Review: Dance the Moon Down by R.L. Bartram

In 1910, no one believed there would ever be a war with Germany. Safe in her affluent middle-class life, the rumours held no significance for Victoria either. It was her father's decision to enroll her at university that began to change all that. There she befriends the rebellious and outspoken Beryl Whittaker, an emergent suffragette, but it is her love for Gerald Avery, a talented young poet from a neighbouring university that sets the seal on her future. After a clandestine romance, they marry in January 1914, but with the outbreak of the First World War, Gerald volunteers but within months has gone missing in France. Convinced that he is still alive, Victoria's initial attempts to discover what has become of him, implicate her in a murderous assault on Lord Kitchener resulting in her being interrogated as a spy, and later tempted to adultery. Now virtually destitute, Victoria is reduced to finding work as a common labourer on a run down farm, where she discovers a world of unimaginable ignorance and poverty. It is only her conviction that Gerald will some day return that sustains her through the dark days of hardship and privation as her life becomes a battle of faith against adversity.

Paperback, 300 pages

Published November 4th 2011 by Authors Online 

Kristine's Thoughts:

* I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

I am a huge fan of historical fiction and stories relating to war so I was happy to read and review this book for the author. My only concern before beginning this book was that it would be just the same as the numerous other books I have read that take place during that time. I didn't need to worry as I found myself captivated from the beginning.

Dance the Moon Down takes a look at a different side of WW1, centering on the women that are left behind when the men go off to war. It was a bit of a refreshing change that showed quite flawlessly the impact that the war had on everyone. It wasn't just about the men that so bravely risked their lives and fought to protect their country but also the women that were equally brave in fighting for their survival at home in such a terrifying time.

This story centers around Victoria and follows her life from a teenage girl through to the end of the war. It begins with her attending University, a privilege that most woman did not have. The book touches on the roles and behaviours towards woman at that time and the inequality they endured. It is during this time that she meets Beryl and is introduced to the suffragette movement. Although sympathetic she still dreamt of falling in love and getting married.

When Victoria meets Gerald while at University it is love at first sight and their story begins. They marry in January, 1914 and spend only a short time together before war is declared and Gerald volunteers to serve and protect his country. They promise to write and meet back at their small cottage in the English countryside when the war ends. Both young and naive believe that the war will end by Christmas and that they will be back to normal in no time.

At first, Victoria receives letters from Gerald regularly but then they suddenly stop and the story of her struggle for survival begins. In her heart she fully believes that he is still alive and makes it her mission to find out where he is and what happened to him. She finds herself in trouble because of her loose ties to the suffragette movement and her friendship with Beryl and because of that she is warned to return to her quiet life in the countryside to avoid any further trouble.

As the war presses on, Victoria realises that she needs to find work because there is no money left. It doesn't take her long to figure out that a young woman, although highly educated, has few options and ends up at an unlikely place doing the work normally reserved for a man.

I will leave it here as I don't want to re-tell the entire story and ruin anything for future readers but this is where the story gets really good in my opinion.Victoria deals with survival, physical labour and pain, censorship, an unrelenting belief that her husband is alive along with unlikely friendships, comradery and a lifestyle she is unaccustomed to.

The writing in this book is beautiful and so descriptive that you feel like you are there. Bartram does an amazing job at describing the women's perspectives, feelings and struggles. The book is filled with wonderful, unique and interesting characters that I adored. This was such an enjoyable read for me and a very easy 5 stars. I highly recommend Dance the Moon Down for fans of historical fiction.

 

R.L. Bartram

 

Having first put pen to paper at the age of 17, he has now been writing for a number of years and many of his short stories have appeared in various national periodicals and magazines. His two main passions in life are writing and the history of the early twentieth century, which made Dance the Moon Down a logical choice for his first full length work of fiction. He is single and lives and works in Hertfordshire.

Review: The Last Train to Paris by Michele Zackheim

1935.  Rose Manon, an American daughter of the mountains of Nevada, working as a journalist in New York, is awarded her dream job, foreign correspondent.  Posted to Paris, she is soon entangled in romance, an unsolved murder, and the desperation of a looming war.  Assigned to the Berlin desk, Manon is forced to grapple with her hidden identity as a Jew, the mistrust of her lover, and an unwelcome visitor on the eve of Kristallnacht.  And . . . on the day before World War II is declared, she must choose who will join her on the last train to Paris.
This is a carefully researched historical novel that reads like a suspense thriller.  Colette and Janet Flanner are only two of the well-known figures woven into the story. The parts they play will surprise readers. Last Train to Paris will enthrall the same audience that made In The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson and Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky bestsellers.

