Janet Posted September 19, 2012 Author Share Posted September 19, 2012 I'm the first to admit that I threw up my hands in horror when it was announced he was taking over from Johnnie Walker on R2's 'Drivetime' show - and I simply couldn't believe how much I loved his show and how badly I'd misjudged him - or maybe he'd just grown up. There is a first part called It's Not What You Think which needs to be read first if you do fancy trying him - this one picks up where that one left off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 19, 2012 Author Share Posted September 19, 2012 Stardust by Neil Gaiman The ‘blurb’ Life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall - named after the imposing stone barrier which separates the town from a grassy meadow. Here, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the beautiful Victoria Forester and for the coveted prize of her hand, Tristran vows to retrieve a fallen star and deliver it to his beloved. It is an oath that sends him over the ancient wall and into a world that is dangerous and strange beyond imagining... Tristian Thorn loves Victoria Forester. After walking her home one evening he asks for a kiss. She tells him that if he brings her a star that they have just watched falling into the land of faerie then she will give him a kiss and her hand in marriage. The problem is that nobody is allowed to leave the town of Wall apart from one day every nine years on May Day when the meadow beyond the town walls hosts a market and the people of Wall are allowed to pass through the wall. But with a remarkable display of cunning (and a bit of help from his father) he manages to get past the guards. And so begins Tristan’s remarkable adventure. But Tristan isn’t the only one looking for the fallen star, and he must pit his wits against witches and strange men and all sorts of untold dangers in order to bring the star back to Wall and to the woman he loves. What a wonderfully charming book this is. I loved it so much! I don’t tend to read a lot of fantasy (in fact, apart from The Hobbit that I read years ago, I can’t think that I’ve read any fantasy novels until last year when I read Gaiman’s children’s book, The Graveyard Book ) so I wasn’t really sure how I would get on with it, but the truth is that it’s such a beautiful story, and so well written, that I found it hard to put down. I’d definitely like to read some more Gaiman so if anyone can recommend what to choose of his next I’d be very grateful (but not until my ‘to read’ pile has reduced substantially!). (Finished 31 July 2012) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 19, 2012 Author Share Posted September 19, 2012 The Enormous Room by e e cummings The ‘blurb’ Unjustly accused of treason during World War I, an American ambulance driver records the horrors of his imprisonment and reveals the corruption and stupidity of French officials. There seems to be some confusion over the classification of this book. Some sites classify it as non-fiction and some as 'autobiographical fiction'. However, whether it is embellished by E E Cummings or not, it is still based on real events and real people so I would consider it non-fiction. I downloaded this freebie onto my Kindle for my Decades Challenge – this was the last book on that challenge. The book tells of Cummings’ time in a French prison during WW1. I must admit that I didn’t really realise that America was involved in WW1. Considering I did a module in A Level English lit a few years ago that centred around literature of WW1 I felt rather ignorant! The only thing I knew about Cummings was his use of lower case in his name – I’m not familiar with is poetry! I’m afraid I found this book to be rather dull. To me it certainly didn’t live up to its potential. The main thing about this book is that it highlights my ignorance! Ah well. (Finished 5 August 2012) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Stardust by Neil Gaiman The ‘blurb’ Life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall - named after the imposing stone barrier which separates the town from a grassy meadow. Here, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the beautiful Victoria Forester and for the coveted prize of her hand, Tristran vows to retrieve a fallen star and deliver it to his beloved. It is an oath that sends him over the ancient wall and into a world that is dangerous and strange beyond imagining... Tristian Thorn loves Victoria Forester. After walking her home one evening he asks for a kiss. She tells him that if he brings her a star that they have just watched falling into the land of faerie then she will give him a kiss and her hand in marriage. The problem is that nobody is allowed to leave the town of Wall apart from one day every nine years on May Day when the meadow beyond the town walls hosts a market and the people of Wall are allowed to pass through the wall. But with a remarkable display of cunning (and a bit of help from his father) he manages to get past the guards. And so begins Tristan’s remarkable adventure. But Tristan isn’t the only one looking for