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Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The Marsh King's Daughter in Books
Jun 20, 2017
Riveting
Arc Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
So Where to start with this review, The Marsh Kings Daughter by Karen Dionne is one of those books where not a lot happens in terms of plotline, this actually doesn't seem to matter as we spend most of the book looking backwards as this is where the main action lies. This story Immerses you in a past that though horrific, is so deeply ingrained in tradition and culture that it sucks you into the pages fully as we experience through a child's eyes life on the marsh.
So Basically, Helena is the daughter of the Marsh King Jacob and his abducted bride, who is hardly more than her child herself.
Unaware of her mother's captivity she is raised on the marsh as her father's shadow.
eagerly Learning all that he knows.
Despite her father's sometimes cruel ways Helena adores him.
At the age of twelve upon realising the secret of her birth and her mother's imprisonment at the hands of her sadistic father and yearning for change Helena manages to escape to civilisation.
But The outside world is a lot different to what she imagined and her grandparents can barely tolerate her presence.
So when she turns eighteen she sets off into the world to forge her own path, cutting herself off from her family and changing her name to escape the notoriety of being the marsh king's daughter.
This is really where we come in Helena is married with two little girls. The secret of her birth is still hidden, that is until her father escapes from Prison engaging Helena in a deadly game of cat and mouse with her family the prize at stake.
This was such an easy and interesting read, I loved the vivid descriptions and also the ongoing Fairytale of the stories namesake.
The Marsh Kings daughter kept my attention till the end.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advanced readers copy this is my own personal opinion of the marsh king's daughter by Karen Dionne.
ARC Reviewed by BeckieBookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
So Where to start with this review, The Marsh Kings Daughter by Karen Dionne is one of those books where not a lot happens in terms of plotline, this actually doesn't seem to matter as we spend most of the book looking backwards as this is where the main action lies. This story Immerses you in a past that though horrific, is so deeply ingrained in tradition and culture that it sucks you into the pages fully as we experience through a child's eyes life on the marsh.
So Basically, Helena is the daughter of the Marsh King Jacob and his abducted bride, who is hardly more than her child herself.
Unaware of her mother's captivity she is raised on the marsh as her father's shadow.
eagerly Learning all that he knows.
Despite her father's sometimes cruel ways Helena adores him.
At the age of twelve upon realising the secret of her birth and her mother's imprisonment at the hands of her sadistic father and yearning for change Helena manages to escape to civilisation.
But The outside world is a lot different to what she imagined and her grandparents can barely tolerate her presence.
So when she turns eighteen she sets off into the world to forge her own path, cutting herself off from her family and changing her name to escape the notoriety of being the marsh king's daughter.
This is really where we come in Helena is married with two little girls. The secret of her birth is still hidden, that is until her father escapes from Prison engaging Helena in a deadly game of cat and mouse with her family the prize at stake.
This was such an easy and interesting read, I loved the vivid descriptions and also the ongoing Fairytale of the stories namesake.
The Marsh Kings daughter kept my attention till the end.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advanced readers copy this is my own personal opinion of the marsh king's daughter by Karen Dionne.
ARC Reviewed by BeckieBookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Ginny Moon in Books
May 10, 2018
Ginny Moon is 14 years old and she has autism. She has finally found her Forever Family with Brian and Maura after being taken from her Birth Mom, Gloria when she was 9 years old. She was malnourished and badly bruised at that time. Now she has been through several foster homes and is happy to finally be in a permanent spot. But there is still one thing missing that Ginny hasn't seen since she was 9 and the police took her away, her Baby Doll. Ginny took very good care of her Baby Doll and she is afraid that now there is no one to take care of it. How will she find her way back to the Baby Doll she loved so much and took such good care of?
