Review by Showhost
The story starts in Paris, 1981, but is based mainly in Afghanistan. The main characters are Jane Ellis & Jean-Pierre. Jane, an attractive englishwoman, works in Paris as an interpreter (Russian & French into English). She is having a passionate relationship with Ellis, who claims to be a poet.
Jean-Pierre, a member of the Communist Party, and a doctor in a Paris hospital, secretly admires and desires Jane. He wants to help in war ravaged Afghanistan and is going to Afghanistan, ostensibly, to provide medical assistance to the rebel forces fighting against the Soviets. He asks Jane if she would come out to be his interpreter and assist medically. He is jealous of Ellis and knows that her relationship with Ellis may stop her from going.
When Jean-Pierre finds out that Ellis is an undercover CIA spy, he can't wait to expose his lies to Jane.
Jane is appalled that Ellis has lied to her so she leaves and goes to Afghanistan (valley of the 5 lions) where she finds herself in harsh conditions and constant threat of Russian attack as the rebels fight for their freedom from the Russians. She marries Jean-Pierre. They minister to the local inhabitants, who have never seen a doctor before, and patch together and stitch-up the wounded warriors. An American visits the valley with an important message from the White House for Masud, a famous and effective guerrilla leader. The messenger is Ellis. A terrible treachery is discovered, shortly after he arrives and Jane is abandoned by her husband and has to get herself and her baby out of the war zone.
It is a romantic adventure, a lustful Mills & Boon. I was disappointed in this book, he has wrote better. As I had taken it on holiday I didn't have much choice so I made myself finish it. Unfortunately, I read this book after I had read The Kite Runner and 1000 Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini and compared to these it was lame. Khaled tells it as it is, warts and all, where as Follett dressed it up & wartered it down. There were one or two moments that grabbed your attention with action and steamy sex scenes but the characters didn't grow on me.
It was written in the late 1980's and perhaps if I had read it then I would have really liked it as there were not many books, fictional, written about that period in Afghanistan history.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Jane. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Jane. Sort by date Show all posts
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Jane & Mike Tomilinson - How Good Is That, the Story of a Reluctant Hero
review by Cath Hignett on show 28th April 2011
"Following a 7 year battle with cancer, Jane Tomlinson died at the age of 43 in September 2007. Almost exactly one year earlier on 1st September 2006 Jane finished a gruelling 9 week, 3,700 mile cycle ride from the west coast to the east coast of America.
The book written mostly by Jane before her death was completed by Mike to give an incredible and moving insight to his wife's final days".
Cath reviewed this book because being a marathon runner and cyclist herself, she knows how incredibly hard it is for a relatively fit and healthy person to compete and perform. She has nothing but admiration for Jane who ran the marathons and did previous cycling journeys whilst undergoing treatment for cancer. Sadly Jane leaves behind a young son and daughter.
As other reviewers of this book have said "it made me sit back and think "what have I done with my life?"
"Following a 7 year battle with cancer, Jane Tomlinson died at the age of 43 in September 2007. Almost exactly one year earlier on 1st September 2006 Jane finished a gruelling 9 week, 3,700 mile cycle ride from the west coast to the east coast of America.
The book written mostly by Jane before her death was completed by Mike to give an incredible and moving insight to his wife's final days".
Cath reviewed this book because being a marathon runner and cyclist herself, she knows how incredibly hard it is for a relatively fit and healthy person to compete and perform. She has nothing but admiration for Jane who ran the marathons and did previous cycling journeys whilst undergoing treatment for cancer. Sadly Jane leaves behind a young son and daughter.
As other reviewers of this book have said "it made me sit back and think "what have I done with my life?"
Sunday, 7 April 2013
Chris Stewart - Three Ways to Capsize a Boat
Book review by Brian Lowen read out live on bookshow Thurs 3rd April
An hilarious tale
of three sailing adventures by the author.
He starts off as a
lonely and bored shepherd who receives an offer that he cannot refuse – to act
as Skipper for the summer months for an old lady who owns a Cornish Crabber
moored in the Greek islands. There is only one problem – he has no idea how to
sail a boat!
He undertakes a
crash course on sailing with his friend in Littlehampton harbour and then sets
off for Greece
with all expenses being paid by his elderly employer, Jane Joyce, thinking that
he knows it all and is now a competent sailor.
He has just a few
weeks to get the boat ready before Jane and her party arrive for the summer
season. He eventually locates the mysterious Captain Bob whom Jane has employed
to get the boat repaired and ready for sea. He is appalled to find the boat in
a terrible state and lacking its engine. He sacks Captain Bob and employs a
scruffy bunch of locals who agree to help him fix up the boat and find him a new
engine. They manage to get it finished before Jane arrives, and after some more
sailing lessons he sets off with a friend to sail over to the island where Jane
is staying.
He has a glorious
summer taking Jane and her friends around the Greek islands before returning
home to his sheep, but now a competent sailor.
He receives
another offer from another friend, Tom Cunliffe, to join his crew who are
planning to set sail in his vintage Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter that he and
his wife have been restoring. The crew totals six, plus Tom’s young
daughter. The plan is to sail across the
North Sea to Norway and then
over to Iceland and on to Newfoundland before reaching their destination in the USA. He is
warned that although it is summer it will be very cold, and so he sets off on
another adventure.
I cannot imagine why anyone would want to
undertake such a journey which could not be a greater contrast to his idyllic
time in the Med. But complete it he does, encountering some horrendous seas on
the way.
A light hearted
read, especially attractive to a reader who enjoys sailing, although a lot of
the sailing terms are explained during the story.
Monday, 18 June 2012
Val McDermid - The Grave Tattoo
review by showhost
I am becoming a big fan of this author and will now happily reach for one of her books when going on holiday as I know it will be a good read. Yes, the culprit probably did become obvious but I liked the research that went into the story and the way the events before and after of the Mutiny on the Bounty was wove into the story, as though it were being related by Mr Christian himself.
The story is set mainly in The Lake District. After a recent bout of heavy rain and landslides a 200year old skeleton is revealed. News of the skeletal remains piques the interest of Jane Gresham a Wordsworth scholar and lecturer. She is convinced there exists a missing manuscript written by Wordsworth himself all those years ago, on the exploits of the mutineers. She believes that Fletcher christian escaped Pitcairn and came back to England where he told his story to his friend Wordsworth.
The discovery of the tattood body gives more credence to her believe. Jane goes back to the Lakes and her family for a 2 week sabatical to see if she can find out if and where this missing manuscript could be. She has a list of the family tree of Dorcas Mason who worked for Wordsworth and most of her descendants still lived in the Lakes.
Other unscrupulous dealers are also taking an interest in her theory but they will stop at nothing, including murder, to get to the invaluable documents first.
Hindering Jane is Tenille, a kid from the council flats in London who Jane befriended but who is now on the run.
