The Gates of Zion (by Bodie Thoene)

I'd never heard of Bodie Thoene before last Autumn, when I happened to read a few of her books. I found them a bit over-violent in places, but with very good characters and exciting plots. So I was pleased when a friend gave me several more of her books, on moving away from Cyprus.

I've just finished reading 'The Gates of Zion', which is the first in the 'Zion Chronicles' series. It's set in Palestine in 1947, just after the end of the second world war, including the time when Israel was granted political status as a nation.

It mainly features Ellie, a young American photographer, who has been staying with her uncle - an archaeologist - and photographing some artefacts. Unknown to her, his assistant Moshe is an active Zionist, smuggling Jewish people (many of them holocaust survivors) into the country on a ship.

The start of the book is very political, and quite confusing with a large number of characters. It took me a while to get into it; I nearly gave up a couple of times, and that's unusual for me. However I persevered, and by about half way through the story had become more interesting; once again the main characters were good, and mostly believable, and the plot exciting enough that I wanted to know what happened.

I did skim some of the political discussion, and much of the fast action - mainly rioting and violence - so as to focus on what was, for me, the more interesting part of the story: what would happen to Ellie, to a young lad who helps her, and to a young woman who is a refugee.

The ending was satisfying, albeit including a rather huge (although predictable) coincidence, and a few unlikely last-minute escapes. So I'm glad I finished it, although I'm not exactly in a hurry to read the next in the series.

The writing is good - fast-paced and crisps, without too much explicit detail of blood and gore. I did find myself annoyed that the book seemed so very pro-Jewish and anti-Muslim, but I suppose that's the general American slant on Middle Eastern politics. There were good Muslims in the story (mostly as shadowy minor characters), and one or two Jews who turned traitor, but it felt rather unbalanced.

I also found myself surprisingly annoyed by the racism against the British shown by the author. The ugly non-word 'Britisher' is used several times, as is the assumption that all Brits are well-meaning but clumsy and boorish. Some of them are even described as 'slurping' their coffee. Ugh. The Highland Infantry soldiers speak with what looks like Cockney accents, and it seems very bizarre that while the Arabs and the Polish Jews seem able to speak in regular English, all the Brits in the story are described explicitly as having 'thick' accents. This even includes a BBC radio presenter, in days when strong accents were never used on the radio - only 'Kings' English' was allowed.

It's a pity that these comments were allowed into the story; I'm no patriot, but all these subtle anti-British snubs jarred rather strongly, as did the rather bizarre idea that the Americans 'won' World War II. Perhaps this book isn't really intended for anyone outside the USA (where that myth apparently still holds true in some circles). Still, in many ways this novel is an eye-opener to the kinds of situations that probably did happen, and on the whole is very well-researched, so I should probably just forgive the strongly American slant.

There's a Christian theme too, but the author manages this very well, in context, without preaching or over-emphasizing her points.

Recommended in a low-key sort of way to anyone who enjoys historical novels and doesn't mind US bias.

Review copyright © Sue's Book Reviews, 22nd June 2008

In Sunshine or Shadow (by Charlotte Bingham)

I have slightly mixed feelings about Charlotte Bingham's books. I have really enjoyed some of them, but been less impressed by others. I seem to have collected quite a few, mostly second-hand - but still have three or four unread.

So I decided to try 'In Sunshine or Shadow', a fairly long novel - over 500 pages, unsure what to expect.

In the early chapters, we meet the two girls who are the main protagonists of the story: Ellie and Artemis. Their circumstances are about as different as is possible: Artemis is an upper-class English girl, an only child who lives in a large estate with several servants, and grows up around horses. Ellie is a fairly poor American girl with four older brothers.

However, they both lose their mothers at a young age - Ellie's mother dies giving birth to her, and Artemis's mother dies in a riding accident - and both have fathers who give them no affection. The difference is that Artemis's father is basically selfish, although he's fond of his daughter in a vague kind of way; Ellie's father is much more passionate, and hates Ellie because he feels she killed his wife by being born. So while Artemis is mostly neglected, Ellie is beaten and verbally abused. Ellie's only friend is Patsy, the youngest of her brothers.

