Sanctuary

Grace met Alan Garrett in an orphanage where they both lived as children. In the home her name was Anita (or Neet) and she and Adam worked together learning how to become efficient burglars. Then Grace started working with Galt, a poor decision it turned out and one that antagonised Adam. Now Grace spent her life moving from one location to another throughout Australia constantly on the lookout for someone who might be following her. 

But Grace became tired of running and wanted to settle down in one place and live a relatively normal life. Then she met Erin Mandel and started working in Erin's antiques shop. Grace enjoyed this new life but still took precautions each day to ensure that she wasn't being followed. Grace and Erin became friends but Erin was also constantly on the lookout for someone from her past who may be following her. It soon became obvious that Erin also had a past and was also hiding her true identity.

Sanctuary by Gary Disher provides the individual stories of a group of people, including Grace and Erin, which then combine by the end of the novel. Initially I found it a little difficult working out who some of the male characters were until I had read time to really concentrate on reading. Admittedly a long power outage when I was reading at night didn't help. Reading with a torch can be a challenge. Next day I tried again and became involved in the suspense and fear created by the author as the two women deal with past events and strive to have a better future.

What You Are Looking For is in the Library

Needless to say when I saw this title I knew that I had to read this book and I was not disappointed. What you are looking for is in the library, written by Michiko Aoyama and translated from Japanese by Alison Watts, tells the story of five people who are at crossroads in their lives and how they make decisions that will impact on their future. Although the five chapters each feature one of the main characters, interactions between characters occur throughout the book to create an interweaving story.

Tomoka sells clothing in a large department store, Ryo is an accountant in a furniture manufacturing firm, Natsuma is a young mother who was a magazine editor before the birth of her child but now reluctantly works in the Information Resources department, Hiroya wants to be an artist but is currently not employed in any work and Masao has recently retired. The common thread is that they all discover the local community centre and the library where they meet librarian, Sayuri Komachi, who not only helps them find the books they are initially seeking but also suggests an entirely different book that in all cases influences the next decisions that they make about plans for their future.

How books and reading can effect a person's view on life is a theme of the book. Another theme is the importance accepting one's involvement in a community.

What all the characters finally learn is that it is OK to look at life differently and decide what they really want in the future, not necessarily what they feel the world expects of them. As the librarian explains to one of the characters - "Readers make their own personal connections to words, irrespective of the writer's intentions, and each reader gains something unique". Some characters changed careers or changed their attitude to the work they were doing. Others discovered how to incorporate new interests or hobbies into their normal lives creating a lifestyle that was more than just work. 

All in all this is an uplifting novel showing the importance of books, libraries and librarians in communities. The novel also encourages readers to consider how books can influence their lives.

Taken

Kate Miles has returned to work in the police force after recovering from a gunshot wound and the birth of her second child. Her husband is not convinced about her returning to work full-time so soon after their daughter's birth, however he is out of work and they need her salary. Then reports appear of the corrupt business dealings of a former parliamentarian with links to her father. Kate therefore has to cope with family pressures as well as the pressures of returning to work where she has the feeling that some of her colleagues are just waiting for her to fail.

Added to these pressures Kate's first case is investigating the disappearance of a baby from her home. The baby's father was away at a conference but when it becomes obvious that there are contradictions in his story he becomes a prime suspect as does the mother's former partner who is renowned for his acts of violence, particularly against women. As the investigation proceeds more is revealed about the lives and relationships of the main characters.

This is a character driven crime novel which focuses on family relationships and family violence as well as attitudes in Kate's work environment regarding the ability of women to lead, particularly women who are not white. Police corruption also features in the book. In Taken, Dinuka McKenzie has written another novel enabling the reader to become immersed in the story and its characters and just want to keep reading. The third book in this series has recently been published.

The Broken Wave

Matthew Ryan Davies has written a novel investigating how memories of events that occurred during childhood can still affect the lives of protagonists thirty years later. The story is set at Queenscliff, a seaside town  on the southern coast of Victoria. When he was twelve Drew, his mother and stepfather moved from America to Australia where his stepfather was to work for two years. There Drew met Tom and the boys developed a firm friendship over the next six months before a tragic event took place and Drew returned to America with his mother.

When Tom dies aboard his blazing boat in the bay, Drew returns to Queenscliff to attend the funeral. There he confronts past events and must reevaluate his life. He also tries to connect with Tom's son, Adam, who is struggling with losing his father. Drew also learns that his latest book has been rejected in its current form by his agent and now has the challenge of rewriting his project. The novel examines themes of friendship, adapting to new environments and facing the challenges of life.

Professional Book Nerds - Chris Hammer interview

In 2021 Australian author, Chris Hammer, was interviewed for the Professional Book Nerds podcast in America. The main book under discussion was Scrublands published in 2018. The location for the book is the western Rivierina. Twelve months previously five people had been killed and a journalist arrives in the town to investigate how the community is coping. He then realises that there is much more to investigate.

Chris Hammer, a journalist, writes novels for his own satisfaction. He doesn't necessarily plot the entire book in advance but may have four or five story-lines which hopefully will evolve into the final book. On one occasion he rewrote the ending of a book twice before he was satisfied with the plot.

Chris says that there are two types of writers of novels - the Plotter and the Pantser (writing by the seat of your pants). He says that his best ideas come when he is doing something else such as exercising. In his writing he concentrates on his characters and how they are being affected by events in the story-line. He enjoys adding some humour and attempts to create an immersive book for the reader. He wants to show how the characters are coping with disruptive events and is not interested in just producing a novel of fact finding. He finds it liberating not to have to continually check facts when he writes but can let his imagination tell the story.

As a journalist, Chris knows how the media works and can therefore add additional colour to the story from previous work experiences. To be a writer you have to love the process of writing. Readers of books read for different experiences. This is why books endure - when they allow people to enjoy the world that they enter when reading a good book.