the fallen star, and he must pit his wits against witches and strange men and all sorts of untold dangers in order to bring the star back to Wall and to the woman he loves. What a wonderfully charming book this is. I loved it so much! I don’t tend to read a lot of fantasy (in fact, apart from The Hobbit that I read years ago, I can’t think that I’ve read any fantasy novels until last year when I read Gaiman’s children’s book, The Graveyard Book ) so I wasn’t really sure how I would get on with it, but the truth is that it’s such a beautiful story, and so well written, that I found it hard to put down. I’d definitely like to read some more Gaiman so if anyone can recommend what to choose of his next I’d be very grateful (but not until my ‘to read’ pile has reduced substantially!). (Finished 31 July 2012) Great review! I read this a while ago and found that, although enjoyable, I prefer the film version of this book. The film is a little different from the book but I found it to have more energy than the book. I also found some of the vocabulary a little odd. I can't think of an example at the moment, but the author uses words that wouldn't have been used at time the novel is set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 19, 2012 Author Share Posted September 19, 2012 Just out of interest did you see the film before you read the book or vice versa? 99.9999% of the time I prefer the book, especially if I've read it first. In this case I had read the book first - I watched the film at the weekend. I thought the film was great, despite the differences but I'm wondering if doing it that way round is why I really loved the book - it might have been the other way round had I seen the film first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Just out of interest did you see the film before you read the book or vice versa? 99.9999% of the time I prefer the book, especially if I've read it first. In this case I had read the book first - I watched the film at the weekend. I thought the film was great, despite the differences but I'm wondering if doing it that way round is why I really loved the book - it might have been the other way round had I seen the film first. I saw the film first, then read the book. Maybe this had an effect on my opinions of the book. After all, if you have read a book first and then the film adaptation, it's never quite a good IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 I agree. I thought the film was excellent - great fun, despite a few changes to the story! I didn't know there was a film until fairly recently - it kept being shown on one of the Freeview channels and it took my willpower not to watch it first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 The Door by Magda Szabó The ‘blurb’ A young writer, struggling for success, employs an elderly woman called Emerence to be her housekeeper. From their first encounter it is clear that Emerence is no ordinary maid. Although everyone in the neighbourhood knows and respects her, no one knows anything about her private life or has ever crossed her threshold. Only a great drama in the writer's life prompts Emerence to unveil glimpses of her traumatic past - a past which sheds light on her peculiar behaviour. The Door brilliantly evokes the development of the bond between these two very different women, and the tragic ending to their relationship. I read this for my World Challenge for Hungary. The door of the title belongs to a woman called Emerence who is employed by a writer and her husband. Emerence is a kind of superwoman, despite being an old lady. It is she who sweeps the pavements when it’s snowing – she to whom the locals flock when they have a problem. The narrator and Emerence have a very volatile relationship. Emerence is set in her ways and often takes umbrage at what she sees as interference. She refuses to allow anyone into her home and is fiercely private and protective. It is only when the narrator’s husband becomes ill that Emerence lets some of her personal information out and this improves the bonds between employee and employer, although her behaviour is still unpredictable and Emerence is likely to blow up at the smallest thing. But then something happens to Emerence and believing she’s acting in the old lady’s best interests, the narrator takes action that will have terrible repercussions for both of them. I really enjoyed this book – it really got under my skin. The writing is moving – it must be a great translation by Len Rix. Emerence is a character unlike any other I have ever read. She’s not always likeable but she’s always Emerence – she doesn’t change her mind or her opinion in order to accommodate others. A very good read. (Finished 13 August 2012) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 Adventures on the High Teas: In Search of Middle England by Stuart Maconie The ‘blurb’ Everyone talks about 'Middle England'. Sometimes they mean something bad, like a lynch mob of Daily Mail readers, and sometimes they mean something good, like a pint of ale in a sleepy Cotswold village in summer twilight. But just