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A Life Apart
10.0
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When Morris Sullivan joins the navy in 1940, his hopes are high. Though he leaves behind his new...
Historical Fiction WW2 War Civil Rights
The Taster
9.0
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Amid the turbulence of World War II, a young German woman finds a precarious haven closer to the...
Fiction Historical Fiction WW2
ClareR (5911 KP) rated Think of Me in Books
May 8, 2022
I got very excited when I saw that this book was coming up. I’d read and loved We Must Be Brave, and I knew that I’d enjoy this too - I wasn’t disappointed.
It’s the story of James Acton and Yvette Haddad who meet during WW2 in Alexandria where Yvette lives. James is the best man for Yvette’s sisters husband-to-be, and they both fly Hurricanes in North Africa.
James is captured by the Germans when he is shot down, and spends the latter part of the war in a prison camp, and keeps in touch with Yvette throughout. After the war they marry, return to England, and James returns to his ministry as an Anglican priest.
They have a wonderful marriage, it seems to me, whilst James struggles with his memories of war, they both experience a personal loss - and their marriage changes.
This has a dual timeline, set during the war in Alexandria and in 1974. James lives as a widower whilst their son goes to University. It’s a big change for James, and so he decides to go one step further as he puts in for a transfer of parish. But this transfer brings a lot of memories back.
Frances Liardet writes a slow burning novel really well. She makes the ordinary extraordinary, and has written a novel that I became totally immersed in. I really didn’t want to put it down.
It’s the story of James Acton and Yvette Haddad who meet during WW2 in Alexandria where Yvette lives. James is the best man for Yvette’s sisters husband-to-be, and they both fly Hurricanes in North Africa.
James is captured by the Germans when he is shot down, and spends the latter part of the war in a prison camp, and keeps in touch with Yvette throughout. After the war they marry, return to England, and James returns to his ministry as an Anglican priest.
They have a wonderful marriage, it seems to me, whilst James struggles with his memories of war, they both experience a personal loss - and their marriage changes.
This has a dual timeline, set during the war in Alexandria and in 1974. James lives as a widower whilst their son goes to University. It’s a big change for James, and so he decides to go one step further as he puts in for a transfer of parish. But this transfer brings a lot of memories back.
Frances Liardet writes a slow burning novel really well. She makes the ordinary extraordinary, and has written a novel that I became totally immersed in. I really didn’t want to put it down.
Lindsay (1774 KP) rated A Christmas in the Alps in Books
Jan 2, 2022
A Christmas in the Alps is a lovely and enjoyable story set for Christmas. You will find yourself wanting to find out more about the two main characters exploring France. This book is set during and takes place mainly in France around Christmas.
We meet Simone while she is cleaning out her great grandma's house. Her friend found a letter and read it to Simone. The letter starts Simone on her journey to discover her great-grandma's treasure and heritage. Will she find more than that? Will she overcome her flying fear? She meets Kyle during her flight from Seattle to France.
This story is doing a bit of genealogy and a bit of romance. So far, it is excellent. It looks like Simone has made at least two friends. There seems to be a mystery going on as well at this point. Is Leon's Aunt related to Simone's Great-grandma, or does she know anything about her Great Grandpa rescued during WW2?
Will Kyle and Simone find love with each other? Will Simone find the true treasure and family? There seems to be a family feud or a rift in a relationship. Can Simone find a solution and fix the relationship with her great aunt? To this end, you will want to read more from this author. Melody Carlson will bring you in to enjoy the culture of her lovely books and Christmas books. This one is no different.
We meet Simone while she is cleaning out her great grandma's house. Her friend found a letter and read it to Simone. The letter starts Simone on her journey to discover her great-grandma's treasure and heritage. Will she find more than that? Will she overcome her flying fear? She meets Kyle during her flight from Seattle to France.
This story is doing a bit of genealogy and a bit of romance. So far, it is excellent. It looks like Simone has made at least two friends. There seems to be a mystery going on as well at this point. Is Leon's Aunt related to Simone's Great-grandma, or does she know anything about her Great Grandpa rescued during WW2?
Will Kyle and Simone find love with each other? Will Simone find the true treasure and family? There seems to be a family feud or a rift in a relationship. Can Simone find a solution and fix the relationship with her great aunt? To this end, you will want to read more from this author. Melody Carlson will bring you in to enjoy the culture of her lovely books and Christmas books. This one is no different.
ClareR (5911 KP) rated The Silence In Between in Books
Dec 2, 2024
The Silence In Between is a dual timeline story. In 1961, Lisette takes her sick baby to a West Berlin hospital for treatment. She returns to her home in the East of the city to wash, change clothes and have some sleep, and the next morning she wakes to find the Wall has been erected overnight. She can’t go back for her baby. This traumatic event causes her to lose her voice - which takes her back to the war and the last time she lost her voice.
Lisette lived in Berlin with her mother, and during the last days of WW2, she experienced what many women did at the hands of the Russians. This is brutal, and explains a lot about why Lisette is the mother she is to her daughter Elly.
