THE RETURNED by Jason Mott

This book irritated me no end. I wanted to read it because I follow the TV series "Resurrection" which is based on the book. I had hoped to get some explanation of 'the Returned' but that explanation was not to be found. What I did find out was that the TV series is way better than the book. The book explores the possibility of having our dear loved ones who had once graced this earth return to life, not as zombies, but as real live people in exact same state as when they passed away, or maybe not. There was one returned who came back with dementia that she had before she died, so did the sick return too? The publisher's review states they returned in the exact same state that they died in, so what of cancer suffers and those who had been chronically ill for years before death and those who had been mangled in car accidents? The author never addresses this possibility and portrays all other Returned as able bodied individuals roaming the countryside. One Returned had died in a car accident but she was perfect in her form when she came back so I see this as a major flow of the story. And what of criminals and murderers and rapists? The story presented too many questions and not enough answers. What irritated me the most is that there was no rhyme or reason to this phenomenon. The dead people were merely all of a sudden coming back as if from a sleep, not remembering how they got there and when they came back they served no purpose; they didn't mend any relationships, they didn't speak any words left unspoken or finish any business they had left undone before they passed away. All they did is create chaos and mayhem among those that didn't want them back, just by their presence. They were the Returned without a voice and depicted as innocent victims. Even those that accepted them didn't believe they were really their loved ones but some unnatural carbon copy and endeared themselves to them because of memories they kept close to their hearts. In the end, no explanation, rhyme or reason, just as the dead started to outnumber the living, they simply started vanishing and thank goodness for that! I did not see the point to this story and considered 'the Returned' the most bizarre concept. The author explains at the end of the book that he once had a dream where he found his dead mother in his kitchen and he related to her all his doings since she had passed. As he told his friend about this dream, his friend asked him: "Can you imagine if she actually did come back, just for one night? And what if it wasn't just her? What if it happened to other people too?" From this was born the idea of The Returned. The story would have endeared itself to me much more had the author focused more on how the three principal characters resolved their issues with their dead instead of treating those resolves as a sideline of the story. What should have been the central theme of the novel got lost in the problem of overpopulation. This was Jason Mott's first novel and even though his publisher calls him 'a unique voice' I am not certain that I would read his succeeding work.

NIGHTINGALE by Fiona McIntosh

If you like popular romantic fiction, you will like this book which will take you from Gallipoli to England to Turkey and to Australia. Fiona's depiction of Gallipoli and the horrors of the Great War from the perspective of an English nurse was mindfully realistic and evocative. It inspired me to watch "Gallipoli" again, the movie which I had seen in the early 80's. Even though the movie was a visual depiction of the same event, it did not match the book in the portrayal of Gallipoli's devastating carnage. I guess this is so because the book was written from the perspective of the medical profession who fought to save shattered lives and bodies. Amidst the  horror of this war, a romance is born for Claire Nightingale, an English nurse and Jamie Wren, an Australian Light Horseman. Even though this story is fictional, it stands as a tribute to many real life romances which no doubt sprang up during the madness of warfare. As the reverence for life ignites the romantic notion between a wounded soldier and his nurse, this book intends to prove that love can defy most dire circumstances and endure across years of separation and uncertainty. The love component of this book, however, went beyond reality for me and I found the ending laced with over-abundance of sugar and spice. The most enjoyable part of the book was getting to know the 'enemy' beyond the ANZAC trenches of Gallipoli and learning about Turkish culture. In the end, we are all just people, with same hopes and desires going through this strange experience called life.

NIGHT MUSIC by Jojo Moyes

This is one clever story. A light read that doesn't tax the brain cells but makes you look forward to picking it up every day. Anyone that can spin a good story around an inanimate object such as a house is in my opinion a good writer. This is not my favourite Jojo Moyes book but I absolutely relished reading it. This story is very well written with realistic but favourable outcomes. Even though it is a 'woman's read', it is devoid of excessive sentiment and sugar and spice. It is filled with tragedy, passionate humanity and triumph of spirit. When a professional violinist is suddenly made a widow her perfect world crumbles around her but what appears to be an end of her idyllic world proves to be the beginning of a new life of self-discovery, newly found awareness of what really matters and a greater love than the one lost. I have read three other books written by Jojo Moyes and would recommend my favourite, Me Before You, and The Girl You Left Behind besides the delightful Night Music which I consider a good read indeed.

