AT THE WATER'S EDGE by Sarah Gruen

I loved this book. The only other Sara Gruen book I have read is "Water for Elephants" which I thoroughly enjoyed. The book was an eyeopener regarding circus life but what stuck with me of course was the elephant in the story. I have since discovered that Sara Gruen's passion is writing about animals and I believe all her other books reflect that. "At the Water's Edge" however, seemed to have bypassed her animal obsession and instead delivered a great story with believable characters, a look into the world of the privileged and stark and heart wrenching realities of World Ward II. Sara Gruen's style of writing made this book very real to me and even though the ending was predictable and neatly sewn up, I felt like clapping when I came to the last page. After all, who doesn't love a happy ending, especially when our heroine more than deserves it? This book goes deeper than a romance novel as it brings together people who have emerged from painful life experiences to see past their own tragedies and dare to forge a life together that would reflect what is truly important. The story is narrated by a young female socialite, Maddy, who is married to a privileged Ellis, who has evaded war service on account of his colour blindness. When they disgrace themselves and their close friend Hank in a social gathering, the couple find themselves without a home and in disfavour with Ellis' family. Together they embark on a trip to Scotland during World Ward II, in search of the Loch Ness monster, the discovery of which could reinstate Ellis into his family's good graces. There, instead of finding the sea monster, they discover a monster of a different kind. At first glance the plot of this story seems trivial and lacking plausibility but as the story unfolds, it becomes not only plausible but very real and highly captivating.

AT THE EDGE OF THE ORCHARD by Tracy Chevalier

Another brilliant book from my favourite author, Tracy Chevalier. I feel that this book, more than all the others Tracy has written showcases her ability to create memorable, realistic characters. Tracy's ability to transport you to another world is equally admirable as is her research which makes her work not only entertaining but highly informative and educational. At the Edge of the Orchard is a pioneer story of James and Sadie Goodenough who settle in Black Swamp, Ohio, in 1838, planting apple trees to lay claim to the land. The hardships of cultivating virgin land and battling yearly swamp fever which takes five of their ten children culminates in a family tragedy of gigantic proportions. From a family of 12, only one survives in the end with reverberating effects of family roots that can never be silenced. This book will teach you about apples and trees and living off the land. In 1800's land was everything. The contrast in the way of life from that century to ours is startling. Imagine having to wait 2-3 years to receive wages for the work you do today. This was the life of the pioneers who depended on soil for their survival and livelihood. This book will take you from the agriculture of the east coast of America to the gold rush in California and more trees...redwoods and sequoias, the groves of which run up and down the coast of California, protected in many national and state parks. It will make you want to see them. This is a book to add to your library.

THE LADY AND THE UNICORN by Tracy Chevalier

I never fail to be amazed by the writing talent of Tracy Chevalier. It amazes me the way she sees objects and imagines lives behind them. I agree with the New York Times which has named her a master of voices for indeed she is such. I am overwhelmed by her talent to bring to the world's attention the contribution of these voices through such clever stories and her ability to bring dignity to the people who have contributed to the world even in small ways, whether through her fictional depiction or otherwise. The Lady and the Unicorn is one such book which tells the story of a French family by the name of Le Viste who commissioned the weaving of the famous Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, presumably towards the end of the fifteenth century. The tapestries, restored after centuries of neglect and mishandling, hang in a specially appointed room in Musee National du Moyen Age in Paris. The weaving of a tapestry is not something that would inspire interest in me but Tracy Chevalier certainly managed to do so throughout this book. From the austere nobleman who commissions the tapestries to the seductive artist who paints the blueprints to the overworked weaver in Brussels who fights for his survival and the dignity of his craft, this story had me spell bound with the imagination of this brilliant writer. My thirst for artistic expression is always fed by one of Chevalier books.

THE STRANGER by Harlan Coben

I read this book in 1 day. It was racy, incredibly clever and suspenseful. And all with no bad language, a sure sign of a good writer. This was my first book by Harlan Coben and it won't be the last. I can see why he has been called 'master of the plot twist'. While this story is about a stranger, it shows that none of us are really strangers in 21st century where we are all vulnerable through technology which can trace anyone, find anyone and expose anyone.  This means that in a world such as ours, secrets are fragile and fair game. While we all have them, this novel asks us to examine to what extent we would go to keep them from others and how far we would go to protect our families from knowing the truth? By the end of the book you cannot help but conclude that it is best not to know some things. The story of this book is intriguing and the plot brilliant and far too complex to summarise. I look forward to reading more of Harlan Coben. He is clearly the writer to turn to when you want a good adrenalin rush.