Elly knows that the only way to make her mother happy is to get the baby back - no matter the cost. She’s a brave, resourceful young woman, who takes death defying risks for her mother.
There’s a lot of hope in this book of survival and loss. Elly is a symbol of determination - she never gives up, and her family is at the heart of all her actions.
The two female characters, mother and daughter, are exceptional women. The history behind their lives has been well researched and is believable, and their story has stayed with me well after finishing this book.
Highly recommended.
Lisette lived in Berlin with her mother, and during the last days of WW2, she experienced what many women did at the hands of the Russians. This is brutal, and explains a lot about why Lisette is the mother she is to her daughter Elly.
Elly knows that the only way to make her mother happy is to get the baby back - no matter the cost. She’s a brave, resourceful young woman, who takes death defying risks for her mother.
There’s a lot of hope in this book of survival and loss. Elly is a symbol of determination - she never gives up, and her family is at the heart of all her actions.
The two female characters, mother and daughter, are exceptional women. The history behind their lives has been well researched and is believable, and their story has stayed with me well after finishing this book.
Highly recommended.
One-Hour Wargames: Practical Tabletop Battles for those with limited time and space
Book
One of the biggest problems facing wargamers is finding the time to actually play. Most commercially...
Waiting for Walter
Book
Set partly in late 1950's London, Waiting for Walter follows the fortunes of two people over a...
We Were the Lucky Ones
Book
Inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II,...
Jewish Fiction historical WWII WW2 World War II
ClareR (5911 KP) rated The Book of Guilt in Books
Jul 17, 2025
I absolutely loved The Book of Guilt. I wasn’t quite sure what I was in for when I started: identical triplets in a children’s home with a distinctly 1950s feel to it, even though it’s set in the 1970s. I think that’s to do with the fact that there is an alternative history - WW2 does not go quite the same way.
Everything about the atmosphere in the home, from the three shift-working “Mothers” (Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night), to their lessons from the Book of Knowledge, to their dreams being recorded in the Book of Dreams and their misdemeanours in the Book of Guilt.
Life begins to change in the Sycamore Home, and as it does, it raises so many questions about the things that the boys have been told.
I couldn’t put this down, and read it in two days. It gave me Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go vibes (not too much of a spoiler!). The boys are regarded with suspicion and fear, which made me feel for them even more. The addition of the Minister for Loneliness (a great idea, by the way) added an outsiders view to the concept of the Sycamore Homes.
The writing is mesmerising, the characters are rounded and very human (regardless of other characters opinions), and both the setting, the plot, and the ending were just perfect.
This is only my second Catherine Chidgey novel (the first was Remote Sympathy, and that was also a top read for me), and I really need to read more!
Everything about the atmosphere in the home, from the three shift-working “Mothers” (Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night), to their lessons from the Book of Knowledge, to their dreams being recorded in the Book of Dreams and their misdemeanours in the Book of Guilt.
Life begins to change in the Sycamore Home, and as it does, it raises so many questions about the things that the boys have been told.
I couldn’t put this down, and read it in two days. It gave me Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go vibes (not too much of a spoiler!). The boys are regarded with suspicion and fear, which made me feel for them even more. The addition of the Minister for Loneliness (a great idea, by the way) added an outsiders view to the concept of the Sycamore Homes.
The writing is mesmerising, the characters are rounded and very human (regardless of other characters opinions), and both the setting, the plot, and the ending were just perfect.
This is only my second Catherine Chidgey novel (the first was Remote Sympathy, and that was also a top read for me), and I really need to read more!
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated 1922 (2017) in Movies
Nov 2, 2019
Old Movie Revisited: 1922. Another sweet Netflix made Stephen King movie, within less than a month of Gerald's Game, another awesome sauce flick. This one brings back Thomas Jane into the King fold for at least the third time, a trend I hope he continues, seems to fit in well... a roll in the Dark Tower perhaps, well, isn't he already... In this one, taking place sometime before WW2 ;) we have farmer Wilfred James and his wife, Arlette, and son Henry. Now Arlette wants out of the midwest farm crap fest and move to the big city, sell the farm, get a divorce... Wilfred, well doesnt really seem to care about the divorce part, but losing the farm and Henry, cause of course the boy will go off with mommy, isnt going to happen. So what is a dad to do, duh, convince your 14 year old son to help murder your wife, invent a tale she ran off and expect everything to go well. You may have guessed, it doesn't... Hell, even little Henry becomes a outlaw. Good flick, bringing in some old Stephen King landmarks to tie in his universe a little tighter, takes place near Hemingford Home, where a few well known King characters hail from, big one being Abagail Freemantle, of The Stand... But more recently in theatres... IT, one little fat boy named Ben Hanscom also once roved it roads! Thomas Jane was awesome, if a Shining remake was ever in the works to be more true to the book, I'd love to see Mr. Jane as Jack, i think he'd be insane :) Filmbufftim on FB