A sweet novel with a slow, winding plot that takes a look back at Doris Alm’s life. Author, Sofia Lundberg writes about Doris Alms, now a 96 year old Swedish woman, who does not want to be thought of as old, who has lived a life full to the brim. She has lived through very tough times, the horrors of Word War II and also had some incredible adventures, being a fashion model in 1930s Paris. She starts off being sent away from a poor family into servitude as a maid at the age of 13. There, though she has to work very hard for her difficult employer, she meets some eccentric characters who will continue to shape the rest of her life. Some of the people she reminisces about she has been involved with for a short amount of time, others are recurring through different stages of her life.
Now, as Doris sits at home alone in her apartment waiting for the caretaker to come bring her a meal and help her take a shower, she recalls all the experiences of her life. To help her put her memories in order she writes about all the people who came and went along through this long life lived over the past eighty years. Reading each name in her red address book, she marks them off as dead and writes about their connections to her life. She is intent on recording her memories for her great niece.
Going through her address book everyone in her life is dead except for her great niece, Jenny. Jenny lives with her husband and three children across the ocean in San Francisco and visits with her Great Aunt, her only living relative, through Skype on a regular basis. Jenny is experiencing her own doubts and troubles, balancing being a mother to young children and questioning her marriage. In small segments we learn about Jenny's life and how the connection between Doris and Jenny developed and became such a strong family dynamic. Doris has some wonderful advice to share with Jenny from all her life experiences. My favorite piece of advice, "May there be enough sun to light up your days, enough rain to make you appreciate the sun."
We learn a bit of the lifestyles of the early nineteenth century as we hear about Doris's exploits. Though there is always someone to rescue her just in the nick of time, Doris works through being broke and unemployed in New York and being torpedoed on a ship during World War II. Some of the people she meets are helpful others are more dangerous. There is the Swede on the bus in New York who offers her a home, a sailor on a dark pier who helps her board the ship bound for Europe.
In the end it was a three tissue book. Lovely and sweet.
Monday, February 25, 2019
Sunday, February 24, 2019
The Last Brother
OK this is definitely a book I do not think I would have ever found on the shelves or picked up to read.... and yet it was a very interesting book.
Sometimes it is fun to follow a book challenge. This time by my local librarian to read a variety of books in exchange for raffle tickets to win prizes. I always love a challenge and so I dive in. Reading books outside my comfort zone and books that I would not have noticed otherwise.
This is one such book. It was already hidden away in the stacks, no longer a new book. It had escaped my lists and books I hope to read piles.
Written by Nathacha Appanah and translated from the French by Geoffrey Strachan, this is another of those little stories from World War II. This novel sheds light on a fascinating and little known, unexplored part of the history of the war . The author, a French Mauritian, from the African island of Mauritius tells the story of how the war came to this quite island.
Telling the story from his perspective now of a man of seventy, Raj recalls as a boy growing up first on at the edge of a sugar plantation, in the village of Mapou. He was the middle son of a violent father and a loving though defenseless mother. His father works in the cane fields as a laborer and the family lives in a camp next to the plantation. When the camp is destroyed during a horrendous rain storm the family moves across the island to Beau-Bassin. There Raj's father a bitter angry man gets work as a guard in a prison. That is all the family knows. Raj asks his mother later in life if she knew who was being held in the prison but she says she really did not know.
Raj has been brought up so secluded that he does not at the age of ten know that the prisoners here are Jews. He also does not even know that there is a world war going on. He will not put all the pieces together until he is an adult. All he knows is that his father is a very violent batterer.
He brings his father lunch at work int he afternoons. Raj climbs a tree and sees a boy his age behind the wire fence.
One day after a brutal beating Raj ends up int he prison hospital. There he meets the young boy he has been watching, David. When a storm hits the island, in the confusion and chaos Raj and David try to make their escape.
It is so interesting to read about how the ship, Atlantic, carrying 1,500 Jewish exiles, landed at Port-Louis after being turned away from entry into Palestine. Among the passengers on board were Poles, Austrians and Czechs. Of the 1,500 Jewish passengers, 127 of died during their interment at Mauritius, then a British colony. They are buried at Saint- Martin cemetery.
Sometimes it is fun to follow a book challenge. This time by my local librarian to read a variety of books in exchange for raffle tickets to win prizes. I always love a challenge and so I dive in. Reading books outside my comfort zone and books that I would not have noticed otherwise.
This is one such book. It was already hidden away in the stacks, no longer a new book. It had escaped my lists and books I hope to read piles.
