The Pitman's Daughter by Marjorie DeLuca

REVIEW

Rita was born and bred in Crag street, where "everything was bare and exposed. Life was raw and tough and, God knows, she’d tried hard to smooth out the rough edges she’d been left with."

The pitmen and their extended families called it home, but for most of them it felt more like a poverty trap they could not escape from. Coal mining defined everything they did or had. Black soot and dust colored their lives and stories. But Rita knew she would get away, and so did George. Despite the poverty and hardships, change was waiting to happen that would leave no one untouched. However, love was not easy to come by, but it did change everything when it happened. Sadly, it also did not happen for everyone who deserved it.

Comments: This book can be viewed as a blend of romance and historical fiction with a touch of excellence in detail that winds through the narrative from the beginning to end. The characters are authentic. It took a while to get into the story, but when it happened, reality lost out to this nostalgic tale about the inhabitants of Crag street in this small mining village in England.

Rita was one determined young lady who had to prove her ambitious dreams of escaping the circumstances and people she so despised. Nothing and no one in Crag street could ever make her happy. All she ever dreamed of was not only to get away, but also move as far away as possible. In this amazingly multileveled tale, her journey started out as the learning curve of a ten year-old girl, on her way into adulthood where she must find herself and learn unintentional, unplanned lessons on her way in searching for love and security. Some of those lessons were not supposed to be learnt by innocent young girls, but which, in the end, defined her in ways she never thought possible as an adult. It was only when she was forced to come full circle that she finally understood the real meaning of the brightly flowering lobelias and daisies in the coal miner gardens. But she first had to live out her aspirations, to understand where the strength of her own roots lay hidden and what really determined the core of her happiness.

What a thoroughly enjoyable read. It is once again one of those books that takes the reader into the intimate world of people and history that nobody, except the inhabitants, would have known otherwise. Detailed, descriptive, and fascinating, but also informative and well presented. 

The tale is rich, heartwarming, endearing, passionate, compassionate, sad, hopeful, beautiful. A brilliant piece of writing by a highly skilled author. 

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AMAZON BLURB
Rita Hawkins fought all her life to escape from Crag Street, the grimy street of colliery houses where gossip reigned, tuberculosis killed, and mining families slaved to make ends meet. There she met George, the last surviving son of a poor mining family forced against his wishes to start work as a miner. Her life becomes inextricably tied up with his but love eludes them, though events in their lives constantly throw them together. George the high-minded idealist gets caught up with the miner's union, while cold, hard cash drives Rita, the pragmatist, towards independence and success in business. Their relationship is complicated by the tragic Maggie, abused mother of seven children and Ella, the childless street gossip with her nose in everyone's business. 
Years later, when Crag Street is torn down and rebuilt in a museum, Rita receives an invitation from George to attend the Grand Opening. The visit forces her to face painful memories about George, Maggie and Ella and to revisit the tragic incidents of the last days she spent on Crag Street. 

 

A vivid tale of love and loss, joy and tragedy, The Pitman's Daughter spans five decades and portrays the colorful tapestry of life in a Durham colliery village. Filled with unforgettable characters it is also a story of ambition and identity that shows no matter how hard we try, we can't escape our past since it shapes us into the person we become.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marjorie DeLuca spent her childhood in the ancient cathedral city of Durham in North-Eastern England. She attended the University of London, became a teacher, and then immigrated to Canada where she lives with her husband, two children and a crazy dog named Bella. There she also studied writing under her mentor, Pulitzer Prize winning author, Carol Shields. Though she loves writing sci-fi for teens, she’s also just completed two historical novels due out in the next few months

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BOOK INFORMATION
Genres: british-novels, canadian-authors, community, coal mine history, family, historical-fiction, relationships, reviewed, romance, England, Marjorie De Luca
Number of Pages: 350
Formats: Kindle | Paperback| Nook
Publishing Date: August 27th 2013
Publishers: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
ASIN: B00ETYRX3A

• ISBN-13: 9781492162063

Edition language: English
Purchase Links: Amazon USA  | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

  

Daffodils by Alex Martin

REVIEW:
The first world war broke out in Europe

Young people from small, poor bucolic British families all dreamed of new possibilities and better lives if they signed up for the war. Most of them, in counties such as Wiltshire, had never been in London, many had never seen the sea. They eked out a living working for the gentry on their big estates with poverty standing like invisible perennial guards at their doors. There was hardly any escape possible until the war came.

Katy Beagle worked in the manor house as a personal maid when the son of the manor needed a little bit of fun before he departed for London to join the war effort. 

