are after a story that shows the struggle of early Australians coupled with the good and bad in men themselves, this will be a book you will thoroughly enjoy.

My rating 5 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Ben Hobson is a teacher, and an author, based in Brisbane. To Become a Whale, his debut novel was released in 2017. His second novel, Snake Island, a literary thriller, was released in 2019.

Book Review: Billings Better Bookstore & Brasserie by Fin J Ross

 Billings Better Bookstore & Brasserie

by

Fin J Ross

Publisher: Clandestine Press

 

Publication date: 22nd June 2020

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

Pages: 278

 

RRP: $24.99AU (Paperback)

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of Billings Better Bookstore & Brasserie

Fin J Ross is a remarkable wordsmith and Billings Better Bookstore & Brasserie is filled to the brim with eloquent writing and fun alliterative verse.

 

You don't need to be a true logophile to enjoy Ross's writing as it's written in a light-hearted, fun way. However, if you are a lover of words this is the book for you.

It's very easy to love nine-year-old Fidelia Knight, a small girl with a big vocabulary, she is bright and full of life. Fidelia's father is a lexicographer and the family journeyed from England to Australia where he was to take up a position at Melbourne University. Suddenly orphaned on the long trip to Melbourne, Fidelia is taken to an orphanage. She refuses to believe her father is dead and dreams they will be reunited one day. Fidelia satiates her love of words by hiding in a bookstore and reading all the books she can.

Fidelia changes the lives of everyone she meets with her positive attitude and insight well beyond her years. At the ripe old age of 10 she acquires her dream of becoming a teacher when she is asked to tutor two illiterate women, one being Billings' wife, and two orphaned boys.

Billings Better Bookshop & Brasserie is a delightful read with themes of bettering yourself and believing everyone has a talent, you  just need to tap into it.

Set in 1870's Melbourne the area is brought to life through Ross's beguiling descriptions of the streets and buildings visited by her characters.

Each chapter, one for each letter of the alphabet, is headed by an alliterative poem. There is also an appendix of rhymes found in the story and a glossary of all those remarkable words you will be curious to know the meaning of. 

Follow Fidelia Knight, a most extraordinary young girl, from the tender age of nine, as she sets out to forge the way for women of the future.

Billings Better Bookstore & Brasserie is a delightfully uplifting story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

My rating 5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Fin is a journalist and creative writing teacher who runs a boarding cattery in East Gippsland and breeds British Shorthair cats.

She is co-author, with her sister, of the true crime anthologies, Killer in the family and Murder in the Family (not their family). Her first novel AKA Fudgepuddle is the journal/memoir of the oh-so-true adventures of a demanding cat called Megsy.

Fin has won eight category prizes in the annual Scarlet Stiletto Awards for crime and mystery short stories. The competition has been run by Sisters in Crime Australia since 1994.

In her spare time Fin compiles cryptic crosswords.

Book Review: The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane

 The Sun Walks Down

by

Fiona McFarlane

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

 

Publication date: 5th October 2022

 

Genre: Historical Fiction 

 

Pages: 416 (Paperback)

 

RRP: $32.99AU

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of The Sun Walks Down

The Sun Walks Down is an evocative story of unsettledness, dispossession and survival in a harsh, arid land, all centred around the search for a six-year-old boy lost in the desert.

 

McFarlane is a skilled writer who has penned a powerful period story set over one week during September 1883. The author keenly depicts the impact the ruthlessness the desert region of Australia has on individuals and families. 

A wide and varying cast of nuanced characters are introduced in this predominantly character driven novel. The reader is given a thorough insight into their feelings for the land and each other. I found it hard to develop a connection to any of the characters, even the lost boy, as the story flits back and forth with no real focus on any one family or character. I did however feel a connection to the land through McFarlane's descriptions of the remoteness and bleakness of the setting. I liked the inclusion of the strange blood red sunsets and how the characters frequently mentioned its ominous feel which is such a comparison to today where catastrophic events of nature are immediately communicated around the world through electronic means. We no longer have that awe or confusion over unusual solar activity.

The story was a touch slow for me but if you are a lover of beautiful writing and literary fiction I am sure The Sun Walks Down will be a book you will enjoy.