A good, interesting story - more than just a crime book.
I am becoming a big fan of this author and will now happily reach for one of her books when going on holiday as I know it will be a good read. Yes, the culprit probably did become obvious but I liked the research that went into the story and the way the events before and after of the Mutiny on the Bounty was wove into the story, as though it were being related by Mr Christian himself.
The story is set mainly in The Lake District. After a recent bout of heavy rain and landslides a 200year old skeleton is revealed. News of the skeletal remains piques the interest of Jane Gresham a Wordsworth scholar and lecturer. She is convinced there exists a missing manuscript written by Wordsworth himself all those years ago, on the exploits of the mutineers. She believes that Fletcher christian escaped Pitcairn and came back to England where he told his story to his friend Wordsworth.
The discovery of the tattood body gives more credence to her believe. Jane goes back to the Lakes and her family for a 2 week sabatical to see if she can find out if and where this missing manuscript could be. She has a list of the family tree of Dorcas Mason who worked for Wordsworth and most of her descendants still lived in the Lakes.
Other unscrupulous dealers are also taking an interest in her theory but they will stop at nothing, including murder, to get to the invaluable documents first.
Hindering Jane is Tenille, a kid from the council flats in London who Jane befriended but who is now on the run.
A good, interesting story - more than just a crime book.
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Alison Weir - Innocent Traitor
review by Maggie Perkovic on show 1st December 2011
We all know the story of lady Jane Grey who was put to death at just seventeen because she had conspired to take the throne from the rightful heir Mary Tudor. Unfortunately she didn't have much choice in the matter. The grandaughter of Mary sister to Henry VIII her parents had high hopes of her birth hoping for a boy, when she proved the first of three girls her mother treated her cruelly, beating her for any demeanour despite Jane being a hardworking brilliantly intelligent child she was never appreciated, and only as her cousin the King Edward the sixth became ill did her worth as a possible
heir to the throne arise. Before that she was made to wed Guilford Dudley, the spoilt son of an ambitious Duke who hoped to gain access to the throne through the young couple. Jane was beaten until she agreed to marry him, which made her very unhappy. After the young King's death, she was made to accept the throne, only doing so in the belief she was saving the country from a papist Queen.When Mary finally gained the throne with the army of English soldiers who knew she was the heir to the throne, Jane could have saved herself if she took the Roman Catholic faith, but refused believing hers was the true faith, as Protestant. She died bravely, as did her unwanted husband and his father and all traitors to Mary.
We all know the story of lady Jane Grey who was put to death at just seventeen because she had conspired to take the throne from the rightful heir Mary Tudor. Unfortunately she didn't have much choice in the matter. The grandaughter of Mary sister to Henry VIII her parents had high hopes of her birth hoping for a boy, when she proved the first of three girls her mother treated her cruelly, beating her for any demeanour despite Jane being a hardworking brilliantly intelligent child she was never appreciated, and only as her cousin the King Edward the sixth became ill did her worth as a possible
heir to the throne arise. Before that she was made to wed Guilford Dudley, the spoilt son of an ambitious Duke who hoped to gain access to the throne through the young couple. Jane was beaten until she agreed to marry him, which made her very unhappy. After the young King's death, she was made to accept the throne, only doing so in the belief she was saving the country from a papist Queen.When Mary finally gained the throne with the army of English soldiers who knew she was the heir to the throne, Jane could have saved herself if she took the Roman Catholic faith, but refused believing hers was the true faith, as Protestant. She died bravely, as did her unwanted husband and his father and all traitors to Mary.
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Jodie Picoult - Songs of the Humpback Whale
review by Maggie Perkovic on show sept 2009
The first time Jane Jones tried to leave her husband, her daughter almost got killed, this time she's going to do it right.
Jane escaped a childhood of abuse into the refuge of marriage, only to find history repeating itself. When her husband's neglect extends to their daughter too, she knows it must stop. Taking Rebecca with her Jane flees to her brother, the only place of safety she knows. But however far she runs, she cannot escape the question always on her mind; how can she save her daughter when she couldn't save herself!!
As a Jodie Picoult fan I was pleased to find one I hadn't read, albeit one of her earliest, in fact, her first novel!
It has all the ingredients of her writing, research and believable characters but she moves backwards and forwards in time so swiftly I got a bit confused/
The research into the Humpback Whales of which her husband, a professor of marine biology, is immersed is very interesting, as is the growing and cultivating of apples with which her brother is also immersed, is also quite gripping. But the action of the plot whizzes us from her childhood, where her father hits both her and her mother, to her marriage, to her bid for freedom where she and her daughter now 15, drive across America to find her brother, for sanctuary, to the dreadful climax; then back again to her husbands work with the whale. You have to be awake to get the sequence of events in the right order!!
Is it worth reading? Oh yes, even an early Picoult is worth reading.
The first time Jane Jones tried to leave her husband, her daughter almost got killed, this time she's going to do it right.
Jane escaped a childhood of abuse into the refuge of marriage, only to find history repeating itself. When her husband's neglect extends to their daughter too, she knows it must stop. Taking Rebecca with her Jane flees to her brother, the only place of safety she knows. But however far she runs, she cannot escape the question always on her mind; how can she save her daughter when she couldn't save herself!!
As a Jodie Picoult fan I was pleased to find one I hadn't read, albeit one of her earliest, in fact, her first novel!
It has all the ingredients of her writing, research and believable characters but she moves backwards and forwards in time so swiftly I got a bit confused/
The research into the Humpback Whales of which her husband, a professor of marine biology, is immersed is very interesting, as is the growing and cultivating of apples with which her brother is also immersed, is also quite gripping. But the action of the plot whizzes us from her childhood, where her father hits both her and her mother, to her marriage, to her bid for freedom where she and her daughter now 15, drive across America to find her brother, for sanctuary, to the dreadful climax; then back again to her husbands work with the whale. You have to be awake to get the sequence of events in the right order!!
Is it worth reading? Oh yes, even an early Picoult is worth reading.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Tess Gerritsen - Vanish
review by showhost
another charity shop bargain!
After the first book I read of this author I said I would never read another as I said it was more Mills and Booon than crime. However, I had an email from the author or her blog sec, who said that Mills & Boon had jumped on her success & started re-releasing her earlier work which was indeed for Mills & Boon,
If it was published prior to 1997, it is most definitely a romance novel. (With the exception of HARVEST, which was my first thriller, and published in 1996.).
This book was 1st published in 2005 so I thought I'd give the author another go. It went in my suitcase for one of my holiday reads and I was glad I took it. I read this after the cody McFadyen (which I had enjoyed) and I was not disappointed.
Tess Gerritsen was a doctor so her knowledge of medical, ER & autopsy is in her novels as well as her studies in anthropology.
The story starts in the morgue where Dr. Iles & her assistant are undertsaffed and busy doing autopsys. As she unzips one of the bodybags, the corpse, a beautiful young woman opens her eyes.