Young and inexperienced as she was, and bored to death with the prospect of being rooted to her situation for the rest of her life, Katy jumped at the opportunity to have some fun. It resulted in a huff and a lot of puff with a cloud of scandal threatening her good name and honor. Good, rock-solid Jem, the gardener, proposed again, and this time she had no other choice but to accept. And so begins the story of a young couple within the village dynamics of Wiltshire with the assortment of lovable, despicable, and delightful characters who share their lives for generations. But after the young vicar announced them husband and wife, the village openly released a sigh of relief. The scandal was short-lived and the couple could live happily ever after.

But that was not to be. Katy and Jem's paths through the deeply moving narrative exposes the highs and lows of two young people's inner turmoil with life and love, their first encounters in the adult world with heartbreak and hardship. The tale winds through a volatile time in world history and how it personally effected two young people but also their community. 

The horror of the First World War is portrayed with accuracy and emotion. The deprivations and devastation of the war is creatively and convincingly conveyed. All the elements to make this a great book is present: loyalty, weakness, betrayal, guilt, lies, sex, secrets, violence, an attempted suicide, heroism and finally love coupled with justice. All the people are real. So much so that the reader becomes emotionally attached to them and become emotionally invested in the turns and twists of the plot. Throughout the harsh reality of the war, there is still an almost ironic wholesomeness present in the young people's optimism and hope for a better future. Despite all the obstacles, the daffodils never seized to bloom among the privation and suffering of the war. 

Daffodils is an extraordinary story of commitment and enduring hope which teaches us the power of resilience, integrity and true honor.

This book was a deeply emotional experience that managed to reach the inner core of my being. This is such a powerful story. I am amazed that it has not attracted more attention on Goodreads. It really deserves it.

If you have enjoyed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, you will love this book as well.

Highly recommended.

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AMAZON BOOK BLURB
Katy dreams of a better life than just being a domestic servant at Cheadle Manor. Her one attempt to escape is thwarted when her flirtation with the manor’s heir results in a scandal that shocks the local community. 
Jem Beagle has always loved Katy. His offer of marriage rescues her but personal tragedy divides them. Jem leaves his beloved Wiltshire to become a reluctant soldier on the battlefields of World War One. Katy is left behind, restless and alone. 
Lionel White, just returned from being a missionary in India, brings a dash of colour to the small village, and offers Katy a window on the wider world. 
Katy decides she has to play her part in the global struggle and joins the war effort as a WAAC girl. She finally breaks free from the stifling Edwardian hierarchies that bind her but the brutality of global war brings home the price she has paid for her search. 


"Absorbing, involving, unputdownable, honest, great characterisation". 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Life has been full to date. Now I have a window, a pause, in which to explore my first passion - writing. I have a shed in the garden where I can be found bashing both brain and keyboard. I'm attempting to express those thoughts and ideas that have been cooking since I was seven, and learned to read. 

There was an old black and gold typewriter knocking about my childhood home. When I wasn't skinning my knees climbing trees or wandering aimlessly in the countryside with my dog and my dreams, I could be found, as now, typing away with imaginary friends whispering in my ear.

My first novel, The Twisted Vine, is based on a happy time picking grapes in France in the 1980s. I met some amazing people there but none as outrageous as those that sprang to life on my screen. The next one, Daffodils, is now published on KDP and in paperback with www.feedaread.com is based in Wiltshire, where I grew up. It attempts to portray how ordinary lives, and the rigid social order, were radically altered by the catalyst of the First World War.


The next one, as yet un-named, is a ghost story. I'm just listening to the whispers from the other side to get the full picture....

You can keep up to date with my progress on alexxx8586.blogspot.com 

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BOOK INFORMATION
Genres: british-novels, community, drama, historical-fiction, relationships, reviewed, romance, world-history, Wiltshire, Alex Martin
Number of Pages: 402
Formats: Kindle, Paperback
Publishing Date: March 6th 2013
Publishers: Kindle Direct Publishing /  Feedaread.com / Amazon Digital ServicesISBN-13: 9781782993957ASIN: B00BPUQAY4
Edition language: English
Purchase Links: Amazon USA  | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

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Message from the author Alex Martin:I send enormous thanks to Margitte for this beautifully written and heartfelt review of Daffodils. I'm currently writing the sequel, Speedwell, which follows the same characters through the roaring twenties and thirties. The name is linked to the rise of the motor car, in which they all become involved, but I'll say no more than that! I can't tell you how thrilled I was with this review especially as you took the trouble to post it in the UK as well as the States and here, on Goodreads. Sincere thanks, Margitte.