Written by Nathacha Appanah and translated from the French by Geoffrey Strachan, this is another of those little stories from World War II. This novel sheds light on a fascinating and little known, unexplored part of the history of the war . The author, a French Mauritian, from the African island of Mauritius tells the story of how the war came to this quite island.
Telling the story from his perspective now of a man of seventy, Raj recalls as a boy growing up first on at the edge of a sugar plantation, in the village of Mapou. He was the middle son of a violent father and a loving though defenseless mother. His father works in the cane fields as a laborer and the family lives in a camp next to the plantation. When the camp is destroyed during a horrendous rain storm the family moves across the island to Beau-Bassin. There Raj's father a bitter angry man gets work as a guard in a prison. That is all the family knows. Raj asks his mother later in life if she knew who was being held in the prison but she says she really did not know.
Raj has been brought up so secluded that he does not at the age of ten know that the prisoners here are Jews. He also does not even know that there is a world war going on. He will not put all the pieces together until he is an adult. All he knows is that his father is a very violent batterer.
He brings his father lunch at work int he afternoons. Raj climbs a tree and sees a boy his age behind the wire fence.
One day after a brutal beating Raj ends up int he prison hospital. There he meets the young boy he has been watching, David. When a storm hits the island, in the confusion and chaos Raj and David try to make their escape.
It is so interesting to read about how the ship, Atlantic, carrying 1,500 Jewish exiles, landed at Port-Louis after being turned away from entry into Palestine. Among the passengers on board were Poles, Austrians and Czechs. Of the 1,500 Jewish passengers, 127 of died during their interment at Mauritius, then a British colony. They are buried at Saint- Martin cemetery.
Swimming in the Sink
This is a very interesting book about Lynne Cox, a world famous distance swimmer who faces a life threatening heart ailment and how she uses her swimming techniques to bring herself back to health.
Lynne Cox who has written this book and a few others about her swimming career, turns the microscope on herself when her body seems to let her down. As her heart starts to beat with AFIB and she seems to lose her abilities as an athlete, Lynne examines her reactions and wit the help of her friends is able to recapture and start building her swimming abilities again.
Also interesting that she is being studied to see how she adapts her body to swimming in frigid temperatures, when she participates in scientific testing that watches how her body reacts to extreme cold water. She has set records for speed and distance when swimming the English Channel, the Cook Strait and Beagle Channel between Argentina and Chile, helping to promote peaceful relations between the two countries.
It is interesting to read also because growing up in my family there were many distance swimmers and also all my cousins swam on swim teams. I always thought it was a family gene.
Fascinating to read how Lynne feels when she is in the water and what it means to her in relation to feeling alive.
Lynne Cox who has written this book and a few others about her swimming career, turns the microscope on herself when her body seems to let her down. As her heart starts to beat with AFIB and she seems to lose her abilities as an athlete, Lynne examines her reactions and wit the help of her friends is able to recapture and start building her swimming abilities again.
Also interesting that she is being studied to see how she adapts her body to swimming in frigid temperatures, when she participates in scientific testing that watches how her body reacts to extreme cold water. She has set records for speed and distance when swimming the English Channel, the Cook Strait and Beagle Channel between Argentina and Chile, helping to promote peaceful relations between the two countries.
It is interesting to read also because growing up in my family there were many distance swimmers and also all my cousins swam on swim teams. I always thought it was a family gene.
Fascinating to read how Lynne feels when she is in the water and what it means to her in relation to feeling alive.
Saturday, February 23, 2019
99 Per Cent Mine
Sally Thorne has written a cute romance novel that I must admit that I enjoyed. I would never have even given this book a second look, except that I needed a book with a number in the title to help complete my library winter book challenge. So there I went starting to read what I thought was a novel with a foolish premise. It is corny and a bit hokey, but then it is also sweet and entertaining for a snowy afternoon.
Thorne, says the cover of the book, is a "USA Today bestselling author" and this is her second book. The first being titled, The Hating Game. Maybe she is working through some of her own personal issues with these books.
In this novel we meet Darcy Barrett, who is a fraternal twin with a brother (he came first) Jamie.
There is competition between that goes back to the womb. Their best friend, Tom, has been the wedge and intervening force between them since they all became friends in childhood.
Jamie wants Tom to be his best friend, and Darcy has had a romantic crush on Tom for years, that she cannot put into words. Darcy plays the bad girl role to cover up her true feelings.
