Recommended Reading from Young @ Heart Book Group

Young at Heart Book Group brings together a keen group of book-lovers on the first Thursday of the month at Havelock North Library, and every so often at a café. At their November catch-up, the stand-out popular topic was World War II in both fiction and non-fiction. Other historical fiction also hit the spot along with NZ settings and a thrilling science fiction novel.

We began with a glowing endorsement for local author Charity Norman, who is a perennial favourite at the book club. This time our reader enjoyed See You in September, a story set in rural New Zealand. It’s about Cassy who after splitting up with her boyfriend accepts an invitation to stay on a farming collective. What seems like an escape to an idyllic hideaway takes a darker turn as Cassie gets caught up in a cult-like scenario with a charismatic leader. Meanwhile her parents are frantic to bring her home.

The Secrets of Strangers, another book by Charity Norman, was also highly recommended. In this story, a group of people are caught up in the siege of a London café, a gunman holding them hostage. A clever plot where the characters all have their demons while the line between right and wrong becomes blurred.

One reader was thrilled to find a Diane Armstrong novel she hadn’t come across before. Nocturne is set in Warsaw during World War II. The story follows Elzunia, a young girl whose future hopes and dreams are shattered when the German Army invades her country. She meets Adam, who becomes involved in the Polish Underground and then escapes Poland to fly for the RAF. This is a brilliant look at the difficulties of life under Nazi occupation and also the Warsaw Uprising.

Another extraordinary wartime story is Letters from Belsen 1945 by Muriel Knox Doherty. In this true account, we learn about an Australian nurse’s experiences when she was tasked with setting up a hospital at Belsen concentration camp at the end of the war. Here she had to see to the needs of 40,000 desperately ill men, women and children as well as 10,000 unburied dead. She had to scrounge for supplies and manage the health of survivors who were often morally crushed as well. Her experiences are described in her letters home.

Still with World War II, The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz is another non-fiction book which follows the story of a Polish army officer who is captured by the Soviets and sent to a labour camp. When he and his companions escape, they face an immense trek, crossing the Siberian Arctic, the Gobi Desert and then the Himalayas with only the most basic of equipment and little food. A gripping survival story that has also inspired a movie: The Way Back, directed by Peter Weir.

Things were also tough in Nazi Occupied France, which is evoked in The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel. The setting for this novel is the wine-making district of Champagne. It’s 1940 and recently married Ines and Michel own a storied champagne house when the German Army invades France. The danger intensifies when Michel gets involved with the Resistance, while the wife of the chef de cave, must hide her Jewishness. The book has two timeframes, also following Liv in 2019 as she journeys to France with her grandmother to uncover wartime secrets. A brilliant story with a superb twist.

Killing Moon by Jo Nesbo is number 13 in the Harry Hole series. We know these books aren’t for the faint-hearted, but it’s hard to ignore the clever writing and page-turning plotting. In this story, two young women have gone missing, one of whom is shortly afterwards found murdered. The police discover an unusual signature left by the killer which makes them fear that more deaths will follow. Can they entice Harry Hole back to Oslo from America and away from self-destruction to take on the case?

Pakistan: a Personal History by Imran Khan is an insightful look at both the man and his country. Khan writes about his growing up in Pakistan, its history and traditions before experiencing a different view of the west through his international cricket career. A fascinating memoir that also describes Khan’s political ambitions for his country and the ‘hate campaign’ built around him.

Our reader admits to being drawn to books with beautiful covers, and the cover of That Bligh Girl by Sue Williams is truly stunning. Just as well the story is a terrific read. The girl in the story is Mary Bligh, the daughter of William Bligh, the notorious captain of Mutiny on the Bounty fame. In this story, Bligh is Governor of Sydney when rebellion again rears its ugly head under Bligh’s domineering leadership. Mary though is just as determined and courageous, making her a splendid character, and the history is interesting too.

Cold People by Tom Rob Smith was the only novel we discussed that could be regarded as speculative fiction. It imagines a world taken over by an alien invasion. People are given 30 days to reach Antarctica, or else they will be destroyed. What follows is an amazing survival story as scientists struggle to help humanity evolve to live in an extreme and hostile environment. An epic read in more ways than one and our reader’s favourite book of the year.

Not Alone: walking the Te Araroa Trail through New Zealand is by talented artist and photographer, Tom Voors and follows his decision to take a break from his stressful career in Amsterdam. He meets other people doing the trail, two of whom he travels with, and tells interesting stories along the way. Capturing the landscape in stunning photography as well as charming illustrations, aquarelles in yellow and turquoise, this was a really nice read.

And finally we heard about Double Helix by New Zealand author Eileen Merriman. This is a novel about medical student Jake who has questions about his parentage, in particular, whether he carries his mother’s gene for Huntington’s disease. It’s a poignant read set in both NZ and Australia that pushes a young couple’s relationship to the brink.

8 November 2023

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