I can't tell you how much it means to know that someone, thousands of miles away, has enjoyed something I've created.

Alex Martin

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The Kabbalist by Yoram Katz

Genres: Historical fiction, Murder, Mystery
Kindle File Size: 2639 KB
Print Length: 339 pages
Printed formats: Kindle, Paperback
ISBN-10: 1484946448
ASIN: B00FI92AP6
Published date: September 24th 2013
Publishers: Yoram Katz; 1 edition (September 27, 2013), CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Edition Language: English
Purchase link: Amazon Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.;  Barnes & Noble

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AMAZON BOOK BLURB: 
An old letter, discovered in Normandy, sends Jean de Charney, a young Frenchwoman, to present-day Israel, in pursuit of a 200 year old family secret. She teams up with local private-eye Yossi Luria and the two quickly realize that the old mystery is lethal and still claiming victims. Their quest takes them back into the Holy Land's history, through the Napoleonic era and the Crusades, right into the origins of Christianity and of Kabbalah – the Jewish mystical tradition. What is this old secret that people in the 21st century are ready to kill for? It turns out to be startlingly more profound than a family mystery, with direct impact on Jean and Yossi’s personal lives. 

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REVIEW: 

Murder embedded in a historical mystery...surprising, thought-provoking, thrilling, controversial 


Isreal. Safed, Jerusalem.

A murder mystery turns into a journey through history, starting at Shimon – Galilee, 149 AD, passing through the ages to March 6th, 2010, spanning the life of Yeshua Ben Yossef aka Jesus, The Roman Empire, the wars in Europe, including the Napoleonic wars, WWII, the Israeli wars.

The death of a monk, on January 16th, 2006 quietly phased out as a burglary gone wrong. However, behind the scenes, another story is enfolding when a private investigator,(an ex-cop) Yossi Luria, gets involved in a case to solve a mystery for Jeanne de Charney, a masters degree student of France who is looking for information on her family.

His investigation opens up a hornets nest around secret documents which are claimed by both Christian (possibly also known as 'The Holy Grail') and Jewish religious groups. The origin of the "Kabbalah" becomes the center of all events, including the murders. For some keepers of the secret, the secret scrolls are an essential negotiating tool, for others it is proof that Jesus was not a Christian at all...

Who was Jesus really? History has taught us to always consider who the recorders of history are.Each conqueror claims a different version. This story proves it.

Through these wars and deadening battles, these documents would be handed over from generation to generation for safekeeping and to protect the status quo. But there were different groups demanding possession and ownership and people would die in the process...

This book is a riveting, cannot-put-it-down, detective tale, embedded in a historical mystery that keeps the reader mesmerized while feeding astonishing information through the narrative. A brilliant book in which Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" is contradicted with an equally profound hypothesis.

The author says: "One thing I learned in the process of writing this book is that it is not too difficult to come up with a conspiracy theory and substantiate it. It is probably as easy as defending an old and improbable established myth. The lesson I take from this, and which I hope to share with you, dear reader, is that we should always use common sense and good judgment when
examining a new and thrilling conspiracy theory, as well as when examining an old and established dogma. Both can be incredibly enlightening, terribly misleading or even both simultaneously– it is up to us always to keep an open, inquisitive and critical mind." - Yoram Katz.

I do not believe in fate, but the more I think about it, the more I am convinced that it was fate having me read three books in succession about the French Revolution, the world wars and the clashes of Religious dogmas through the ages, by totally different authors from different nations.

The more astounded I became, reading this book, the more I remembered the quote(anonymous): "Different people build different bridges to God, but instead of worshiping God they worship the bridges instead."

I did not like Dan Brown's commercially-driven books at all, mainly due to the hype that was built around it to sell it, and partly because it aimed to shock. I was disgusted when it ended. I gave all his books away, just wanted to get rid of it.

The Kabbalist, on the other hand, inspires the reader to rather think, to measure, to debate, with no shock-value intended at all, although the story is spellbinding. This book kept me reading and reading with the intention to read it again and digest more of the ideas and theories expressed in it. Although it is also partly historically correct, and partly an imaginary 'what if' - exercise, I can somehow relate more to it.

The different viewpoints from the different religious denominations were presented objectively and I am sure many readers would love to debate these issues, since so many hypotheses were offered.

I recommend this book to historical fiction enthusiasts who also enjoy a mystery that covers hundred of years and end up as the background to a fascinating murder. However, it is essential to approached this book with an open mind.

