Set in a Dublin hospital in 1918 during the Flu Pandemic, the narrative is voiced through Nurse Julia Power who is looking after a tiny makeshift wardSet in a Dublin hospital in 1918 during the Flu Pandemic, the narrative is voiced through Nurse Julia Power who is looking after a tiny makeshift ward in the hospital. There she labours for the women who not only have the 'grip' as the flu is known, but are also pregnant.
This book is a stunning piece of work - I love historical fiction, but was unprepared for how completely swept up I would become by this book...it possesses an incredible sense of driving urgency as Julia fights 'the bone man' for the lives of her charges, worries about her war-damaged brother Tim who survived the Western Front at a terrible cost, and becomes aware of the everyday darkness that shadows all women's lives in Ireland.
Dr Kathleen Lynn, a heroine of mine, plays an important role - as does Bridie Sweeney, a scrap of a girl volunteered to help out Julia.
Breathtaking, bold and brilliant - a beautiful and bloody story that really hits home....more
As a huge fan of Katherine Addison's earlier book The Goblin Emperor, I was eager to read anything she's written, and The Angel of the Crows did NOT dAs a huge fan of Katherine Addison's earlier book The Goblin Emperor, I was eager to read anything she's written, and The Angel of the Crows did NOT disappoint! Set in an alternate universe version of Sherlock Holmes, neither Holmes nor Watson's names are used. It's obvious though, from the first chapter set in Afghanistan, that this is Watson retelling their account of war and injury. Ending up in London, desperate for affordable lodgings, fate takes a hand when he is introduced to a strange figure at St Barholomew's... This is a world where the supernatural is taken as read; there are angels and demons, ghosts and fetch's and ghouls abroad, yet deductive logic supplies the detective with answers. Fans of Holmes will enjoy tremendously the fresh take on favourites like The Speckled Band, The Sign of Four and of course The Hound of the Baskervilles. The detective and assistant characters have likewise been given an invigorating and unexpected twist. Devoured it, loved it, strongly recommend it!...more
Vividly written middle grade book that brings a young Irish girl, Lily, to work in the Big House.
She has always lived with her mother and siblings, buVividly written middle grade book that brings a young Irish girl, Lily, to work in the Big House.
She has always lived with her mother and siblings, but as they need money she is sent to Lissadell as an under chambermaid. The part where she encounters a staircase for the first time really brought home how alien her new world is - this is a charming, warm story which is perfect for readers of 9+
I would love this to be the beginning of a series...
Like The Great Gatsby meets I Capture the Castle, this is one of the best books I read in 2018.
Set in Cornwall in 1929, this is a wonderfully atmospheLike The Great Gatsby meets I Capture the Castle, this is one of the best books I read in 2018.
Set in Cornwall in 1929, this is a wonderfully atmospheric coming of age story that also makes you want to put on a sparkly frock, attend a glittering party and twirl about with a glass of fizz in hand!...more
We re-enter the world of Monty, Percy and Felicity we first encountered in The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue...and what a return it is! Seen thiWe re-enter the world of Monty, Percy and Felicity we first encountered in The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue...and what a return it is! Seen this time through the eyes of Monty's sister Felicity, who is aware how smart she is, and how limited her choices are - but is determined to strive for a medical education nonetheless.
Epic adventure, piracy, friendship and exploration ensue...
While this is a bit more serious than TGGTV&V it is still a wonderfully entertaining story....more
Brilliant, bold and gripping, this story of shamblers (zombies) vs a corp of young black women trained to guard their wealthy white charges is sharplyBrilliant, bold and gripping, this story of shamblers (zombies) vs a corp of young black women trained to guard their wealthy white charges is sharply political without losing any pace....more
What a story! Set in what feels like Regency era England, but with a fantasy element that combines bookbinding and memory, love and loss, desire and cWhat a story! Set in what feels like Regency era England, but with a fantasy element that combines bookbinding and memory, love and loss, desire and control in a wholly unique way. A story with a forbidden love at it's heart that remains tantalisingly just out of reach, a smart and gripping structure and vividly drawn characters - I utterly loved this and have been urging it on friends ever since I finished it! It is also one of the most beautiful proof copies I've ever seen....more
Tense, nail-biting stuff - I was on the edge of my seat for the majority of this book as half-Jewish Sarah fights not only for her own survival, but aTense, nail-biting stuff - I was on the edge of my seat for the majority of this book as half-Jewish Sarah fights not only for her own survival, but against the evil of the Nazis who killed her mother.
