southtyneside.info

Eternal grief…

Catherine and Jack are seven and nine years old when they take the old rowing boat out on the river. As water seeps between the boards, Catherine realises they will not make it to shore, and she holds her brother in her arms as the river claims them... it is with this devastating and pivotal scene that Tricia Wastvedt begins her assured and complex debut.

The drowning of Isabel and Jack MacKinnon's children will blight their lives forever. Their love and marriage ostensibly ended, they are locked together by their pain and anger for thirty years following the accident... but then Anna comes to town.

Passive, silly Anna is single and pregnant, and Isobel takes her in. Who could begin to understand how the birth of Anna's baby will shatter three decades of delicate equilibrium and rock the tiny community of Cameldip?

With a vivid sense of place and a fascinating array of characters, Tricia Wastvedt brings us one of the most evocative and exciting debuts for today's women readers.

This book is set in the early 20th Century.

Eric, the main character in this book, embarks on a mission to find out about his grandparents life. His grandfather, Davey, leaves the Cornish mines along with fellow miners to go to the silver mines of Mexico.

Davy's sweetheart from Cornwall, whose name was Betty, travelled as a companion with a wealthy family, for the long sea voyage. They marry and amongst much unrest and violence in the country, Betty gives birth to a son, but tragically loses her own life.

Eric finds out about their lives and researches the history, culture and rituals of Mexico. He searches for his grandmother's grave and on the 'Feast of the Dead Day' he wonders round the cemetery and he is suddenly confronted by a ghostly presence who is his grandmother. She beckons him to follow her, but obviously she disappears through a wall and he couldn't go with her.

A spiritual vibrant novel of past lives and the afterlife.

Topical 'nature v nurture'' debate from a new perspective.

Disturbing, compelling and traumatic, for the reader this is, not the character! This novel makes you question your own judgements, but cleverly the author never makes her own known.

If you can get past the 'words' (and yes, I know it's a book!), it's definitely worth the haul.

I couldn't breath through the last letter/chapter!.

The Remedy is more than a love story, set in 1785, which takes place between Venice and London.

It is the tale of Valentine Greatrakes, a London gentleman, businessman of ill repute, with a trade in importing goods from Venice and creating medicinal remedies and a penchant for prostitutes, and Mimosina Dolcezza – a Venetian actress with even more secrets than Valentine.

The love story of Valentine and Mimosina is intertwined with a murder investigation of Valentine's best friend and business partner. Tom, who's body is discovered in a back alley in Venice with a fish sticking out of it's mouth and no trace of the murder weapon.

The story then goes on to be a dark and atmospheric tale of kidnap, abduction, playhouses, espionage and quack remedies, culminating in the use of the world's best murder weapon (a weapon so simple I can't believe it hasn't been used before).

I found 'The Remedy' to be an excellent read after I had suffered the first hundred or so pages which were really confusing. The story is told from the point of view of Mimosina, in the first person which is enthralling and easily readable. However, Valentine's side of the story is told third person and is much more laboured to read.

I found this hard to adjust to, as I just wanted to skip the Valentine parts and go straight to Mimosina, but it was definitely worth sticking with.

I would recommend 'The Remedy' as a good atmospheric, dark historic read.

From ancient Chinese alchemy, the Finnish court of 1600, to the present day, where two-year-old Ursula is trapped down the Colorado mine, where her great grandfather died as a young man.

A beautifully crafted book, containing a myriad of stories, bound together by the tale of the attempt to rescue Ursula.

If you want a local connection, even Bede gets a mention.

An atmospheric, if rather gloomy book about a dying man, Frank, relating events of a particular childhood summer.

The story, set in a small cottage bedroom, has an intense feel as tragic memories unfold during Frank's morphine induced reminiscences which in turn are intertwined with Biblical stories, fables and local legends.

As haunting as the book is, it's monosyllabic dialogue, although successfully portraying Frank's emotions for his children, makes for a rather sparse plot lacking in any real substance.

A brave novel, maybe more suited as a radio play.

Ellie receives news that her father who she hasn't seen for 25 years, has died. She travels back to Kenya, her childhood home, to find out about her father's dark secrets and to face the past.

The novel takes you back to the 1960's and colonial Kenya and tells the story of Ellie's parents Helen and John Cameron. The novel was hugely enjoyable and it was interesting to read about the changing face of Kenya.

I'm sorry, but I could not read this book. I read up to page 70 and felt traumatized with what I had read (read pages 67-70). This is too realistic. I deal with children who go through very similar experiences every day of their lives.

I cried when I read this, as I know children who are currently experiencing the exact same situa-tions. This book is excellently written from the point of view of the child, but it is too close to the bone.

I was appalled reading it because of the emotions/feelings it produced within me. I was scared, upset and I truly felt traumatised by it. On the other hand, at least this book covers child abuse from the point of view of the child.

It will make a 'child hating' adult for once in their life see situations through a child's eye.

That can't be a bad thing. Perhaps paedophiles should be given this to read, to try and help children all across the world. Perhaps I'm too sensitive?

Well, I liked lots of things about this book, the candid no holds barred writing about 'odd' people, no social stereo types and yes, it's a good story - not the best book I've ever read though.

Intriguing story set in an elderly people's residence.

There is a dark secret to be discovered and refurbishments to be paid for - blackmail is the answer.

Although I had to persevere at first, the story hooked me and I waited to find out what happened to the residents and then interesting times.

The synopsis of the book interested me, but it lingered in the descriptive. An era I'm thankful as a woman, I wasn't born in!

The author has indeed captured the atmosphere of the world beneath the streets of London, so much so that this reader could not get past the stink. I physically gagged at one point.

I failed to get into the story purely because I could not overcome my horror of the setting and the graphic description of the sewers and the contents.

Dare I say a man would probably enjoy this more than a woman because of the engineering element involved in creating the sewerage system in the first place and the Crimea war element. Sorry, but it was not for me.

… Only truly happy when her father Horatio came to spend time with her.

Her escape into a world of vivid imagination sees her through a childhood of constant change and upheaval with the woman she would never accept could be her mother.

An insight into a fascinating period of history and of Lady Hamilton's fall from grace.

Beautifully recaptured.

A family saga based around a Catholic family over a 60-year period.

Each chapter is based on a different family member.

The beginning of the story is very intriguing, although a little slow.

The middle, then becomes far too cramped and unbelievable and the end, poor and cheesy - very poor!

This is a novel which functions on many different levels. It is humorous, compassionate and horrifying in it's depiction of life in the Ukraine, in the 1930's and 1940's.

The way in which Nadia's parents' story is tantalising, presented in small snippets. Interspersed with the present - is a clever ploy.

We realise why Nikolao is the man he is. As such, we grow in sympathy towards "Big Sis" Vera and see what made her the person she is today. Valentina is quite repulsive, but she, too, is presented in such a way that we do have some sympathy for her.

This is a book which makes compelling reading and despite the odd title, is a study of a family shaped and scarred by war and refugee status. I can recommend it as a thoroughly good read.