The book charts both these girls growing up, and inevitably they meet. It's on a ship, going from the USA to the UK after Artemis has stayed there for a while. They become friends despite such different backgrounds, and Artemis is determined that they should stick together. Yet she's an off-hand kind of person who finds it difficult to settle to anything, or make a commitment.

I didn't find myself deeply relating to either of the girls, or indeed anyone else in this novel. There are one or two amusing moments - such as the butler at Ellie's Auntie Rose's house - and a rather moving section later in the book when a child is very sick. But most of the time I didn't find my emotions particularly stirred at all.

On the other hand, I quickly got caught up in the various sub-plots of the book which are cleverly woven together. Charlotte Bingham writes well, and her characters are memorable if not deeply sympathetic. I certainly got a feel for the upper-class horse-mad family where Artemis grew up, and for the struggling Irish American community where Ellie was raised. I'm not usually very interested in war-years novels, but this one didn't have too much detail about the war itself (World War II begins towards the end of the book) - and the one unpleasant incident which is described is vital to the plot, and not too gory.

All in all, I found myself picking up 'In Sunshine or Shadow' at odd moments and reading avidly - I enjoyed it, and am determined to read the rest of my books by this author, over the next few months.

Published in 1991, this is still in print in the UK, and widely available second-hand.

Copyright © Sue's Book Reviews, 8th June 2008

Sing as we go (by Margaret Dickinson)

As far as I know, I haven't read anything by Margaret Dickinson before now, although she's apparently quite a prolific writer.

'Sing as we go' is a fast-paced and well-written novel set in the early 1940s. The heroine, Kathy, is strong-willed and determined. Her father is unloving and sometimes violent, and her mother loving but not very strong. Kathy manages to leave - with her mother's blessing - and stays with her best friend's aunt in the city. She finds a job, makes new friends, and falls in love with the handsome Tony, who has reputedly broken several hearts already.

Of course, life is never straightforward. Kathy's boss is one of Tony's ex-girlfriends, and Tony's mother is a selfish and manipulative woman who doesn't want him to love anyone but herself. There's also the rather large matter of World War II looming, with all it involves.

I sometimes find novels set in the war years to be rather dry, heavily weighted in favour of factual accounts of the war, with the characters secondary. That isn't the case with 'Sing as we go'. I thought the balance was good - there's plenty of fictional plot, revolving around Kathy and her friends, and the war is only really mentioned when it impinges on them.

It's ideal if you want to pick up a bit of social history while reading a good story. Kathy sings with a group touring around the country giving concerts to servicemen, a subject I knew very little about. The scenes felt realistic rather than researched, and I found myself appreciating the value of those who gave their time and talents to the entertainment industry during the war.

It's a story of hope, of determination, and of picking up the pieces after making mistakes. Kathy is a likeable girl and I found myself turning the pages of this book at night, long after I really should have been asleep.

My main problem with the book is that some of the minor characters seem unrealistic, and rather inconsistent. Others just seem weak and faceless. But it wasn't a huge problem, since I found I could relate to Kathy fairly well - and most of the story is seen through her eyes.

All in all, enjoyable light historical fiction with a realistic background of the war years.

('Sing as we go' was sent to me by The Bookbag, and I initially reviewed it for their site)

Consider the Lily (by Elizabeth Buchan)

I had read three books by Elizabeth Buchan. I enjoyed 'The Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman', more than I expected to. I was less sure about 'Against her nature', which I found a bit dull in places. And I had mixed feelings about That Certain Age', but still thought it was a good light read on the whole, if a little confusing in places. Still, I liked them sufficiently to put her others on my wishlist, and received another one for Christmas last year.

'Consider the Lily' is a sort of village saga, set between the world wars. It features a marriage of convenience, and the many problems within it, exacerbated by the husband's love of his wife's cousin. Taking this thread alone, it's quite a moving story, as mistakes are made, misunderstandings arise, and - almost imperceptibly - affection grows. The conclusion was powerful and satisfying.