Dr. Iles has the body rushed to the hospital ER across the road. Whilst in the ward the young woman murders an armed security guard, who it emerges later was not an employee of the hospital, then takes hostages. She is eventually joined by an accomplice and a siege situation arises.
Unfortunately for Detective Jane Rizzoli, who is 9 months pregnant, whe was in the wrong place at the wrong time & is now a hostage in labour.
Her husband FBI agent Gabriel, is finally allowed in to the hospital by the hostage takers. They just want to tell their story on National TV but the National Security at the White House have other ideas. They storm the building but not before the 'terrorists' say a few words to Jane & Gabriel.
Those words begin to nag at Jane and she and Gabriel find themselves fighting an unknown enemy. who was this girl and her partner tagged as terrorists? and why did the CIA & White House want them dead.
Janes life and that of her child is put in dire danger in this tense, smart thriller.
Shades of the early Patricia Cornwell here with a mix of Kathy Reichs. Forsensics, International Crime & human trafficking. I am glad I gave this author another go and will gladly read another.
another charity shop bargain!
After the first book I read of this author I said I would never read another as I said it was more Mills and Booon than crime. However, I had an email from the author or her blog sec, who said that Mills & Boon had jumped on her success & started re-releasing her earlier work which was indeed for Mills & Boon,
If it was published prior to 1997, it is most definitely a romance novel. (With the exception of HARVEST, which was my first thriller, and published in 1996.).
This book was 1st published in 2005 so I thought I'd give the author another go. It went in my suitcase for one of my holiday reads and I was glad I took it. I read this after the cody McFadyen (which I had enjoyed) and I was not disappointed.
Tess Gerritsen was a doctor so her knowledge of medical, ER & autopsy is in her novels as well as her studies in anthropology.
The story starts in the morgue where Dr. Iles & her assistant are undertsaffed and busy doing autopsys. As she unzips one of the bodybags, the corpse, a beautiful young woman opens her eyes.
Dr. Iles has the body rushed to the hospital ER across the road. Whilst in the ward the young woman murders an armed security guard, who it emerges later was not an employee of the hospital, then takes hostages. She is eventually joined by an accomplice and a siege situation arises.
Unfortunately for Detective Jane Rizzoli, who is 9 months pregnant, whe was in the wrong place at the wrong time & is now a hostage in labour.
Her husband FBI agent Gabriel, is finally allowed in to the hospital by the hostage takers. They just want to tell their story on National TV but the National Security at the White House have other ideas. They storm the building but not before the 'terrorists' say a few words to Jane & Gabriel.
Those words begin to nag at Jane and she and Gabriel find themselves fighting an unknown enemy. who was this girl and her partner tagged as terrorists? and why did the CIA & White House want them dead.
Janes life and that of her child is put in dire danger in this tense, smart thriller.
Shades of the early Patricia Cornwell here with a mix of Kathy Reichs. Forsensics, International Crime & human trafficking. I am glad I gave this author another go and will gladly read another.
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Jane Gardam - Old Filth
Review by Ro Bennett on show 25th Feb 2010
bought Old Filth because the reading group at St Martins said they were interested in any book by Jane Gardam. I’d never heard of her so decided to look her up.
From the back cover: FILTH in his heyday, was an international lawyer with a practice in the Far East. Now only the oldest QCs and Silks can remember that his nickname stood for Failed in London Try Hong Kong. I didn’t know what Silks were so looked it up and it’s Queen or King’s council so named because they had the right to wear a gown made of silk.
Long ago, Filth was a Raj orphan - one of the many young children sent ‘Home’ from the East to be fostered and educated in England. Jane Gardam’s novel tells his story, from his birth in what was then Malaya to the extremities of his old age. In s doing, she not only encapsulates a whole period from the glory days of the British Empire, through the Second World War, to the present and beyond, but also illuminates the complexities of the character known variously as Eddie, the Judge, Fevvers, Filth, Master of the Inner Temple, Teddy and Sir Edward Feathers.
This didn’t particularly inspire me to read the book but it had mainly good reviews so I went for it. I found it a very touching book and I felt quite weepy several times. But besides it being tragic in places it’s also humorous, for instance he always refers to the lady who helps out in the house as Mrs...Er... and the time he decides to drive his Rolls Royce which he hasn’t driven for years up North on all the motorways.
However there were several surprises and shocks as the book progressed and I found myself saying things like ‘ Oh my goodness so that was him!!‘ or ‘Oh no! that was her!!’ It was a real page turner. I often found myself feeling so sorry for Filth. He’s a complex character but also very naive at the same time. My heart went out to him and I felt quite protective of him.
I didn’t know anything about Raj orphans. Rudyard Kipling was a Raj orphan and was educated in Britain. The children were sent very young to foster parents or boarding schools and that must have been horrendous. Kipling was only 5 when he was sent over and according to the book he suffered from half blindness when he was 7 - a psychological blindness - how traumatic it must have been for them! Imagine leaving India or Burma or wherever and arriving in England in the Winter without your mum and dad!
An ironic part of the book is that his colleagues and juniors who are all in awe of him describe him as someone to whom nothing much has happened in his life, they have no idea of all the things he experienced. And of course, reading the book you know that is far from true.
When the story opens Filth is almost 80 and he and his wife Betty have retired to a comfortable life in Dorset. I don’t want to give any of the story away as that would spoil the way it unfolds and the surprises wouldn’t be surprises then. It’s well worth reading.
One review I agree with said: A gentle yet gripping story that describes the life of a distinguished judge taking the unpleasant consequences of his childhood and carefully unwrapping them to show how they have echoed and shaped his adult life.
Ro Bennett
happycastaway@btinternet.com
bought Old Filth because the reading group at St Martins said they were interested in any book by Jane Gardam. I’d never heard of her so decided to look her up.
From the back cover: FILTH in his heyday, was an international lawyer with a practice in the Far East. Now only the oldest QCs and Silks can remember that his nickname stood for Failed in London Try Hong Kong. I didn’t know what Silks were so looked it up and it’s Queen or King’s council so named because they had the right to wear a gown made of silk.
Long ago, Filth was a Raj orphan - one of the many young children sent ‘Home’ from the East to be fostered and educated in England. Jane Gardam’s novel tells his story, from his birth in what was then Malaya to the extremities of his old age. In s doing, she not only encapsulates a whole period from the glory days of the British Empire, through the Second World War, to the present and beyond, but also illuminates the complexities of the character known variously as Eddie, the Judge, Fevvers, Filth, Master of the Inner Temple, Teddy and Sir Edward Feathers.
This didn’t particularly inspire me to read the book but it had mainly good reviews so I went for it. I found it a very touching book and I felt quite weepy several times. But besides it being tragic in places it’s also humorous, for instance he always refers to the lady who helps out in the house as Mrs...Er... and the time he decides to drive his Rolls Royce which he hasn’t driven for years up North on all the motorways.
