The glass painter's daughter (by Rachel Hore)

(Amazon UK link)

I first came across Rachel Hore about four years ago, when Amazon started recommending her books to me, based on what I already liked. I put one of them - 'The dream house' - tentatively on my wishlist, and liked it very much when I read it. Since then I read a couple more, and enjoyed them too. They're character-based books, often involving a dual time-frame.

I was given 'The glass painter's daughter' for Christmas last year, but my shelf of unread books is so full that it's taken me nine months to get around to reading it - and it hasn't been a quick read.

The story is told from the point of view of Fran, a young woman who is a tuba-player, travelling around the world. She gets an SOS call from Zac who works for her father in his glass restoration business, letting her know that her father has had a stroke. Fran rushes home, concerned that she had not been getting along with her father for some time, and still upset that there is secrecy - or at least silence - surrounding the circumstances of her mother's death when she was a small child.

Fran and Zac get involved in a difficult project, trying to restore a window from a church that was bombed. In hoping to find out what it originally looked like, Fran comes across a diary written over 100 years previously, by a girl called Laura. The narrative then alternates between the present and the past, as Fran not only learns about Laura and the stained glass window, but starts to discover more about her own background - and also attempts to communicate with her father.

Among other things Fran spends time with an old friend called Jo who seems oddly unpredictable, and joins a choral society which is conducted by the rather gorgeous Ben. Fran just got over a difficult relationship but finds herself more and more attracted to Ben, and it seems to be mutual...

Then there's Amber, a young and nervous girl who lives in a hostel. She is fascinated by art, and glass-painting in particular. She's also fascinated by by angels. And there are a lot of angels in the shop, including one hanging in the window.

It's quite a long book - over 400 pages - and it took me over a week, reading a chapter each evening, to get into it properly. It's rather slow-moving at first, and there's a lot of detail about the way stained glass windows are made. The author has evidently done her research well; it doesn't come across as patronising or educational, and yet I don't really read fiction to learn about a new craft. I could have done with rather less information, albeit well-presented.

However, by the time I was half-way through the book I began to find the storyline much more interesting. I did sometimes forget the various names - there's quite a cast, and with two different storylines it was sometimes difficult to remember where I was. I read the second half of the book in about three days, and found some of it quite moving. By contrast to the beginning of the book, the last chapters seemed to race by; I found myself wanting to slow down a bit and find out rather more of what was happening. By this stage I felt I knew the characters a bit better and didn't want to gloss over their doings.

The ending worked well, if predictably so and it's the kind of book that I'm sure I'll be lending to friends. It's refreshing in that it has no bad language at all, and not even a mention of any intimate scenes - just the vaguest of hints.

There's a surprising amount of Christian content for a modern secular book; not that there's any preaching, even subtly, but there's a delightful Vicar called Jeremy who was friends with Fran's father, and who somewhat takes her under his wing. So as well as the fairly extensive angelic theme to the book, there are talks about forgiveness, and reaching out to the poor, and more. It felt quite low-key to me, and worked well, but might perhaps be disturbing to anyone who is an atheist and unwilling to suspend their disbelief.

I'm glad I read it, and would definitely recommend 'A Glass Painter's Daughter'. Available in Kindle form as well as paperback.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 28th September 2012

Reaching Out (by Henri Nouwen)

(Amazon UK link)

It's some years since I first came across the writing of Henri Nouwen, a Dutch Catholic priest who, in the latter part of his life, worked in a community for disabled people. I haven't read any of his books for a while, so it seemed like a good idea to re-read 'Reaching Out' which I first read in 2006.

There are in fact two books in my edition of this volume, with the cover as shown on the left. The main part, 'Reaching Out', explores three themes of Christian growth. Nouwen writes, often movingly, about his journey through life, growing in three ways related to himself, those around him, and God.

Re-reading six years after I first read it, I didn't find it quite as moving or inspirational as I did the first time; nonetheless, there's a lot to ponder. Nouwen writes well, in a thoughtful way. His first theme is that we need to move from inner, sometimes selfish loneliness into a what he calls solitude, a place where we can be comfortable on our own.  I found this section interesting, but as one who has always liked - even needed - time to myself, and who relishes entire days alone, I didn't find all that much to inspire me.

The second part of the book talks about the move from what Nouwen calls hostility towards true hospitality in every sense of the word. He suggests that it's too easy to see people - our families, our work colleagues, our Christian brothers and sisters - as nuisances, impinging on our time. Perhaps hostility is too strong a word; and yet it's far too easy to see our own concerned as more important, to want to change people, to have them fit in with us.