My rating 3 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Fiona McFarlane is the author of the novel The Night Guest, which was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award, and a collection of short stories, The High Places, which won the International Dylan Thomas Prize. Her short fiction has been published in the New Yorker, Best Australian Stories and Zoetrope: All-Story. Born in Sydney, Fiona teaches creative writing at the University of California, Berkeley.

 

 

Book Review: Becoming Mrs Mulberry by Jackie French

 Becoming Mrs Mulberry

by

Jackie French

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

 

Publication date: 8th March 2023

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

Pages: 512

 

RRP: $32.99AU (Paperback)

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of Becoming Mrs Mulberry

Becoming Mrs Mulberry, set in the picturesque Blue Mountains region of NSW post WWI, is a story of compassion and the healing power of nature.

Jackie French, through Agnes, highlights the fight women endured to become doctors. Agnes had to study and qualify in Edinburgh before she could return to Australia and join her father in general practice.

At the plea of her best friend Hortense (Puddin' to her friends), Agnes forgoes her career and marries Puddin's shell shocked brother to save the family fortune from their greedy uncle. Douglas was to be declared insane and committed to an asylum.

Agnes and Douglas move to his property in the secluded Blue Mountains region of Australia. The quiet surroundings and the natural environment, along with Agnes' care, see Douglas slowly heal. Agnes uses her new found wealth to supply a calm and accepting escape for the men and women disfigured by war.

I was totally shocked by the way returned soldiers, greatly disfigured while fighting for their country, were locked away and treated badly, called freaks and misfits, completely disregarding their physical and mental suffering.

Becoming Mrs Mulberry is both heart-wrenching and up-lifting. Agnes' humility and compassion brought tears to my eyes, more than once.

Agnes was taught to look for people who were suffering and try to help them. Money brings power - it's how you use that power that counts.

It's not all heart-wrenching scenes; there are plenty of humorous moments with characters like Private Private, the naturist who discarded society and his clothes, also the appearance of a wombat who has a knicker fetish.

Becoming Mrs Mulberry also has an interweaving story about a young child who Agnes saves from a circus freak exhibition. The child is grossly deformed however Agnes feels she can cure her. The circus owners call the child Dingo, saying she was brought up by dingoes.

 

If you have ever attended a talk by Jackie French you will know she is a passionate person and that passion shines through in her writing.  

I truly think Becoming Mrs Mulberry will be one of my top reads for the year. If you only read one book this year - make it this one!

My rating 5 / 5    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Jackie French AM is an award-winning author, historian and ecologist. She was the 2014-2015 Australian Children's Laureate and the 2015 Senior Australian of the year. In 2016 Jackie became a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant contribution to literature and youth literacy. She is regarded as one of Australia's most popular authors with her vast body of work crossing from fiction, non-fiction, picture books, ecology, fantasy and sci-fi to her much loved historical fiction.

 

 

Book Review: The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper

Title: the Butterfly Collector

Author: Tea Cooper

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 3rd November 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

RRP: $32.99AU

Format: paperback

Source: Better Reading Preview 

My review of The Butterfly Collector

1868 – Theodora is more interested in her art than finding a husband and when her three sisters go to Sydney she stays behind on the family property in Morpeth. A chance sighting of a new species of butterfly starts Theodora on a quest to find its nesting place.

 

1922 - Verity is from a long line of journalists and when an anonymous invitation to a socialite ball arrives she sees this as an opportunity to write an article for the local newspaper. Connections she makes at the ball lead back to her grandfather's home of Morpeth and a fifty-year-old mystery.

Tea Cooper blends fact and fiction to deliver a story that is rich in intrigue and wonderfully immersive.
The Butterfly Collector is a dual timeline Historical Fiction set in1868 Morpeth in country NSW and 1922 Sydney, NSW. I enjoyed all the mentions of Sydney landmarks that still stand to this day. As the story evolves connections are made between the characters from each timeline.
Tea keeps the pages turning with a layering of mysteries. The mysteries hold you for a few chapters then once they are revealed a new mystery is created causing a continuous aura of mystery throughout the book. There is also an underlying sense of foreboding and I always had this feeling that something terrible was going to happen.
 