The reason for the marriage is that Matty - the wife - is very wealthy, and can put to rights the delapidated ancestral home belonging to her husband. She loves him, and also wants to get away from her suffocating aunt, who has been her guardian since she lost her parents at a young age.

So there are also threads of the story involved in the gradual and tasteful renovation of the house, and Matty's growing love of the garden. There are secrets within the garden - her new husband and his family refuse to go in part of it, or even talk about it - and some mystery surrounding the family.

There's also the bad-tempered Sir Rupert, Matty's father-in-law, whose health becomes increasingly frail, necessitating the help of Robin Lofts, the newly arrived doctor in the village. Robin and Matty's sister-in-law are very attracted to each other, despite a significant difference of class, which was still important in those days.

But there are wider threads still, which didn't seem to intertwine much with the main plot at all, and simply made it confusing at first. The story opens, for instance, with Matty and her cousin getting ready for the wedding of Polly Dysart. Polly is in fact a future member of Matty's in-laws, but she really doesn't come into the story again.

There also seem to be several village people mentioned - all together, in the early chapters, with stories that don't really go anywhere, and simply left me confused. It wasn't until Matty's wedding - after over 100 pages - that the book settled down and became interesting. I nearly gave up before then, although I'm glad I didn't.

In addition to all this, there are interspersed short chapters simply labelled 'Harry' which mostly described, in detail, various flowers or anecdotes about gardening. I never did work out who Harry was - perhaps he was supposed to be a ghost (since Matty does feel haunted by several family ghosts). I soon realised that I lost nothing if I simply ignored these parts, which didn't appear to fit in with the rest of the book at all.

That all sounds rather negative, so I should balance it by saying that the writing is very good - crips and clear, and in places moving. There is little rambling, and no dull description that I can recall (other than the 'Harry' chapters). Matty's character is very believable; I could sympathise with her strongly, and found myself hoping things would work out. Some of the other characters were more two-dimensional, some of them eminently forgettable, but I don't mind that too much, so long as there's a main character to relate to.

It took me over two weeks to read this, which is most unusual for me, despite 'Consider the Lily' being a fairly long book - 570 pages in all. However I read the last half in the past three days, finding it more enjoyable and interesting the further it went on.

Overall, a good light read, if you can get past the early chapters.

The Victory Club (by Robin Lee Hatcher)

I very much enjoyed some of Robin Lee Hatcher's novels which I read about a year ago. So I was pleased to see her latest book in a Christian library I was visiting.

'The Victory Club' is the story of four American women during World War II. They work at the same place and see each other on the bus each morning.

Lucy was married just before her husband enlisted for the war, and she is afraid that he may never return. In her loneliness she is seriously tempted to become over-friendly with an older neighbour.

Dottie is engaged to another man who is also away in the war. Unfortunately, before he left, they did something which will have lasting consequences, and she is scared.

Margo, Dottie's mother, is strict and legalistic. She has a dark secret of her own from the past, but rather than being more sympathetic as a result, she finds it impossible to relax or to allow her children to 'fail' in any way. She is afraid for her son Clark, who is also away in the war.

The fourth woman is Penelope, whose husband stuart is unable to enlist, or even work, due to back injuries. Penelope is resentful and bored.

The four form a club to help other friends, and to support and pray for each other and their loved ones. The story follows them all over a few months.

I thought the novel interesting from a historical perspective. For one thing, I had not realised that the USA had some food rationing, albeit nowhere near as stringent as that in Europe. It was well-written too - Robin Lee Hatcher has an interesting style, and makes the characters come alive.

On the other hand, I felt that there was far too much introspection and overtly Christian conversation, none of which seemed realistic. I didn't disagree with what was said, but found the style of discussion rather off-putting and unbelievable, which was a pity in an otherwise believable setting.

Quite a good light read, although I felt the lack of an overall plot or single main character.

Shiloh Autumn (by Bodie and Brock Thoene)

So, I just finished reading the Shiloh Legacy trilogy by Bodie Thoene. The final book of the series, 'Say to this Mountain' draws together many threads from the first two books, and ends in a very encouraging and satisfying way.