Paperback, 320 pages

Expected publication: January 7th 2014 by Europa Editions

Terri's Review

I received this ARC from Europa Editions via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

I requested to read this story because I have an extreme interest in everything war related and as a result any novels written regarding wartime or with it as a backdrop.  I was not let down with this one. I found it a little different than much of the other novels that I have read giving yet another new perspective on WWII. 

Starting with Rose who was an American in Paris (and Berlin) in the years leading up to the declaration of war who also happened to be half Jewish.  She was an outsider living in the reality that was Europe in those days who was experiencing all of the events leading up to the war through the eyes of a journalist.  This gave the opportunity for the reader, like Rose, to see everything that was occurring to others while not directly being impacted (at first).  Although many novels that I have read have occurred in wartime France or Europe I have not read a whole lot that centered around the time leading up to it.  I found this a fresh take and interesting in my endless quest to fulfill my obsession with war and in particular WWII.

The character of Rose was also different than what one would normally expect in these types of novels.  As a journalist her life was that of a man's world living in the less than ideal accommodations that were frequented by journalists, drinking excessively at times and being hardened to her surroundings.  This was not your typical girl in a dress waiting for her true love to arrive.  This made her endearing however also made her naïve at times as she felt that she could solve all the problems that were brought to her and had to have her eyes opened by those who were living the nightmares of the time.

I really enjoyed this book.  Although there was a love story within the pages I felt that it was not the defining part of the book.  There was a lot of tragedy in this read and those who enjoy historical fiction during wartime for the epic/tragic love stories alone may not enjoy it as much.  Although this element is here, it is the tragic story of family, countries in ruin and the terrible things that humans do to others that is the focal point of this read.  I felt that a lot of research must have gone in to writing this.

I would recommend this book without hesitation

About the Michele Zachheim

(as found on Goodreads)

For many years I was a visual artist exhibiting in museum and galleries, both in the united States and Europe. Over time, random words began to appear on my canvases . . . then poems . . . then elaborate fragments of narratives. I began to think more about writing and less about the visual world. Finally, I simply wrote myself off the canvas and onto the lavender quadrille pages of a bright orange notebook. This, my first book, was Violette's Embrace, published by Riverhead/Penguin.

Review: The Deepest Secret by Carla Buckley

A riveting, poignant family drama perfect for readers of Defending Jacob and The Memory Keeper's Daughter, which explores the power of the secrets people keep-the darker, hidden facets of our lives, and what happens when they come to light.

Diagnosed with XP, a rare medical condition which makes him lethally sensitive to light, Tyler is a thirteen-year-old who desperately wants just one thing: to be normal. His mother Eve also wants just one thing: to protect her son. As Tyler begins roaming their cul-de-sac at night, cloaked in the safety of the darkness, he peers into the lives of the other families on the street-looking in on the things they most want hidden. Then, the young daughter of a neighbor suddenly vanishes, and Tyler may be the only one who can make sense of her disappearance…but what will happen when everyone's secrets are exposed to the light?

Kindle Edition, 448 pages

Expected publication: February 4th 2014 by Bantam 

Kristine's Thoughts:

* I received a copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I start with this book? There are so many different but important aspects tied neatly within the pages of this book that I don't want to leave anything out. You have a young teenage boy with a life threatening illness (XP), a teenage girl who slips through the families cracks, a stuggling marriage, a missing girl, odd neighbours and a ton of lies and secrets. This book will have you questioning morals, the lengths you would go, and the secrets you would keep in order to protect your family. Book clubs everywhere will have a field day discussing it.

This book is told from three different points of view, Eve (the mother), David (the father) and Tyler (the son). I am a huge fan of multiple narratives because I think it gives you a stronger and better understanding of the characters. In this story it was very effective in showing what each of them were struggling and dealing with. You could empathise and feel the pain of all three of them whether you agreed with their actions or not.

Eve just wants her son to be safe and does everything in her power to beat the odds of his 20 year life expectancy. She is so focused on Tyler that she doesn't notice changes in her 16 year old daughter and the strain on her marriage.

Tyler wants to be a normal teenage boy and do normal things like everyone else but he knows he can't. His day is dictated by when the sun rises and sets. He sneeks out of his house at night with his camera to take pictures of people and animals doing normal everyday things to make himself feel better. He struggles with the changes in his sister who he was once very close.

David doesn't get to see his family as much as he would like because he works in a different city and can only fly in on weekends to spend time with them. He struggles with the strain his absence has on his family and wants them to move so that they can all be together again. 

One stormy night 11 year old Amy, a close neighbour friend, goes missing and their world is turned upside down. Each of them carries secrets about that night that they hold close and the plot thickens with twists and turns.

Buckley has created a fabulous, thought provoking story that leaves you questioning what lengths you would go to in order to protect your family. I adored this book and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read it in advance of its realease date. It was a very easy 5 stars from me. I can't wait to check out some of her other work.