However there were several surprises and shocks as the book progressed and I found myself saying things like ‘ Oh my goodness so that was him!!‘ or ‘Oh no! that was her!!’ It was a real page turner. I often found myself feeling so sorry for Filth. He’s a complex character but also very naive at the same time. My heart went out to him and I felt quite protective of him.
I didn’t know anything about Raj orphans. Rudyard Kipling was a Raj orphan and was educated in Britain. The children were sent very young to foster parents or boarding schools and that must have been horrendous. Kipling was only 5 when he was sent over and according to the book he suffered from half blindness when he was 7 - a psychological blindness - how traumatic it must have been for them! Imagine leaving India or Burma or wherever and arriving in England in the Winter without your mum and dad!
An ironic part of the book is that his colleagues and juniors who are all in awe of him describe him as someone to whom nothing much has happened in his life, they have no idea of all the things he experienced. And of course, reading the book you know that is far from true.
When the story opens Filth is almost 80 and he and his wife Betty have retired to a comfortable life in Dorset. I don’t want to give any of the story away as that would spoil the way it unfolds and the surprises wouldn’t be surprises then. It’s well worth reading.
One review I agree with said: A gentle yet gripping story that describes the life of a distinguished judge taking the unpleasant consequences of his childhood and carefully unwrapping them to show how they have echoed and shaped his adult life.
Ro Bennett
happycastaway@btinternet.com
Monday, 14 December 2009
Jane Richardson - A Different Kind of Honesty
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Reviewer : Lindsay Townsend
From its original, amusing opening, A Different Kind of Honesty is a compelling read. Joey Pescolloni, whom the heroine Maggie Lawless meets in a shady New York diner, is a darkly handsome, charismatic man. An instant connection arises between them, surprising them both. They come together in a night of unforgettable passion and then have to go their separate ways, Maggie returning to London (she is a detective sergeant in the Metropolitan Police) and Joey to his own job and life, but neither can forget the encounter.
Six months later, their jobs bring them together again, where ‘Joey’ is revealed as Tony Valentino, an FBI agent whom she met in his undercover role as Joey. However, as Tony tells her, “Look, Joey Pescolloni took you to dinner that night. But I promise you… it was Tony Valentino who made love to you.”
Jane Richardson writes beautifully. The scenes and encounters where Tony and Maggie come together again and recognise the basic honesty in their relationship are heart-stoppingly tense and at the same time tender. Her secondary characters are vivid and real, adding to the richness of this multi-layered novel. Above all, the theme of honesty and trust is threaded throughout, adding to tension and pace.
For there are also threats, some related to Tony’s previous undercover work and the added threat of distance – Maggie needs to return to the UK with her job, Tony has to remain in the States. And there are rumours of a Mob contract out on Tony…. Then there are other major blows for Maggie, who has already endured the loss of her parents, and Tony is forced into hiding, having to leave suddenly and without saying goodbye. Maggie is devastated and terrified that everyone she ever cares about is always lost to her – is Tony another lost love?
There are many twists and turns for Maggie and Tony on their separate and mutual life journeys but throughout them all the connection and emotional honesty remains constant between them. I read A Different Kind of Honesty in a single sitting, swept along by the power and colour of the story and the lively, complex characters. The ending is utterly romantic, a real three-hankie moment!
I look forward to reading more of Jane Richardson’s sophisticated, realistic and uplifting romances and re-reading her A Different Kind of Honesty.
This review was sent by email to me from Lindsay Townsend
Reviewer : Lindsay Townsend
From its original, amusing opening, A Different Kind of Honesty is a compelling read. Joey Pescolloni, whom the heroine Maggie Lawless meets in a shady New York diner, is a darkly handsome, charismatic man. An instant connection arises between them, surprising them both. They come together in a night of unforgettable passion and then have to go their separate ways, Maggie returning to London (she is a detective sergeant in the Metropolitan Police) and Joey to his own job and life, but neither can forget the encounter.
Six months later, their jobs bring them together again, where ‘Joey’ is revealed as Tony Valentino, an FBI agent whom she met in his undercover role as Joey. However, as Tony tells her, “Look, Joey Pescolloni took you to dinner that night. But I promise you… it was Tony Valentino who made love to you.”
Jane Richardson writes beautifully. The scenes and encounters where Tony and Maggie come together again and recognise the basic honesty in their relationship are heart-stoppingly tense and at the same time tender. Her secondary characters are vivid and real, adding to the richness of this multi-layered novel. Above all, the theme of honesty and trust is threaded throughout, adding to tension and pace.
For there are also threats, some related to Tony’s previous undercover work and the added threat of distance – Maggie needs to return to the UK with her job, Tony has to remain in the States. And there are rumours of a Mob contract out on Tony…. Then there are other major blows for Maggie, who has already endured the loss of her parents, and Tony is forced into hiding, having to leave suddenly and without saying goodbye. Maggie is devastated and terrified that everyone she ever cares about is always lost to her – is Tony another lost love?
There are many twists and turns for Maggie and Tony on their separate and mutual life journeys but throughout them all the connection and emotional honesty remains constant between them. I read A Different Kind of Honesty in a single sitting, swept along by the power and colour of the story and the lively, complex characters. The ending is utterly romantic, a real three-hankie moment!
I look forward to reading more of Jane Richardson’s sophisticated, realistic and uplifting romances and re-reading her A Different Kind of Honesty.
This review was sent by email to me from Lindsay Townsend
Saturday, 3 August 2013
P D James - Death Comes to Pemberley
Reviewed live on show by Babs Simpson 1st August 2013.
this is a brilliantly written book by a great author - an intriguing murder mystery set in Derbyshire 6yrs after the marriage of Mr Darcy to Elizabeth Bennet - in other words, it is a follow up to Pride & Prejudice and I am quite sure Jane Austen would have approved of the style of the writing and admired the plot and the development of all her characters.
The marriage is a great success and Darcy and Elizabeth are the loving parents of two healthy sons; while Elizabeths sister, Jane, lives quite close by with her husband, Bingley. All is peace and joy until one night when a carriage arrives in great haste and Lydia Wickham tumbles out screaming hysterically that her husband has been murdered.
The remainder of the story is about the investigation and the trial and as with all of PD James work, it is very good indeed. There are fascinating insights given into the conduct of criminal trials early in the 19th century as well as wonderful descriptions of life in the country and in London.
PD James gives the reader an authentic trip back in time - a really good and satisfying story and a brilliant follow up to JA's classic.
Definitely to be recommended.
this is a brilliantly written book by a great author - an intriguing murder mystery set in Derbyshire 6yrs after the marriage of Mr Darcy to Elizabeth Bennet - in other words, it is a follow up to Pride & Prejudice and I am quite sure Jane Austen would have approved of the style of the writing and admired the plot and the development of all her characters.
