I had never come across this author previously but this book was recommended to me by a reading friend and I am so glad. Sarah Smith’s “Hear No Evil” is an historical novel set in Glasgow in 1817 where a young Deaf woman named Jean Campbell is accused of a odious crime.
A story that had me captivated from the beginning, Jean Campbell’s alleged act of throwing a child into the River Clyde, no evidence and the accused unable to communicate to plead her innocence sets this book for an intriguing tale. Robert Kinniburgh, a teacher from the Deaf & Dumb Institution takes on the job of trying to unravel the truth by communicating with Jean.
Trying to breakdown the communication barrier made fascinating reading as is well written by the author. The book delves into the justice system and Jean’s plight to tell her story.
“Hear No Evil” is a well written and so different from books I have read previously.
John Boyne is one of my favourite authors and although this book is well written it failed to capture my imagination. The subject matter was not really my thing and lasting over 450 pages put my staying power to the maximum. There were large parts I did enjoy but it didn’t have the same magic as other books by this author.
The story is told by William Cody, raised by his father Issac in 1970’s London. Issac is obsessed with his grandfather the famous cowboy Buffalo Bill and is always trying to entice William with stories of his exploits. When William is a young man, still in his twenties he moves to Japan where he falls in love with Hitomi and life couldn’t be better. William receives a letter from his father summoning him back to England urgently and he fears the worst. But instead of finding his father dying, Issac wants William to go into business with him and recreate the stage shows promoting the life of Buffalo Bill ‘The Congress of Rough Riders of the World’. William wants no part of his father business venture and returns to Japan only for tragedy to strike forcing him to return once more.
An ok read but much prefer the authors other books. If you want to read this author I would highly recommend ‘A Ladder to the sky’ and ‘Hearts invisible furies’ which are both outstanding.
I have read so many excellent John Boyne novels this year that I feel a little let down with this one. It is still a good read but I don’t think it is anywhere near the high standard of ‘The Heart’s invisible furies’ and ‘Ladder to the sky’.
In 1915 seventeen year old Georgy Jachmenev steps in front of an assassin’s bullet that was intended for the Tsar’s uncle, and his life is immediately changed forever. As a reward for his bravery he is taken from his life as a peasant farmer and given the position of companion to the Tsarevich Alexei.
The story is told from two time lines, with Georgy in 1915 St. Petersburg and today where he is caring for dying wife. The eighty year old Georgy Jachmenev is living in England and wants to make a final journey back to Russia with his wife, Zoya. The story is full of emotions as Russia faces a revolution and John Boyne’s story tells of romance, change and heroism.
John Boyne is an exceptional storyteller and there is plenty to love about this book but I found it a little predictable and drawn out. For that reason I would score it somewhere between a 3 and 4 stars.
This is an historical fiction love story set in Berlin 1939 at the start of WW2 written by Eddie Midwood. I really enjoy reading historical fiction stories but was a little unsure when I discovered it was a love story but the more I read the more I enjoyed it. I don’t think it is an ideal fit for my tastes but was well written with good characters and was an enjoyable read.
Based on a true story, featuring Nineteen-year-old Libby who moves to Berlin to escape her over bearing family. The problem is this is 1939 and the city is under siege by the Nazis. Jewish books are burned, storefronts smashed and every day innocent people vanish into thin air. Libby is shocked but won’t just sit back and ignore what is happening.
Libby meets Harro and they fall in love, the whip marks on his back, scars from the SS, tell their own story: he is a resistance fighter. They are both committed to bringing down Hitler and all he stands for and through Harro who works for the Air Ministry they can obtain government secrets to use against the regime.
After awhile Libby becomes paranoid and she feels sure that the Gestapo is on to them, putting their lives in danger. They must decide whether to escape or stand up for all they believe in.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I was really looking forward to this one following the excellent ‘Gentleman in Moscow’ but unfortunately it failed to grip me in the same way. Undoubtedly well written but I felt it generally dragged and failed to engage me. I have read many reviews that contradict my review but at the end of the day it is my personal opinion and nothing else.
In June 1954, eighteen year old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. His father has recently died and his mother left a long time ago so the family farm is about to be taken over by the bank. Emmett plans to head for California to start a new life with his eight year old brother Billy. Once the warden drives off, Emmett discovers that two friends from the farm have stowed away in the warden’s car and have very different plans regarding Emmett’s future. Together the four travel in the opposite direction and head for New York.
Well written but too slow and unengaging.
I would like to thank both Net Galey and Random House for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
This is the second book I have read recently by author Carly Schabowski following ‘The Rainbow’. Both great stories inspired by true events and both beautifully written.
The book opens with a woman getting ready for a funeral and becoming lost in her thoughts as she holds a battered wristwatch to her cheek.
January 1945. Dachau, Germany men and women are packed tightly together on a train as it travels through the snowy Bavarian countryside. A Jewish watchmaker Isaac Schüller can’t understand how he came to be here, and is certain he won’t be leaving alive.
When Isaac and the other prisoners arrive at Dachau concentration camp, he is taken away and placed in the household of Senior Officer Becher. Because of Isaacs skills as a watchmaker Becher knows that he can prove valuable to him personally and his life will be less at risk while he remains of use to the officer.
Anna Reznick acts as a housemaid to the Bechers, who carry on oblivious to all the death and torture that surrounds the camp. Anna and Isaac form a friendship and maybe more, but Dachau is a dangerous place and love is not easy. When Isaac discovers some old letters under the shed floor where he works, it threatens to put Anna and Isaac in terrible danger.
The story is told from the viewpoints of Isaac, Anna and 11 year old Friedrich , son of Senior Officer Becher. Friedrich was taught by his parents to despise Jews but his mind is altered when he learns what is really going on beyond his garden wall at the Dachau camp. Friedrich becomes close to both Anna and Isaac, who offer him the attention and love he sadly misses from his parents.
Isaac works all day long fixing watches in the cold shed down in the garden. He finds some old letters under the floor which could spell trouble for him and Anna who he shares his discovery with.
As soon as I read the synopsis I knew it was a book I would enjoy reading. I enjoy historical fiction, especially when the characters are so well written as the case is with ‘The Rainbow’.
Isla’s grandad is suffering from dementia and it is becoming increasingly difficult for him to relate his stories of pre war life in Poland that she loved so much. He would often tell her how as a young soldier, he helped fight the Germans to protect his people. So when she is collecting photos for his 95th birthday celebration she is shocked and heartbroken to find a picture of her dear grandfather wearing a Nazi uniform. Is everything she thought she knew about him a lie?
Due to his advancing dementia Isla is unable to question him and wraps herself in her rainbow-coloured scarf, a memento of his from the war, and begins to hunt for the truth behind the photograph. This is the start of her search for the truth that will prove shocking and emotional, a tale of childhood sweethearts torn apart by family duty, and how one young man risked his life, his love and the respect of his own people, to secretly fight for justice from inside the heart of the enemy itself.
This is an absorbing, emotional read that gripped me from the very start. Carly Schabowski is an author I have never come across before but shortly after I started it I was already ordering one of her earlier books. Great characters, beautifully written and an emotional ride. The book effortlessly goes from past to present in the narrative that is based on a true story.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I decided to read one of the literary classics ‘ The Grapes of Wrath’ by John Steinbeck. I have read and enjoyed other books by this author and it is difficult not to admire the writing. First published in 1939, this classic novel of the Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads. They are driven from their home and forced to travel across America to California to find work and land.
The character are so well written, I felt like they were in the room with me, each with their troubles coming to life on the page. That said I didn’t actually enjoy this book as much as some of his other books although I can appreciate it and glad I read it.
Another enjoyable read by master storyteller John Boyne, seems like I have said that many times while reading his books. The saying don’t judge a book by it’s cover is fitting for this one, not my type of subject at all and certainly the sort of book I would skip over very quickly. Had it not been a John Boyne novel it would have stayed on the shelf and the loss all mine. John Boyne is so good at taking subjects and making them interesting to the masses, this is an excellent story that I read very quickly given that it is nearly 500 pages and struggled to put it down.
The story revolves around a young pickpocket John Jacob Turnstile who when about to be convicted for his crimes is offered a lifeline that he feels worth taking. He is offered the job of personal valet to a departing naval captain who just to be captain William Bligh of the HMS Bounty. What to John Jacob Turnstile appears to be an easy choice is in fact an alternative that will threaten his life.
This is a really enjoyable read filled with many characters you perhaps you are already familiar with but with John Boyne giving it a completely different spin. Great characters, excellent storytelling and enjoyable from start to finish.
This is the third book in this series I have read by Heather Morris following the excellent ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’. While I find most books about Auschwitz fascinating reads the two subsequent books written by Heather Morris have failed to grip me in the way her first book did.
The story follows three sisters as the title suggests, Cibi, Magda and Livia and their promise to their father that they will stay together, no matter what. When Livia is 15 she is ordered to Auschwitz by the Nazis and is followed by elder sister Cibi, 19 who wants to try and protect her sister. Together in Auschwitz they will need to stay strong to survive through cruelty and hardship.
The remaining sister Magda hides out in a neighbours attic with her mother and grandfather but it is only a matter of time before she is also captured and transported to the death camp where her two sisters are. With the three sisters now re united they have kept their promise but there are still further battles to face.
A book written about terrible heart-breaking times but the book lacks something different from the many other stories on this subject to make it a special read.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Bonnier Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
worcester source 