We that are Left by Clare Clark

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 464

Source: Publisher

Genres: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publication date: October 13th, 2015

Read on: 1st to 12th of November, 2015

I was contacted by the publisher and offered a copy of this book for review. My opinions are my own and haven't been influenced in anyway by them

Thoughts: When I first received the e-mail from the publisher offering me to read this book, they compared it to Downtown Abbey. Now, I have never actually watched the series (cue gasp), but as you probably know by now, I do love a good Historical Fiction novel, so I accepted. I was happy I did.

The book opens in 1920, giving us an idea of what’s to come. But the real story starts in 1910 and follows for the most part the lives of Jessica and Phyllis Melville, two sisters that couldn’t be more different, and that of Oskar Grunewald, a shy, quiet boy that just might change both their faiths. Jessica, the youngest of the sisters, is more than happy with her privileged life, and sees working as a fun endeavour, something to do before finding herself a good husband. Phyllis on the other hand would be called “down to earth”, she wants to see the world, be independent and doesn’t care about going through hardships as long as she can achieve her goals. Oskar just loves numbers and is through this love that he will get to go to university. The three lives keep crossing through the years and as kids turn into adults, passions flare up, love gets a chance and secrets get uncovered.

Clare Clark has a great prose; captivating and she sure knows how to build the environment around her characters. All through the book, whether the scene was taking place in Ellunghurst or in London, the atmosphere created was impeccable. From description of the scenery to everyone’s clothes Clark takes her time to set you in England during the 1910s. The main characters were all interesting in their own way, from the spoiled Jessica, to the stubborn Phyllis, none of the characters was perfect, but they were all exciting to get to know better.

That said, at several points I felt like the whole story was taking too long to develop. Some of the side stories (I feel) didn’t really give enough to the whole body, at least not enough for the amount of time spend in them. For example, and avoiding spoilers, the whole ordeal with the medium, I felt that part could’ve been removed and still get the point across on Eleanor’s character.

I enjoyed the idea of knowing where the story was going to end, but not how we got there. This is a perfect example where is not the destination, but the way there that matters. I knowing what I know about Downtown Abbey, I do believe that people who love the series are the perfect target for this story.

Maud's Line by Margaret Verble

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 304

Source: Publisher

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publication date: July 14th, 2015

I was contacted by the publisher and offered a copy of this book for review. My opinions are my own and haven't been influenced in anyway by them

Thoughts: This is the debut novel of author Margaret Verble where she tells the story of Maud, an 18 year old Cherokee woman in the 1920s. Because Verble is part of the Cherokee nation herself I was excited to read this and hopefully gain a bit more perspective on this community. While it was a nice read I ended up with a feeling that I didn't learn much from it, which is the main reason why I'm only giving it 2/5.

Maud is indeed a very strong character, just as it is presented in the blurbs. She has to deal with the "regular" hardships of being a woman in the 1920s, dealing with his alcoholic and hot tempered father and at the same time with a brother that might be "too sensitive" for the time. Through that, and being of marrying age, she falls in and out of love.

There were a few glimpses of politics in the book, some brushes as to what the community was like, education (schooling) and structure wise but it wasn't very developed. The same was the case for Maud's love story. There was a bit of romance thrown into the mix, but, and I believe this is the case for several first authors, trying to put too many things in one single book, leaves most of this things undeveloped.

Verble does have a nice style of writing and, at least for me, it was a fast, enticing read. All characters were flawed and probably the thing I liked the most was the fact that Maud is very open about what she feels and wants sexually and in life in general. It's always nice to see a character speak their mind. 

 

The Evening Chorus by Helen Humphreys

Format: Paperback

Pages: 294

Series: NA

Source: Copy sent by the publisher for review.

Genres: Historical Fiction, WWII,

Publisher: Mariner Books (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Publication date: February 3rd 2015

The publisher contacted me and I received this book for free. This review is not sponsored nor influenced in anyway. Thanks to Mariner Books for the book.

First impression

Being my first book by the author I wasn’t sure what to expect as writing style, but I am very happy to say that hers is a very fluid one while at the same time conveying a lot of sentiment from her characters. The story, or stories rather, follow the life of 4 main characters that are affected by WWII in very different ways. Is the third book I read almost consecutively this year that takes place in this period and I have to say, while they were all very different, this is without a doubt the one I enjoyed the most. Not a happy book by any means but gratifying as read.

