The Cursed Road

We first met DI Georgina (George) Lennox and DI Richard (Ritchie) Stewart in the crime novel, The Wolf Tree, by Laura McCluskey. The Cursed Road is the sequel to that novel. 

When the body of a young unidentified woman is discovered in the highlands of Scotland and a possible link between the victim and a cold case from ten years previously, George and Ritchie are assigned the case. The young woman's body was found at the side of a road known to the locals as 'the cursed road'. For hundreds of years there has been a feud between two families living near the road.

The Cursed Road takes the reader into a world of mystery, intrigue and horror as the two detectives try to discover the identity of the murdered woman and who killed her as well as links that might help them solve the cold case that Ritchie first worked on ten years previously. George and Ritchie are still coming to terms with health issues resulting from their previous case. Journalist, Hendry Shaw, is also back on the scene looking for an interview with George for a story he is working on.

The Cursed Road by Laura McCluskey is a gripping police procedural set in, at times, an almost gothic atmosphere. A new addition to the genre of Tartin Noir.

The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, published in 2003, is the story of a young boy, Amir, the son of a wealthy Pashtun family in Kabul, Afghanistan, and his close friend, Hassan, the son of his father's servant. Coming from different backgrounds, the two boys to some extent experience different lives but still enjoy the opportunity to spend time together. The highlight of each year is the annual kite running competition. But Afghanistan is about to enter turbulent times and the lives of the boys are to drastically change.

The Kite Runner is a story about friendship, betrayal, attempting to seek forgiveness, father-son relationships, seeking truth, trust as well as an account of the lives of those living in Afghanistan during a series of revolutions. Amir and his father went to live in America but, after his father's death, Amir received communication from a family friend asking him to visit him in Pakistan where he was now living. This visit led Amir to return to Afghanistan to try and right a mistake from his past.

Having read this book immediately after reading Ian McEwan's book, Atonement,  I noticed similar themes where a mistake made by young people results in the perpetrators experiencing feelings of guilt throughout their life and the need to atone for their past behaviour. 

This is not necessarily an easy book to read but I found that I was compelled to keep reading to the end of the book.

Timeline: Afghanistan's turbulent history - ABC  

Atonement

It is 1935 and thirteen year old Briony Tallis is spending time with her family at their country house in England. As three of her cousins have joined them, Briony decides to organise them to take part in the performance of a play she has written. This plan is easier said than done.

Part one of Atonement by Ian McEwan deals with events occurring in the Tallis household in1935  including a secret relationship between Briony's older sister, Cecelia, and  Robbie Turner. Briony, who loves writing, observes events as they occur around her and makes assumptions about what she notices. Unfortunately she jumps to incorrect conclusions that destroys relationships between family members and friends.

Part two deals with the the horrific experiences of British and French soldiers endeavouring to reach the north coast of France for the Dunkirk evacuation between 26 May and 4 June, 1940.

Part three provides us information about Briony's experiences during the war when she working as a nurse in London hospitals and witnessing the often severe war injuries of rescued soldiers. On a day off she also visits the wedding of two of the protagonists from part one of the book and later that day has an encounter with her sister and Robbie. She is looking for a way to make amends for her past behaviour.

The plot then jumps to 1999 when Briony attends a celebration for her birthday in a hotel which used to be the family home. By this time she has become a successful author but her last novel will not be able to be published until after her death and the death of two of the protagonists in the book. The reader also becomes aware of a twist that occurred in part three of the novel.

Atonement is a book about family relationships, class, impact of war, guilt and the need for atonement as well as what is really required to become a writer. The novel, published in 2001, was nominated for many awards, winning some, and was made into a film in 2007. It is one of Ian McEwan's best known novels.

This Novel Had Everything - Penguin Books 

Atonement by Ian McEwan is a meditation on creativity in later life - The Conversation

Dunkirk evacuation - Britannica

Atonement (novel) - Wikipedia

Sceptred Isle: a new history of the fourteenth century

In Sceptred Isle, historian Helen Carr has written an overview of fourteenth century English history. The book covers the reigns of Edward II, Edward III and Richard II with the many challenges that occurred including wars with Scotland, France and Spain, plagues, unrest between the king and his advisors, disputes with the church and peasants' rebellions.