Professional Book Nerds - Ann Cleeves interview

Ann Cleeves is best known as the author of Vera and Shetland series of crime novels though in an interview on the Professional Book Nerds podcast she admitted to having written many novels before she became known as a famous writer. For years most of the publicity for the books that she wrote was when she visited libraries to publicise her books. Then after twenty years of writing without much commercial success the public discovered Vera.

The book being discussed in the podcast is The Darkest Evening, the ninth book in the Vera series published in 2021. Driving home in a storm Vera discovers an abandoned car by the side of the road. When she investigates she discovers a young child in the back of the car. Needing assistance she takes the child to a large house nearby. The house is known to her as members of her father's family live there. Why is the child in the back of the car alone and what has happened to the child's mother?

In the podcast Ann Cleeves discusses the importance of place in her novels. She especially likes the comparison of people who own land with the people who live on it. In The Darkest Evening the reader learns more about Vera's early life with her father.

For Ann Cleeves family and community are also important in her books. The author likes to play with relationships of both major and minor characters as the story evolves. She likes writing about ordinary people and how they would react in stressful circumstances.  Compassion is important in the Vera novels. Vera is written as a real person. In The Darkest Evening there are themes of kindness and honesty and the importance of keeping family together.

Although when beginning a book there are plot lines, the story evolves as the writing progresses. However when reading a book, each reader will experience it differently.

Also in the podcast the importance of the editing of her books was discussed. She also discussed how in times of trouble such as the Great Depression and the Second World War people tended to turn to books, including crime fiction, to escape. This might help to explain why in the current uncertain times readers are devouring crime fiction.

The Girl who Touched the Stars

Let's paddle around Australia on a surf ski. This is what Bonnie Hancock did in 2022. It took her 254 days including occasional breaks on land to break the record. She also broke the record for covering the greatest distance in 24 hours - 235 km. The Girl Who Touched the Stars is Bonnie Hancock's account of her journey.

In the book Bonnie tells how the expedition came about, discusses the assistance she received from many people to achieve her aim, writes about the loyal teams of people who accompanied her on all or some of the trip, the encouragement that she received during the journey, not just from her team but also people that she met along the way.

Bonnie was not alone on her journey. There was a motor vehicle following her progress on the road. There was a catamaran or other craft close by at all times and there was also a jet ski ridden by members of her team offering her encouragement when conditions allowed. Her husband, Matt, gave up his job to accompany her on the trip and ensure that everything went smoothly. COVID restrictions still existed for part of the trip which presented additional challenges. Other team members who stayed with her for the entire trip included Brad, Jaime and Ben while her coach, Mike, came out for part of the trip. The experiences of the voyage were filmed to be included in a film launched this month.

When writing the book, Bonnie Hancock is very frank about her experiences and thoughts during the trip. There were numerous times when she thought about giving up. When the seas were rough she was constantly seasick. For much of the journey she was paddling into the wind. She was also aware that for part of the journey she was paddling through waters inhabited by sharks, crocodiles and sea snakes. Her back ached and her hands became raw from paddling. The weather was very cold for part of the trip and very hot at other times. However there were also good experiences that she would never forget including real friendship as well as coming in close contact with the natural environment.

This is a book about facing challenges and testing oneself to achieve something that you really want to do. Bonnie had one chance to undertake this challenge and she was determined that despite the odds that she, with the help of her team, would achieve.

Professional Book Nerds - Denzil Meyrick interview

My local library now has a series of podcasts available featuring 30 minute interviews with a variety of authors under the title - Professional Book Nerds. There are 425 of these podcasts currently available via the library catalogue. Being American podcasts, most of the interviews are with American authors however I did find a selection of podcasts with writers of books that I have read.

The first podcast that I listened to was with Scottish author Denzil Meyrick who just happens to be one of my favourite authors of crime novels. In this podcast he is asked about the writing of Whiskey in Small Glasses, the first novel in the DCI Daley series set in Kinloch. Denzil Meyrick explained that Kinloch is based on the small town of Campbeltown in Scotland. 

His writing of the DCI Daley series is based on his background in the police force providing him with an understanding of how policing really works in Scotland. He has also worked as a journalist. The variety of characters in his books play an important part in telling the story. DCI Daley is an important character in the books but other characters including Sergeant Scott and many of the residents of Kinloch are important to the telling of the story. Sense of community is a focal point making Kinloch also one of the main characters of the books.

Denzil Meyrick was then asked about the importance of libraries and he stressed that libraries are the centres of a community.  He expressed his concern about how libraries are being neglected in some parts of Britain and how they need to be protected as a valuable source for all the community.

Books of Denzil Meyrick.

More than a glass and a half: a history of Cadbury in Australia

Last Sunday the grandchildren had fun looking for Cadbury Easter eggs in our back garden. The family then shared a variety of other chocolates and sweets. It therefore seemed an appropriate time to read Robert Crawford's book, More than a glass and a half: a history of Cadbury in Australia.

The author looks at how the popularity of chocolate products grew in England, Australia and other countries throughout the world but the emphasis in this study is the Cadbury empire in England, Australia and New Zealand. The Cadbury chocolate factory was established in Birmingham, England, in 1824. In the 1860s and 1870s newspapers in Australia announced the arrival of shipments of Cadbury products from England. In the early 1880s Cadbury Brothers opened an office in Melbourne and gradually extra staff were sent to sell and promote the company products throughout the colonies. Other firms selling chocolate products were McKenzie's Cocoa Mills, Bates, and MacRobertson's Steam Confectionery Works.

Eventually it was decided to manufacture Cadbury chocolate in Australia and land at Claremont in Tasmania was chosen. The factory began operations in 1921. A small number of staff came out to Tasmania from England to train local staff. By the time the new factory opened, Cadbury had combined with two other confectionery companies to form Cadbury-Fry-Pascall. Products from the other two companies continued to be manufactured at Cadbury factories.