I should have been satisfied. But I saw, in the library I was visiting, another book, written by Bodie and her husband Brock Thoene together. They collaborated on the trilogy of books, but Bodie was the primary writer. This one, apparently, was a more equal project.

So I picked up 'Shiloh Autumn', which is in fact complete in itself although it's also a sequel to the Shiloh trilogy. It features the same people, but doesn't expect the reader to have met them before. The authors managed this well, making the book interesting for someone like me who had just read the series, without continual flashbacks or repetition.

The story, once again, features folk in Shiloh, Arkansas, as the American economy collapses in the early 1930s. Capitalism fights with struggling workers as the bank gives mortgages with very unfair conditions, and the rich become richer - generally by dishonest means.

Brock Thoene is a historian, and I assume his research was accurate. Certainly the people and situations all seemed real - sometimes shockingly so. The writing is good, and there are some very moving moments as tragedies strike, people suffer, and the poor lose even what little they have. There's a Christian message running throughout, too. It occurs to me that this may be somewhat unusual in a book so opposed to capitalism in the USA.

I found the book interesting, and liked catching up on the characters of the Shiloh Legacy series. On the other hand, in a way I wish I hadn't read it since some of the characters became a great deal unhappier in this book and there was less of a 'happy ever after' feeling when I had finished it, although it was basically hopeful.

Say to this Mountain (by Bodie Thoene)

This is the third in the Shiloh Legacy trilogy by Bodie Thoene.

'Say to this Mountain' draws together threads from the first two books, 'In my Father's House', and 'A Thousand shall Fall'. Max and his son David are on the run from hitmen after the Wall Street crash in the USA in 1929, and decide to visit Max's cousin Trudy and her husband Birch in Shiloh, Arkansas.

Shiloh, meanwhile, is just recovering from a tornado, which ripped up some of the train tracks, and destroyed the home of JD, Birch's unlikeable cousin.

Then there's Ellis, barely mentioned in the second book, who is a doctor. He is struggling with serious debt after some bad investments, and doing extra private work just to make ends meet. He gets asked to do something unethical and has to struggle with his conscience.

Ellis lives in the same town as Willa-Mae and Hock, who also struggle to make ends meet. Yet even they are better off than Frank and John, two boys in the same apartment block, whose mother sells herself to make a few dollars each night.

Willa-Mae hasn't seen her son Jefferson for ten years, and has no idea if he's alive. But in fact he's working for Birch and Trudy, and trying desperately to find out if his parents are still living.

The novel revolves around all these scenarios and others, gradually interweaving people's lives. There's a low-key Christian theme running throughout - of hope, even when life seems to be falling apart, and of trusting God even when terrible crises or tragedies happen.

The story, like the others in the series, was eye-opening from an American history point of view. It's probably best to read it after at least one of the others in the series, as the sheer number of characters and sub-plots would otherwise be over-whelmingly confusing.

Very well-written with believable people and situations, and a satisfying ending to the series. Difficult to put down, once I had started!

A Thousand Shall Fall (by Bodie Thoene)

This book in the Shiloh Legacy trilogy is the first sequel to 'In my Father's House'. Bodie Thoene is a powerful writer, all the more so, perhaps, because her husband Brock is a historian who helps with her research.

'A Thousand shall Fall' mainly features Max, who is now a well-known financial journalist in the days leading up to the Wall Street crash of 1929. It also features his nine-year-old son David, whom he has never met. Indeed, he doesn't even know that David exists at the start of this book.

The other main characters in this book are Birch, Max's friend from the First World War, and Birch's wife Trudie who is Max's cousin. They have three small sons, and have decided to return to Birch's family home after the death of his alcoholic father.

There's lots of excitement in this book, which is less violent than the first in the series, and could easily be read on its own. It's a great picture of life in the USA in the late 1920s - at least, I assume so, given the historical credentials of the author's husband. It certainly helped me to understand what the Wall Street crash meant for ordinary people in America, and how far-reaching its effects were.