Tom is a contractor now by trade and has been hired by the twins to renovate their grandmother's house so they can put it on the market and sell. There are problems with the building project and there are obviously destructive problems that need to be torn down and rebuilt with all their interpersonal relationships.
We are routing for Tom and Darcy to tear down the misconceptions that seem forged in the past and build a new structure for a better relationship going forward.
Thorne, says the cover of the book, is a "USA Today bestselling author" and this is her second book. The first being titled, The Hating Game. Maybe she is working through some of her own personal issues with these books.
In this novel we meet Darcy Barrett, who is a fraternal twin with a brother (he came first) Jamie.
There is competition between that goes back to the womb. Their best friend, Tom, has been the wedge and intervening force between them since they all became friends in childhood.
Jamie wants Tom to be his best friend, and Darcy has had a romantic crush on Tom for years, that she cannot put into words. Darcy plays the bad girl role to cover up her true feelings.
Tom is a contractor now by trade and has been hired by the twins to renovate their grandmother's house so they can put it on the market and sell. There are problems with the building project and there are obviously destructive problems that need to be torn down and rebuilt with all their interpersonal relationships.
We are routing for Tom and Darcy to tear down the misconceptions that seem forged in the past and build a new structure for a better relationship going forward.
Monday, February 18, 2019
Silver Anniversary Murder
Another light fun murder mystery to entertain you while keeping warm during a snow storm.
Light and entertaining murder mystery to try and decide who the killer is before the end of the book.
Lucy Stone adventures far from her quiet Maine town, back to her home town of NYC to find out why her childhood friend may have jumped from a twenty story balcony to her death. Always interesting t see how an author can throw a few different plot lines in the story to keep you just that little bit off balance and then tie them all up in a bow at the end pulling together the different directions and giving you a twist with the killer and the reason in a neat package.
Leslie Meier brings us the 25th book in her series, Silver Anniversary Murder, about Lucy Stone and her nose for news. Working at the local PennySaver newspaper in her small Maine town, she snoops out murderers and solves crimes. Mostly in town but now she has taken us to NYC where crime can be around any corner.
Even with a few small inconsistencies, I felt I found about places in NY, it is a fun read on a snowy afternoon.
Light and entertaining murder mystery to try and decide who the killer is before the end of the book.
Lucy Stone adventures far from her quiet Maine town, back to her home town of NYC to find out why her childhood friend may have jumped from a twenty story balcony to her death. Always interesting t see how an author can throw a few different plot lines in the story to keep you just that little bit off balance and then tie them all up in a bow at the end pulling together the different directions and giving you a twist with the killer and the reason in a neat package.
Leslie Meier brings us the 25th book in her series, Silver Anniversary Murder, about Lucy Stone and her nose for news. Working at the local PennySaver newspaper in her small Maine town, she snoops out murderers and solves crimes. Mostly in town but now she has taken us to NYC where crime can be around any corner.
Even with a few small inconsistencies, I felt I found about places in NY, it is a fun read on a snowy afternoon.
Thursday, February 7, 2019
The Gown
The Gown written by, Jennifer Nobson is a book you will not want to put down until you have reached the end. If you are a fan of The Royals and historical fiction you will be enthralled. If you are like me and also love Holocaust, World War II fiction, you will be thrilled ; a book with everything even a little romance thrown in for good measure.
This is the story of the unsung women who sew and embroider the gowns that the upper classes and royal women wear for wonderful extravagant evenings out. These women who have been apprenticed out at a young age to learn the art of embroidery. Then they work for the best couture houses in Europe designing and embellishing dresses.
The setting is London in 1947. The war has ended and the world is trying to get back on its feet. Princess Elizabeth has announced her marriage to Lieutenant Phillip Mountbatten. It is guaranteed to bring some joy and excitement to the people of England during this dark time. Ann Hughes is the head embroider at the famous fashion house of Norman Hartwell that has been commissioned to create the wedding gown for Her Majesty and the wedding party. It is quite the honor. Miriam Dassin has recently joined the Hartwell fashion house after coming to England to recover from her horrific experiences during the Holocaust in France. She becomes the other embroider on the wedding gown working with Anne and they also become friends sharing a small pension house.
Anne and Miriam become friends and share secrets as they are stitching the beautiful dresses. We learn about the time period and the anticipation leading up to the royal wedding. Each of the girls meets a man who will be a possible romance. They will struggle with wondering if the men like them for themselves or are they possibly trying to get information about the tightly held secret of what the wedding gown will look like before the big day.