As she is blonde and blue-eyed, she can pass as Aryan - and therefore can infiltrate places no known Jewish girl could; so she becomes Ursula Haller, niece of a wealthy industrialist...but there are levels of betrayal and danger that far surpass anything she could have imagined.
Sarah/Ursula is a character to fall in love with - tough-minded, determined yet vulnerable she gets under your skin and into your heart....more
If you liked Georgette Heyer's Regency books but thought they could have benefited from a touch of fantasy, you will enjoy this zestful romp. It has eIf you liked Georgette Heyer's Regency books but thought they could have benefited from a touch of fantasy, you will enjoy this zestful romp. It has everything - a disgraced once-noble family; two secretly rebellious daughters bent on revenge; cross-dressing and gambling; secrets, lies and disguises; and the Gentleman Bandit relieving the gentry of their bulging wallets...a ton of fun!...more
If Georgette Heyer had queer characters, then they would love to do the Grand Tour with Monty, Percy and Felicity! This book is every bit as witty, chIf Georgette Heyer had queer characters, then they would love to do the Grand Tour with Monty, Percy and Felicity! This book is every bit as witty, charming and rakish as Heyer, but with a boy in love with his best (male) friend, pirates and highwaymen and alchemists added to the mix.
It really is the most fun you can have with your clothes on......more
Charming and delightful, how has it taken me this long to get around to reading this? I love novels that use letters to tell their story, and this oneCharming and delightful, how has it taken me this long to get around to reading this? I love novels that use letters to tell their story, and this one is up there with 84 Charing Cross Road in wit and vivid characters....more
A richly textured, atmospheric novel set in England in the early 1800's, this has the plotting and tone of Dickens meets Jane Eyre with a dash of SaraA richly textured, atmospheric novel set in England in the early 1800's, this has the plotting and tone of Dickens meets Jane Eyre with a dash of Sarah Waters thrown in.
Tremendously entertaining and properly melodramatic in a Victorian sort of way, this book had me gripped to the end.
The cover is also one of the most gorgeous things I've seen - worth framing....more
A wonderful book about a part of history that's often overlooked - the Suffragette movement in Ireland, and how it was affected by all the other factoA wonderful book about a part of history that's often overlooked - the Suffragette movement in Ireland, and how it was affected by all the other factors in play at the time; from the end of WWI to the rumblings of the War of Independence to come. What stands out especially though is the long-forgotten effect the pandemic known as the 'Spanish Flu' had; some estimates say a third of the world's population was infected by it, and that up to 6% of the global population died from it. Ireland and Britain were hit as much as anywhere, and the terror and devastation it brought is vividly portrayed in Star by Star. An engaging book about a fascinating time - with a brilliant, sparky protagonist in Stella!...more
Amusing, enjoyable and unexpectedly touching, this is the Pride & Prejudice follow up you never knew you needed: the letters between Mr Bennett & Mr CAmusing, enjoyable and unexpectedly touching, this is the Pride & Prejudice follow up you never knew you needed: the letters between Mr Bennett & Mr Collins. ...more
Absolutely stunning - one of the best books I've read in ages. If you ever doubted the importance of clothing - as I have - this will make you questioAbsolutely stunning - one of the best books I've read in ages. If you ever doubted the importance of clothing - as I have - this will make you question that; in Birchwood, the Stripeys are stripped when they arrive. Everything is taken from these women; their clothes, their hair, their dignity - but they do their best to hold onto their humanity and sense of self, in whatever way they can.
Ella is a talented seamstress and along with Rose who becomes her best friend she uses her talents in the struggle to survive the nightmare of Auschwitz. Dressmaking becomes her passport to a little extra bread, an easier indoor job, and opportunity to see vivid colours beyond the grey and brown ash and mud of Birchwood. Hope for Ella and Rose - and peril - are embodied in a scrap of scarlet silk ribbon... Wonderful, evocative and heartrending - an incredible book....more
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