Final thoughts

Starting in 1940, the author presents the life of 4 individuals: James Hunter, a POW captive in his first mission, taciturn and very reserved; Rose Hunter, his wife who while waiting for his return has started to question whether she married the right person or not; Enid Hunter, his sister, who loses everything after her apartment is bombed; The Kommander, a German officer that will affect James’ life even after the war is over.

There is a lot of sorrow and hurt in these stories, all pushed to confrontation under the war circumstances. What is more, after the war is over and presented in the second part of the book (starting in 1950) they all will have to deal with their new lives and forced to carry on without the things they took for granted before the war.

Using the war as an inevitable influence of the time, Humphreys explore what we usually consider is love and how this sentiment might change when bigger things are taking place. I have to say, at first the jump in time took me by surprise and it took me a bit to get into the characters again, they felt so different somehow…but as I continued reading it just felt normal that they had changed.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for lovely story about relationships and how they can be affected by war and peace.

Solo en Berlín (Every Man Dies Alone) by Hans Fallada

Format: Paperback

Pages: 575

Series: NA

Source: Own

Genres: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Maeva

Publication date: June 2011 (Originally published in 1947 as Jeder stirbt für sich allein)

First impression

Set on Germany on the early 1940s and based on a true story, the author tells the story of the Quangels, a middle aged couple who lose their only child to war. Both were part of the Nazi party as workers but with this shock coming to their lives makes them question the whole regime. It is how they start writing post cards with anti fascist messages, questioning the Fuhrer and his actions and dropping them in places with high traffic in the hopes that their questioning might expand. The book also tells the story of their neighbours: a member of the SS forces, a Jewish widow, a pathetic tattletale with too much greed and even their post lady, who is tired of her drunken husband.

The book was actually written during the war, first published in 1946, which gave it a lot of realistic tones both in the characters and in the events going on. Unfortunately, I believe there was a lot lost in translation, particularly in the dialogues which made it hard for me to fully enjoy the read. I could feel all the important messages and nuances, but they felt buried under the effect of translation.

Final thoughts

Several members of my family read this book and fairly enjoyed it. I was not one of them. The main characters where very well constructed both as individuals and as a couple. When the book was describing what they would do and their thoughts I would be engrossed and amazed at them...but then the dialogues would come and somehow they speech seemed forced or even fake. I feel the need to point out here that the version I was reading was a translation in Spanish from Spain (or Castilian if you prefer) so my brain couldn't overlook the expressions used and the sentence construction so different from my own. Sadly, this carried all through the book and I would find myself wanting to put the book down or even wanting to skip the dialogues.

I also felt, that while the secondary characters gave extra perspectives of the war itself, there were too many of them and while the author certainly tried to give a deeper view of all of them some of them felt (to me) like a half baked idea. You can argue that books as LOTR have tons of secondary characters, and off course you would be right, but they are treated as secondary characters all along, and hence if their story ends, it doesn't feel like someone just turned off a switch all of the sudden. With Fallada's secondary characters, the feeling was that they might actually become main characters so when their parts were over I was left with an unfulfilled feeling.

The other thing that made it hard for me to engage was the pacing of the book; the first ¾ of the book felt extremely slow, while I will admit that there was a lot of build up, but more than once I considered DNF because I could not get fully engaged. My family encouraged me to continue and it is true that when I arrived to the last part of the book, the rhythm certainly picked up but it still felt a little too late.

One thing that set this book apart from other war books I've read is the keen eye Fallada had to describe human's nature, not just in the extremes moments but everyday situations.

The book was put together by the author in 24 days, a bit before his dead at age 81. It is considered to one of the first anti-Nazi novel, and it is particular not only by the fact that it is based on real facts, but because it was written by a German author, right after the war. All of this is still remarkable. However I can't in all honestly say that the book gave me more than I was expected and to a point it was limit to what I thought it would be. I would recommend this book to people that enjoy war stories with a very realistic (and sad I have to add) feel.