Hospitality, we're told, isn't just inviting people for meals but giving them a safe place to open up, to be themselves, to know that they are loved. Nouwen writes about the importance of treating our children, our students, our apprentices with the same courteous hospitality as we would treat important visitors, giving them the freedom to relax and grow in the way God has made them.

The final part of the book focuses on moving from our illusions to a deep form of prayer that is beyond simple petitions. While I'm not sure I fully grasped the kind of illusions that were mentioned, I found the section about prayer very encouraging. Nouwen writes about an ongoing, heartfelt communication that enters into the fibre of our being as we are filled with God's Spirit, and involve Him in every part of our lives.

It's not a book I could read quickly. I intended to read perhaps half a chapter every morning for a couple of weeks, but found very often that just two or three pages gave me sufficient food for thought. So I read it over several weeks, and thought about it a great deal. I hope that the ideas and suggestions within the book will remain with me for some time to come.

At the end of my edition of 'Reaching Out', there's also a much briefer book, 'Beyond the Mirror' that looks at how Henri Nouwen's life focus and attitudes changes as he faced the possibility of dying after a road accident. Also extremely thought-provoking, but I don't know if it's included in other editions of this book.

Recommended.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 26th September 2012

The code of the Woosters (by PG Wodehouse)

(Amazon UK link)

I started reading PG Wodehouse when I was in my early teens, on the recommendation of my father. I've acquired various of his novels over the years, and enjoyed reading some aloud to my sons when they were in their teens. My favourite characters have to be Bertie Wooster, the generous, gregarious (and slightly gormless) wealthy young man, and his highly intelligent valet Jeeves.

In recent years I haven't delved into Wodehouse books all that much; indeed, I got rather lazy and watched the brilliant TV series 'Jeeves and Wooster' on DVD, over some months. Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie portray the main protagonists so brilliantly that I enjoyed it very much and felt it was in just the right spirit... even if it seemed that, from time to time, the DVDs deviated somewhat from the storylines of the book.

So it was very timely that I happened to be browsing book reviews when I came across one about 'The code of the Woosters.' The review was so good that I paused half-way through reading to check whether it was amongst the fairly extensive Wodehouse collection on my shelves. It wasn't, so I then hunted around online to find out where I could buy the book as soon as possible.

It's not available at Project Gutenberg; there is a Kindle version, but it costs almost as much as the paperback on Amazon. So I was delighted to discover the paperback version on special offer, costing less than three pounds (postage free), from The Book Depository. I put in an order at once.

I was surprised that we did not already own this book, as the plot as described in the review seemed rather familiar; perhaps I read it when I was a teenager, or perhaps this book made up part of the TV series.

I finally picked it up to read a few days ago, and have enjoyed it very much indeed.

Bertie Wooster is summoned by his Aunt Dahlia, who requests first that he poke fun publicly at a strange antique called a 'cow creamer', then that he travel down to Totleigh Towers to steal it. Bertie has also received a summons to the same country estate from his newt-loving friend Gussie, who is engaged to the fluffy Madeline, and another from her cousin Stephanie (Stiffy). Clearly Bertie is in great demand, so with Jeeves in tow he tootles down in his natty little car.

Unfortunately, Madeleine's father Sir Watkyn Bassett is not a fan of Bertie's, having once fined him for stealing a policeman's helmet, and he holds him in great distrust. Worse, he is accompanied by a would-be dictator, Roderick Spode, who threatens violence against Bertie... until Jeeves manages to unearth a secret which Spode does not want to be revealed.

It's all ridiculous, of course; Bertie staggers from one crisis to another, terrified of the wrath of Spode, the tears of his aunt, and perhaps worst of all the embraces of Madeleine, should she and Gussie decide not to get married. Jeeves stays calm and generally comes up with brilliant solutions to every problem, even though sometimes the solutions seem to make things even worse for Bertie...

What makes Wodehouse worth reading, over and over again, is his wonderful use of language, his irony, his quotations and mis-quotations from classics, and of course the way that the plot all hangs together, with everything working out just right in the end. Even if Jeeves does, once again, get his own way about something he wanted to do that Bertie was not keen on...

Highly recommended.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 18th September 2012

The Chalet School in the Oberland (by Elinor M Brent-Dyer)

I was feeling tired and lacking energy, suffering from a nasty cold. So I wanted something ultra-light and comforting to read. What better than something by Elinor M Brent-Dyer, author of the lengthy Chalet School series which I am - very gradually, interspersed with many other books - re-reading.

