The Girl from the Channel Islands

Hedy Bercu left Austria in 1938 to escape the pending persecution of the Jews by the Germans and arrived in Jersey, part of the Channel Islands where she thought she would be safe. Then in 1940 members of the German Army arrived on Jersey. Not everyone was able to leave the island. Those who stayed faced impeding starvation, freezing winters with little fuel, confiscation of radios resulting in loss of contact with what was happening elsewhere in the world and constant fear - especially if your heritage was Jewish.

Hedy did have one friend, Anton, but eventually he became a conscript in the German Army. Hedy had promised Anton that she would look after Anton's wife while he was away. As she was able to read German and English, Hedy had a work as a translator for the Germans. At least this meant that she had a little money to help her survive. Part of Hedy's work was to distribute petrol rationing coupons and she began to save a few for the local doctor so that he could continue to visit patients on the island. This, of course, had to be done in strict secrecy. Then she met a young German officer who was sympathetic to her situation and who risked his life to help her when she was in danger.

The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lacoat is based on a true story.

Two other books about living in the Channel Island during German occupation are Dancing with the Enemy by Diane Armstrong and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by  Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows.

The Anglo-Saxon World

The Anglo-Saxon World by Nicholas J. Higham and Martin J. Ryan is a comprehensive overview of life in Anglo Saxon England from the end of the Roman Empire until the Norman Conquest. Information in the book is based on material from original written sources as well as finds from archaeological digs. Sections of the book are written by different authors and at the end of each section there are two articles - sources and issues - with additional information about sources relating to the chapter. The book is well illustrated with photographs from sites as they are today as well as many maps. There is a detailed bibliography and index.

Topics explored in the book include Britain in and out of the Roman Empire, origins of England, from tribal chieftains to Christian kings, Mercian supremacies, Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings - including conquest and changes brought about by invasion, the age of Aethelred and the transformation of Anglo-Saxon England brought about by the Norman Conquest.

Another book on this topic is Building Anglo-Saxon England by John Blair. This book uses results from archaeological excavations to examine the built environment of England during the time of the Anglo Saxons. The author particularly looks at how landscape was changed to accommodate the lifestyle of the Anglo-Saxons in England. There are lots of diagrams accompanying this detailed study.

Good Omens: the nice and accurate prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

A couple of months ago I watched the first episode of the series, Good Omens, and ended up binge watching the entire series, not realising that there were six one hour episodes. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The television series was written by Neil Gaiman based on the book, Good Omens, that he and Terry Pratchett published in 1990. Naturally I then had to read the book.

In 1655 Agnes Nutter wrote a book predicting the end of the world. As the time of the Armageddon approaches Aziraphale (angel) and Crowley (demon) who have been guarding earth for hundreds of years decide that they do not want the world to end and attempt to do something about it, even though it will enrage their superiors. Meanwhile eleven years earlier the Antichrist was brought to earth as a baby to be swapped for a human baby. The swap did not go to plan so there is much confusion as the other parties involved in organising the future chaos start coming together.

The authors have a great time introducing the reader to  angels, demons, the M25 motorway, Manchester, raining fish, dolphins, Atlantis, tunnelling Tibetans, witches, witch-finders, whales, Hell's Angels, Queen and Freddie Mercury, junk food made of junk, nuclear power, a flaming car, satanic nuns, plus many references to Americans and footnotes for Americans. The four bikers of the Apocalypse represent famine, pollution, war and death. There is lots of humour but it is sobering reading a book commenting on life and how humans are destroying their environment in 1990 and realising how little life has changed thirty-three years later.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. 

Readers who enjoyed The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams should enjoy this book.

Keeping up appearances

Badara in South Australia is the small country town that Paige decides to retreat to with her three children. Paige soon discovers that it is not possible to remain anonymous in a small community where everyone seems to know everyone else's business. However in time she realises that generally kindness and concern, not interference, is usually behind the help offered by some community members. Eventually Paige comes to the conclusion that she should accept the offers of help as gifts of  friendship. 

It soon becomes obvious that there are many secrets in the town and, especially for some of the older ladies, these secrets are kept in order to keep up appearances. As well as the challenges faced by Paige living as a single parent looking after three children on a small income, the reader learns of secrets governing the lives of other members of the community including Briony, Marion and Sarah.

Social issues such as teenage pregnancy, children in same family with different fathers, homosexuality, drug addiction and problems of what is to become of family farms if the younger generation is not interested in taking on the property are some of the issues occurring in the novel Keeping up Appearances by Tricia Stringer. Overall this is a story of community spirit, hope, gradual understanding and acceptance of change and forgiveness.

A Woman's Work

It is Melbourne in 1956 and the Olympic Games will be held at the end of the year. Raymond Quinn who lives alone with his mother is looking forward to the arrival of the games in Melbourne. Television is also coming. Ivy Quinn enjoys working at a doctor's surgery but she worries about the challenge of bringing up a twelve year old boy without a father figure in his life.

Kathleen O'Grady is the mother of five children. She lives with her husband but is tired of the constant day to day chores and responsibilities she is expected to undertake on her own. She is especially fed up with having to constantly wash nappies and clean up after her husband and children.