BLOSSOMS AND SHADOWS by Lian Hearn

I couldn't wait to finish this book. Some years ago I stumbled across the Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn and devoured the whole series of five books. When Blossoms and Shadows came out I bought it immediately and waited for the right time to 'treat' myself with another Lian Hearn delicacy. This book, however, fell well below my expectations. This is a well researched account of 19th century Japan during an exciting chapter of its history when the age of samurai is ending and the country is facing a revolution that would reform its' whole way of life and usher in the birth of modern Japan. The only interesting part of the book however, was an account of a fictional character, a young girl who grows up as an apprentice to her father who is a doctor, and who seeks to break the mould of women's place in Japan's society. Her story, however, gets lost in the inadequate explanation of the intricate political system of the country and overwhelming number of political characters who kept changing their names. This and the Japanese names for political terms without explanation of what they mean really did my head in. I could not keep up with the historical thread of the story and could never work out who was for the reformation and who was against it. This book bored me and made me feel stupid because I could not for the life of me fully understand the process of the revolution. I felt better though when I read some book reviews and discovered that other readers felt the same. I, however, highly recommend the Tales of the Otori series. They will enrich your reading experience a hundred fold.

MARY POPPINS by P.L. Travers

Welcome to the magical world of Mary Poppins. When I saw "Saving Mr. Banks" at the cinema last year I knew I had to read Mary Poppins. Until then I had no idea the book existed. My children grew up with the Mary Poppins movie and to this day all three of us can quote her verbatim. Early this year I visited my favourite book store and there on the shelf sat The Complete Mary Poppins, six books in one volume. I knew it had to be mine. It still took me a few months to actually start reading it. I discovered two things completing the first installment of this magical no nonsense nanny. Firstly, Mary Poppins was somewhat of a grouch speaking and treating the children in a constant cross manner. The children seemed to respond to this treatment very well though as their disciplined behaviour shows. The movie's portrayal of her seemed to be a softer version. Secondly, Mary Poppins brings with her a stream of magical characters. Perhaps it is this and her curious existence that offsets her cross manner and endears her to the children in her care. It certainly makes Jane and Michael's life incredibly interesting. There is so much more to this story than the movie was able to portray. Your inner child will find perfect escapism from the cares of the world in the pages of Mary Poppins. The imagination of children is infectious and all children possess this unique quality that unfortunately somehow gets lost as they grow older. I admire people who can retain this quality, however, and carry it with them throughout their adulthood. If "Saving Mr. Banks" gave a correct portrayal of P.L. Travers, one can be convinced that this quality in adults is what we call eccentricity for it was obvious that the author of Mary Poppins leaned that way. The more I think about P.L. Travers and her prickly manner, the more convinced I become that she IS Mary Poppins. If you see "Saving Mr. Banks",which I highly recommend, you will understand her life and you will see why she invented this magical nanny that has the power to save the father of the story, the power she no doubt desperately wished she had in real life. The book it seems was never about saving the children but about saving the father. I am yet to get to that important part of the story as I wade through 5 more installments of the most famous nanny of them all. Couldn't wait any longer though to recommend the talent and magical imagination of P.L. Travers.

WE ARE WATER by Wally Lamb

I was conflicted reading this book. My love of Wally Lamb's style of writing conflicted highly with my aversion for swearing and non-acceptance of homosexuality. This book, however, captured my attention and I could not put it down once I started it because of its' perfect portrayal of the complexities of our society. Wally Lamb is a brilliant writer and a master of introspection which he employs as a medium for his storytelling. It was clear to me as I read this captivating story, that this book exposes the effects of our attempt to emancipate ourselves from God and His laws. As a society we have successfully removed ourselves from good old Christian values we used to live by and in the process we have shot ourselves in the foot. I think, however, that this was not Wally Lamb's intention. He cites on several occasions 'it is what it is', meaning this is the way things are, without judgement and prejudice, because nothing is ever simple, or can be justified or can be explained away. To me as a Christian striving to adhere to God's very wisely given commandments, it IS simple. If we had not removed God from our lives we would not have filled our world with crime, violence, unwanted pregnancies, addictions, alcoholism, drug abuse, pornography, sexual diseases, murder, rape, pedophilia and the list goes on. This book deals with most of these. Annie Oh, the protagonist, is a sexual abuse victim who turns to a lesbian lifestyle after 27 years of marriage; her husband Orion Oh, is a product of an unwanted pregnancy of his teenage mother and married father who would not face his fatherhood responsibility and would have nothing to do with his unwanted child; their oldest daughter, Ariane, is desperate for a child with a string of failed relationships with men who refuse to marry her (and why would they when sex is so freely given) so she resorts to artificial insemination; their son Andrew who is physically abused by his mother during his growing up years and ends us murdering his mother's childhood abuser; their youngest daughter Marissa, is a sexually promiscuous alcoholic; Annie's father is a chronic alcoholic who could never get over his wife's death; Annie's cousin and abuser, Ken, was abandoned by his father in his youth and abused on ongoing basis by the babysitter turning him into a pedophile. As I said, this book is heavy going but so accurately indicative of the world we live in. It is confronting but in my opinion also a call to examine the standards and values we are living by in this 21st century and where they are leading us.