Last time I read 'The Chalet School in the Oberland' was in 2000, so twelve years ago. That means that I'd pretty much forgotten everything about it, other than that it described the first term of the new 'finishing school' sixth-form branch of the Chalet School which had just been opened in Switzerland. It's best read right after 'Shocks for the Chalet School', but chronologically speaking it takes place over exactly the same time period.

A mixture of 38 girls from various schools begin the term together at the Oberland branch, headed by Miss Wilson - previously co-head of the main Chalet School - and including one or two other familiar people from earlier in the series. Nobody knows quite what to expect as girls of 16-18 from a variety of backgrounds start to mix together in a brand new environment.

Gradually the girls learn to work together, and the initial cliques become a bit fuzzier.  There are some old favourite characters, including Peggy Bettany who goes through a very difficult period when her beloved mother is very ill  Some of the 'new' folk struggle with the Chalet School ethos; in particular, a girl called Elma gets into some trouble. Brent-Dyer's personal ethics come through quite strongly, in a way that would probably seem very dated and moralistic to many of today's teenagers.

Still, I always enjoy these favourites from my own teenage years. This particular book is a little different from some of the others, with a pantomime rather than the usual Nativity play or summer fair at the end.

It was a good choice for a book that didn't require much effort, and made enjoyable fluffy reading.

Not currently in print, and often pricey second-hand; however this can sometimes be found inexpensively in UK charity shops.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 15th September 2012

Monday to Friday Man (by Alice Peterson)

(Amazon UK link)

I have very much liked the books I have read by Alice Peterson, so I was delighted to learn that one of her recent novels, 'Monday to Friday Man', was available for 20p in e-book form for the Kindle. I thought this was a short-term special offer, but it seems to have remained at this price for some time, and is extremely popular as a result!

The story features Gilly who is 34, and having a rather early mid-life crisis. We meet her brooding about the fact that she was jilted just a fortnight before her wedding; worse, her ex-fiancé has become engaged to someone else. She feels frustrated, and wonders if she would be happier leaving London altogether, and starting life afresh in the countryside.

But when she starts looking at living further afield, an old friend, working as an estate agent, suggests she might take in a "Monday to Friday' lodger to help pay her bills. After a friend hypes up her advert, and then Gilly meets several amusingly dreadful applicants, the almost perfect Jack turns up. He's a TV producer who goes home at weekends, and is remarkably easy to get along with. His main fault is that he's quite secretive about himself, even after he and Gilly start - inevitably - an affair.

Gilly has some good (if slightly strange) friends who meet daily while walking their dogs. She works for one of them, and gradually becomes very close to Guy, a nice young man who wears a hat all the time and is conveniently engaged to a girl who's currently travelling. Indeed, it's his girlfriend's dog he is walking. This makes him totally off-limits as far as Gilly is concerned, which enables them to develop a very good platonic friendship. Or so she thinks...

Yes, it's somewhat predictable 'chick-lit'; light women's fiction with a few quirks. However, I like Alice Peterson's style, and the story moves on apace. There's a bit of humour here and there, as well as a few deeper issues - in particular a back-story about Gilly's little sister who was born with a serious congenital condition that left her physically handicapped with a short lifespan.

For 20p on my Kindle, I thought this an excellent buy and it made a pleasant read. Definitely recommended if you want something light, fluffy, and mostly quite encouraging.

Note that the Amazon link is to the paperback edition of this book, but if you follow it and then look for 'other editions' the Kindle one should show.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 13th September 2012

My True Companion (by Sally Quilford)

(Amazon UK link)

I’ve been following Sally Quilford’s blog for some years now, and have enjoyed reading a few of her novellas (originally published as pocket novels) when she releases them inexpensively in Kindle form.

‘My True Companion’ was a recent Kindle addition, with the added bonus that it was free for a few days. Novellas of this kind are fairly short, and I had a couple of hours today when I wanted something light - so I read this book in that time, and enjoyed it.

The setting is a stately home in England in 1921. Millie is the heroine; a young impoverished woman whose father was recently executed as a spy. She is convinced he was innocent, but many of her former friends have turned away from her. So she has taken a post as companion to the rather controlling widow Mrs Oakengate. We meet them as they arrive at Fazeby Hall for a house-party.