Both women realise that they need to make changes to the way they live. The incentive in this case is a new recipe competition being run by the Australian Women's Weekly. It is not just the slight possibility of possibly winning a cash prize that is important. It is the opportunity to be creative and try something new.

In A Woman's Work by Victoria Purman the author shows how far we have come in 2023 compared with the things women were expected to put up with in the 1950s, especially how men expected them to live their lives. By taking part in the competition Ivy and Kathleen gain new confidence in their abilities and begin to plan for a better future for their families and for women. As a schoolgirl in the 1950s and 1960s this view of women's history portrayed in the novel was extremely real.

The Messenger

Ed Kennedy is nineteen and currently earning a living driving a taxi. His father is dead and his mother usually ignores him. Ed lives alone with his extremely smelly dog, The Doorman. Several times a week he plays cards with three friends, Ritchie, Marv and Audrey. One day the four friends are visiting the bank when it is being robbed by a nervous bank-robber. It is Ed who has the courage or foolhardiness to try and apprehend the thief. His name and photo appear in the paper. This under achiever is famous for a short time.

Then Ed's life changes. Over the next six months Ed receives four playing cards, each containing three words or phrases - cryptic clues to be solved. This leads Ed to meeting and helping a range of people facing challenges of various descriptions. As the quest continues, Ed begins to discover that as well as helping others he is learning more about himself.

The Messenger (or in the USA I am the Messenger) is written Australian author, Marcus Zusak. It has recently been made into a television series for the ABC with the eight  episodes to be screened on Sunday nights. The book, written for older teenagers and adults, encourages readers to examine their own lives and consider what might be achieved. There is much humour throughout the book, some violence and some introspection as we learn more about the four friends and their neighbourhood.

Did I ever tell you this? a memoir

Nigel Neill was born in Northern Ireland in 1947. When he was seven the family moved to New Zealand where he changed his name to Sam. Breaking into the film industry via New Zealand was difficult, as at the time films were not being made there, so he began his career learning to make documentaries. Eventually he decided to try his luck in Australia and over the years found himself making films and television productions in countries throughout the world, including New Zealand.

In Did I ever tell you this? a memoir, Sam Neill takes on the reader on a journey into his world mentioning some of the many films he has made and some of the actors with whom he has worked. When he wrote this book Sam was receiving treatment for blood cancer so he decided to write the memoir as a record of his life. The result is a largely entertaining, sometimes rambling, account of Sam's adventures in the entertainment industry and how he came to make some of the films. 

As well making films Sam also owns several vineyards and this has proved to be another successful project. He also has dabbled in architecture, particularly designing family homes in Australia and New Zealand. Reading this memoir allows the reader not only to get to know Sam Neill as a person but also to gain an overview from an insider into the making of films.

A Winter Grave

 

A Winter Grave by Peter May is set in the year 2051 with Scotland and the rest of the world feeling the effects of climate change. Glasgow police detective, Cameron Brodie has been sent to a village in the Highlands to investigate the death of a man whose body was found trapped in a wall of ice. The man disappeared three months earlier. Brodie agrees to investigate as he has just received some bad news and he needs to speak to his estranged daughter who lives in the village. He also has more experience as a mountain climber than his colleagues.

Brodie and the pathologist, Dr Sita Roy, arrive at the village in the middle of a severe snow storm which also in a power outage. They are the only people at the hotel except for the manager who keeps disappearing. Before long Brodie is investigating multiple murders. The investigation reveals that the man found in the ice was a journalist investigating a story that the government classed as top-secret.

Set in the future, much of the book describes the consequences of global warming and the failure to address the problems earlier in the century. Chapters set in the 2020s and 2030s provide information about past events that Brodie cannot forget. There is plenty of tension in this environmental/political thriller which also delves into stress caused by misinformation in family relationships.

Willowman

Belonging to a cricketing family I knew that I had to read this book. 

Allan Reader comes from a family who for many generations made cricket bats in England. He decides to carry on the tradition in Australia by establishing a small workshop in Melbourne. He loves cricket, watches games when he is not working and listens on the radio to all the matches. One day he notices a young player from Queensland playing in an interstate under 19 game. Allan is so impressed with this player and his potential as a cricketer that he decides to craft a bat specifically for him.

Todd Harrow receives his new bat at the same time that he has been selected to take the next step in his cricket career. The bat perfectly suits his style of play and becomes his prize possession as we follow his rapid rise to eventually playing cricket for Australia. However Todd is not the only cricketer in his family as his sister, Liv, also plays the game and proves to be an exceptional player without, of course, the recognition received by her male counterparts.

In Willowman, Inga Simpson provides a story of people attempting to succeed in a challenging and changing world and having to learn to accept apparent failure as well as success. As well as succeeding on a chosen career path it is also a story of sometimes needing to adapt to discover what is really important in life.

Anyone reading this book will certainly learn a great deal about the game of cricket and also about the crafting of cricket bats. However the strength of the novel is the parallel stories of Allan and Todd as they try to determine how to deal with unexpected challenges in their lives.