Centred around the first sighting of the Wanderer butterfly in Australia, the newspaper industry and baby farms, Tea Cooper has seamlessly delivered a story that is diverse in its content and impossible to put down.
Tea Cooper’s trademark strong female characters take centre stage in this multi-layered tale of friendship and tenacity.

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Tea Cooper writes Australian contemporary and historical fiction. In a past life she was a teacher, a journalist and a farmer. These days she haunts museums and indulges her passion for storytelling.

 

            

 

 

 

Book Review: The Proxy Bride by Zoë Boccabella

 The Proxy Bride

by

Zoë Boccabella 

 

Imagine marrying someone you've never met.....

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 7th September 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 432

RRP: $32.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of The Proxy Bride

 

The Proxy Bride is a dual timeline narrative with the present day set in 1984 and the historical side starting from 1939 and continuing through the second world war.

 

Many men who immigrated from Italy to Australia and started farming in country towns had no chance of meeting a prospective wife so arrangements were made with their family back home to send a bride. It wasn't proper for unmarried women to travel alone so the women were married by proxy and then sent by ship to a man and a land they had never seen. This is how Gia and Taddeo became husband and wife.

Sixteen-year-old Sofie spends the school holidays at her grandmother nonna's house in rural southern Queensland. Sofie was sullen and reticent, taken from all her friends in Brisbane, and she wasn't going to go easy on Gia, her nonna. Sofie's characterization was perfect and I could easily imagine a 16 year old sulking over having to spend the holidays with her grandmother. As the two spend time together cooking (all the recipes are in the back of the book) they start to talk and Sofie learns Gia's story. Her life, her loves and her tragedies.

This story was quite emotional as Gia describes her arrival in Australia, how the Italian community were spurned by locals, the atrocities that happened during WWII, the men interned and women left to fend for themselves.

There is also a mystery surrounding Sofie's father, a secret that has followed Sofie all her life and a topic her mother refuses to talk about.

The Proxy Bride is brimming with family and love and the food that ties it all together. Boccabella highlights the volatility of the fruit growing industry, raging prejudices during the 1940's, forbidden love and the strength and perseverance of the women who came to call Australia home.

There is much to love in Zoë Boccabella's latest novel.

 

My rating 5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Zoë Boccabella is an Australian author who writes fiction and non-fiction and whose books have been much-acclaimed, shortlisted for both popular and literary awards and sold internationally. Her writing is influenced by her migrant ancestry, spoken histories and recipes handed-down, alongside travels in Europe and Australia. She lives in Brisbane, Australia.

 

 

Book Review: The Last Summer by Karen Swan

 The Last Summer

by

Karen Swan

An island full of secrets. An irresistible love story....

Publisher: Macmillan Australia 

 

Publication date: 26th April 2022

 

Series: The Wild Isle #1

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

Pages: 496

 

RRP: $32.99AUD

 

Format read: Paperback 

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of The Last Summer

 

I loved this book and I need the next one now!!

 

I never read the back cover blurb before I start a book, always preferring to go in blind. So I was thinking this was a dual time line, as some of Karen Swan's previous books, but I was delighted to find that The Last Summer is purely historical fiction and also the first in a new five book series.

 

Set on the remote island of Hirta in the St Kilda archipelago in the months leading up to the 1930 evacuation of the villagers to the mainland of Scotland. Swan uses real events to weave a fictitious tale of resilience.

 

Life is hard for the villagers on the island but it's the only life 18 year old Effie Gillies has known. Effie is wild and determined she has  had to work as hard as the men to help support her ailing father.

Lord Sholto has lead a privileged life but when he and his father visit the island they do not show airs and graces as Effie acts as tour guide to the visitors. Sholto falls for Effie the minute he sees her and Effie dreams there may be a life for her off the island.

 

I loved all the descriptions of the wild beauty of the island, Effie's skill at cragging (abseiling) on the sheer cliffs and how the villagers lived in harmony like one large family. The continuous effort of getting a meal on the table as well as work to pay taxes to the landlord was extremely interesting.