The marriage is a great success and Darcy and Elizabeth are the loving parents of two healthy sons; while Elizabeths sister, Jane, lives quite close by with her husband, Bingley. All is peace and joy until one night when a carriage arrives in great haste and Lydia Wickham tumbles out screaming hysterically that her husband has been murdered.
The remainder of the story is about the investigation and the trial and as with all of PD James work, it is very good indeed. There are fascinating insights given into the conduct of criminal trials early in the 19th century as well as wonderful descriptions of life in the country and in London.
PD James gives the reader an authentic trip back in time - a really good and satisfying story and a brilliant follow up to JA's classic.
Definitely to be recommended.
Sunday, 21 April 2013
Jane Bailey - Tommy Glovers Sketch of Heaven
reviewed live on bookshow 11th April 2013 by Babs Simpson
in 1944, 9yr old Kitty Green is sent to live in the country with Joyce and
Jack Shepherd. Kitty is a naive cockney child who says whatever comes into her
head, whilst the shepherds are cold and strict.
Kitty, although missing her mum who has gone to work in an ammunitions
factory after being bombed out of her home, is resilient and gets on with the
life she now finds herself living. She makes friends with an older boy Tommy,
who lives in the local orphanage, although her guardians are strongly
disapproving of the friendship, but Kitty trusts and likes him and that's all
that matters.
Life in the tiny Cotswold village carries on, the inhabitants cope with
privations brought by war and Kitty joins in with everything, observing and
listening whilst not always quite understanding what's going on or being
said.
She is an enchanting child shockingly honest at times and only too liable
to repeat words she hears but has no idea of their meaning.
As the story unfold, we discover the shocking event that has led to Joyce
and Jacks apparent coldness towards Kitty and each other, we learn the secrets
of life in such a sleepy backwater, the dreadful things that people do to each
other and we share the glories of nature - the changing seasons and the sights
and smells of the countryside.
This is a WONDERFUL book. It is so convincingly written that I found it
almost impossible to believe it's a novel and not the true story of Kitty Greens
life.
I don't know anything about the author, Jane Bailey, except tat she's
writhen a little masterpiece. Great!
Monday, 27 December 2010
Jane Johnson - The Tenth Gift
THE TENTH GIFT by JANE JOHNSON reviewed on show by Corinna Christopher 3rd Dec
The book starts with Julia Lovat being dumped by her lover Michael after a 7 year affair. His parting gift is a book of secrets which will change Julia’s life. This book consists of a text of embroidery skills written in the 17th Century and embelished in the margins by Cat Tregenna who uses it as a personal diary with her minute and careful thoughts recorded day by day.
Cat Tregenna lived near Penzance and was a maid to a wealthy family. Her talent for embroidery was great and she commenced her writings in 1625 when given the book by her cousin Robert Bolitho who wished to marry her. Cat was a feisty ambitious young girl with ideas of leaving Cornwall to travel further afield in search of adventure.
One Sunday whilst at church, several Barbary sailing ships came into the Bay and the pirates proceeded to kidnap the entire congregation of a local church. They were transported away in the most appalling conditions and sold into slavery in Morocco. Many died on the voyage but Cat was one of the lucky ones after capturing the eye of the Moorish captain who in due course installed her in his fine house. Her excellent needlework skills soon had her teaching the local women and she was able to enjoy a more comfortable lifestyle.
Meanwhile her childhood sweetheart decided to pursue her to Morocco and after various setbacks succeeded in finding her, all to no avail as she did not wish to be with him any longer.
Julia was entranced with Cat’s book and decided to visit Penzance with a view to finding out more. She contacted her cousin Alison who lived in the area and was able to make progress on the origins of the story. Her former lover Michael now appears eager to contact her since he has in his possession further information regarding the local history of Cat.
Julia in her pursuit of the true story then travels to Morocco and Michael follows her keen to unravel the mystery and perhaps make some money from it all. Julia like all romantic stories meets up with a handsome Berber guide who helps her in her quest. There is some surprising unravelling of truths in this tale and Julia makes some big decisions about her future.
The novel is written alternatively with the convincing voices of both Julia and Cat but easy to follow the narrative throughout. The descriptions of everyday life are good as we are transported form Stewart England to the exotic heat and dust of North Africa. The Berbers have a saying “that God gave the world ten gifts, and the tenth of those gifts is books …..”
A fine and very readable book, the author is from Cornwall. In 2005 she was in Morocco researching the story of a distant ancestor kidnapped by Barbary pirates and sold into slavery (the basis for this book) when she had a near-fatal accident. This caused her to change her life. She gave up her job and moved to Morocco where she found and married her own Berber pirate !.
Review by Corinna
The book starts with Julia Lovat being dumped by her lover Michael after a 7 year affair. His parting gift is a book of secrets which will change Julia’s life. This book consists of a text of embroidery skills written in the 17th Century and embelished in the margins by Cat Tregenna who uses it as a personal diary with her minute and careful thoughts recorded day by day.
Cat Tregenna lived near Penzance and was a maid to a wealthy family. Her talent for embroidery was great and she commenced her writings in 1625 when given the book by her cousin Robert Bolitho who wished to marry her. Cat was a feisty ambitious young girl with ideas of leaving Cornwall to travel further afield in search of adventure.
One Sunday whilst at church, several Barbary sailing ships came into the Bay and the pirates proceeded to kidnap the entire congregation of a local church. They were transported away in the most appalling conditions and sold into slavery in Morocco. Many died on the voyage but Cat was one of the lucky ones after capturing the eye of the Moorish captain who in due course installed her in his fine house. Her excellent needlework skills soon had her teaching the local women and she was able to enjoy a more comfortable lifestyle.
Meanwhile her childhood sweetheart decided to pursue her to Morocco and after various setbacks succeeded in finding her, all to no avail as she did not wish to be with him any longer.
Julia was entranced with Cat’s book and decided to visit Penzance with a view to finding out more. She contacted her cousin Alison who lived in the area and was able to make progress on the origins of the story. Her former lover Michael now appears eager to contact her since he has in his possession further information regarding the local history of Cat.
Julia in her pursuit of the true story then travels to Morocco and Michael follows her keen to unravel the mystery and perhaps make some money from it all. Julia like all romantic stories meets up with a handsome Berber guide who helps her in her quest. There is some surprising unravelling of truths in this tale and Julia makes some big decisions about her future.
The novel is written alternatively with the convincing voices of both Julia and Cat but easy to follow the narrative throughout. The descriptions of everyday life are good as we are transported form Stewart England to the exotic heat and dust of North Africa. The Berbers have a saying “that God gave the world ten gifts, and the tenth of those gifts is books …..”