More than a glass and a half provides a study of how the new branch of the company was established on the other side of the world. This includes describing the philosophy of the Cadbury family who were Quakers and their attitude to providing suitable working and living conditions for their staff. As well as the factory, housing for some staff was provided as well as facilities for recreation including sport. 

Much of the book describes the promotion and advertising of the products as social and economic conditions varied and new media became available to promote products. The range of products varied throughout the years but the staple chocolate is still Cadbury dairy milk. 

There have been a number of mergers and take-overs over the years. Red Tulip chocolates came under the Cadbury banner in 1987. Twenty years earlier, MacRobertson's became part of Cadbury bringing popular products such as Freddo Frog and Cherry Ripe under the Cadbury banner. A Cadbury factory in Ringwood, Victoria, was established at this time. Cadbury had also been involved with other mergers and name changes over the years including being Cadbury Schweppes for a time. Then Kraft purchased the Cadbury company and the name of the section controlling Cadbury is Mondelez International. However the chocolate company still trades as Cadbury and that is all the lovers of chocolate need to know.

The book of full of coloured illustrations showing how Cadbury products have been promoted through the years. These may stir up memories of past enjoyment of Cadbury products. Notes and index are at the back of the book.

Corners of Melbourne

Robyn Annear has written a number of books relating to the history of Melbourne. She is an avid user of Trove and this book results from searching records about Melbourne up to 1899 with the limiter 'at the corner'. This produced a range of incidents within a series of broad themes, many of which appear in this book of anecdotes. The subtitle for the book, Corners of Melbourne, is The great Orange-peel panic and other stories from the streets. Most of the stories revolve around corner locations in the city of Melbourne as well as suburbs such as Collingwood, Fitzroy, Carlton and West Melbourne.

Themes covered in this book include accidents that occurred when people slipped on discarded orange and other fruit skins on the flagstones recently laid in Melbourne, accidents that occurred with horses in overcrowded streets, drinking taps and horse troughs, public urinals rather than small lanes used as toilets, street stalls, speakers on a range of topics on street corners, pick pockets, 'entertainers', card readers etc., hoardings with advertising signs and a variety of entertainment set up on land near street corners. 

One chapter covers larrikins, a term first used in the press in 1870 to describe groups of young men (sometimes women) who congregated together in the streets at night and caused havoc. Some would go on the rampage and damage private and public property. The limited police force had difficulty handing the situation. Reading this chapter made me think that not much has changed considering the behavior of some young people today.

Robyn Annear has written an interesting account of lesser known aspects of life in Melbourne in the nineteenth century.

The Chocolate Factory

The English chocolate factory, Cadbury, opened its first overseas factory at Claremont, near Hobart. The factory was built on a 246 acre property on a peninsula where there was cheap hydroelectricity. The new factory was officially opened in October 1921. Sixteen women from the Cadbury factory at Bournville came to Australia to help train Australian women in the processes for making chocolate. Several years earlier the Cadbury factory had formed partnerships with Fry's and Pascals confectionery companies in the UK. The name of the firm was now Cadbury-Fry-Pascal.

Mary-Lou Stephens has written a historical fiction novel, The chocolate factory, about the early years of the establishment of the factory at Claremont. In the novel Dorothy Adwell, a war widow, travels to Tasmania from England to be a foreman in the new factory with the responsibility of ensuring that the enrober machines worked efficiently. Eventually staff will be housed in a village constructed on the Cadbury site, but initially Dorothy stays in a boarding house with other women from England who also work in the factory.

On the voyage to Australia Dot meets Thomas, a returned serviceman who is struggling with PTSD. Dot is aware of the condition as her husband, Freddie, also struggled with PTSD before he died. Dot recognises Thomas' symptoms and endeavours to help him.

Maisie Greenwood is the eldest daughter of a war widow who tries to support the family by taking in mending and ironing. She lives in Hobart, a half hour train ride from Claremont. When Maisie starts working at the Cadbury factory she hopes to be able to earn enough money to support her mother and keep her sister, Lily, at school.

The novel follows the lives of the women as they adjust to their new roles at the Cadbury factory. However it is soon apparent that there are attempts to sabotage the success of the new enterprise.

The author covers many historical themes in this novel including the workings of the chocolate factory, the philosophy of the factory owners who are Quakers, the effects of war on ex-servicemen as well as on war-widows and their families, working conditions for women in the 1920s, as well as themes of friendship, trust, industrial espionage. It is an interesting book to read, especially when dealing with the lives of the women working at the new factory however I felt that the author was attempting to include too many themes in the book which, although interesting, sometimes meandered from the main story and distracted from the flow of the main story. I did finish reading the novel but at one stage I was tempted to look for something else to read.

Impossible Creatures

Impossible creatures by Katherine Rundell received great reviews in lists of children's books published last year so I purchased copies for two of my grandchildren for Christmas. This term my eleven year old grandson and I have been sharing the reading of this book when he visits after school. There is no argument about reading - he just grabs something to eat, picks up the book and informs me that it is time to read.

Christopher is a young boy who attracts animals wherever he goes. When he visits his grandfather in the country he is told that he can go exploring but not to walk up the hill. Of course he does and immediately realises that this is a different place. 

One day he rescues a baby griffin from drowning and his world changes. When Christopher meets Mal, a young girl with a coat that enables her to fly who is looking for her griffin, he learns that she is being hunted by a man who is trying to murder her. Christopher decides to protect her and she takes him to her magical world, the Archipelago, where he meets many mythical creatures including sphinxes and dragons, centaurs and ratatoska plus a few humans including Nighthand and Irian.   

Impossible creatures is a spell binding tale of friendship, courage, bravery and love.  The glamourie that controls the mystical world of the Archipelago is fading and it is up to Mal and her friends to discover why and undo the damage that has been done.