 

Karen Swan has delivered the perfect forbidden love story with the two protagonists separated by powerful class boundaries that seemed insurmountable.

I was totally immersed in this story from beginning to end and I flew through the pages eager for Effie to find acceptance as her wild, free self.

 

The Last Summer is a love story that defies distance, standing and a dangerously jealous man.

⚠ Be warned, the story ends on a cliffhanger that will have you eager for the next installment.

 

My rating 5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 About the author

Karen Swan is the Sunday Times top three bestselling author of twenty-one books and her novels sell all over the world. She writes two books each year - one for the summer period and one for the Christmas season. Previous summer titles include The Spanish Promise, The Hidden Beach and The Secret Path and, for winter, The Christmas Secret, Together by Christmas and Midnight in the Snow.

Previously a fashion editor, she lives in Sussex with her husband, three children and two dogs. 

 

 

Book Review: The Brightest Star by Emma Harcourt

The Brightest Star

by

Emma Harcourt 

 

It's a dangerous time to be a clever woman.

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

 

Imprint: HQ Fiction

 

Publication date: 6th July 2022

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

Pages:  386

RRP: $32.99AUD

 

Format read: Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of The Brightest Star

 

I was expecting this story to be about Luna's battle to be accepted as a woman of knowledge, and this was partly the story, but it was more about the politics of Venice in the 15th Century and the suppression of women. 

 

Set in Renaissance Florence, a time when the judgement of others ruled everyday moments, The Brightest Star is rich in political intrigue as the governance of Florence comes under question.

 

Emma Harcourt's writing is beautiful to read and I had so many magnificent quotes highlighted throughout the book, however the subject matter didn't hold my interest. I found myself more invested in the lives of the country folk, and their preparations for the coming winter, than the politics of the time.

 

Harcourt's writing evokes a powerful sense of time and place and I am certain The Brightest Star will be enjoyed by many Historical Fiction fans.

 

My rating 3 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐

 

 About the author

Emma Harcourt has worked as a journalist for over 25 years, in Australia, the UK and Hong Kong. In 2011, she completed the Faber Academy Writing a Novel course and The Shanghai Wife was borne. The Brightest Star is her second novel. Emma lives in Sydney with her two daughters.

 

Spotlight on other books I've read this month - June

 

Title: Helpless

Author: Marianne Marsh & Toni Maguire 

Genre: Non Fiction

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pub Date: 5th March 2009

Pages: 297

Source: Own purchase 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

My review of Helpless

Absolutely heartbreaking!
I read this book in a day. Tony Maguire writes Marianne's story with candour.
A young, lonely little girl manipulated and abused by a trusted neighbour. It's impossible to imagine that nobody stopped him, nobody cared for this child.

Narrated in two time-lines; Marianne as a young child and then in middle-age, married with her own grown children.
One thing I noticed in this book is Marianne doesn't delve on her mental state, which I would presume was bad, just a few mentions of self harm. This story is not about garnering sympathy, it's a cleansing, a coming to terms with her past.

My deepest regret is the perpetrator doesn't appear to have been punished. It's hard not to wonder if other victims followed.
A highly recommended read.

 

Title: The Secret World of Connie Starr

Author: Robbi Neal

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Harlequin - HQ

Pub date: 1st June 2022

Pages: 436

Source: Better Reading Preview

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

My review of The Secret World of Connie Starr

  

The Secret World of Connie Starr is a powerful story set in the country town of Ballarat during and after WWII.
Through the Starr and Mabbett families Robbi Neal explores social and family issues relevant to the time period; the bonds of friendship, how the war affected all families, polio, air raid shelters, rationing and the importance of the church.

The story isn't so much about Connie but her whole family. Her father is the local pastor, a sensitive man who has bouts of depression due to feelings of failure. It is Connie's mother, Flora, who runs the household and supports the town folk in their time of need.
Robbi includes issues of underage sign-ups, teenage pregnancy and the loss of a child.
World events during the time period are seamlessly included throughout the narration.

A brilliantly observed story of people and their foibles, regrets, loves and disappointments.