  

About the Author

Carla Buckley was born in Washington, DC. She has worked as an assistant press secretary for a U.S. senator, an analyst with the Smithsonian Institution, and a technical writer for a defense contractor. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, an environmental scientist, and their three children. She is the author of The Deepest Secret, Invisible, and The Things That Keep Us Here, which was nominated for a Thriller Award as a best first novel and the Ohioana Book Award for fiction. She is currently at work on her next novel.

Website-http://www.carlabuckley.com/
Twitter-@CarlaBuckley
Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carla-Buckley/159163215914?fref=ts
Goodreads-https://www.goodreads.com/CarlaBuckley
 

 

Review: Road Ends by Mary Lawson

Mary Lawson’s beloved novels, Crow Lake and The Other Side of the Bridge, have delighted legions of readers around the world. The fictional, northern Ontario town of Struan, buried in the winter snows, is the vivid backdrop to her breathtaking new novel.
 
Roads End brings us a family unravelling in the aftermath of tragedy: Edward Cartwright, struggling to escape the legacy of a violent past; Emily, his wife, cloistered in her room with yet another new baby, increasingly unaware of events outside the bedroom door; Tom, their eldest son, twenty-five years old but home again, unable to come to terms with the death of a friend; and capable, formidable Megan, the sole daughter in a household of eight sons, who for years held the family together but has finally broken free and gone to England, to try to make a life of her own.
 
Roads End is Mary Lawson at her best. In this masterful, enthralling, tender novel, which ranges from the Ontario silver rush of the early 1900s to swinging London in the 1960s, she gently reveals the intricacies and anguish of family life, the push and pull of responsibility and individual desire, the way we can face tragedy, and in time, hope to start again.

Hardcover, 336 pages

Expected publication: November 12th 2013 by Knopf Canada    

Terri's Review 

I received this ARC as part of a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting read for me and I fear I will not do the book justice in my review.  This book at it's core is about family, tragedy, inner ghosts and how things can fall apart when you are not looking.  The story is centralized around the Cartwright family and told from the perspective of Edward the father, Tom the son and Megan the daughter.

Edward:
His storyline is centered around his fears that he will turn out just like his father who was heartless and abusive.  I found this story interesting because in his struggle to not follow in his father's footsteps he in turn neglected and ignored his family.  His inability to address his family issues or even speak with his children or wife contributed greatly to the families dysfunction. For the most part I found no redeeming qualities in his character and did not warm to him throughout the story.  I do however think that this was necessary to the rest of the plot.

Tom:
Tom was my favorite character in this read.  Following a tragedy with his best friend Tom had withdrawn in to himself and would not allow himself in any situation, including employment, that required any social interaction.  The growth of his character in my opinion was the greatest out of everyone in the story.  As he tried to remain in his self created "prison" you could see him slowly coming back to the real world in spite of his wishes.  His interactions with his little brother Adam were heartwarming as Adam slowly and by necessity brought him back.

Megan:
Megan was the strong one in the family who was the only one capable of keeping the family "upright".  It was interesting to see the downfall of her family after she left for England to try to make her own way.  Although strong willed and opinionated she was also likeable and you wanted to see how her journey would play out.

On top of these stories you also had the backdrop of small town Northern Ontario in the winter to add to the drama of the writing.  I finished this book today while looking at our first snowfall of the season thinking how appropriate it was to be reading it at this very moment.

I really enjoyed this book however I will warn folks that while this was not a difficult read it was is not a light feel good read.  Those who only want happy cheery reads would not appreciate this book.  Those who appreciate reading about characters who struggle with their inner ghost's and finding themselves would love this book.  I was not previously familiar with Mary Lawson and I am pleased to discover a talented Canadian writer.  I will be checking her other works.

About the Author

Mary Lawson (born 1946) is a Canadian novelist.

Born in southwestern Ontario, she spent her childhood in Blackwell, Ontario and is a distant relative of L. M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables.

Lawson moved to England after graduating from McGill University with a psychology degree in 1968. She also married in England, has two grown up sons and now lives in Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey. Her two novels to date, both published by Knopf Canada were set in Northern Ontario.


Website: http://www.randomhouse.ca/newface/marylawson.php


 

Gracious Living Without Servants by Brenda Cronin

Juliet has done the right thing all her life, and where’s it gotten her? She’s a thirty-year-old widow who’s had to move in with her parents.

Things start to look up when her glamorous—but married—neighbor Seth seems to be flirting with her and helps her land a job at a local paper.

Then she’s assigned to investigate Seth’s wife. Juliet is quickly immersed in lies, manipulation, and a deepening sex scandal. But she feels alive for the first time in a long time.