where and what is Middle England? Stuart Maconie didn't know either, so he packed his Thermos and sandwiches and set off to find out... Loving the writing of Bill Bryson and Danny Wallace I thought I’d give Stuart Maconie a try. This says on the front cover ‘As funny as Bryson and as wise as Orwell’ – I saw this as a good sign so picked this one to try. I wasn’t disappointed. Maconie decides to find out what ‘Middle England’ really is. His first port of call is a place called Meriden which for years was considered to be equidistant from the sea on three sides and Scotland above and therefore the centre of England! It even has a plaque in honour of this ‘fact’, although it has since been usurped by Lindley Hall Farm in Leicestershire. He visits Meriden on a Sunday and finds it very quiet. The Spar shop is open but there is very little life in the village it seems. What it does have (apart from the erroneous plaque) is an unlikely sounding monument to all cyclists killed in the First World War and another commemorating the Triumph motorcycle factory that produced motorbikes here until 1983. From here Maconie travels through various locations in England from Bath, Tunbridge Wells and Slough to Knutsford and Buxton and plenty of places in between writing about the ordinary people – and some famous people too – that he meets along the way. The book is not just observations about people but is also filled with anecdotes and interesting facts about the places he goes to. He’s not as jocular as Bryson but he writes with warmth and with knowledge – I learned a lot of facts about England that I didn’t know. I will definitely be reading some more of his books when I’ve reduced my ‘to read’ pile a bit further! Just one thing, Mr Maconie – if you think you can find Bath “as you drive in on the A6, [reclining] below you, like a Regency beauty on a chaise longue, demure and gorgeous” you are very much mistaken – you, as a northerner, should know where the A6 is! (Finished 4 September 2012) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Interesting review, Janet. I've just finished my first Bill Bryson (Notes From A Small Island) and I'm rather ambivalent about him, and in the answers to my questions for the Reading Circle discussion I've just said I would recommend Maconie over Bryson! I'm glad you'll be reading more Maconie though, I've just bought one of his recent ones, Hope and Glory, so I'll be reading that shortly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 I didn't mean the "not as jocular as Bryson" comment to come across as a criticism. Most people I know who've read him love Bryson but his style isn't for everyone. Maconie definitely feels more 'grown up' to me. I like both but I don't think they're comparable apart from the fact they both write travelogues. I think Bryson's are definitely a lighter read - I felt this had more substance, if you see what I mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 No, sorry, I didn't mean you did either, but I think I'm on the same wavelength as Maconie, and I definitely laughed and smiled more with Maconie than I did with Bryson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 I think Down Under is my favourite Bryson - if you're going to give him another go perhaps try that one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 21, 2012 Author Share Posted September 21, 2012 I went over to see my Mum today and she'd bought me The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey because she found it in the Lion's Charity Book Shop for 50p and knew I wanted to read it. My current 'to read' pile now stands at 80! Not my fault though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 I went over to see my Mum today and she'd bought me The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey because she found it in the Lion's Charity Book Shop for 50p and knew I wanted to read it. My current 'to read' pile now stands at 80! Not my fault though... What a find .. get in Mrs Moon! Lovely book Janet .. hope you enjoy it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 What a find .. get in Mrs Moon! Lovely book Janet .. hope you enjoy it Thanks. Isn't she clever?!! I'm considering saving it until my turn to choose my Book Club's next book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls The ‘blurb’ Lily Casey Smith is a sassy, straight-talking heroine for whom saving lives, taming wild horses and beating ranch hands at poker are all in a day’s work. Born in 1901, in a dirt house in the rolling gritty grassland of Texas, at the age of six she is helping her father to break horses. At fifteen she leaves home to teach in a town five hundred miles away, riding there on her pony, all alone. Her pearl handled shooter by her side, her father’s advice rings in her ears: ‘Keep your head up, your nose clean and your powder dry, and if you have to shoot, shoot straight. Lily handles everything that life throws at her – flash floods and tornadoes, the Great Depression, a swindling husband and the most heartbreaking personal tragedy – with immense courage and determination