 

Title: One of Us

Author: Kylie Kaden

Genre: Domestic Fiction / Thriller

Publisher: Pantera Press

Pub date: 3rd May 2022 

Pages: 364

Source: Beauty & Lace Book Club

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My review of One of Us

 

In One of Us we get to climb security fences and peek through the hedges at the residents of an exclusive gated community.

The story follows the lives of two families on the Apple Tree Creek estate. Gertie and Ed have three children and have lived on the estate for five years when he tells her he needs a break and is moving out. Rachael new to the estate, pregnant with her third child, finds her sports star husband has cheated on her again. These two very different women soon become firm friends supporting each other.

One of Us is a gripping domestic noir filled with simmering secrets. I was intrigued with this story right from the prologue; a husband attacked and a wife in tears. The question of who was attacked is in the back of your mind as you read. Then there is the mystery of the attacker with many of the characters having a motive. 

 

Around these mysteries Kaden has written a story about marriage and motherhood, what goes on behind closed doors and women trying to do their best whilst fighting their own feelings of failure and struggling under the burden. There are multiple themes throughout the novel that I am sure will resonate with readers. 

This review is part of the Beauty & Lace Book Club

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: The Sawdust House by David Whish-Wilson

 The Sawdust House

by

David Whish-Wilson

 

Publisher: Fremantle Press

 

Publication date: 29th March 2022

 

Genre: Historical fiction

 

Pages: 304

 

RRP: $32.99AUD

 

Format read: Paperback

 

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

 

My review

 

The Sawdust House is a fictionalised story based on the life of bare-knuckle boxer James Sullivan also known as Yankee Sullivan.

David Whish-Wilson uses artistic license to add details and change names. His writing is old worldly and poetic.

The story is written in a conversational manner as Thomas Crane, the newspaperman, talks with Sullivan about his life as Sullivan awaits sentence in a San Francisco prison, caught up in the great San Franciscan purge of criminals and corrupt officials, 1856. 

Crane asks Sullivan questions and Sullivan's replies form the story of his life. At times Sullivan turns the tables on Crane and asks him about his life. Crane tells of growing up as a Mormon, the harsh times in Missouri and move to Salt Lake Valley.

 

I loved how Whish-Wilson portrays Sullivan, talking as if he was always the innocent, because this is exactly how I would imagine he would narrate his own story. 

 

Through Sullivan's life story we get a sense of what life was like for the poorer people during the 1800's. Firstly in Cork then in London, as a street urchin. t then moves to the unrest that was sweeping America at the time.

I would have liked more on Sullivan's time as a convict in Australia and the work they did and more on his daily life living in New York.

At only 300 pages, and many of those pages with only a sentence or two, it's quite a short read.

 

I was fascinated by this story of courage and resilience and I would have liked it to be more fleshed out.

David Whish-Wilson talks about his extensive research, in the end notes, which is definitely reflected in the story.

 

The Sawdust House is a poignant tale of the cruelty of man against man, the overwhelming will to live, the rise to fame and the crushing blow of that final defeat. Not just for boxing fans! 

 

My rating  4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 About the author

 

photo credit:Goodreads

David Whish-Wilson was born in Newcastle, NSW, but grew up in Singapore, Victoria and WA. He left Australia aged eighteen to live for a decade in Europe, Africa and Asia. He is the author of The Summons, The Coves, True West and four crime novels in the Frank Swann series: Line of Sight, Zero at the Bone, Old Scores and Shore Leave. His non-fiction book, Perth, part of the NewSouth Books city series, was shortlisted for a WA Premier's Book Award. David lives in Fremantle and coordinates the creative writing program at Curtin University.

 

 
 

Book Review & Giveaway: Esther's Children by Caroline Beecham

Esther's Children

by

Caroline Beecham

 

An audacious story of love, bravery and self-sacrifice in World War Two

 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

 

Publication date: 3rd May 2022

 

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Pages: 376

 

RRP: $32.99AUD

 

Format read: Paperback

 

 Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Blurb

 

Austria, 1936: Esther 'Tess' Simpson works for a British organisation that rescues academics from the cruel Fascist and anti-Semitic regimes taking hold in Europe. On a dangerous trip to Vienna to help bring aid to Europe's threatened Jewish scholars, Esther meets Harry Singer, a young Jewish academic and musician - and they fall in love.