At the front of the book is a Bestiary with descriptions and illustrations of some of the mythical creatures in the story. Katherine Rundell has produced a wonderful world of fantasy that makes you want to keep reading to find out what happens next.

The Changi Book

When the British surrendered to the Japanese on 15 February 1942, Australian soldiers were marched to the army barracks at Changi which was to be a prison for prisoners of war until the Japanese surrendered on 2 September 1945.

The Changi Book edited by Lachlan Grant provides a summary of life in Changi before presenting a collection of articles written by prisoners of war from the 8th Division about aspects of life in Changi. The book also contains cartoons, paintings and photographs made secretly by the prisoners in the camp. This compilation was published in 2015.

At the time of the British surrender, 130,000 British troops including 15,000 members of thee 8th Division became prisoners of the Japanese. Members of the 8th Division were marched to Changi on 17 February. Although they were prisoners of the Japanese they remained with their units and military leaders. The 8th Division was housed at Selarang Barracks previously occupied by 900 Gordon Highlanders and their families. Consequently accommodation was cramped and facilities inadequate for the 15,000 soldiers. The first task was to make the area livable for so many men. The Australian General Hospital was also transferred to Changi.

At Selarang Barracks there was lots of land but the buildings had been damaged during bombing raids. There were no kitchens, no showers, no means of transport and no tools. Food kitchens were built from strips of galvanised iron. Water was obtained from several wells. Latrines had to be constructed. As well as making the area that was to be their new home livable, soldiers were allocated to Japanese working parties, including the erection of a barbed wire fence around the prison.

Access to food for the soldiers was minimal and food that was provided was of poor quality. The soldiers also needed to work out how to cook ingredients with some flavour and nutritional value - not an easy task with rice and sometimes small quantities of fish the only ingredients. Some of the soldiers established contacts with men outside the compound arranging for goods to be brought into the camp on the black market. Grass was also boiled in water to be used for adding nutrition to the food. Outbreaks of dysentery occurred periodically.

The men created their own entertainment including concerts presented by unit entertainers and concert parties. An education scheme was established encouraging the soldiers to learn something new and reduce boredom. This was not always successful. Another major problem was that the men had no access to information about the rest of the war until they eventually managed to acquire a radio. Over three and a half years the men were allowed to send only five postcards home. The first mail from home was received in March 1943.

Life for the men in Changi was not easy but it was much worse for the thousands of soldiers chosen for work camps in Burma, Thailand and Borneo. Thousands of men died on these expeditions and those who returned were mere skeletons. An outbreak of cholera had killed many men in these work parties. Compared with life in these camps, life in Changi was generally better.

Those living in Changi had to be resilient. The essays written by some of the men tell of how many of the men made the best of a bad situation.

The Princes in the Tower

The Princes in the Tower: solving history's greatest cold case is written by Philippa Langley, a member of the Richard III Society. The book has been written to investigate one of the stories that many people believe about Richard III, King of England from 1483-1485 - that he had two of his nephews murdered in the Tower of London. This story came to prominence many years after the death of Richard III, largely promoted by supporters of the Tudor rulers in order to establish their right to the throne.

The story gained in popularity after William Shakespeare wrote his play Richard III, promoting the idea that Richard was an evil hunchback who had his nephews murdered.

As historians in the twentieth century examined documents relating to the reign of Richard III written during his reign and immediately after new theories have been made about the disappearance of the two princes.

Philippa Langley has handled this investigation using techniques and questions used to investigate more recent cold cases. The recent discovery of documents in France and Holland that suggest that the princes spent time overseas after being smuggled from the Tower of London form part of the investigation of The Missing Princes Project.

The author provides a systematic study of the evidence so far. There are detailed notes, appendices, bibliography, maps, time lines plus photos. The study for the story of the missing princes continues, especially if the boys were removed from the tower and hidden for their safety, possibly overseas or in the north of England. The mystery continues.

A novel based on the mystery of the princes in the tower is A Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey.

Some online articles:

Were the Princes in the Tower killed - Richard III Society

Skeletons in Westminster: Is it time to solve the mystery of the Princes in the Tower - Retrospect Journal 

Research reveals identity of the Princes in the Tower -  University of Essex

The Princes in the Tower - Historic Royal Palaces

1674- the remains of the Princes in the Tower - Meandering through time

What happened to Nina?

If you want to read a novel that you cannot put down then you could try What happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan.

The author has set this story in Vermont USA. Nina and Simon have had a close relationship for many years though it has recently been tested as Simon has been away at college while Nina has stayed home to work with her mother running the family hotel. Back home on holidays Simon convinces Nina to spend time with him at a property owned by his family. They both enjoy climbing and take the opportunity to explore the many trails and crags in the area. But the tensions between the two young people increase. Then Simon returns home without Nina.

The reader gradually learns part of the story through the eyes and actions of Nina and Simon's parents, Nina's sister, Grace, and Matthew who is the detective investigating Nina's disappearance. Nina's mother and her husband have struggled to create successful businesses from scratch but they are not wealthy. Simon, on the other hand comes from a wealthy and privileged family who will do anything to protect their son from accusations of wrong doing.

Social media plays an important role in the story, initially as Nina's mother uses it to organise a search for her daughter. Simon's parents arrange for associates to use social media to post anonymous posts against members of Nina's family which are quickly taken up by conspiracy theorists.

Tension builds as the world of Nina's family begins to collapse under public scrutiny. The police and Nina's family are sure that they know what happened to Nina. The challenge is how to prove it. An excellent book that I had to keep reading to the end.

The Good Dog

When Detective Sergeant Zoe Mayer is called to a crime scene on Mt Macedon in Victoria she finds the body of a man slumped next to the Memorial Cross. A local policeman was the first to arrive on the scene and is able to identify the body. Then Harry, Zoe's service dog, discovers a second body some distance in the bush. First impressions are that it is probably a murder suicide. But Zoe and her new partner, Detective Senior Constable, Ben Tarro, soon come to a different conclusion.

The two victims were recently involved in a fraud case where the first victim, Piers Johnson, had faced charges of fraud when a project in which he and others had invested in Bali proved to be a scam. Everyone, including Piers Johnson, lost money. The second murder victim was Johnson's lawyer, Antony Peterson, who succeeded in having the court case dismissed. There are therefore many suspects to investigate.

The Good Dog by Simon Rowell is a fast paced detective novel set in Victoria. Many of the locations mentioned are places that I know which perhaps made the book even more interesting to me when I read it. 

Harry is one of the main characters in the book, not just in supporting Zoe who has PTSD but also in comforting some of the other characters in stressful situations. He also makes some significant finds in the plot. Zoe's new partner in this case also learns there is more to solving a crime than he first believed. The Good Dog is the third title in the Zoe Mayer series.

The Lawson Legacy

Kayla Lawson is a wedding planner for exclusive weddings. She is therefore constantly aware that everything needs to be perfect. Unfortunately being perfect is not always possible in everyday life.

When Kayla discovers that she is pregnant after a one night stand she moves back to the family property while she decides what she should do. At the same time Jen and her two children have also moved back to Willowbrook while she works through challenges in her life.

Meanwhile, in the nearby town, Connor Knight has purchased a local pub which he renovates and uses to start a new life after spending time in prison. But first he has to convince the locals that this is a safe and friendly place for family gatherings. Over time Kayla and Connor discover that there is a connection between them but this is threatened when members of Connor's former motorcycle gang arrive in town.

Although Kayla is nervous about being a single mother, she realises that the new arrival will become part of the family legacy. She also realises that even with much careful planning, there is no guarantee that life will always be perfect.

Super-Infinite: the transformations of John Donne

John Donne (1572-1631) led many lives in his fifty-nine years. In Super-Infinite, Katherine Rundell describes John Donne:

Sometime religious outsider and social disaster, sometime celebrity preacher and establishment darling. John Donne was incapable of being just one thing. He reimagined and reinvented himself, over and over: he was a poet, lover, essayist, lawyer, pirate recusant, preacher, satirist, politician, courtier, chaplain to the King, dean of the finest cathedral in London.[page 5]

In this biography of John Donne, the author sets out to examine all the facets of Donne's life from the limited surviving sources plus his poems, sermons and other writing. Quotations from Donne's work and the writings of others who knew him appear extensively throughout the work. In reading this book, the reader learns not just about the life of John Donne and of his writing but also some of the social history and politics of the time that form an important part of Donne's story.

When writing, John Donne also loved to create new words, many of which appear in the book. Katherine Rundell provides an example:

He loved to coin formations with the super-prefix: super-edifications, super-exaltation, super-dying, super-universal, super-miraculous. It was part of his bid to invent a language that would reach beyond language, because infinite wasn’t enough: both in heaven, but also here and now on earth, Donne wanted to know something larger than infinity. It was absurd, grandiloquent, courageous, hungry. [page 14]

At the end of the book there is a list of further reading, notes, picture credits and index. Pictures of engravings of portraits of John Donne and other people mentioned appear throughout the book.

The Long Road to Changi

When I discovered that an uncle was interned in Changi during the Second World War I decided to try and find out more about this part of Australian military history.  The Long Road to Changi by Peter Ewer attempts to investigate how Singapore fell to the Japanese and how Britain's claim to have the resources to protect the region proved to be a myth. 

Many British accounts of events at this time blame Australian soldiers for being unruly and poorly trained. The author provides a case to dispel this myth and demonstrates the failures of the British government and military to provide adequate British forces and equipment, particularly ships and planes to protect Singapore and Malaya.

This book is a well researched and written account of events and decisions that led to the fall of Singapore in 1942. The soldiers on the ground are revealed as the real victims of poorly conceived strategies to protect them and the territory they are trying to protect. Like Gallipoli and the invasion of Greece and Crete, the protection of Singapore and Malaya was another British organised disaster. 

Due to the Japanese taking Singapore and Malaya, thousands of Australians and other allied soldiers became prisoners of war. Australia now had to depend on the military forces of the United States to help it protect its shores and neighbouring countries from possible Japanese invasion.

Ordinary Gods and Monsters

Nick Wheatley is seventeen and has just left school. He has not yet decided what he wants to do with his life. Marion who lives next door has also just finished school and plans to go to university. Nick and Marion have always been special friends and remain so.  However they both realise that their relationship is changing as they start to experiment with other friendships.

Their lives are also changing in other ways. Nick's mother and father are divorcing which causes a strain on family relationships. Nick's sister's behavioral  problems are intensifying and annoying. Then Marion's father is killed in a hit and run incident which greatly affects her family.

Both Nick and Marion have experimented with using recreational marijuana and smoke cigarettes. However when Nick and Marion try to investigate who might have killed Marion's father they run into some dangerous characters involved with the drug trade. The chase that ensues places them in grave danger.

This sometimes amusing, sometimes tension filled story keeps the reader guessing as Marion and Nick make some serious life choices.

Out of my mind

Melody Brooks is eleven years old. To the other children at school, Melody is just the dumb girl in the wheelchair. They do not know or care that she has a photographic memory and absorbs information easily. Melody has cerebral palsy and cannot speak and cannot use her hands so no one knows how clever she is and how interested she is in what is occurring around her. Melody is therefore a prisoner in her world.

Fortunately Melody does have support from her parents and a few of the teachers at school but her main assistance comes from Catherine, her teaching aide at school and her next door neighbour, Mrs V, who work tirelessly to encourage Melody. They also discover a way to allow her to express her thoughts in the world outside her mind.