and a wide, wide smile. This is a fictional account of a hardened rancher called Lily Casey Smith, written by her granddaughter, Jeannette Walls based on stories passed on through the family. It was chosen by a member of our Book Club who thought we might be able to compare it with our previous read, Twopence to Cross the Mersey by Helen Forster. However the two weren’t really comparable. Helen and her siblings suffered great hardship; at times going without food for days and having to wear rags and live in one tiny, shabby room. Their father couldn’t get work and their mother had a breakdown. Lily on the other hand, despite living in a small dirt house originally moved to better surroundings and her life was much more comfortable than Helen’s. Lily left home to forge her own way in life at the age of fifteen – she survived because of her exceptionally strong character. She eventually married and life was quite comfortable for her, although the family’s lifestyle meant that Lily’s daughter, Rose Mary (the author’s mother), was quite flighty. This book caused mixed reviews at Book Club. Personally I much preferred Helen Forester’s story which felt more real. I suppose that’s because hers was autobiographical whereas Lily’s story is only ‘based’ on her life. I didn’t think Lily was a particularly nice person so I struggled to warm to her, and therefore the book. Had it not been a Book Club read I probably wouldn’t have bothered! (Finished 11 September 2012) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass, Christian Speaker Aged 45¾ by Adrian Plass The ‘blurb’ Adrian Plass lovers got their initial baptism of laughter through his bestseller "The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass" (aged 37). The author's account of 'serious spiritual experiences' naturally made him in demand as a public speaker - so of course another diary was inevitable. "The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass", Christian Speaker (aged 45) continues the misadventures of Adrian's fictional alter-ego. As Plass gathers regularly with his support group, we meet old friends, including his longsuffering wife, Anne; son Gerald, now grown but no less irrepressible; loony and loveable Leonard Thynn; Edwin, the wise church elder; and Richard and Doreen Cook, who are just as religious as ever. We also meet some new characters, such as Stephanie Widgeon, who only seems to have one thing to say, ever...and who knows, we might even find out why Leonard Thynn borrowed Adrian's cat all those years ago. I really enjoyed Adrian’s first diary. This is more of the same – fictional, but taken from observations based on people whom the ‘real’ Adrian Plass knows - with the names changed to spare their blushes! It wasn’t as good as the first diary – probably because it lacked the originality of that one – but nonetheless it was a good read. The characters are still the same – some of them have changed for the better and some have developed (particularly Adrian’s ‘son’ Gerald, who, whilst still the joker of the pack, has had something of an epiphany – a fact not revealed until towards the end of the book). It didn’t make such an impression on me as the first diary. Whilst I felt that the original diary could be enjoyed by non-Christians too, I feel they might well have had enough in that first journal and wouldn’t really enjoy it because it’s “more of the same”. Adrian has written quite a few books – I’ve just finished another (non-diary) one. I’m not sure I shall actively seek out any more – certainly not at present, but in the future who knows? (Finished 15 September 2012) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 26, 2012 Author Share Posted September 26, 2012 Today I finished The Thoughts & Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals by Wendy Jones. To read reduction 7/85 - 26.09.12 - 78 remaining Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Today I finished The Thoughts & Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals by Wendy Jones. To read reduction 7/85 - 26.09.12 - 78 remaining Ooh .. I bought this home from the library .. did I do the right thing Janet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 26, 2012 Author Share Posted September 26, 2012 Oh yes, most definitely! I think you'll love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 Memoirs of a Fruitcake by Chris Evans The ‘blurb’ Take one successful young DJ (as fresh as you can get). Add a £225 million business deal. Season with friends, bosses, hangers-on and lovers (don’t be stingy with these, the more the merrier). Then do the same with a passionate love affair and an unexpected wedding. Slowly add a tanker load of lager, several hundred cases of wine and anything else you might have in the drinks cupboard until it turns into a blurry, frenetic mess. Add as many of the rarest Ferraris as you dare to taste. Place in an ever-more stressful environment where every move is scrutinised by the tabloid press. Turn up heat to maximum and take cover. One total fruitcake coming right up Chris Evans is like Marmite – you either love him