Heather Mackensie lives in Toronto Canada and has just lost her job, as a journalist, with a local magazine, when they have to cut back on the expenses. Her grandmother has recently died and she wonders about the beautiful embroidered flowers she finds in a box from her grandmother addressed to her. As she goes on a journey to find out more about her grandmother's past we learn the rest of the story of what happened to Ann Hughes after the royal wedding. Closing the gaps between
generations we are brought up to present day.
You are there in the small rental house with Ann and Miriam. Touring the streets of London and in the Hartwell fashion house as the dresses are being sewn. You are at the royal wedding as Elizabeth and Phillip say their vows. Then you are again in London with Heather as she searches for answers to the questions her grandmother would never answer. Beautifully written.
This is the story of the unsung women who sew and embroider the gowns that the upper classes and royal women wear for wonderful extravagant evenings out. These women who have been apprenticed out at a young age to learn the art of embroidery. Then they work for the best couture houses in Europe designing and embellishing dresses.
The setting is London in 1947. The war has ended and the world is trying to get back on its feet. Princess Elizabeth has announced her marriage to Lieutenant Phillip Mountbatten. It is guaranteed to bring some joy and excitement to the people of England during this dark time. Ann Hughes is the head embroider at the famous fashion house of Norman Hartwell that has been commissioned to create the wedding gown for Her Majesty and the wedding party. It is quite the honor. Miriam Dassin has recently joined the Hartwell fashion house after coming to England to recover from her horrific experiences during the Holocaust in France. She becomes the other embroider on the wedding gown working with Anne and they also become friends sharing a small pension house.
Anne and Miriam become friends and share secrets as they are stitching the beautiful dresses. We learn about the time period and the anticipation leading up to the royal wedding. Each of the girls meets a man who will be a possible romance. They will struggle with wondering if the men like them for themselves or are they possibly trying to get information about the tightly held secret of what the wedding gown will look like before the big day.
Heather Mackensie lives in Toronto Canada and has just lost her job, as a journalist, with a local magazine, when they have to cut back on the expenses. Her grandmother has recently died and she wonders about the beautiful embroidered flowers she finds in a box from her grandmother addressed to her. As she goes on a journey to find out more about her grandmother's past we learn the rest of the story of what happened to Ann Hughes after the royal wedding. Closing the gaps between
generations we are brought up to present day.
You are there in the small rental house with Ann and Miriam. Touring the streets of London and in the Hartwell fashion house as the dresses are being sewn. You are at the royal wedding as Elizabeth and Phillip say their vows. Then you are again in London with Heather as she searches for answers to the questions her grandmother would never answer. Beautifully written.
Friday, February 1, 2019
The Rabbi’s Wife Plays at Murder
What a fun find this I book is. Naomi Graetz wrote this book. She is an Israeli author of nonfiction literature on subjects of women’s issues. She has written about feminism in Judaism and the Jewish
perspective on domestic violence. The Rabbi’s Wife Plays at Murder, is a breakout book for her. This is a mystery with a somewhat feminist plot that brings the reader a Rabbi’s wife who does not want to be a Rebbetzin. She is not really feeling connected to the synagogue, she wants to have a separate life from her husband’s career. She is a mother and holds down a job as a college professor. She wants to have an equal relationship with her husband. She and her friends play tennis constantly. It is her escape from the trials and headaches of everyday life. When a woman is found dead in the park next to the tennis courts she and her tennis partners are interviewed by the police.
Interestingly, this is a mystery novel with all the ins and outs of a whodunit. Good twists and turns with quite a few characters. But also there are other interesting topics that are raised and give you food for thought as you are reading. For a simple mystery novel, there would some good conversation topics from this novel.
perspective on domestic violence. The Rabbi’s Wife Plays at Murder, is a breakout book for her. This is a mystery with a somewhat feminist plot that brings the reader a Rabbi’s wife who does not want to be a Rebbetzin. She is not really feeling connected to the synagogue, she wants to have a separate life from her husband’s career. She is a mother and holds down a job as a college professor. She wants to have an equal relationship with her husband. She and her friends play tennis constantly. It is her escape from the trials and headaches of everyday life. When a woman is found dead in the park next to the tennis courts she and her tennis partners are interviewed by the police.
Interestingly, this is a mystery novel with all the ins and outs of a whodunit. Good twists and turns with quite a few characters. But also there are other interesting topics that are raised and give you food for thought as you are reading. For a simple mystery novel, there would some good conversation topics from this novel.
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