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING by Tracy Chevalier

This one does not disappoint. I had seen the movie and loved it some years ago and being invested in Tracy Chevalier's books this year, I resolved that now is the time to read the book. I can easily see why this is Tracy's most popular work. I could feel myself in Holland relating to a life of a maid who is on the bottom rung of the ladder, who has no rights and is in every way denied. The hopelessness, the futility, the self-denial that existed among the lower classes in 17th century Holland was very aptly portrayed through Griet, a servant girl hired to work in the household of the famous Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer. Very little is known of Vermeer's private life and even less about the subjects he chose to paint. With little to go on, Tracy Chevalier has succeeded in cleverly crafting a story surrounding Vermeer's famous painting of a girl with a pearl earring bringing 17th century Holland to life. In her true style, Tracy uses a few words yet she says so much. If you read this book you will never again look at this painting and not believe that this is Griet, a simple servant girl who yearned and whose heart was carried into a world she would never belong in. One cannot also fail to empathize with Vermeer, a master of his art, who like so many other artists, lived at the mercy of his patron who commissioned his work and bridged the gap between Vermeer's talent and his ability to earn a living and provide a roof over the heads of his family. It would be easy to walk away from a book with such depressing life issues feeling heavy of heart but Tracy Chevalier manages to achieve the opposite by giving our heroine a small moment of victory and justice at the end which makes Griet's reconciliation with the inevitability of her life a good and plausible choice.
One problem though, the book has totally ruined the movie for me. Watched it again after I finished the book and found it rather inadequate.

BURNING BRIGHT by Tracy Chevalier

I am a huge fan of Tracy Chevalier but was somewhat disappointed in this book. When I discovered that she had written a book about one of my favourite poets, William Blake, I immediately set out to obtain a copy so I can read it. Not only did the book hold a promise of further insight into the remarkable and complex character of this poet, but it gave me scope to imagine I would be gaining more understanding of the French Revolution and its' connection with the British continent. Burning Bright is set in London in 1792, on the eve of the French Revolution. The story focuses on the Kellaway family who move from Dorsetshire to London in pursuit of the job offered to the father by John Astley who owns Astley Circus. The narrative of the story is richly endowed with descriptions of 18th century London which makes you highly appreciative of Chevalier's research and ability to transport the reader to any chosen time and place. I found the story, however, slightly weak. The children who are primary characters in the story are supposed to present a strong connection to Blake's two books of poems, namely Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. Even though the connection can be seen through Maisie Kellaway who arrives in London as a young, innocent country girl and leaves it as a pregnant, unwed girl of 15, I found that William Blake's complexity as a poet and revolutionary appeared weak in the book and did not bear heavy significance to the story. The intention as such was there but it failed to materialize because of Chevalier's weak portrayal of Blake, as seen through the eyes of others. The successful and perfectly resolved ending of the book also does not resonate with Blake's theory of a wide gap between the ideal and reality created by the uncertainty of humanity.