or you hate him! I’m firmly in the first camp, but it wasn’t always that way. I liked him when he was on the Big Breakfast, but when his ego became bigger than him I went right off him. He was always in the papers for some controversial reason or other whether it was his whirlwind marriage to the young singer Billie Piper or his sacking from the Radio 1 breakfast show after he went AWOL from the programme - and when it was announced some years later that Evans was taking over the Radio 2 Drivetime programme I was sure I’d hate it – but I didn’t. Evans had changed and his new persona was definitely more agreeable. The second part of his memoirs picks up where the first left off. It’s 1997 and Evans is working at Virgin Radio, presenting TFI Friday and living life to excess – it’s not long before he meets and marries Billie Piper in the well-publicised whirlwind romance. But a life of excess isn’t good for anyone and Chris spirals out of control and he will hit rock bottom before rising again! Having loved the first part of Chris Evans memoirs I couldn’t wait for this instalment and would have bought this if the back page was blank - as testified by the fact I didn’t read it until just now – the blurb is rather naff, isn’t it?!! This is written with the same honesty as the first book – Chris doesn’t blame anyone else for his behaviour and comes across as sincere when he admits his mistakes – it’s well-written and I really enjoyed it – I like Chris and I love his R2 breakfast show! (Finished 17 August 2012) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 An Alien at St Wilfred’s by Adrian Plass The ‘blurb’ Who wants to poison the organist? Why is the overhead projector so very annoyed? Who made the vicar burst into tears in his own pulpit? What on earth is happening with the church lighting? Why did four sane Anglicans meet on top of the tower in a raging storm? What is going on? It’s very simple. There is an alien at St Wilfred’s. This is the story of Nunc, the small alien, who comes to Earth and learns to speak in Prayer Book English… David Persimmon, a clergyman in The Church of England, feels strangely discontented. His faith is being tested to the limits (particularly by the infuriating organist Nigel Forsythe, with whom he clashed from the very start of his term in office at St Wilfred’s) and he’s just going through the motions. He preaches uninspired sermons and is constantly putting his foot in it and upsetting his parishioners with his flippant attitude. One day when he is at a particularly low point he meets Nunc, an alien who has learned his English from a prayer book. Nunc tells David to choose three people from his church to meet up with Nunc on a weekly basis. Each of the people whom David chooses has something in his or her heart that is stopping them from really connecting with God. Can Nunc help them put the past behind them, and can he particularly help David re-discover his faith and reconnect with his flock? This is a very simple story, told from the point of view of the four parishioners that Nunc vows to help. People who attend church (particularly Anglican) will identify with the characters in this book – they will know a Nigel – or their vicar might be a David. With Nunc’s help the four of them will be able to reconnect to the church and in turn might be able to go on and help others. Personally unlike some of Plass’s other books, I don’t think this book would appeal to people with no faith – but it might just give some food for thought for those who do. (Finished 19 September 2012) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted October 2, 2012 Author Share Posted October 2, 2012 The Thoughts & Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals by Wendy Jones The ‘blurb’ Everyone has to make decisions about love. In 1924, in the Welsh village of Narberth, undertaker Wilfred Price proposes to a girl he barely knows at a picnic. Almost instantly he knows he has made a mistake – he does not love her. He thinks it will be easy to extricate himself, but a chance meeting at a funeral and the revelation of a long-held secret complicates his world beyond recognition… Caught up in the moment, Wilfred ends up proposing to a young woman called Grace with whom he’s having a picnic. She doesn’t hesitate in accepting. As soon as the words are out of his mouth, Wilfred realises he’s made a terrible mistake and so he breaks the engagement. In the meantime he takes the funeral of the father of a young woman called Flora and, beguiled by her he asks her out on a date. But, through no fault of his own, Wilfred finds extricating himself from Grace is not as easy as he thought it would be. I was lucky enough to win this book through a competition on here (thanks, Michelle! ) and I’m so glad I did. I'm finding it impossible to say more without giving too much away so please do not read the spoiler unless you have read the book. After Wilfred breaks off his proposal, Grace can’t bring herself to tell her parents of the break up, for she’s hiding a terrible secret. Her brother, favoured by her father and overbearing