As well as the main plot-lines, there are horrors of high-up financial crooks, connected with illegal bootleggers in the days of prohibition. There's also still some racism in the South of the country, where few white people, even then, treated black people as human beings.

There's an over-riding theme of the need to trust in God no matter what one's circumstances, and also of knowing which people to trust.

Well-written, exciting and believable, if a bit too finance-orientated for my tastes in places.

In my Father's House (by Bodie Thoene)

I hadn't previously read anything by Bodie Thoene, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. According to the introduction to the book, she and her husband Brock work together on novels - she creates the character and does the bulk of the writing, but he does all the historical research.

This novel is set mainly in the USA in the aftermath of World War I. Three young men - Ellis, Max and Birch - become friendly in the trenches, despite very different backgrounds. They survive many horrors, and return home.

Max goes back to his Jewish grandparents in New York; Ellis goes to his farming family and sweetheart Rebecca. Birch, however, has only his drunken father, after losing his mother in the flu pandemic that swept the world in this period.

There's also Jefferson, a huge black man who has also fought in the war, and who returns to his large and loving family, travelling in the same train as Birch. Unforunately, segregation was still rife in the Southern USA in the earlier part of last century, fuelled by the simister Ku Klux Klan. So although Jefferson is considered a hero in Paris, he is still treated like dirt when he returns to America.

There is drama, violence, loss and heartache in this fast-moving book. It paints a horrific picture of life in the USA eighty years ago, where racism was rife, as bad (apparently) as the apartheid years in South Africa.

I found the book confusing at first, as there are so many people and the story keeps switching between different viewpoints. However it was very well-written and believable, and eventually I found I could remember who was who without having to track back to the previous time they appeared.

Very readable; quite gripping by the end. There's a distinct Christian influence within the book, but it's not pushy at all.

The Castle on the Hill (by Elizabeth Goudge)

It's years since I last read this book, one of my teenage favourites. It's long out of print now, but often available at charity shops or online places like Amazon UK which have a second-hand section.

Elizabeth Goudge's books are gentle, character-driven stories which I find I have to read deliberately slowly, or I miss a great deal of her observations. 'The Castle on the Hill' is about Miss Brown, who is forty-ish, and has lost her home and livelihood in World War II. She comes across Jo Isaacson, who is fifty-ish, a Jewish refugee, a brilliant violinst, and almost suicidal.

Then there are the delightful sisters with the unlikely names of Moppet and Poppet, aged six and four, who are Cockney children brought up very 'nicely', and who adore the story of Peter Rabbit.

These diverse characters and others are brought together by the historian Mr Birley, who lives in a small castle in Torhaven with two great-nephews. They all find peace and a haven from their fears and worries; yet there is still some violence in their lives: bereavement and tragedy, as was almost commonplace during the war.

The characterisation is very good, as always with this author's work. The story is long-winded in places, but the descriptions are good. I found it compulsive reading once I had got past the first couple of chapters: it was clear that horrors were going to occur, yet they were so sensitively handled that I found myself with a tear in my eye rather than feeling disgust of any sort.

Hope for the future is given despite present difficulties and tragedies; the ending was very encouraging on the whole. Recommended.

Remembered Dreams (by Emma Dally)

This is a circular style historical novel by Emma Dally, beginning in 1990 then back-tracking to 1920, looking at the grandparents and parents of Josie, the woman introduced at the start of the book.

I usually quite like this style of book, and sure enough it was readable and reasonably interesting, at least to start with. There were a variety of characters, with the main ones being readily distinguishable, and it felt as if the settings were believable.

Unfortunately, there was far too much detail, much of it irrelevant (in my view). Rather than having intertwined sub-plots, it read like a family history with isolated incidents - and even the significant ones were just recounted in a few pages without any build-up or emotion. It's good for an author to know the entire history of her characters, of course - but somehow the book felt as if it was the author's outline, telling us everything remotely related to the characters, but without any gathering together to turn it into a story.

one of the characters were particularly sympathetic, and I didn't feel any emotion while reading this book. Still, the style was easy to read and I kept going to the end, albeit skimming a little in places. At the end was supposed to be a dramatic revelation, but even that was disappointing as there were no twists - the secret, held for decades, had become obvious during the course of the book.