The fourteenth century was therefore a time of unrest and change. Each king also discovered the difficulties of working with others who often saw opportunities for gaining power and riches for themselves. The king also had to contend with the power held by the church though, during the fourteenth century, the teachings and control of the congregations by church leaders were beginning to be challenged by people such as John Wycliffe.

Since the Norman invasion, England had been ruled as a feudal entity, however with so many of the population dying due to waves of the plague as well as soldiers being killed in battles, the peasants began to assert their power to gain more control over their lives and certainly better pay and conditions.  

The fourteenth century saw the beginning of the Hundred Years War and accounts are provided of some of the many battles occurring at this time. Battles with Scotland also continued for many years.

Helen Carr, in Sceptred Isle, has provided a readable introduction to the end of the rule of the Plantagenets in England.

Cat's People

This is a story about a black cat and the people he befriends - Núria, Collin, Omar, Bong and Lily. The cat has a variety of names - Cat, Gatito and Itim. He lives on the street but each day is fed by Núria who feeds a number of cats in the neighbourhood each morning before going to work. As Núria likes wearing bright clothes Cat thinks of her as the Rainbow Lady. Then there is Collin who builds Cat a shelter near the back door of his home. Cat's name for Collin is Awkward Neighbor Guy. Omar (Cheery Mailman) delivers the post to local residents and Cat often accompanies him on part of his journey, especially when Omar stops at Bong's small grocery store and purchases Cat a treat. Then Lily (Bright-Pink Person) arrives in the neighbourhood looking for the sister she never knew.

The story in Cat's People by Tanya Guerrero is revealed via the viewpoint of Cat and his five people. We learn not only of the challenges and fears they face but how their individual care for a stray cat brings this small community together helping them make decisions impacting on their future. Once you start reading Cat's People you will want to continue reading until the story ends.

The Importance of Being Earnest and other plays

The Importance of Being Earnest was one of the plays we studied at school many years ago. I also remember seeing a theatre production of the play a few years later. When my grand-daughter told me she was playing Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest in a school production I decided that I should read the play again before going to watch this version of the play.

Oscar Wilde wrote the play in 1894 and the first production was in February 1895. Despite a scandal concerning Oscar Wilde, the play has remained popular and has also been made into a film. The Importance of Being Earnest is the fourth of a series of plays satirising the upper class in Victorian England. In this volume the other three plays, Lady Windemere's Fan, A Woman of No Importance and An Ideal Husband are included as well as Salome.

Characters in The Importance of Being Earnest include Jack Worthing, Algernon Moncrieff, Gwendolen Fairfax, Cecily Cardew, Lady Bracknell, Miss Prism, Dr Chausable, Lane and Merriman. Jack and Algernon are friends who meet regularly in London but in order to escape the country house where he lives, Jack has created an imaginary friend called Ernest. Algernon uses a similar ploy which he calls being a Bunburist. 

When Jack comes to town to propose to Algernon's cousin, Gwendolen, Algernon decides to travel to the country where he meets Jack's ward, Cecily. Life becomes complicated when Algernon also uses the name Ernest. To confuse matters further, when Jack is asked to reveal his parentage all he knows is that he was found in a bag left at a railway station. By the end of this three act play the truth is revealed and all's well that ends well. 

I look forward to seeing a version of the play again.

The Importance of Being Earnest - LitCharts 

The Red Prince: the life of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster

John of Gaunt, a son of King Edward III, was never a king, however he played an important role supporting the kingship of his nephew, Richard II, as Richard struggled to be a leader. John was known as a good mediator in disputes at home and overseas. However he had many enemies who plotted against him. Despite these challenges his family was influential in the leadership of England for many years.

Historian, Helen Carr has written  the book, The Red Prince, to provide an account of England during the life of John of Gaunt and also clarify some of the misconceptions about his life as well as his achievements and failures. 

This is an excellent book providing an introduction to a dramatic period of English history. As the author writes there are huge gaps in the available information about these historic times. Much of the information that is available is written by individuals promoting a viewpoint that would receive approval from those currently close to the king. It is therefore a challenge for historians to sift through the information that is available and attempt to discover what really was happening in the second part of the fourteenth century.

John of Gaunt: father of England's Medieval Monarchy and self styled Spanish king - History Extra