Maybe she needs to do the wrong thing for once. Or maybe she’s headed for disaster.

Paperback, 378 pages

Published October 7th 2013 by Stoneslide Books 

Kristine's Thoughts:

* I received a copy of this book though a goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review*

This book is basically about a woman (Juliet) who is lost after becoming a widow at the age of thirty and the direction her life takes as she tries get back on her feet and create or start a new life..

I had mixed feelings about this book. I really didn't understand or feel Juliet's attraction and subsequent affair with Seth, a married neighbour thirty five years her senior. I saw no appeal in the man, could not feel any chemistry between the two of them and thought they were quite boring together. Even their secret rendezvous's were dull and lacked sexual chemistry. Perhaps if Seth had a personality or positive attributes I could have understood the attraction but he really wasn't a good person. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that Juliet was investigating his wife and that entire part of the story line. I loved the conflict that it created and was very pleased with the outcome.

This book is Juliet's story of the events, people and situations that help her to figure out who she is and what she wants out of life. It was a solid first novel for Cronin and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

About the Author

 Brenda Cronin writes for The Wall Street Journal, where she has worked since 2001. Her short fiction has been published on both sides of the Atlantic. This is her first novel. Born in Washington, she was raised in Connecticut and lives in New York City.

https://www.facebook.com/graciouslivingwithoutservants

   

Review: Becalmed by Normandie Fischer

When a Southern woman with a broken heart falls for a widower with a broken boat, it's anything but smooth sailing.

Tadie Longworth doesn't mind acting the maiden aunt in Beaufort, North Carolina. She has a gift shop full of her own jewelry designs and a sweet little sailboat to take her mind off the guy who got away. But now he’s back . . . with the fashion-plate wife he picked instead of Tadie . . . and he’s hitting on her again.

When widower Will Merritt limps into town with a broken sailboat and a perky seven-year-old daughter, he offers the perfect distraction — until that distraction turns into fascination when Tadie offers shelter during a hurricane. Over candlelit games of Slap-Jack and Monopoly, Jilly becomes the daughter she could have had and Will the man she always wanted. Only, he’s sworn never to let another woman in his life. Any day now, he’s going to finish those repairs, and that ship's going to sail — straight out of Tadie’s life.

Paperback, 385 pages

Published July 1st 2013 by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas              
Terri's Review

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting read to me as it gave me some conflicting feelings as I worked my way through it.

I will start with the good.  The absolute star of this book is not the main character Tadie but seven year old Jilly.  It was impossible not to like her from the get go.  From her red hair and spunky personality to match she was a gem and all other characters paled in comparison.  Looking at the world through her eyes makes the reader cheer for her from beginning to end. I also found it charming how Will always called her punkin and would grin whenever he said it. Another strong point was the town of Beaufort and the close knit group of friends and family that surrounded Tadie.  It was exactly what I would imagine any small town to be like where people are there for you no matter what.  Add the charm of the water and marina and it was the perfect setting for this story. 

The part that I found difficult in this story is that Tadie was described (admittedly by herself) as a spinster because she was not married at the ripe age of 35.  Much of her inner turmoil throughout the book was centered around this and her lack of life experience as a result.  Now I realize that Fischer most likely portrayed this to focus in on the impact that Will and Jilly had on Tadie's life and how she wanted more after meeting them.  As someone who is around the same age demographic I could not identify with this.  I felt that Tadie's self image was a little more destroyed than what it should be. 

Overall this was a heartwarming story of two people who cross paths and the journey that it takes them on.  I found that Tadie and Will's romance was very slow and agonizing to come to fruition and yet when it did I found myself saying "already?"  It was also nice that the storyline conclude around Christmas as the season is coming up upon us.

About the Author

Normandie Fischer writes from on board her sailboat or from on shore in coastal NC -- stories of women and families and the things that get to them. 


Website: http://www.normandiefischer.com     Twitter:  writingonboard

Feature and Follow Friday #5

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme that allows book bloggers to interact with each other and find new blogs! It has two hosts, Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. The rules are... 

• (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
• (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
• Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
• Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
• If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
• Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
• If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers
• If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

This week's question is...

 Vlog Feature: Tell us why you would be the best feature ever in a vlog. The best two will get picked for next week’s feature. If you do not want to participate, just tell us why you can’t be caught on video. 

Yikes!! I work nights and do most of my blogging during the day in my pajamas with uncombed hair and ugly bags under my eyes. It is a sight that nobody needs or wants to see so I definitely would NOT be the best feature ever in a vlog. Did I mention that I also stick my tongue out to one side when I'm concentrating really hard??

That is my Feature and Follow Friday for this week! Comment down below if you're a new follower of mine with a link to your blog and I will make sure to follow you back.