A fine and very readable book, the author is from Cornwall. In 2005 she was in Morocco researching the story of a distant ancestor kidnapped by Barbary pirates and sold into slavery (the basis for this book) when she had a near-fatal accident. This caused her to change her life. She gave up her job and moved to Morocco where she found and married her own Berber pirate !.
Review by Corinna
Sunday, 29 March 2015
MC Beaton - Death of a Gossip (audio)
Review written and read by Ro Bennett live on bookshow 26th March 2015
I
have been listening to audio books via the library service. There were two apps
suggested by the library so I downloaded two - Borrowbox and One Click Digital
so that I can listen on my Macbook laptop but also on iPad or iPhone.
I
downloaded both because they have different selections of books which gives the
reader more choice. Even so, there isn’t a huge selection. I have found the One
Click very easy to use, easy to return and renew and it has a larger choice than
Borrowbox. The only problem I have found with Borrowbox is that most of the
books I am interested in are on a waiting list. Also you can’t return them when
you have finished listening, you have to wait until the actual return date. You
can renew them.
Synopsis:
When
society widow and gossip columnist Lady Jane Winters joins the local fishing
class she wastes no time in ruffling feathers - or should that be fins? - of
those around her. Among the victims of her sharp tongue is Lochdubh constable
Hamish Macbeth, yet not even Hamish thinks someone would seriously want to
silence Lady Jane's shrill voice permanently - until her strangled body is
fished out of the river. Now with the help of the lovely Priscilla
Halburton-Smythe, Hamish must steer a course through the choppy waters of the
tattler's life to find a murderer. But with a school of suspects who aren't
willing to talk, and the dead woman telling no tales, Hamish may well be in over
his head for he knows that secrets are dangerous, knowledge is power, and
killers when cornered usually do strike again.
Death
of a Gossip is the first in the series featuring Hamish Macbeth - not
surprisingly Scottish and set in the fictional highland village of Lochdubh in
Scotland. This book was very short and was a bit like eating a meringue - sweet
enough but not much substance. It was very gentle and easy but rather shallow
and insipid. Same old, same old, arrogant, cynical, sneering detective from
Glasgow versus laid back, Dixon of Dock Green type village copper who actually
solves the crime. Very à la Agatha Christie - there is a mix of people thrown
together, each of whom has a motive for murder. Usual cliché of silly irritating
girl who keeps mooning over richer older man and imagines marrying him after
their first night together. He of course is just using her and as is expected,
dumps her in favour of someone who can better further his nefarious ambitions.
Then of course there’s a Colonel, bristling and military… So it’s pretty
dated.
Having
said that I enjoyed it but it didn’t grip me and I wouldn’t bother with any
more of the series. I’m glad I didn’t buy it although it was pleasant to listen to as I
pottered around the house and garden. But that just about describes it - an
agreeable background distraction as you go about your chores.
Friday, 4 February 2011
show 3rd Feb 2011
Todays show we had Corinna Christopher and Gordon Bilsborough.
One of the books being reviewed by Corinna carries a health warning from other reviewers "the story is sometimes explicit, violent, savage, brutal and disquieting"
Gordon has written three books which he has published on 'Amazon Kindle'. They are 'Conflict of Destinies', Yes Councillor' and 'Ultimate Solution'. Quote from Gordon:
'The great advantage of Kindle electronic books is that one can download about the first 10% of a book free of charge before deciding whether or not to buy it. The books can be downloaded to a computer as well as the Kindle electronic book. The Kindle software for doing this can be downloaded free from Amazon. Another advantage of Amazon electronic books is that authors receive a 70% royalty instead of 10% usually paid out by hard copy publishers, although these publishers do more advertising than the Amazon electronic books'.
Gordons first book is set around the Lancashire Cotton Industry in the late 1800's and his knowledge comes from his family having been in this industry. He says he gets his best ideas from real life. You may recognise the Victorian attired chap on the cover of his book as it is the author himself. I asked him about the designs for the advertising of his books - these are done by his partner Jane Hurd.
Gordon started writing when he was in College and later had a couple of short stories published.
Gordon has another full length political thriller: “Wotan’s Children” underway'.
One of the books being reviewed by Corinna carries a health warning from other reviewers "the story is sometimes explicit, violent, savage, brutal and disquieting"
Gordon has written three books which he has published on 'Amazon Kindle'. They are 'Conflict of Destinies', Yes Councillor' and 'Ultimate Solution'. Quote from Gordon:
'The great advantage of Kindle electronic books is that one can download about the first 10% of a book free of charge before deciding whether or not to buy it. The books can be downloaded to a computer as well as the Kindle electronic book. The Kindle software for doing this can be downloaded free from Amazon. Another advantage of Amazon electronic books is that authors receive a 70% royalty instead of 10% usually paid out by hard copy publishers, although these publishers do more advertising than the Amazon electronic books'.
Gordons first book is set around the Lancashire Cotton Industry in the late 1800's and his knowledge comes from his family having been in this industry. He says he gets his best ideas from real life. You may recognise the Victorian attired chap on the cover of his book as it is the author himself. I asked him about the designs for the advertising of his books - these are done by his partner Jane Hurd.
Gordon started writing when he was in College and later had a couple of short stories published.
Gordon has another full length political thriller: “Wotan’s Children” underway'.
Friday, 12 February 2010
Feb 11th 2010
guests Brian Lowen & Ro Bennett & welcome to Lynn & Lyndsay who say they are listening over in Holland. I will be reading a review sent to me by Lyndsay later in show. It is a romance book review which is quite apt bearing in mind it is valentines this weekend. BUT 14th Feb is also the start of the Chinese new year this year being the year of the Tiger . What animal are you guys?
Reviews this week are interesting:
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Cooking With Fernet Branca (how on earth do you pronounce that?) by James Hamilton-Paterson
At Risk by Stella Rimington (ex head of MI5)
The Old Man and Mr Smith by Peter Ustinov
And the one sent to me by Lyndsay Townsend: A Different Kind of Honesty by Jane Richardson.
You certainly find some unusual books to review Ro and Brian.
I loved the comment a reviewer made on Amazon about Fernet Branca: a taste, texture and appearance something like Duckhams 20-50 motor oil. Which I have to say I had never heard of before and in fact thought the book was just a cookery book!
A good tip for 'Water For Elephants': listen to it on audiobook. The two readers, David LeDoux and John Randolph Jones, do a wonderful job of bringing both Jacobs (young and old) to life.
Reviews this week are interesting:
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Cooking With Fernet Branca (how on earth do you pronounce that?) by James Hamilton-Paterson
At Risk by Stella Rimington (ex head of MI5)
The Old Man and Mr Smith by Peter Ustinov
And the one sent to me by Lyndsay Townsend: A Different Kind of Honesty by Jane Richardson.
You certainly find some unusual books to review Ro and Brian.