THE LOST HOURS by Karen White

This is my first book by Karen White. This was a brilliant story but I found its' narration overly sentimental and Karen's lack of self-restraint as a writer leaving very little to the imagination of the reader. I found the overly sentimental prose irritating which made me want to gallop through the book rather than savor it. Phrases such as 'digging deeper to moist earth, exposing its secrets' and 'the fall of years was like pierced lace over old secrets' complicated the narration unnecessarily and sometimes appeared confusing. I still don't understand what 'pierced lace over old secrets' actually means or how it can be possible.... Situated in the deep south this book is about grief, grief, and more grief interlaced with deep seated secrets which I found more frustrating than intriguing.  From Piper the equestrian, whose dreams of Olympian glory were aborted by her horse who fell on top of her, to her grandmother Annabelle who ended up with Alzheimer's because of her ruined life, to beautiful Helen who went blind at 14 and was considered as punishment to her grandmother who raised her, to Helen's brother, Tucker, whose wife committed suicide and who lived with overwhelming guilt, to their grandmother Lilian, who kept a dark secret and would not talk about her past until days before her death at the age of 90.  Even the oak trees on the Savannah plantation that housed these unfortunate souls grieved for their brothers who were cut down and who 'shout out their grief when the breeze off the river at night stirs them'. Karen White's lack of self-restraint made the characters too accessible and the story, therefore, somewhat predictable. I would have enjoyed this book much, much more if I was allowed to imagine the state of characters' emotions as they were experienced. Feeling like someone is holding your hand leading you through the story describing everything to you in detail because you are not capable of understanding it yourself, does not endear the reader to the writer. I prefer authors who treat their readers with respect acknowledging their ability to read between the words but then again you would have to write in such a way that meaning there can be found. It's an art form.

THE TAILOR'S GIRL by Fiona McIntosh

Another wonderful book from Fiona McIntosh. If you like stories set post World War I, you will love this book. Dealing with the phenomenon of shell shock and legacy of warfare, this story is brilliantly crafted to arouse sentiment in the reader and enhance the reader's understanding of such a complex time as this. You will be transported to post war London and through a brilliantly woven story learn about the lucrative trade of tailoring and high fashion, of enduring love and tenacity. When a Jewish tailor's daughter Eden Valentine, meets a war veteran with no memory at the London hospital, she agrees to help him escape. She names the soldier without a name 'Tom' who makes his home with her and her father.  Eden and Tom fall in love and marry against the Jewish tradition and her father's wishes. Tom proves to have a great head for business but doesn't know why. Future looks very bright for the young couple until one day Tom's memory of his past life returns and the memory of his present life leaves. It is then that Tom's real identity is revealed. In reality Tom is Alex Wynter, aristocratic heir to the country manor Larksfell Hall. The story becomes intense with each page as Eden's and Tom's paths diverge but seek to once again come together. This book is a real page turner. I hope you enjoy it, I certainly did.

REMARKABLE CREATURES by Tracy Chevalier

Another beautiful book from the brilliant mind of Tracy Chevalier. The story takes us to Lyme Regis in England and centers on two women whose fossil discoveries challenged the religious and geological thinking of early 1800's. Daring to tread into a man's world where they received small recognition for their accomplishments, they fall into the category of women pioneers who despite their lack of education, are now being recognised for their strength, courage and brilliance. This is a true story of Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot who were fossil hunters and whose alliance stands as a monument of the power of friendship. Tracy Chevalier has a remarkable ability to transport the reader to a different time and period through her detailed and careful use of language and evocative image making the reader appreciative of her  thorough research of the subject at hand. I wept when I read the ending of this story but more so when reading the postscript, for I was once again reminded that the characters were real women who once lived and walked upon the shores of Lyme.

THE LAST RUNAWAY by Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier is a literary genius. If you want to read a book rich with historical content and moral values, this is the book for you. The book explores a 19th century American movement called the Underground Railroad through which 30,000 Negros managed to escape slavery assisted by white abolitionists, freed slaves and many members of the Quaker community. The Last Runaway is set in 1850 and follows a sheltered Quaker girl immigrating from England to America with her sister who is to be married to an English man living in Ohio. Within days of landing in America, and before reaching Ohio, her sister Grace dies of yellow fever leaving Honor alone in a new country that she needs to make her home. Honor joins the Quaker community called Friends in Ohio and marries Jack, a dairy farmer. Her strong Quaker instincts lead Honor to become involved in the rife runaway movement assisting slaves to escape to Canada where freedom awaits them. Tracy Chevalier achieves the optimum balance of realism and sentiment in this heart warming and enlightening book which is extremely hard to put down. Read The Last Runaway, you will be glad you did.