 

My review

 

Caroline Beecham has delivered another honourable novel with Esther's Children; a work of fiction inspired by the life of Esther Simpson (1903 - 1996).

 

I loved that this story was based on the life of a real person, Esther Simpson, who through her tireless work saved the lives of many German Jews in her work for The Society for the Protection of Science and Learning. The society endeavoured to secure grants and work, in Britain, for academic refugees.

"On our shoulders rests the future of many of Europe's finest minds...."

Caroline Beecham's writing is exquisite and I found it easy to picture Esther and her colleagues. However, I didn't quite connect with the story the way I did with her previous novels. I found myself wanting more of Harry's story, Esther's love interest and a refugee himself. I was interested in his life in Vienna, the changing face of the city, then in the internment camp where aliens who were classed as a risk to British security were held.

Esther Simpson was an amazing woman, risking her own life and foregoing a family of her own to help many men and women who went on to achieve greatness in their field and I feel Caroline Beecham has done her story proud in Esther's Children.

 My rating 3.5 stars  ⭐⭐⭐½

 

About the author

Caroline is a novelist, writer and producer. She is the author of four books: the bestselling novel, Maggie's Kitchen, Eleanor's Secret, Finding Eadie and Esther's Children, and has been published in the UK and the US. Her debut novel, Maggie's Kitchen, was shortlisted for Booktopia's Best Historical Fiction in 2016 and nominated as book of the year and Caroline as Best New Author 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; particularly those of pioneering women whose lives speak to us now. Caroline studied the craft of novel writing at the Faber Academy in Sydney, with Curtis Brown Creative in London, and has a MA in Film & Television and a MA in Creative Writing. She currently lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband and two teenage sons.

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY:

Thanks to the generosity of Allen & Unwin I have one paperback copy of Esther's Children to give away. (Australian postal addresses only). Entry is via the form below. Giveaway closes at midnight on 5th June 2022.

This giveaway is now closed and the winner was announced HERE

Book Review: The Nurses' War by Victoria Purman

 The Nurses' War

by

Victoria Purman

 

Winning the battle will take more than guns...

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Imprint: HQ Fiction

 

Publication date: 30th March 2022

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

Pages: 608

 

RRP: $32.99AUD

 

Format read: Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher 

 

My review

 

I love reading stories about both WWI & WWII. Stories set during the battles from a soldier's point of view, those from a civilian's point of view and also those from front line workers, the doctors and nurses.

As the title depicts The Nurses' War is about Australian nurses who enlisted during WWI and travelled to England to treat and care for the Australian soldiers in a makeshift Australian hospital.

 

The Nurses' War is based on the true stories of real life experiences of the Australian women who served at Harefield Hospital in Middlesex, England. 

 

Purman writes of the anticipation and camaraderie of the nurses as the hospital prepares for its first patients and the anguish and fatigue as the wounded and maimed ariive day after day for years.

 

The Nurses' War is a story of women breaking the mold for their time and choosing career over marriage.

Told in the dual narrative of Cora, an Australian nurse who leaves her family to work in England, and Jessie, a young local girl living in the small country village of Harefield. Through Jessie we learn how everyday citizens were affected by the war and the changing face of society in work and fashion.

 

Purman writes about how the men coped with their injuries and the lose of their mates. The Nurses' War is a story filled with emotion, pride and a touch of Aussie larrickinism.  For me however the book was about 150 pages too long. I am not a lover of big books!

 

The added romance interests for the two protagonists added a heart-warming element to the story.

 

The Nurses' War is a story of love, grief and the sacrifices everyone made during the war.

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Victoria Purman is an Australian top ten and USA Today bestselling fiction author. Her most recent book, The Women's Pages, was an Australian bestseller, as were her novels The Land Girls and The Last of the Bonegilla Girls. Her earlier novel The Three Miss Allens was a USA Today bestseller. She is a regular guest at writers festivals, a mentor and workshop presenter and was a judge in the fiction category for the 2018 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature.