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Hazel (1853 KP) rated A Place Called Winter in Books

Dec 17, 2018

A Place Called Winter

Patrick Gale | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Loosely based upon a true story, one of Patrick Gale’s ancestors in fact, A Place Called Winter follows the life of Harry Cane during the early 1900s. The book begins with Harry being transferred from a mental asylum to a therapeutic community called Bethel Ranch. The story then backtracks to Harry’s life as a young, nervous, motherless boy and the time he met his future wife, Winnie.

Throughout the book the reader is trying to guess the reason Harry eventually finds himself at Bethel Ranch. Gale describes Harry’s marriage, his discovery of homosexuality and his move to Canada to his final stop at a homestead in a place called Winter. Does Harry develop a mental illness or is it something to do with his scandalous desires? Or, does something else happen later in the book?

After moving to Canada, Harry does not exactly have it easy and the reader feels for him as he perseveres with his new life style. We watch him grow from a timid young man into someone with his own farm and independence. It makes it all the more upsetting to read when certain things take a turn for the worse.

In this historical novel, Patrick Gale emphasizes on the way homosexuality was regarded in society. Entire families cut people out of their lives at the slightest hint of a scandal. Gale also touches on the techniques used within mental asylums during this period as well as racial discrimination.

Occasionally, the story was difficult to read as it alternated between being really interesting and then slightly dull. Overall, regardless of how much was based on actual events, it was a good storyline, and once you have started reading you feel the need to continue to find out what happens to Harry. I have only read one other book by Patrick Gale – Notes From an Exhibition – that I struggled with a little. A Place Called Winter, however, was a lot better than I was expecting.

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MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Murder in the City of Liberty (A Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery #2) in Books

Nov 4, 2019

Hamish DeLuca and Regina “Reggie” Van Buren have a new case—and this one brings the war in Europe dangerously close to home.

Determined to make a life for herself, Regina “Reggie” Van Buren bid goodbye to fine china and the man her parents expected her to marry and escaped to Boston. What she never expected to discover was that an unknown talent for sleuthing would develop into a business partnership with the handsome, yet shy, Hamish DeLuca.

Their latest case arrives when Errol Parker, the leading base stealer in the Boston farm leagues, hires Hamish and Reggie to investigate what the Boston police shove off as a series of harmless pranks. Errol believes these are hate crimes linked to the outbreak of war in Europe, and he’s afraid for his life. Hamish and Reggie quickly find themselves in the midst of an escalating series of crimes that seem to link Boston to Hamish’s hometown of Toronto.

When an act of violence hits too close to home, Hamish is driven to a decision that may sever him from Reggie forever . . . even more than her engagement to wealthy architect Vaughan Vanderlaan.

My Thoughts: I had a hard time starting into the book but as the reader gets further along in the storyline, it becomes a very interesting read. This is a second book in the series, and I do recommend to the readers that they read the first book "Murder at the Flamingo" to help get to know the main characters a little better. A murder mystery with a little romance as Hamish has to deal with his feelings toward Reggie, being friends and co-workers for two years. This novel takes place in the 1940's pre-war era, with the main character Hamish trying to get past his relationship with a shady cousin.

It was interesting to learn a little about Boston; especially the housing situation during that era. The writer has an enjoyable style of writing that brings the characters to life for the reader. This is a good book for those who love mysteries.