I loved the comment a reviewer made on Amazon about Fernet Branca: a taste, texture and appearance something like Duckhams 20-50 motor oil. Which I have to say I had never heard of before and in fact thought the book was just a cookery book!
A good tip for 'Water For Elephants': listen to it on audiobook. The two readers, David LeDoux and John Randolph Jones, do a wonderful job of bringing both Jacobs (young and old) to life.
Friday, 9 October 2015
Philippa Gregory - The Taming of the Queen
Review written by Maggie Perkovic & read live on the bookshow 8th Oct. 2015
This is a cracking read. The story of the last Queen for Henry V111, a pleasant
intelligent lady with two marriages behind her and a new romance in the shape of
the dashing Thomas Seymour is full of excitement and terror. In Katherine Henry
thought he had a docile and anxious to please sort of a woman. Yes, she was all
these things but she also was very interested in the new religion where the Bible
was transalated into English for all to read unlike before where latin was the norm.
At first Henry was quite thrilled to have such an erudite partner but as his temper
and age took control he felt angered by her learning and it nearly led to her down
fall. Historians have related how the accidental dropping of her arrest charge sheet
gave her warning and she was able to defend herself by insisting she only wished
to take the King's mind of his infected leg and other frailties. When the soldiers
arrived to take her away Henry cursed them for being "fools" although he had
sigbned the order!!!
Never wanting to marry the King, Katherine made a happy family with the three
children, Mary, Elizabeth and the very young Edward, but all the time she was aware
that the King could change and decide she had offended him.
Written as only this author can achieve you feel the uncertainty and fear of
life at this court. He organises Hans Holbein to paint a portrait of the KIng and Queen
and the three siblings for which they all pose.
When it is unveiled, Katherine has been supplated by an image of Jane Seymour.
"Well" was the comment" She gave me a son, you have never even become pregnant"
Four months after Henry died she married Thomas Seymour, I don't blame her!!
Well Recommended. Maggie Perkovc.
This is a cracking read. The story of the last Queen for Henry V111, a pleasant
intelligent lady with two marriages behind her and a new romance in the shape of
the dashing Thomas Seymour is full of excitement and terror. In Katherine Henry
thought he had a docile and anxious to please sort of a woman. Yes, she was all
these things but she also was very interested in the new religion where the Bible
was transalated into English for all to read unlike before where latin was the norm.
At first Henry was quite thrilled to have such an erudite partner but as his temper
and age took control he felt angered by her learning and it nearly led to her down
fall. Historians have related how the accidental dropping of her arrest charge sheet
gave her warning and she was able to defend herself by insisting she only wished
to take the King's mind of his infected leg and other frailties. When the soldiers
arrived to take her away Henry cursed them for being "fools" although he had
sigbned the order!!!
Never wanting to marry the King, Katherine made a happy family with the three
children, Mary, Elizabeth and the very young Edward, but all the time she was aware
that the King could change and decide she had offended him.
Written as only this author can achieve you feel the uncertainty and fear of
life at this court. He organises Hans Holbein to paint a portrait of the KIng and Queen
and the three siblings for which they all pose.
When it is unveiled, Katherine has been supplated by an image of Jane Seymour.
"Well" was the comment" She gave me a son, you have never even become pregnant"
Four months after Henry died she married Thomas Seymour, I don't blame her!!
Well Recommended. Maggie Perkovc.
Saturday, 10 January 2009
Doris Day, Reluctant Star by David Bret
Review by Maggie Perkovic October 2008
Like many of us Doris Day has been a firm favourite in my life. From 'Calamity Jane' to 'Love me or Leave Me' she has always given the very best performance. She was a top selling star both in films and on records, with a top TV show for many years.
However, behind all this success was a sad story of brutal husbands who manipulated her and used her talent to furnish their lifestyles. her one son from the marriage to her first husband endured an unhappy childhood despite her best efforts. He died aged 62 in 2004 and Doris Day now lives a virtual recluse with only her work for her beloved animals keeping her very busy and fulfilled.
She stated she would have preferred to be a happy housewife with a houseful of children than the star which she no doubt was. Any money she made was taken and 'invested' by Marty Melcher (her 3rd husband), which left her destitute after his death. She had to work for many years just to repay her taxes due to Melchers bad business dealings.
This book which only relates facts Doris herself told in her autobiography sets out the facts very clearly and of course numbers all the films which starred this very lovely and talented lady.
Like many of us Doris Day has been a firm favourite in my life. From 'Calamity Jane' to 'Love me or Leave Me' she has always given the very best performance. She was a top selling star both in films and on records, with a top TV show for many years.
However, behind all this success was a sad story of brutal husbands who manipulated her and used her talent to furnish their lifestyles. her one son from the marriage to her first husband endured an unhappy childhood despite her best efforts. He died aged 62 in 2004 and Doris Day now lives a virtual recluse with only her work for her beloved animals keeping her very busy and fulfilled.
She stated she would have preferred to be a happy housewife with a houseful of children than the star which she no doubt was. Any money she made was taken and 'invested' by Marty Melcher (her 3rd husband), which left her destitute after his death. She had to work for many years just to repay her taxes due to Melchers bad business dealings.
This book which only relates facts Doris herself told in her autobiography sets out the facts very clearly and of course numbers all the films which starred this very lovely and talented lady.
Friday, 26 February 2010
Show 25th Feb 2010
G’day & welcome to the bookshfow on radio scilly 107.9fm. My guests today are Ro Bennett and Malcolm Martland. Books on review this week are:
Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony by Eoin (pronounced Owen) Colfer, Old Filth by Jane Gardam, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest Steig Larssen The Greatest Show on Earth Richard Dawkins.
FILTH — Failed in London Try Hong Kong.
Based on Rudyard Kiplings early life ("Baa Baa Black Sheep", written when he was 23, and which describes his experiences as a six-year-old "Raj orphan", sent from Bombay to live in Southsea)
One reviewer of Richard Dawkins book said: On far too many occasions the author launches off into attacks, jibes and generally derogatory remarks about creationists, which are annoying and distracting.
Artemis Fowl: Fairies, demons and technical gadgets.
Steig Larssen :You have read all of these now Malcolm, do you have a favourite, have any let you down in expectation? "No, I would highly recommend the entire 3 books starting with The Girl With The Drgaon Tattoo.."
Next week will be a book show special with an exclusive interview with Terence Frisby, playwright, director, producer and author of ‘Kisses on a Postcard’. Listen to him chat with myself, Babs Simpson & Maggie Perkovic , a lovely, amusing man. You can look him up on his interesting website ‘www.kissesonapostcard.com’ and hear the play and parts from the forthcoming musical.
Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony by Eoin (pronounced Owen) Colfer, Old Filth by Jane Gardam, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest Steig Larssen The Greatest Show on Earth Richard Dawkins.
FILTH — Failed in London Try Hong Kong.