This book hit me from the very firs page. As a mother of a child on the Autism Spectrum, I could really resonate with Ginny's character and her little quirks. Benjamin Ludwig did a great job of capturing this character.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I have read a couple of other books about children with autism but this one fit well with me. Ginny is determined to get her way, no matter the cost. She tries hard to explain to everyone about her Baby Doll. Her therapist, her foster parents, her Forever Parents, but no one seems to understand. No one that is except for Gloria, Ginny's Birth mother. When Ginny is finally able to get in contact with her, she is happy to find out that Gloria still has her Baby Doll and is taking care of it. And her cousin Crystal with C is helping out as well. Even though everyone tries to buy Ginny a new doll, nothing will be able to replace the Baby Doll she took care of for a whole year in the apartment with Gloria.
I'm afraid if I say too much more, I will give away too much of the story. Please read this book, it will touch your heart.
This book hit me from the very firs page. As a mother of a child on the Autism Spectrum, I could really resonate with Ginny's character and her little quirks. Benjamin Ludwig did a great job of capturing this character.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I have read a couple of other books about children with autism but this one fit well with me. Ginny is determined to get her way, no matter the cost. She tries hard to explain to everyone about her Baby Doll. Her therapist, her foster parents, her Forever Parents, but no one seems to understand. No one that is except for Gloria, Ginny's Birth mother. When Ginny is finally able to get in contact with her, she is happy to find out that Gloria still has her Baby Doll and is taking care of it. And her cousin Crystal with C is helping out as well. Even though everyone tries to buy Ginny a new doll, nothing will be able to replace the Baby Doll she took care of for a whole year in the apartment with Gloria.
I'm afraid if I say too much more, I will give away too much of the story. Please read this book, it will touch your heart.
Reproductive and Urinary Anatomy Atlas: Essential Reference for Students and Healthcare Professionals
Medical and Education
App
Reproductive and Urinary Anatomy Atlas is a quick visual reference on male and female reproductive...
The Midwife's Here: The Enchanting True Story of One of Britain's Longest Serving Midwives
Book
The Sunday Times bestseller 'Delivering my first baby is a memory that will stay with me forever....
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated I Couldn't Love You More in Books
Jul 1, 2021
A very confusing book. Timelines all over the place and changing between there different characters meant that I spent most of the first half of the book confused about what was happening and how old certain characters were at that point in the story.
The story follows three women Aoife, Rosaleen and Kate, who are three generations of the same family. Throughout the book Aoife is wondering where her daughter has gone as she seems to have vanished without a trace after coming home one Christmas and then never to be heard from again. Rosaleen has her own secret, that she is pregnant with a married man’s baby and finds herself going to a convent to have her baby, and this book sheds some light on the horrors that unmarried mothers had to suffer before and after giving birth and having their babies taken from them. Kate was adopted and is trying to find out information about her birth mother whilst also trying to cope with her husband who spends most of his time “with the band” and coming back drunk most nights.
The story was an interesting look at how the Catholic Church dealt with expectant mothers who weren’t married, and although you’d think going to a convent for help they would be well looked after, it didn’t work out that way at all. But I did find that it was unnecessarily confusing and jumped around with the timelines quite a lot.
I found myself not wanting to sit down and carry on with the book, but I did persevere with it because I wanted to know how it turned out. The writing was beautiful and some of the descriptions really did make you feel like you were there. The ending seemed quite rushed and after 95% of the book being emotional and there not seeming like there would be a happy ending, the last few pages of the book seemed to solve everything quickly. It would have been nice to have a few more pages around that and questions answered around whether Aoife ever found out what happened to her daughter.
Thank you to Esther and Pigeonhole for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.
The story follows three women Aoife, Rosaleen and Kate, who are three generations of the same family. Throughout the book Aoife is wondering where her daughter has gone as she seems to have vanished without a trace after coming home one Christmas and then never to be heard from again. Rosaleen has her own secret, that she is pregnant with a married man’s baby and finds herself going to a convent to have her baby, and this book sheds some light on the horrors that unmarried mothers had to suffer before and after giving birth and having their babies taken from them. Kate was adopted and is trying to find out information about her birth mother whilst also trying to cope with her husband who spends most of his time “with the band” and coming back drunk most nights.
