A young woman defiantly sells banned books as a means of resistance during World War II.
The stories of two women weave themselves together, joined by a third story, a story of romance. We witness Nazi brutality and the generous of spirit in the young woman who prescribes literature form her Book Dispensary. There is a strong sense of time and place in this work. All of the characters are well-drawn.
Siobhan Curham’s writing is superb in The Paris Network, a gripping World War II novel.
This seems like a cosy crime and we really are kept wondering whodunit.
The author really keeps us guessing in the first half of the book. All the clues are there, we may realise in retrospect. He even has a foreign detective, Atticus Pünd, who may remind you of a certain Belgian detective. Then comes the twist. A much more intriguing story and even more bizarre murder are hidden behind this story.
Anthony Horowitz, as ever a great story teller, presents us with some intriguing characters in the mysterious Magpie Murders.
Adunni dreams of becoming a teacher.
But it seems it is not to be. Her mother dies and her father marries her off so that he can earn some money. She faces several challenges but encounters a couple of friends on the way. There are some grave dangers. She has to escape the wrath of her husband. She finds employment but her boss is cruel and violent. She has to study hard at the same time as completing long hours of physical work.
Abi Daré certainly gives Audnni a “louding” voice and creates an authentic character here.
Clare Button runs this popular little library in the Bethnal Green Tube station.
She faces many challenges: she is a widow and her mother and mother-in-law don’t approve of what she’s doing. Her immediate boss is very hard to please. Then there is a whole war going on out there and she feels obliged to help to keep several young people safe in these trying times.
Kate Thompson tells a good story in the account of The Little Wartime Library that really existed though was somewhat different from the one depicted here.
The lives of three grandmothers and their grandchildren intertwine.
Each of the three women has her own set of challenges. Their interaction with their grandchildren brings them together. One character isn’t actually a grandmother but plays that role.
The characters are well drawn. The grandmother and the grandchildren are the main characters. The generation in between are more minor players but they are also believable and well-rounded.
It’s an easy read and it’s good to have characters over 50 who are at the same time just like everyone else and yet feisty enough to survive in the modern world.
Salley Vickers has an easy style. Grandmothers offers a relaxing holiday read but invites you to reflect a little as well.