Based on Rudyard Kiplings early life ("Baa Baa Black Sheep", written when he was 23, and which describes his experiences as a six-year-old "Raj orphan", sent from Bombay to live in Southsea)
One reviewer of Richard Dawkins book said: On far too many occasions the author launches off into attacks, jibes and generally derogatory remarks about creationists, which are annoying and distracting.
Artemis Fowl: Fairies, demons and technical gadgets.
Steig Larssen :You have read all of these now Malcolm, do you have a favourite, have any let you down in expectation? "No, I would highly recommend the entire 3 books starting with The Girl With The Drgaon Tattoo.."
Next week will be a book show special with an exclusive interview with Terence Frisby, playwright, director, producer and author of ‘Kisses on a Postcard’. Listen to him chat with myself, Babs Simpson & Maggie Perkovic , a lovely, amusing man. You can look him up on his interesting website ‘www.kissesonapostcard.com’ and hear the play and parts from the forthcoming musical.
Thursday, 18 September 2014
Susan Bordo - The Creation of Anne Boleyn
Book Review written & read live on the bookshow by Maggie Perkovic 18th Sept 2014
I have always been a great fan of Anne Boleyn.I felt she had a poor press over
the years and her decision to marry Henry VIII was certainly not her plan when she first
came back to this country from France as she fell for Harry Percy. However although
he felt the same about her, he was already precontracted to Mary Talbot and the
arrangement was considered binding, so he returned to Cumbria and she was left
bereft. Henry VIII decided to woo her, and unlike a lot pf ladies at Court Anne was
not disposed to be a mistress or the like so he realised that he must try to
divorce Katherine of Aragon and marry Anne. Not so simple as he thought. The
whole process took over seven years and necessitated leaving the Catholic church
and Henry being in place of the Pope!!!Susan Bordo has written a very interesting
book with the early pages devoted to quite intensive research which actually shpws
that although Henry and Anne were not quite as happy as at the beginning of
their marriage he was still preparing to take her to France right up to April
before her arrest. Cromwell was the force apparently finding out about her so
called adultery, his reasons being he knew Henry was turning his fancy to
Jane Seymour and he was a fan of Wolsey and blamed her for his fall from power.
The author spends too much time on discussing the series on TV, The Tudors and
others such plus books and films.I didn't realise there was a society that studies
Anne Boleyn and several organisations meet to talk about her and her life!!
I did enjoy he book even though, being American her spelling and phrasing
confuse me, but I felt her summing up of Anne as a woman born out of her time
and a feminist before they were even thought of very fair.
Interesting read, but you have to be a Anne Boleyn fan to really enjoy it. Maggie Perkovic.
I have always been a great fan of Anne Boleyn.I felt she had a poor press over
the years and her decision to marry Henry VIII was certainly not her plan when she first
came back to this country from France as she fell for Harry Percy. However although
he felt the same about her, he was already precontracted to Mary Talbot and the
arrangement was considered binding, so he returned to Cumbria and she was left
bereft. Henry VIII decided to woo her, and unlike a lot pf ladies at Court Anne was
not disposed to be a mistress or the like so he realised that he must try to
divorce Katherine of Aragon and marry Anne. Not so simple as he thought. The
whole process took over seven years and necessitated leaving the Catholic church
and Henry being in place of the Pope!!!Susan Bordo has written a very interesting
book with the early pages devoted to quite intensive research which actually shpws
that although Henry and Anne were not quite as happy as at the beginning of
their marriage he was still preparing to take her to France right up to April
before her arrest. Cromwell was the force apparently finding out about her so
called adultery, his reasons being he knew Henry was turning his fancy to
Jane Seymour and he was a fan of Wolsey and blamed her for his fall from power.
The author spends too much time on discussing the series on TV, The Tudors and
others such plus books and films.I didn't realise there was a society that studies
Anne Boleyn and several organisations meet to talk about her and her life!!
I did enjoy he book even though, being American her spelling and phrasing
confuse me, but I felt her summing up of Anne as a woman born out of her time
and a feminist before they were even thought of very fair.
Interesting read, but you have to be a Anne Boleyn fan to really enjoy it. Maggie Perkovic.
Saturday, 4 May 2013
Suzanne Dunn - The Sixth Wife
Reviewed live on bookshow by Maggie Perkovich .
I always enjoy books about the Tudor period and this one concerning Katherine Parr, the sixth and last
wife of Henry V111was very readable, if not historically correct. It starts when Henry has died and
his wife is in a period of mourning. However her previous romance Thomas Seymour re enters
her life and they get married before the year is out which breaks all the rules!!!
Not only that she later becomes pregnant something that she and her new husband are
thrilled about, as her three previous marriages to older men had not produced an offf spring.
Of course things get complicated when the young Princess Elizabeth and Lady Jane Grey
come to live with them at Sudely House, and Thomas is suspected of becoming too
familiar with the former. From then on life goes downhill ending with her death shortly
after child birth, the baby also is believed to have died when very young.
Seymour is later executed for treason.
Into this basic story as reported in history literature the author throws a mythical
romance between Thomas Seymour and Catherine Duchess of Suffolk (she admits it is
not historically based) and there is quite a frisky description of their love making which
suprised me, before the eventual tragedy concludes.
Katherine Parr was by all historians a clever and learned woman, whose love
and compassion for her step children was much admired.
This book seems more to dwell on her problems with Thomas seymour and her
friendship with Duchess of Suffolk, ward then widow of Charles Brandon.
Also she did seem to lapse into modern speak as in calling a Catherine Cathy.
Not very likely in the 16th century. Maggie Perkovic.
I always enjoy books about the Tudor period and this one concerning Katherine Parr, the sixth and last
wife of Henry V111was very readable, if not historically correct. It starts when Henry has died and
his wife is in a period of mourning. However her previous romance Thomas Seymour re enters
her life and they get married before the year is out which breaks all the rules!!!
Not only that she later becomes pregnant something that she and her new husband are
thrilled about, as her three previous marriages to older men had not produced an offf spring.
Of course things get complicated when the young Princess Elizabeth and Lady Jane Grey
come to live with them at Sudely House, and Thomas is suspected of becoming too
familiar with the former. From then on life goes downhill ending with her death shortly
after child birth, the baby also is believed to have died when very young.
Seymour is later executed for treason.
Into this basic story as reported in history literature the author throws a mythical
romance between Thomas Seymour and Catherine Duchess of Suffolk (she admits it is
not historically based) and there is quite a frisky description of their love making which
suprised me, before the eventual tragedy concludes.
Katherine Parr was by all historians a clever and learned woman, whose love
and compassion for her step children was much admired.
This book seems more to dwell on her problems with Thomas seymour and her
friendship with Duchess of Suffolk, ward then widow of Charles Brandon.
Also she did seem to lapse into modern speak as in calling a Catherine Cathy.
Not very likely in the 16th century. Maggie Perkovic.
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