mother, has for years abused Grace and she finds herself pregnant by him. Unable to bear the shame of being pregnant and unmarried, and unwilling to speak up about the incest, she leads her father to believe that the baby is Wilfred’s, and he in turn is forced to marry her. But things will not work out the way Grace hopes and things come crashing down around her. Wilfred’s mother died just four after giving birth and his father still grieves, but her premature death has made Wilfred and his Da incredibly close. Wilfred is naïve when it comes to matters of love and finds himself in a difficult situation forced to do the right thing. Wilfred is ambitious in his chosen career as a funeral director, but he finds it impossible to stand up to Grace’s father when he informs Wilfred that he and Grace will marry. Wilfred and Grace start married life together living with her parents but they fail to communicate with one another. Wilfred assumes that Grace has willingly slept with someone else and he hates her for trapping him, but gradually they do start to communicate and Grace tells Wilfred the shocking truth – the baby was fathered by her own brother. At first I didn’t like Grace for trapping Wilfred but I ended up feeling incredibly sorry for her. I also liked Wilfred and his Da. The sub-plot with Flora was great, although I would have liked to have learned a bit more about her – and I’d love to know how Grace fared after the end of the book. I’ve already given a lot away (if you’ve read the spoiler) so I won’t say any more about it – but Wendy Jones has captured the feeling of a 1920s rural Welsh town perfectly and her characters are rich and well-written. I also loved the gentle humour in it, especially this quote: “Wilfred didn’t know what marriage involved. Because his father was widowed, Wilfred had no insight into the day-to-day goings-on of marriage, hadn’t grown up enveloped in one. He imagined the worst ones were like Punch and Judy’s marriage. He’d seen the puppet show once on the annual Bethesda Chapel Sunday School outing to Saundersfoot – the man hit the woman, the woman nagged the man, and they lived with an alligator. ”. I found the story compelling, despite its gentleness and slightly slow pace – I was sad when it ended which is always the sign of a good book. I can’t recommend it highly enough. (Finished 26 September 2012) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted October 6, 2012 Author Share Posted October 6, 2012 Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper The ‘blurb’ Life has been nothing but unfair to Grace Parkes and her sister. Penniless, the two orphans manage to stay alive-but only barely, like so many on the streets of Victorian London. And Grace must bear a greater heartbreak, having become pregnant from terrible circumstances and then given birth to a stillborn baby. But the infant's death sets Grace on a new path, bringing her into contact with people who hold both riches and power. A great fraud has been perpetrated on young Grace and her sister, and they are the secret recipients of a most unusual legacy-if only they can find the means to claim it. Michelle kindly sent me this young adult novel after I mentioned that it was on my wish list. Grace and Lily have had to survive by themselves after father left to seek his fortune in the Americas and their mother then died. Although Lily is the elder, she has learning difficulties and so Grace has to take care of them both – they survive by selling watercress on the streets of London. Through no fault of her own, Grace finds herself pregnant and after her baby dies, Grace makes a trip to Brookwood Cemetery in order to hide the child in the coffin of a respectable woman to avoid the indignity of a pauper burial for the stillborn baby. Whilst there she meets a young man, James, who, enchanted by Grace, gives her his card and tells her that if she ever needs his help she is not to hesitate to call on him. On the same visit she is offered a job as a professional mourner for a large funeral company owned by the Unwin family, but she finds the proprietor unsavoury and as she and Lily are doing okay she declines the job. But fate steps in and Grace and Lily suddenly find themselves in desperate need of help and so Grace takes on the job and Lily is sent to work at the Unwin’s home as a maid. But the Unwin’s motives are not as innocent as they may seem and the girls find themselves in danger. This book is a young adult book and as such is rather obvious in places, but it was nevertheless very enjoyable. Mary Hooper wonderfully evokes the feeling of Victorian London and her characters have a very definite Dickensian feel about them. I have another of Hooper’s books, At the Sign of the Sugared Plum on my Kindle so I shall look forward to reading that at some stage. If you like the Victorian era and enjoy young adult books then Fallen Grace is definitely one to try – just as long as you accept the predictability of it. (Finished 28 September 2011) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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