The story was an interesting look at how the Catholic Church dealt with expectant mothers who weren’t married, and although you’d think going to a convent for help they would be well looked after, it didn’t work out that way at all. But I did find that it was unnecessarily confusing and jumped around with the timelines quite a lot.
I found myself not wanting to sit down and carry on with the book, but I did persevere with it because I wanted to know how it turned out. The writing was beautiful and some of the descriptions really did make you feel like you were there. The ending seemed quite rushed and after 95% of the book being emotional and there not seeming like there would be a happy ending, the last few pages of the book seemed to solve everything quickly. It would have been nice to have a few more pages around that and questions answered around whether Aoife ever found out what happened to her daughter.
Thank you to Esther and Pigeonhole for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.
ClareR (5996 KP) rated The Familiars in Books
Jul 14, 2019 (Updated Jul 14, 2019)
The fact that this book is based on true events makes it all the more harrowing, in my opinion. When people ask “What era would you like to visit or live in?”, I pretty much always answer “I’m fine just where I am. I rather like the antibiotics, general freedom and option not to be hung and/ or burned as a witch, thanks very much”. I do however, very much like reading about the past, and this gives a fascinating insight to the Pendle Hill Witch Trials.
Fleetwood is seventeen years old and pregnant for the fourth time. Her three previous pregnancies have all resulted in stillbirth or miscarriage, and she has found letters from a doctor to her husband, saying that she will not survive another. She meets Alice Grey, who is a midwife, by chance. Alice promises to help her give birth to a living child, and assures her that she will survive the birth.
The fact that Alice is a midwife leaves her vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft, and accused she is. Fleetwood is adamant that she will save her as she is her friend and the only person who will be able to save hers and her baby’s lives. No one takes Fleetwood seriously though; when they do take her seriously, they expect her to go home and knuckle down to the more womanly pursuits of child bearing and being a wife.
Fleetwoods frustration is described so well - no one will listen, and no one will help. It’s such a tense atmosphere - Fleetwood just wants to help,her friend, and there are so many obstacles in the way. Even her social standing is no deterrent if someone were to accuse her of witchcraft if she becomes too troublesome (there’s the example of Margaret Pearson in the story, whose maid accused her of having a toad as a familiar, and spent time in the stocks before being imprisoned)
I really enjoyed this book, and I’ll be waiting for whatever the author writes next (I’m on the mailing list!).
Many thanks to Readers First for my copy of this book.
Fleetwood is seventeen years old and pregnant for the fourth time. Her three previous pregnancies have all resulted in stillbirth or miscarriage, and she has found letters from a doctor to her husband, saying that she will not survive another. She meets Alice Grey, who is a midwife, by chance. Alice promises to help her give birth to a living child, and assures her that she will survive the birth.
The fact that Alice is a midwife leaves her vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft, and accused she is. Fleetwood is adamant that she will save her as she is her friend and the only person who will be able to save hers and her baby’s lives. No one takes Fleetwood seriously though; when they do take her seriously, they expect her to go home and knuckle down to the more womanly pursuits of child bearing and being a wife.
Fleetwoods frustration is described so well - no one will listen, and no one will help. It’s such a tense atmosphere - Fleetwood just wants to help,her friend, and there are so many obstacles in the way. Even her social standing is no deterrent if someone were to accuse her of witchcraft if she becomes too troublesome (there’s the example of Margaret Pearson in the story, whose maid accused her of having a toad as a familiar, and spent time in the stocks before being imprisoned)
I really enjoyed this book, and I’ll be waiting for whatever the author writes next (I’m on the mailing list!).
Many thanks to Readers First for my copy of this book.
That Reminds Me
9.0
Rate It
Book
WINNER OF THE DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE 2020 ___________________________________ 'A dreamy,...
Jenny Houle (24 KP) rated The Toddler Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Whiny Unfed in Books
Jan 13, 2018
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for an unbiased review.