However as Melody's abilities become apparent, she encounters an even greater backlash from her classmates including those who had sometimes appeared friendly in the past. Melody discovers that although she can now express herself, not everyone is prepared to listen.  

In Out of My Mind Sharon M Draper has written a novel for young readers encouraging them not to judge the ability of other people by their appearance. Melody has to face up to the things that she cannot do but also adapts to the use of technology such as an electric wheelchair and an electronic communicator to help overcome some of her challenges. She also begins to realise who her real friends are and how to assert herself if necessary. This is a good novel to encourage children to consider their attitudes to people who may be different to them.

Out of My Mind is a book being studied by my grandson in grade 6 at school.

On our doorstep

By March 1942 there was a strong fear in Australia of the threat of Japanese invasion. The Japanese had taken Singapore and Malaya and Darwin had been bombed. The Australian Prime Minister had recalled Australian troops who had been sent to the Middle East. They were now required to help defend Australia and our neighbouring countries.

On Our Doorstep by Craig Collie looks at how the Australian government, Australian military and the Australian people reacted to the possible threat to our country and our region. This book examines how prepared Australia was for the war in the Pacific, the fall of Singapore and Malaya, Australia's traditional alliance with Britain and the necessity of forming strong ties with America, political preparedness as well as how Australians at home coped with the rapid changes occurring around them. The book also looks at the bombing of Darwin and the arrival of Japanese submarines in Sydney Harbour.

Australia's dependence on Britain to help defend Australia was forced to be adjusted as it was realised that previously promised help would not be available. Australia therefore had to turn to the United States for military support. On Our Doorstep provides an informative account of this part of Australian history.

The fair botanists

During the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century there was a fascination with plants discovered in other countries of the world with examples brought back to Europe. The novel, Josephine's Garden, by Stephanie Parkyn is the story of the botanical collection of the Empress Josephine in France. In The Fair Botanists by Sara Sheridan the setting for the novel is the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh during 1822. Plants in these gardens were primarily investigated for medicinal properties as well their value as different plant species. During 1822 items in the collection, including large trees, were being relocated to a new location - a mammoth task. There is also interest in a plant that flowers every thirty years and now its time has come.

The story in the novel revolves around the lives of two women - Elizabeth Rocheid, a widow who has recently moved to Edinburgh from London and enjoys making botanical drawings and Belle Brodie who is endeavoring to make a living by creating new perfumes. The two women become friends until Elizabeth discovers that Belle also makes a living from being a courtesan, though this profession is restricted to two clients.

In The Fair Botanists, Sara Sheridan creates a world including real and fictional characters living in Edinburgh. She paints a vivid picture of what it was like living in Edinburgh in 1822 and some of the attitudes prevalent at the time. In a section at the end of the book the author provides informative notes about people and events referred to in the novel.

Murder at Holly House

Scottish author, Denzil Meyrick, is best known for his series of DCI Daley crime novels set in Kinloch. However his new crime novel, Murder at Holly House, is set in north Yorkshire. Detective Inspector Frank Grasby has been sent to the small community of Elderby to investigate a series of robberies in the area. He soon discovers that Elderby is not your normal rural community. Frank describes the initial reaction of any visitor to Elderby as seeing a picture perfect place. 

'I don't think any visitor could help themselves loving it, with its little lanes, pretty shops - everything wrought in that grey Yorkshire stone that makes the village look as if it sprang from the earth by force of nature alone. As I am finding out, though, it's a village of secrets, mystery and death.' [page 259]

 While interviewing the landed gentry about another possible robbery he discovers a body in the chimney. This is only the beginning of a series of crimes, past and present, that Frank becomes aware of including attempts on his life. But it is when he is warned from headquarters to avoid over investigating the cases but just locate a culprit for the robberies that Frank knows that this is definitely not your normal community or normal crimes. The problem is is there anyone that he can trust?

Denzil Meyrick has written a fast paced, often humorous crime novel with so many twists and turns it is hard to keep up with what is happening. The novel is set during winter, a few days before Christmas, so there is also the weather to contend with. The effects of the Second World War remain, especially rationing. However as the novel progresses it is obvious that the politics of war still exists in this this part of northern England.

Runt

Runt is a ragged looking dog. He doesn't have a home and roams about the country town of Upson Downs scavenging for food. That is until he finds Annie Shearer and they become best friends. Eleven year old Annie lives on a sheep farm with her parents, Bryan and Susie, her brother Max and her grandma Dolly. Times are hard on the farm and the family is in debt. A large landowner in the area controls the water supply and want to purchase their farm. Annie desperately looks for some way to assist her family.

Annie discovers that Runt has a special talent for tackling agility courses however he will not perform in front of an audience. Annie must find a way of resolving this challenge if Runt is to take part in dog agility competitions and win prize money that will help save the farm.

My eleven year old grandson and I have enjoyed reading and discussing Runt by Craig Silvey. The book is a delight to read. Themes in the novel include the importance of family, friendship, tolerance, resilience, strength of human spirit, acceptance and learning to be yourself. The book deserves the awards it has won including the Australian Book Industry Award, Children's Book Council Award and Indie Book Awards for 2023 as well as the Dymocks' Book of the Year for Younger Readers 2022.

Kinloch Tales: the collected stories

Denzil Meyrick has written three novellas about when Hamish was a young fisherman working on the boat, the Girl Maggie, captained by Sandy Hoynes in Kinloch. The three novellas - A Large Measure of Snow, A Toast to the Old Stones and Ghosts in the Gloaming - were originally published separately as books and in electronic formats but have now been published in one volume. 

Each story is set in Kinloch in Scotland in the winters of 1967 and 1968 and also contain flashbacks to when Sandy was a boy early in the twentieth century. The Viking connection in the history of the region features strongly in the three tales. The appearance of a huge silver gull guiding those who are lost back to safety is also an omen.