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Format: Audio
Lenght: 13 hrs and 46 mins 
Series: NA
Source: Audible
Genres: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication date: January 7th, 2014 

First impression

I had heard so many wonderful things about this book, ever since it came about, almost a year ago but hadn't gotten around to reading it. During the holidays, I had some extra time and had an extra credit on Audible, so I went for it.

The story is told from 2 POVs: Sarah Grimcke, the daughter of a plantation owner in Charleston and Hetty "Handful" Grimcke, a slave for the family. The 2 girls grow together, very close on age, and the develop something close to a friendship. Both prisoners in very different ways, both trying to break free from the roles society has imposed on them. They grow up to be strong women still in each other's life, until the end and end up helping the other out in ways they didn't see coming.

The role of Sarah Grimcke is based on a real character of the early abolitionist movement, and the author is very clear about the fact that there was a lot of fiction added to this story, the final product being a very emotional and touching story.

Final thoughts

I haven't read The Secret Life of Bees so this is my first contact with the author's style, but now I want to get my hands on her previous books. Speckled with historic facts, this novel takes the reader through the first steps of the abolition movement through the eyes of Sarah, who is not only fighting against slavery but also against the set ideas against women. On the other hand, Hatty represents the hardest conditions, being a slave AND a woman: the description of punishments, mistreatments and her life in general are heartbreaking, even more so when you think about the fact that this is perfectly realistic to how slaves were treated.

The book is presented in several parts, all of them representing a couple of years of the girls/women story, beginning when they are merely 11 years old, up to their 40s/50s. The author makes a wonderful job at building their characters, showing how these changes with age and with the marking events they bath have to encounter. The constant contrast of where each one of the main characters were is probably one of the strongest assets of the book, in my own opinion.

I don't know how much of the intensity I felt from both characters is due to the narrators, but for me, they were both very charged, full of emotion, particularly Hetty. The flow of the story made for a seamless narrative and so I got carried away with the story, so much that when it ended I stayed sitting in my chair for a couple of minutes savouring the conclusion of it.

I cannot compare this book to any of her previous work, so I cannot suggest to anyone that they should start with this one; however I can say that if like me is your first approach to Sue Monk Kidd, is a good one, with well developed characters and interesting views of the 19th century USA. Both Jenna Lamia and Adepero Oduye do a wonderful job giving a voice to Sarah and Hetti.

The Bracelet by Dorothy Love

I asked and received this book through NetGalley for free. This review is not sponsored nor influenced in anyway. Thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction for the book. The expected publication date is December 9.

First impression

This is the first book from Dorothy Love that I have ever read. Most of her books are on Historical Fiction and this added to the beautiful cover made me ask for a copy at NetGalley. While the description of the book hints at a mystery, I think this element was not as present as I expected. The bracelet in question only had its appearance 1/3 into the story and the whole mystery was solved ¾ in, which made it feel like that everything after that was a bit too long. However, if you would take just the historical fiction part, it was a very entertaining read.

Final thoughts

The book revolves around Celia Browning, a 19th century Savannah socialite, day dreaming about the love of her life while at the same time taking care of her father and sharing her household with her orphan cousin. Celia has been in love with Sutton MacKay ever since they were kids and now he is coming back from Jamaica to, it would seem, marry her and take over his family business. But not everything is perfect in Celia's life, a nuisance in the form of a reporter stirring stories better left untold, comes to taint her family's reputation and to make matters worse, she starts getting threats from a mysterious origin.

The author does a great job when setting the background; at point I felt like I was watching a period movie, with the description of the city, the dresses and the dialogues. I enjoy when authors manage to build the world this nicely, since it makes the experience much more involving.

The part that I felt was in deficit was the mystery part. Considering that the title of the book is The Bracelet I was under the impression that the mystery would come from a bracelet. In fact, what we have is two mysteries, that at the end, sort of blend together, but not quiet. And even then, it didn't feel that heart gripping type of mystery and the conclusion was predictable for me.

What I ended up doing to review this book, was just remove the mystery part of the equation and that is the reason I ended up giving it a 4. The author gave me what I was expecting: a historical fiction with a sweet love story in a small southern town. No more and no less. If that's what you are looking for, got for it. If you are looking for a page turning type of mystery, I would look for something else.