Basically written much like a zombie survival guide, THE TODDLER SURVIVAL GUIDE is meant to amuse while showing parents how to basically toddler proof their lives. Helpful reminders about needing to step up the baby proofing because toddlers can and will climb EVERYTHING are sprinkled throughout the humor, etc.
As a non-parent surrounded by the parents of toddlers (and a few almost toddlers), the book made me laugh until I almost peed my pants, thinking of the horror stories they tell. It's like a built in birth control book, as if my friends' stories were not that enough already.
The book would be a great present for those parents who need to be reminded their struggles are not unique and they are not completely alone (all though, realistically, those parents don't have time to read a book). I'd also say it's a must read for those deciding if they are ready to have kids :-)
Basically written much like a zombie survival guide, THE TODDLER SURVIVAL GUIDE is meant to amuse while showing parents how to basically toddler proof their lives. Helpful reminders about needing to step up the baby proofing because toddlers can and will climb EVERYTHING are sprinkled throughout the humor, etc.
As a non-parent surrounded by the parents of toddlers (and a few almost toddlers), the book made me laugh until I almost peed my pants, thinking of the horror stories they tell. It's like a built in birth control book, as if my friends' stories were not that enough already.
The book would be a great present for those parents who need to be reminded their struggles are not unique and they are not completely alone (all though, realistically, those parents don't have time to read a book). I'd also say it's a must read for those deciding if they are ready to have kids :-)
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Silver Sparrow in Books
May 10, 2018
Two women, two daughters. One who can speak openly about her father, one who has to hide who her father is. He isn't even named correctly on her birth certificate. One knows about the other, one is in the dark. When the two of them become friends, what will be revealed about each others lives that makes this friendship seem a little odd.
Dana & Chaurisse are sisters. James Witherspoon is their father. They are only a few months apart in age. They live in the same town, and often cross paths. Dana misses out on a lot of things because her father doesn't want her to run into Chaurisse and expose this secret. But living in the same town, this secret won't stay secret for long. How will Chaurisse act when she find out the girl she has befriended is really her sister. That her father has been living a double life all these years. That she has been running into her sister and her mother all her life, but never realized that these people were of any significance to her.
Dana & Chaurisse are sisters. James Witherspoon is their father. They are only a few months apart in age. They live in the same town, and often cross paths. Dana misses out on a lot of things because her father doesn't want her to run into Chaurisse and expose this secret. But living in the same town, this secret won't stay secret for long. How will Chaurisse act when she find out the girl she has befriended is really her sister. That her father has been living a double life all these years. That she has been running into her sister and her mother all her life, but never realized that these people were of any significance to her.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) in Movies
Mar 4, 2018 (Updated Mar 4, 2018)
The original Hammer horror movie; the studio did actually know how to spell 'experiment', but the title refers to the 'X' certificate that all self-respecting horror films had at the time this was made. Astronaut comes back from space a changed man; the rest of his crew mysteriously vanished - just what went on out there? Professor Q must figure it out before the mutation afflicting the astronaut reaches its final form.
Actually really, really tame as a horror movie by modern standards, obviously, but also of great historical interest as the birth of a legend in British cinema. One can't help suspecting the TV show was a lot more thoughtful, but this still works pretty well as an SF movie, and an influential one at that, and the juxtaposition of B-movie SF ideas and images with post-war Britain is interesting. Imported American star Brian Donlevy is not very good as Professor Q (original writer Nigel Kneale claimed he was on the sauce all the time); Richard Wordsworth is mesmerising as the doomed astronaut.
Actually really, really tame as a horror movie by modern standards, obviously, but also of great historical interest as the birth of a legend in British cinema. One can't help suspecting the TV show was a lot more thoughtful, but this still works pretty well as an SF movie, and an influential one at that, and the juxtaposition of B-movie SF ideas and images with post-war Britain is interesting. Imported American star Brian Donlevy is not very good as Professor Q (original writer Nigel Kneale claimed he was on the sauce all the time); Richard Wordsworth is mesmerising as the doomed astronaut.