The characters were exciting, the clues well-hidden. The story fast-moving. The information staggering. Love plays a role - an endearing one. The combination of these elements worked perfectly. An excellent experience.

This book needs a big audience.

Five stars.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Yoram was born in Haifa, Israel.
After serving his mandatory three years in the IDF (as most Israelis do), Yoram studied and completed his B.A. in psychology and Philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Having spent two years in Europe and Africa, Yoram returned to Haifa for his B.Sc. in Computer Engineering, and has spent most of his career since in the hi-tech industry, half of it in senior managerial positions.

In one of his roles, Yoram relocated with his family to Singapore for three years - a cultural shock and an experience that will be probably reflected in a future novel.

Reading has always been an obsession. Fiction, history, science, nonsense and virtually everything is routinely devoured by Yoram in large doses.

At some point, while spending a lot of time in business trips, Yoram started using the long flights and time between meetings, realizing that his life experience, as well as living in a county which is steeped in history and adventure, serve as great catalysts for writing.

"The Kabbalist” is Yoram's first published novel.

Yoram is happily married with 3 grown-up children and looks forward to becoming a grandfather next year.

(Information source: Yoram Katz)

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

Genres: community-life, crime, family, historical-fiction, murder-mystery, paranormal, romance
Formats: Hardcover(368 pages), Kindle, Nook
Published: August 6th 2013 by William Morrow (first published August 1st 2013)
Original title: The Ghost Bride
ISBN 0062227327 (ISBN13: 9780062227324) 
Purchase links: Amazon , Barnes & Noble 

Literary awards: Indie Next Pick Aug (2013), Barnes & Noble Fall '13 Discover Great New Writers, Glamour Magazine Beach Read

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From Amazon book blurp: Choo’s remarkably strong and arresting first novel explores the concept of Chinese spirit marriages in late-nineteenth-­century Malaya through the eyes of the highly relatable Li Lan, a poor but spunky young woman, who is approached by the wealthy family of a dead man to become his bride. Li Lan prefers to rebuff the unusual offer despite its implications of good social standing and financial rescue for her money-strapped family. But when her dreams are brusquely invaded by the rather unsavory dead man, Lim Tian Ching, she realizes she may already be in over her head. Her dead suitor’s living cousin, Tian Bai, now the family heir, further complicates matters as Li Lan wrestles with her very real attraction to him. As the angry ghost becomes more possessive in her dreams, and his family more demanding that she marry him, Li Lan’s involvement with the Lim family becomes even murkier and potentially dangerous. With its gripping tangles of plot and engaging characters, this truly compelling read is sure to garner much well-deserved attention. --Julie Trevelyan 

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REVIEW 

The title of the book captured my attention immediately. I just had to read it.

Li Lan, the eighteen-year-old narrator stemmed from a Chinese family who settled in Malaya in the 1800s. Although there were various other influences in their lives from the multitude of cultures present at the time, including the British influences, her family, as most Chinese families, still maintained their own belief systems. Hence it resulted in her being subjected to one of the traditions of providing prosperity and catering to all the needs of the deceased in the afterlife.

When her formerly affluent father landed in dire straits, losing his inherited wealth, he asked her to become the ghost bride to the deceased son of the Lim family. Through the meddling of his mother, a grieving woman, Lim Tian Ching accessed Li Lan's dreams, haunting and harassing her to become his wife. When she refused, ghost started to fly. Literary!

Through different avenues and assistants, she managed to meet up with more deceased members of both her and her supposedly new family-in-law, resulting in one fast-paced exhilarating journey through different worlds with different tutors in the form of different characters that died and were waiting to be called to Judgement Day. They would ultimately teach her enough so that she can meet love on her own terms in the end. And what a surprise it was.

I haven't read a book like this before and did not want to be trapped in a spiritual world much longer than the first few chapters, as it made me uncomfortable, but the writing was so good, that I just could not stop reading after I started! In the process I learnt so much more about all the different Malay cultures - I even looked up how to roast water melon seeds the right way.

The book is a complete testament to Chinese food, languages, beliefs, and cultural practices. Informative, thrilling, and evocative.

Mmm, I did not believe in ghosts before, but now I wonder.... ;-)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR(Goodreads profile): 
Yangsze Choo is a fourth generation Malaysian of Chinese descent. Due to a childhood spent in various countries such as Germany and Japan, she can eavesdrop (badly) in several languages. After graduating from Harvard, she worked as a management consultant and at a startup before writing her first novel. Yangsze eats and reads too much, and often does both at the same time.