There are quite a few other characters introduced fairly rapidly, and I found the number a bit overwhelming; it was hard to work out which ones were going to be significant. As well as the host and hostess, there’s a foreign Count, a young couple who seem to bicker continually, a novelist, and an older man who is Millie’s godfather. I had no idea what genre this book would be, other than historical fiction, but it was fairly quickly established that it was a light thriller - crime fiction with a romantic element. Had I seen the pocket book, that would probably have been clear from the start.

The plot has quite a few twists, some of which I was expecting, and some of which surprised me. The writing is fairly fast-paced with almost no description; this is probably inevitable in such a short book, but is generally my preference anyway. I’m not a huge fan of thrillers, but there wasn’t any unpleasant suspense; likewise the romantic element is very low-key, suitable for the era (and the audience of the original pocket book).

The story, touches on issues of political intrigue, snobbery and class consciousness, and while it’s not long enough to have a great deal of depth, it made an enjoyable break in my day. Recommended if you like this kind of book and would like something rather shorter than a standard novel.

Note that this was published in large print form after the pocket book version; this is the version which shows in the image above, although the link is to the Kindle edition. 

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 8th September 2012

All that mullarkey (by Sue Moorcroft)

(Amazon UK link)

I first came across Sue Moorcroft some years ago when I was sent her novel ‘Uphill all the way’ by The Bookbag, and enjoyed it very much. So I was pleased when I discovered some of her other work, mostly out of print but available very cheaply for the Kindle. I follow her blog and respect her advice - unfortunately, I haven’t, so far, enjoyed any of her other novels as much as the first.

‘All that mullarkey’ starts with a dramatic scene. Cleo, a thirty-something businesswoman, sets out for a school reunion despite the disapproval of her husband Gav. Indeed, he’s been in a bad mood lately, and this culminates in his insistence that if she goes out, their marriage is over.

It’s an unusual and quite powerful start to the story; unfortunately, it goes downhill from there. Cleo does feel a bit worried and turns back, but when she finds that Gav has not just gone out, he’s left a cruel message on the wall, she decides to go out and get drunk. And then she does something so bizarre and stupid that I totally lost sympathy with her.

There are lots of issues bubbling under the scenes in this book - of the dangers of drinking too heavily; of the importance of truth in relationships; of single parenthood and the amazing depth of parental love; of abusive campaigns against individuals, and more. We get a little insight into Cleo’s role at work, visiting companies that need help, which was very interesting. Indeed, there was a lot of potential in this novel, and there’s some good writing too.

However, it seems to have been designed to appeal primarily to a young and rather shallow audience. There’s also a great deal of clubbing, far too much uncommitted leaping into bed, and even some bad language that doesn’t feel appropriate in context. It’s not exactly light chick-lit; there’s more depth to it than that. But it’s equally not the more moving older women’s fiction of the author’s first novel.

I found the characterisation rather mixed. The publishers try to make a point of using a male point of view as well as a female one in their novels, which is a great idea. The problem with that in this book is that there are two important male characters in this book: the confused, unhappy Gav, who is evidently going through a bad patch; and the wild, promiscuous Justin, who takes advantage of Cleo, totally fails to understand her, then tries to blackmail her emotionally. Both change character rather dramatically as the novel progresses, and while Justin does start to feel much nice and I grew in sympathy for him, it didn’t quite feel in character with the unpleasant person he is when Cleo first gets to know him.

Cleo herself is such a mixed character that I never felt as if I got to know her properly. We see a lot of the novel from her perspective; sometimes she’s caring, maternal and wise, although rather insecure. She’s evidently very good at her job, and fond of her supposedly wilder sister. Cleo is, mostly, an excellent mother. But at times she behaves in ways that make her appear to be a rebellious, thoughtless teenager with nobody who cares about her at all - so it was difficult to relate to her.

There’s a sort of twist in the plot towards the end which I could see coming for some time, but it didn’t seem very realistic. I suppose it was there to ensure that the readers were in sympathy with the right people. The ending was predictable, but that’s not a problem - I like to know that endings of novels are going to be encouraging, and by the second half of the book it was evident that the alternative possible ending was not going to happen.

I sound negative, but it’s not a bad book. I kept reading, partly because on the whole the writing is good, and partly just to check that the expected ending was going to happen... but it took me over a week. It wasn’t a book that I couldn’t put down.

I suppose this novel would make undemanding holiday reading. The paperback edition is still in print on both sides of the Atlantic, and the links given point to them; however this is also available inexpensively for the Kindle; I was able to download mine free on special offer.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 7th September 2012