NEW YORK by Edward Rutherfurd

Do you want to know how New York got its' name? Do you know if the name Wall Street has anything to do with a wall? And what's with the name 'Broadway'? This book will tell you all this and much more. From the time that New York was an Indian hunting ground to the occupation of the Dutch who named it New Amsterdam to the English takeover and renaming of this pivotal American island that became a bridge between the old and the new worlds and which ended up being one of the biggest financial pulses of the world, you will be enthralled with the history of this great city. I am always in awe of authors who successfully weave an interesting story of human lives into historical events and this book delivered this for me without the fictional characters taking over the historical panorama of the novel. It taught me in more simplistic terms about many historical and political milestones  I had not previously known about or understood. I found this side of the book captivating. This book made me appreciate Rutherfurd's research skills and his ability to turn historical fact into interesting reading. My biggest thrill - discovering he has written a book on Paris, London and Russia - my three passions. Is there a better way to learn history than through a cleverly crafted novel where fictional characters bring their day to life and make you remember them long after you have closed the book on the final page? I have ear-marked this book in 21 places, I want to remember....

LEAVING TIME by Jodi Picoult

This was one of the best of Jodi Picoult books. The subject was fascinating and the twist in the story unexpected and extremely clever. The story follows a young girl who is trying to find her mother who became lost to her when she was three. She employs the help of a burnt out psychic and a retired policeman who was in charge of a murder case in an elephant sanctuary where her mother worked and following which her mother disappeared. This book will take you to the wonderful world of elephants in Africa and in preservation in America. It explores the dynamics of motherhood within the elephant kingdom and parallels it with that of human's and I must say the elephants come out on top. While the elephant will not leave her dead calf's body for days on end, the mother of this story runs away not knowing what has even happened to her child. The book also advocates the existence of life after death and the reality of spirit beings through the theory of reincarnation. Even though this theory is one among many which attempt to explain the meaning of life, I found it had profound bearing on the story and left me saddened knowing that there are people out there believing that family relationships end with death and that even though we continue to live as spirits we do not continue the associations we formed in 'each' of our lives. The theory of reincarnation gives little to no hope that we will ever see our loved ones again as we hop around to different bodies and different lives which makes the possibility of crossing paths with people we've come to love extremely thin. I do not believe in the theory of reincarnation and consider it absurd. I do, however, believe in life after death and that we continue on as spirits until the time of resurrection. I look forward to meeting my ancestors with great anticipation when we will renew our family ties which will go on forever. I do not know if Jodi Picoult believes in reincarnation and is attempting to promote it through the medium of this book or if she has used this theory for the impact it makes on the story she tells but the fact that she makes no attempt to discredit it makes me think that she accepts it. If so I feel sorry for the lack of confidence she has in enduring family relationships which makes the premise of her story, that of irreplaceable mother's love, rather futile.

THE HUSBAND'S SECRET by Liane Moriarty

This is an excellent book, literally unputdownable, if there is such a word. Liane Moriarty did a fantastic job not just with the subject matter but with the plot of this book and the depth of the characters. Whereas Big Little Lies allowed the reader to see the characters through imagery, The Husband's Secret delved more into their hearts and the emotions relative to their lives' tragedies, current events and future hopes. I loved the way the character were cleverly intertwined and the stark awareness of how our lives have a bearing on others forming an almost invisible connectivity. It also highlights important choices we have to make in consideration of other's lives like our children. For this reason I loved the character of Tess and the forgiveness and sacrifice she made to preserve her family. This book presents important truths like the damage we suffer when we are do not accept accountability for our actions as is witnessed in John-Paul Fitzpatrick's character. His lack of accountability gave birth to karma culminating in tragedy suffered by his daughter Polly.The most startling realisation the book brings to light is that we will never know some facts and secrets which impact our lives and send us in different directions, some of which we are meant to take and others maybe not.