Not really recommended.

When the Siren Wailed (by Noel Streatfeild)

I love Noel Streatfeild's books. They're mostly about children, and intended for children - but are so well-written that I continue to enjoy them, and re-read periodically.

It's a long time since I'd read 'When the Siren Wailed'. It's the story of a family of London children during World War II. As the story opens we learn that they're very poor, often hungry, but very much loved. As rumours of war circulate, they acquire gas masks, learn about blackouts, and are evacuated to a village in the east of the country. They're luckier than most - their hosts are strict, but caring, and there's plenty of food - but there are sufficient comments about unhappy evacuees to paint what's probably an accurate picture of what life was like for many.

There are scenes in London too, no doubt from the author's experience during these years, which clearly portray the mixture of fear and excitement that accompanied air raids. The horrors of war come through quite clearly, in unsentimental and non-gory language, and the characters are easy to empathise with.

The ending was a bit abrupt, tidying up a lot of loose ends at the same time, but on the whole I thought it an excellent book. Suitable for children of about 7 or 8 upwards, I think this should be recommended reading for anyone studying World War II (particularly at primary school). One or two very moving moments and a vivid picture of life 60 years ago. Excellent.

Love and Laughter (by Lilian Harry)

I'd never head of Lilian Harry. In general I'm not all that keen on realistic war-years books, either. But someone gave me this, and so I started reading...

It's obvious from the opening of this book that it's a war story. Geoff Pengelly, aged 12, bursts into the house from school announcing that the war is over - he's heard it on the wireless, and everyone's having a day off. His mother Lucy ponders the most significant thing for her personally: if the war really is over, then her husband Wilmot should be coming home.

The book then takes us back to the time when Lucy, aged 18, had first met and been courted by Wilmot. He was a happy-go-lucky sailor who adored her. They married and she adapted to navy life, giving birth first to Geoff and then to a daughter, Patsy, then another little girl, Zannah. Wilmot considered leaving the navy, perhaps going to work in the small hotel which his parents run. But then World War II broke out and he had no choice. After being feared dead he was captured by the Japanese, and finally released at the end of the war.

After this lengthy flashback, which gives the background of the main characters and their close friends and family, the book returns to the moment when Wilmot returns. But he's not the husband Lucy remembers; he's been tortured, and seen terrible sights which haunt him. Lucy does all she can to help him settle back into family life, but more and more Wilmot turns to alcohol as a solace. The family has also suffered losses during the blitz on England, and Wilmot's parents' hotel must be rebuilt. Lucy has taken on most of the running and has some ambitious ideas for expansion, but Wilmot sees it as a threat to his masculinity when his wife discusses finances and comes up with ideas.

The rest of the book revolves around this tightly-knit family, the tragedy of Wilmot's inability to deal with everyday stresses and strains, and also a growing attraction between Lucy and an old family friend, David, who lost his young family during the war. I found it a bit difficult to get into at first; it read like a typical war novel, and at first I found myself confusing the various characters. It was a good book to read just before going to sleep - it was well-written and I found it held my interest, but a couple of chapters was enough to make me feel relaxed but I had no compulsion to keep reading all night!

However I found myself gradually drawn in to the family, particularly as the children grow up and their personalities and problems come into play. Wilmot's parents become older and frailer, Lucy takes on increasingly more responsibility for the entire extended family, and Wilmot himself struggles desperately with the need to be a family man, and the deep emotional and psychological wounding he received during his imprisonment.

So it was a useful book from a historical perspective; it was mainly character-driven, and the characters definitely grew on me. By the time I was half-way through the book I found myself reading more and more at a time, until finally I picked it up one morning and read the last 100 pages or so without a break. By the final chapter I had tears pouring down my face, even though the ending was entirely satisfactory and not unexpected. Perhaps the writing became more moving; perhaps I was just in an emotional mood! Whatever the reason, the end was far more moving and enjoyable than the beginning.