In A Large Measure of Snow Sandy and Hamish set out in a storm to bring needed supplies back to Kinloch. On this voyage they are accompanied by a journalist who happens to be a woman - females were considered bad luck on fishing boats. Like the other stories there is much humour in the tale, especially when Sandy accidentally takes a drug that causes him to 'encounter' lobsters on the ship.

A Toast to Old Stones features the celebration by some of the fishermen of the old New Year. They travel to an isolated location to visit the old stones - important remains from the Viking past. Needless to say all does not go entirely to plan.

In Ghosts in the Gloaming a person from Sandy's past returns to Kinloch and continues to cause trouble for Sandy. Sandy and Hamish retreat from the town for a time however, when a boat is found drifting in the sea, Sandy's friends set out to rescue them.

In each of the stories Hona, the Viking from past times, arrives to help when all seems lost. He explains to Sandy about the 'pull of the Thin Places' where lives of people in different time zones can connect. Although originally written as three short books, combined in Kinloch Tales they form one coherent story. We also learn more about Hamish, an important character in the DCI Daley series of books.

A Single Stone

The village became isolated during a rockfall caused long ago, so the villagers are told, by men. They have been told that there is nothing on the other side of the mountain. They are alone. A group of women known as The Mothers lead the village. 

For the people of the village to survive a team of seven young girls must find their way into the mountain and gather pieces of mica - a blue stone that provides light and warmth for the villagers in the winter. The harvested stone is given to The Mothers who distribute quantities to families depending on a set formula. Families of girls who work on the line in the mountain receive special privileges.

In order to locate the required stone the girls must manoeuvre themselves through narrow cracks and bends in the rocks. Therefore only the smallest, thinnest girls are chosen for this work. This is dangerous task but when a girl is chosen it is an honour for the family. Babies selected at birth as potential candidates spend the early years of their lives bound tightly to restrict their growth and their food intake is limited. This is accepted as normal procedure by the villagers. If a girl grows too big she can no longer work in the mountain.

Jena is fourteen and the current leader of the girls who work in the mountain. Like the others she does not question the life she leads or the decisions made by The Mothers. Then one day she makes a discovery that causes her to question all that she has been told. Should she keep the information to herself or she she make the information available to the other villagers. 

The novel reveals the story in layers. We have Jena's story of her life and what she is thinking. Then there are sections when Jena remembers her early life with her father. The third layer introduces us to another girl, Lia, who also explores part of the mountain.

The mountain and its stone features strongly throughout the novel. The villagers are reminded of the power of the mountain by their leaders and believe that the mountain will decide their destiny. When on their quest for the mica the girls are careful not to unnecessarily disturb the stones. Throughout the novel the reader is shown the special significance stones have for the villagers - symbols in burials, Lia's blue stone. However when a stone is removed towards the end of the book it not only causes destruction but the opportunity for something new.

The themes in A Single Stone by Meg McKinlay include power, the environment and personal identity as well as conformity, belief systems, manipulation and what happens when belief systems are challenged. There are many references to the role of nature throughout the novel, especially birds. There are lots of opportunities for discussion. A Single Stone is a novel studied in year 9 this year.

Animal Farm

Animal Farm by George Orwell is a short political fable written in the early 1940s and eventually published in 1945. Orwell attempted to have the novella published in 1943 but it was banned as the book parodies the Russian revolution and consequently power structures in Russia. 

During the Second World War the British were attempting to work with the Russians as Allies against the Germans. After the war the relationship deteriorated as the Russians took over neighboring countries and brought them under their communist rule. Animal Farm has continued to be published in many editions and many languages and regularly appears on school curriculums. My grand-daughter is reading this book in Year Nine which is why I have recently re-read it.

The animals on Mr Jones' farm are overworked and underfed. One pig, Major, is concerned about what is happening and makes plans to improve the lot of the animals. Then Major dies. Some months later the animals rebel and force Mr Jones to leave the property. They then band together to plan how they will survive without humans and make up a set of laws (commandments) detailing how the farm will be run for the betterment of all the animals. However it is not long before the pigs become the leaders of the new order with two pigs, Snowball and Napoleon vying to run the farm. Soon it is obvious that the saying 'All animals are equal' is really 'All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others'. The novel explores how one group of animals become the dominant group resulting in the majority of the animals having a harder life than when they worked for humans.

Animal Farm is described as an allegory or a fable. On the surface it is a story about a group of animals in dispute with humans. However, it does offer critical commentary on the Russian Revolution via the fictional characters and events. Consequently many of the characters represent real historical figures. 

Major represents Vladimir Lenin (1817-1924); Snowball represents Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) - he was assassinated; while Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin (1878- 1953) who was the Russian leader during the Second World War.  Lenin had been greatly influenced by the books, Das Kapital and The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx. Trotsky had been Lenin's second in command during the Russian Revolution and it was assumed that he would take charge after the death of Lenin. In reality it was Joseph Stalin who became leader of the Soviet Union after Lenin.

Other characters are Mr Jones, the original owner of the farm on which the animals live, represents Czar Nicholas II (1868-1918) who was overthrown in the Russian Revolution in 1917.

Two other farmers are Mr Pilkington, the owner of a neighboring and neglected farm. He eventually sells some of his land to Napoleon. Mr Frederick, the owner of another farm, is an enemy of Mr Pilkington. Mr Frederick swindles Napoleon by buying timber from him with counterfeit money. He later tries to attack and seize Animal Farm but is defeated.

Mollie represents the bourgeois middle class during the Russian Revolution who enjoyed the luxuries in life and often weren't willing to give them up to join the fight.

 Mr. Whymper, a human solicitor, is employed by Napoleon to act between the humans and the pigs.  Mr Whymper therefore represents the capitalists who got rich doing business with the USSR. 

Squealer is the pig who spreads Napoleon's propaganda among the animals. He is an example of how language can be used in order to twist the truth to gain and maintain political control.

