Amberwell was the third Stevenson novel I read and the first that I would say I loved. It was a page-turner for me and unlike her other books that I've read, I wasn't completely sure how everything would turn out halfway through. It's been a few weeks since I finished this so I'm having to jog my memory to come with a synopsis. Amberwell is a house that has been the home of the Ayrton family for generations. At the start of the book Amberwell houses Mr. and Mrs. William Ayrton and their children, two older boys from Mr. Ayrton's first marriage and three little girls from their own. They had wished for more boys. Thus, these girls grow up in a home where there is no love from their parents and they seem to spend virtually no time together. These girls lives revolve around each other and their nanny and as they do not attend school or Sunday School, they know no other children. They live for the days when their older brothers come home from school and bring excitement to their days. This is the setting for the first part of the book, and it's really very heartbreaking. Rather suddenly, these little girls become big girls and two of them go away leaving middle sister Nell at home with her parents. War comes and things change around Ayrton, with many of the servants leaving, and the grown up Ayrton's too incapable and self-absorbed to be of any use. Nell must come into her own and it is really lovely to see her become a strong young woman. One of the sisters went away rather mysteriously, the reasons around it are kept from us until the end when things are very satisfyingly revealed. There are still a few strings hanging at the end, and there is apparently a sequel which I'm hoping to read. This is why I'm currently applying for a library card for the neighboring library system - they have it and mine does not! I haven't read Miss Buncle's Book yet, but Amberwell seemed very close to the sort of thing Persephone might publish, not exactly, but very, very close.
I've also finished Stevenson's Vittoria Cottage. This is very similar to The Musgraves in that the main character is a young widow (this one less happily married) with three adult/teen children who are trying to find their way. The Dering family lives in a small village several years after WW2. This gives the reader a peek into how WW2 was still affecting the British, with petrol and food being rationed and people being encouraged to keep chickens and grow food. There are engagements and parties and small town life galore, also an interesting side story of a young woman with thyroid disease who is afraid of the treatment despite growing larger and larger. It is obviously early on where the book is going and it's an entertaining ride all the way. My only criticism is that the book ended quite abruptly and the reader misses out on a particular moment of happiness.
These are two Stevenson novels that I did not get on with. The first is The Four Graces. The story was okay actually, but the print of the book was so close together that it made me dizzy. I'm sorry to say that the other book that I did not finish was Mrs. Tim Christie/Mrs. Tim of the Regiment. This was recently republished and has been raved about everywhere so I am sort of embarrassed. I read about 50 pages and wound up asking myself - Why are you reading this? It's supposed to be entertaining and frankly, fun, but it feels like a chore. I think I just don't care for diary-style books and prefer a more straight forward style of storytelling that I can lose myself in. The 50 pages I read didn't flow well for me, it felt abrupt and more like a series of anecdotes. Oh well. Next I am going to give Celia's House a try and soon I many have to bother the grumpy librarian again.
, a couple weeks ago. It was such a divine feeling to read the first page and sigh with relief knowing where I was headed. I think I said it with the fifth book but I am going to say it again; Winspear gets better and better and these last two installments are my favorites next to the first book in the series. The main storyline in this outing deals with the sufferings of those who served in WW1 and Maisie works closely with Scotland Yard to solve the case. The other main storyline deals with Billy's wife and her depression **spoiler!** over the death of her child in the last book **end spoiler**. The entire book is really a fascinating look at mental illness and how it was dealt with in the past. I look forward to the next book!
, I knew I wanted to read his third book which chronicled the story of his marriage. 
is the story of Harry and his true love and wife Rose. They had the sort of marriage most people only dream of. The Golden Willow goes back and forth between Rose and Harry's early days together, and their last days together as Rose died from cancer. It is a touching book and it's most poignant moments came when the author wrote about the grieving process, and how old age has affected his body and mind. The Golden Willow doesn't have the same narrative power as Mr Bernstein's previous books. There are times when it is repetitive and one wonders if life was truly always so cheerful. I think if you are a fan of the author's work already, you won't care about this, and instead will enjoy this book for what it is - a love letter to Rose.
is Anita Diamant's new book which perhaps I wouldn't have read for some time, but I came across a copy at the library. The library has been my friend in 2010! Anyhow, Day After Night is set in an interesting time period, that just after WW2. I've read a fair number of holocaust books, but I've rarely read detailed accounts of what happened to the many survivors after the war was over. We know they didn't just go home and resume their lives. Day After Night is set in Atlit internment camp in Palestine; basically another prison for those who had just been freed from persecution. The story focuses on four women with varied stories, as they experience Atlit and eventually their rescue/escape from it into Israel. I enjoyed this book and thought Diamant did an excellent job bringing this bit of history alive by making it personal through the characters.
was for years - and it has only been out since 2008! Every review I've come across has been glowing, and I expected to feel the same way. Well, I am going to bravely buck the trend. Tomato Girl is a story filled with dysfunctional people. Adolescent Ellie Sanders has had a difficult childhood as her mother suffers from mental illness. Her father has been supportive for many years, but his patience has run out and he has taken up with an abused and epileptic teenage girl, finally running away with her and leaving Ellie alone with her very, very ill mother. Bad stuff happens. More bad stuff happens. The last 50 pages are almost comical in that every horrible thing that could happen to a young girl does - in one day. There was a phrase that kept coming to my mind while I read this.
and is a particular favorite of mine. In the end, I know everyone loved Tomato Girl but I didn't.
by Lauren Groff is a book that seems to elicit strong reaction. Readers seem to either love it or hate it. I've had this book for some time now, and the feeling I had based on reviews was that I wasn't going to be crazy about it, but I was pleasantly surprised. In a nutshell, pregnant grad student Willie returns to her hometown of Templeton to get away from her life. She discovers that her father is not who she thought he was and sets out to explore the town's history to figure out who he was. There are photographs of Willie's ancestors, old letters, and chapters from the point of view of long dead relatives. All this tells the story of Templeton and Willie. Oh, there is a lake monster too. My sense was that the author doesn't take herself too seriously, there were many unique elements in this book. Overall I enjoyed this book, though it wasn't a love affair. By the end I was ready to be done (editing?). I'll be interested to see what Groff comes up with next.
was pleasing me most of all. This is the story of, yes, three sisters, and their relationships with one another and with their own families. One sister became caregiver to the others quite early on so she remains a bit of an authority figure to them. These three sisters are married, one to a somewhat dull but very solid presence, one to a loving husband whom she does not respect, and one to an abusive and degrading man. It is worth mentioning that Whipple creates a sense of fear surrounding this abusive man, and yet there is no physical violence, he abuses with his words and attitude.
. I had wanted to read this ever since I first heard about it, despite my slight disappointment in the ending of his previous novel, 
. The Seance has many elements that I enjoy; a Victorian setting, a mystery, somewhat of a story within a story. In a nutshell, Constance Langton has had a disappointing childhood, and as a young woman finds that she has inherited an old country mansion Wraxford Hall. But this is no ordinary mansion, as Constance is advised, amongst other strange occurrences, people have vanished into thin air. The middle part of the book is told from several perspectives, detailing the mysteries surrounding Wraxford, then for the ending we go back to Constance for a final adventure. I liked this book a good deal, but something occurred to me; I think I like John Harwood's writing better than his plotting. Sometimes things get a bit far-fetched, or complicated, but it's all beautifully told. Another book to recommend, and an author to watch, for sure.