Recommended.

The Daffodils of Newent (by Susan Sallis)

I tend to have mixed feelings about Susan Sallis' historical novels. They have interesting plots, and not too much of the horror of the past described. The people tend to be believable, too - but not, on the whole, sympathetic.

Still, having just finished reading 'A Scattering of Daisies', I decided to continue on to its sequel, second in the Rising family saga.

In 'The Daffodils of Newent', the Rising girls have grown up. April, the youngest, gets married in the first chapter. Her husband has a dark side, after suffering in World War I.

Nancy is already married to an actor; March, too, is married, but not very happily. Her husband is an old man; moreover there's a young and manipulative man who claims to love her.

Like the first book in the series, this is well-written, and I kept reading even though I still couldn't feel any sympathy for any of the characters. I'm not sure why this is, as they were all believable.

The ending was hopeful, but I didn't feel inspired to try any more in this series.

A Scattering of Daisies ((by Susan Sallis)

I've come across one or two others novels by Susan Sallis, and have found them mostly well-written, and enjoyable. She seems to write family sagas in historical settings, on the whole. She doesn't ignore the unpleasant side of the past, but she doesn't revel in it either. I get the impression that her writing is honest and probably accurate, although I don't find her characters very appealing or sympathetic.

'A Scattering of Daisies' is the first of four books in the 'Rising saga'; it opens in 1902 with the birth of April, third daughter of Will and Florence Rising. We're immediately transported to a working class neighbourhood, where the rather grubby midwife known as Snotty Lotty wipes her nose on her sleeve as she prepares to deliver the baby.

Florence, it's clear, is from a slightly higher class background than Will, and finds the whole process of birth (and indeed conception) both degrading and distasteful. Will, by contrast, is a normal red-blooded man, and determined to have a large family. April is his fourth child, but he would like several more.

The plot then skips forward to the day when another baby arrives, less than a year later, but the birth is traumatic and Will is told that they must not have any more children if he wants Florence to survive. Will adores his beautiful wife, but is horrified when he realises that she not only wants to stop giving birth, she no longer wants to sleep with him at all. Inevitably he finds solace with a neighbour although he continues to be a good husband to Florence, and indeed an excellent father to his offspring as they grow up.

So the scene is set for a family saga that takes us with the Risings through the World War I years. The children grow and develop; there are trials and traumas, experiments with love and friendship, and a lessening of the class consciousness that dogged the early part of the 20th century.

This book is fairly fast-paced and interesting despite some rather sordid goings-on in the neighbourhood. Unpleasant realities are mentioned but never dwelt upon; pain is accepted but not described in minute detail. Squeamish though I am, I didn't find anything to make me shudder or wish I hadn't started the book.

Although I could easily distinguish the various Rising family members, who were well portrayed, I didn't find myself warming to any of them very much. I could imagine their appearances quite well and almost hear their voices; but I couldn't quite get inside their heads or hearts. Some authors have a gift for making me feel as if I know characters intimately, and I didn't find that happening at all with this book. On the other hand, I was interested to find out what happened so I kept reading.

Coming Home

Saga novel by Rosamunde Pilcher.

Judith Dunbar goes to St Ursula's boarding school when her parents and little sister return to Colombo. She meets the rather flighty Loveday Carey-Lewis, and is invited to stay at her huge and friendly house for a weekend.

Judith is supposed to spend her holidays with her Aunt Louise, but tragedy strikes not long into the book. The Carey-Lewises take her to their hearts, and her life becomes bound up with them and their other guests.

Set in the late 1930s, in the shadow of World War II, it's a well-researched book, different from others by this author. A little slow to get started, but gripping by the end. Lovely characters and a satisfying conclusion. 'Growing Up in the War Years' is my longer review of this book.

Highland Twins at the Chalet School (by Elinor M Brent-Dyer)

I've enjoyed Elinor M Brent-Dyer's 'Chalet School' books for over thirty years, now. They're intended for teenage girls, of course, but are well enough written that they make a good crossover book, enjoyed just as much by many adults.