Minimus, another pig, writes propaganda poems and songs praising Napoleon and Animal Farm.using art as propaganda to control what people think.

The nine dogs trained by Napoleon represent Stalin's secret police force.

Moses is a tame raven owned by Mr Jones. His role was to tell the oppressed animals about Sugar Candy Mountain (the Russian Orthodox Church), and how their lives would get better. Moses was banned when Mr Jones was defeated but later Napoleon later allowed him to return.

The animals, other than the pigs, represent the ordinary people who believed that joining the revolution would lead to a new life but in reality their life became worse under new leaders.

Specific events in the book can also be seen as events in Russian history.  

The Battle of the Cowshed represents the Russian Revolution of 1917. 

The Battle of the Windmill represents the Battle of Stalingrad. For some time Napoleon had been double dealing with neighbouring, feuding farmers. Then Mr Frederick decided to lead a group to invade Animal Farm and destroy the windmill as they are afraid that the windmill might be a success. The windmill is destroyed but the invasion is not successful. The windmill is an attempt to industrialise the farm representing Stalin's attempts to industrialise Russia.

There are many links to websites discussing and analysing Animal Farm.

Animal Farm - full book analysis Spark Notes

Animals Farm at a Glance - Cliff's Notes

Animal Farm Topic Interview - Gale 

and many more ....

Where the flaming hell are we? the story of young Australians and New Zealanders fighting the Nazis in Greece and Crete

My father missed being sent with other members of the 2/4th battalion to Greece in 1941 as he was in hospital in Egypt at the time, however he was on one of the ships that was sent to evacuate Australian soldiers from Crete a few months later. I was therefore interested to read this new book about the experiences of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers plus some British troops who were sent into Greece by the British military on what was always a futile mission.

As with Gallipoli in 1915, the expedition into Greece to stop the possible of incursion of the Germans into the area closer to the British held regions around the Suez Canal was poorly planned. Insufficient troops were sent to the region for the campaign and there was little support from the RAF. The Australian and New Zealand soldiers were untrained and ill-prepared for the task in front of them. Lack of communication between the leaders of the various groups added to the challenges.

In Where the Flaming Hell Are We? Craig Collie has used records of interviews of soldiers who participated in the campaign, military histories of battalions and official sources to tell the story of the campaign and of the experiences of those who participated.

The title of the book comes from a poem by Laurie Ryan entitled The Isle of Doom written in response to Winston Churchill's comments about the role of the RAF in Greece and Crete. Part of the poem reads:

'The RAF', he said, 'in Greece

Is fighting hard to bring us peace'

And so we scratched our heads and thought

This smells distinctly like a rort

For if in Greece the Airforce be

Then, where the flaming hell are we?

The book has extensive notes, bibliography and index plus a section of photos taken in Greece and Crete. Craig Collie has written a readable, thought provoking history of this episode in the Second World War that has become a part of Australian and New Zealand history.

Would I Lie to You? presents the 100* most popular lies of all time

The British television show, Would I lie to you?, with Rob Brydon, David Mitchell, Lee Mack plus additional guests each week is a very funny show about lies that people tell and if you can recognise the truth from the fiction. 

Peter Holmes, Ben Caudell and Saul Wordsworth have compiled and discussed a series of lies that people tell in everyday life and published them in Would I lie to you? presents the 100* most popular lies of all time. The book was originally published in 2012 and again in 2015. Throughout the book there are additional comments by the presenters of the show on some of the topics under discussion.

Lies discussed include I am away for two weeks with NO access to email; Honestly he's fine. I love dogs; You don't look your age; Sorry, I'd love to stop, but I'm in a hurry; The dog ate my homework; to name a few of the ninety-nine lies discussed. Together they provide an interesting commentary on how people may react in uncomfortable situations. 

What I found really interesting was that some of the comments made in the book accidentally reflect on how our lives are changing or have changed since the book was first written. One discussion was about using x in the sign-off in a text message or email which led to the trend for people to hug and kiss others when they meet. Lee says: Why can't we just go back to being repressed? That was great. David replies: Yes, what this country needs is a major bacterial infection that will stop all this unnecessary touching. Little did they know what was to come. 

Another lie - The cheque is in the mail - resulted in a discussion about what is a cheque, what do you do if you get one and how do you locate a bank to deposit the cheque? Even more relevant in 2024.

In many ways the book provides a humorous commentary on life and attitudes in the twentieth century.

The Running Grave

The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith is number 7 in the Cormoran Strike series of crime novels. Private detective Cormoran Strike and his partner Robin Ellacott are involved in a number of cases when they are approached by a father who wants them to remove his son, Will, from a cult in which the son has become involved. Robin decides that she needs to infiltrate the cult, the Universal Humanitarian Church, to try and contact Will to discover what he really wants to do. 

Meanwhile Cormoran and his team attempt to identify and locate former cult members who left the church. It is soon discovered that many of the former cult members died shortly after their release - either apparently by suicide or violent death. However their investigations soon uncover the violent crimes occurring within the cult and the ill treatment and intimidation of members. Robin also discovers how some of the cult beliefs are used to manipulate church members.

J K Rowling (writing as Robert Galbraith) is an excellent writer of suspense novels, making the reader want to  keep reading to discover what happens next. However at 945 pages the book is once again too long.

Summer of blood

In May 1967 two Australian police officers are sent to San Francisco to locate a missing Australian student. Although they cannot act officially as police officers in California they can be private investigators and consult with local police if required.

Summer of Blood by Dave Warner is a story of hippies and drugs and music and crime. Dave Warner is a musician and each chapter heading is the name of a song from the 1967 - some I knew plus many that I was unaware of. This is a gritty, fast moving story of the endeavours of John Gordon and Reg Shearer as they attempt to locate the missing student and investigate a number of murders along the way as well as survive the different lifestyle they encounter.