New Recommendations from Flaxmere Book Chat

Australian author Tea Cooper has been popular with the group lately, with The Fossil Hunter being the latest from this author to appear on the table. This story follows what happens when a fossil is found at London’s Natural History Museum. It sends the reader back to the Hunter Valley, 1847, and an amateur paleontologist’s theories about ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. We're then taken on to the aftermath of WWI and the secrets of the Bow Wow Gorge. Another riveting read.

Another historical novel from Australia is The Sea Captain’s Wife by Jackie French, which also packs in a good mystery. Mair McCrae marries the man who is washed up on the shore, half-drowned, and who turns out to be a sea captain determined to discover a ‘ghost ship’. His plans for Mair to watch and wait go challenged as Mair finds herself investigating a string of mysterious deaths in her new home of Sydney. A popular read around the group.

Another period mystery is Realm of Darkness by P C Doherty. This is book number 23 in the Hugh Corbett medieval series. We’re in the spring of 1312 and Hugh, Keeper of the Secret Seal, must intercede when the King of France begins to meddle in court affairs. Lodging at the Benedictine Abbey of St Michael’s when a priceless diamond is stolen, and its guardian murdered, Hugh is caught up in getting to the bottom of it all before there are more deaths. A terrific whodunit set at an interesting time in English history.

There's usually a book at Book Chat by Anna Jacobs who seems always to have a new series on the go. A Valley Wedding is the third book in the Backshaw Moss series and is set in Lancashire in 1936. Bullying landlords, rumours of a Fascist spy, an inherited house and a woman missing the grown-up children who have moved away all combine to make this another compelling read.

Taking us back to 1850s England is When Midnight Comes by Beryl Matthews and the aftermath of the Crimean War. Christine finds work when her father dies at an estate in the New Forest, her skill with horses capturing the attention of the owner. Harry is battle-scarred and bad-tempered, putting Christine to the test. Our reader found this a lovely, “horse-whisperer” kind of story.

In Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly, Georgey Woolsey is rescued from parties and polite society by the American Civil War, becoming a battlefield nurse. At Gettysburg, she and sister Eliza see the horrors of slavery as they join the war effort. This novel is inspired by true events and is a story about female friendship against sweeping events of history. An inspiring read.

A more contemporary read is Keep Me Safe by Daniela Sacerdoti, which takes us to the Hebridean Island of Seal. It’s the story of Anna, whose partner has abruptly walked out. Their little girl, Ava, falls silent for three days before revealing a disturbing desire - that she wants to go home to Seal. There is a mystery here to unravel, as well as a chance for a new life for Anna and Ava. An original story full of emotion and with an evocatively described setting.

A small book that packs in a lot of story is Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. Set in an Irish town in the days before Christmas, 1985, it’s the story of coal merchant Bill Furlong, and his struggle to make a decision to do the right thing. But this will put him up against the Church, threatening his livelihood and his attempts to make a good life for his daughters. An unforgettable story.

Joanna Nell writes wonderful stories about characters in their twilight years. The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker follows Evelyn, whose husband goes missing on the Golden Sunset – the cruise liner where they have settled for their retirement. If only Evelyn can remember what happened the previous evening as well as she can remember what happened when she met Henry for the first time. Misadventures and humour make this a fun read.

From the tobacco farms of Motueka in the 1950s to the Springbok Tour protests of 1981, and beyond, Fiona Kidman’s perceptive novel All Day at the Movies, is a look at a family through the generations. As the story moves on decade by decade, it asks if real life can ever be like it seems in the movies; can there ever be a happy ending after a difficult beginning.

The Island of Mists and Miracles by Victoria Mas begins with a nun's vision of the Virgin Mary. Almost 200 years later, Sister Anne is sent on a mission to an island off the coast of Brittany. An unexpected “miracle” makes headline news and starts a chain of events no one could imagine. This book is translated from the French and is an atmospheric read, a short but powerful novel peopled with some interesting and troubled characters.

One reader highly recommends the New Zealand author, Katherine Genet, and her Wilde Grove Pagan Fiction series. Set in the English village of Wellsford, the stories follow the witches and druids who can trace their history back to the dawn of time and of magic.

Our only non-fiction book was Red Thread: on mazes and labyrinths by Charlotte Higgins. The author takes us on a discovery of mazes and their role in history, in art, and in real life. Red Thread also explores a personal journey, from Higgins’s early fascination with the labyrinth at Knossos and the maze-like dreams she has experienced ever since. A fascinating read.

14 June 2024

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