'The Highland Twins at the Chalet School' is one of my favourites in the entire series, and I re-read it regularly, whenever I'm with someone who has one of the rare (and now valuable) hardback editions.

Flora and Fiona McDonald are sent to the Chalet School from their tiny highland island, when it is requisitioned by the admiralty during World War II. They come at first to stay with Jo Maynard and family, since they've never been out of their safe environment, and have no concept of big cities or boarding schools.

They make friends and settle down, despite their sheltered upbringing and distrust of new things, and become very fond of Jo.

Excitement happens when an important chart they're looking after is talked about, leading to some suspicious characters trying to get hold of it.

Just to add to the story, Fiona is gifted with second sight. She 'sees' the death of one of her family members, and is then able to bring comfort to Jo later on, when Jo is facing a potential tragedy in her life.

Very moving in places - fast-moving, with believable characters. Definitely recommended, if you like this series and can get hold of it. It's not currently in print and tends to be very pricey second-hand.

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

I like reading Elinor M Brent-Dyer's 'Chalet School' series at odd moments, although they're really intended for teenage girls. Of them all, one of my absolute favourites is the moving and exciting story of when the school had to escape from Austria shortly before World War II.

I read 'The Chalet School in Exile' in its hardback edition. When most of the others were abridged for the Armada paperback versions, this was turned into two paperback books; the other one is known as 'Chalet School at War'.

As the story opens, Naziism threatens Austria, and the authorities decide that the school must leave, and start afresh somewhere in the UK.

The girls decide to make and sign a peace league; a few of them go on a picnic, so that they can hide it. Unfortunately they are followed by a small boy. Robin and Hilary are separated from the party, and Jo becomes frantic, collapsing in the arms of a young doctor, Jack Maynard.

An incident with an old and lovable Jewish watchmaker forces Jo, Jack, and a few others to become refugees, and a very exciting escape is described.

Meanwhile, the school closes, and girls are sent either to their home countries, or to other schools in Austria, or to the UK - where the Chalet School is eventually re-established in Guernsey.

Jo manages to star in this book in many ways, surprising everyone more than once.

Even re-reading for the fourth or fifth time, this book brings tears to my eyes in places. Very well written, and different from most of the other Chalet School books, since it doesn't actually feature much of the school at all.

Not always in print; paperback versions can easily be found second-hand, but the new hardback imprints are pricier, and the old hardbacks tend to be extremely expensive.

The Headmaster (To Serve them All my Days part 2) by R F Delderfield

Having just completed - and very much enjoyed - the first part of RF Delderfield's 'To Serve them All my Days' ('Late Spring') I decided to read the second part.

'The Headmaster' opens as Algy, the charming and eccentric Head of a boys' boarding school, is due to retire. In his place, a rigid and unfriendly man called Alcock is apopinted.

Several staff of the school leave, and David Powlett-Jones clashes with him more than once, before the problem is unexpectedly solved and David himself becomes acting Head, temporarily.

This novel is set in the backdrop of World War II unfolding, with political overtones; it wasn't anything like as moving as the first part, but nonetheless I thought it an excellent read. Recommended, although it's definitely best to have read 'Late Spring' first. Out of print, but often found second-hand.

Late Spring (To Serve them All my Days part 1) by R F Delderfield

I've often seen books by RF Delderfield, mostly in second-hand and charity shops. I know there were some TV series made of some of his novels, but I'm not a television watcher, so I haven't seen any of them. Several people said they thought I would like his books, so I finally decided to buy a few from a charity shop.

I began with 'Late Spring', which is the first part of the novel 'To Serve them All my Days'. In this book David Powlett-Jones, who was injured in World War 1, takes up a teaching post at a boys' boarding school.

David settles in gradually, bringing a bit of fresh life to the school, and falls in love. He also suffers tragedy while recovering from the trauma of the war.

There were some amusing incidents, and also some fascinating educational philosophy for its time. I thought the book was well-written and enjoyable, even if not terribly exciting, and there were some very moving moments.

Recommended - though not currently in print, it can often be found second-hand.