Tilly's Promise - Linda Newbery

'It seemed that the war itself was the enemy and the men on both sides must struggle to survive. The war was a hungry monster, always wanting more.'

I won a copy of this book in a competition on facebook, with thanks to the publisher. I was first attracted by the gorgeous cover, the design of which is discussed inside the book (read more via the link below), and by the writer's name, as I've read and enjoyed some fiction by this author before. Also the period setting, being a First World War tale, made me want to read it.

The story tells of Tilly Peacock and Harry, young sweethearts who both make a promise to each other, and learn that promises, even whilst made with love and the best of intentions, can prove difficult to keep. Harry goes off to fight in France, and Tilly volunteers as a nurse, this role taking her away from her home, and eventually to France. Tilly's dear kindhearted brother Georgie has learning difficulties, however, despite this, he is later called up to fight too. Tilly asks Harry to promise he'll look after Georgie. Neither of them can know what they will face in the years ahead, and how difficult things will be for them both. 

Linda Newbery includes details of the times in her narrative but is never heavy-handed with it. The awful reality of war for the men fighting, on both sides, is conveyed insightfully in the way Tilly comes to see men on both sides as victims, having treated injured German soldiers too, something that initially upset her, but she soon thinks of them differently; 

'It was strange to care for men from the other side. I couldn't help thinking that one of them might have killed James Milton or fired the shell that wounded Harry. But soon I stopped thinking of them as 'the enemy'. They were victims of war, like the others I'd seen. They didn't hate the British soldiers.'

Tilly's Promise is a moving, well-written and engaging story told with honesty and warmth, and I really enjoyed reading it.

This book is labelled as being dyslexia friendly, and the publisher specialises in bringing books to those for whom their may be barriers to enjoying reading; they design their books to try and minimise the barriers - read more here. I love the cream-coloured pages and the clear, decent-sized font. At just under 90 pages, the story is substantial enough but not so long as to be daunting. I imagine that all these aspects, and the others that they've thought about, are of a real help to uncertain or reluctant readers. This is the first book I've read from this publisher and on the basis of this one I'd certainly look out for others in the future. 

Published by Barrington Stoke - Edinburgh-based independent publishers, specialists in dyslexia-friendly books for children and teenagers.

Read more about the creation of this beautiful book cover by artist Stewart Easton here

Author website | Barrington Stoke on twitter @BarringtonStoke | 

Wolfsangel - Liza Perrat

'I glance across at my granddaughter, who wears the bone angel necklace these days. She's gripping the pendant between her thumb and forefinger as I used to; as countless kinswomen of L'Auberge des Anges did before us. I touch the spot where it once lay against my own breast, feeling its warmth as if I were still wearing the little sculpture.

I wonder again if my daughter and granddaughter truly understand what that heirloom endured with me through those years of the occupation...'

I really enjoyed reading Liza Perrat's first novel, Spirit of Lost Angels, which forms the beginning of her trilogy, 'L'Auberge des Anges', and I was quickly drawn into this second novel too, soon becoming caught up in the story and reluctant to stop reading. In the opening part of the narrative set in 2012, Celeste Roussel is looking back at the decisions she made in her past which still cause her pain. Then we are taken back to 1943, to the little village of Lucie-sur-Vionne in a France then occupied by German forces. Celeste is one of the local villagers, a brave, clever and determined young woman, yet also at times naive, who wants to assist the Resistance like her brothers, but when she finds herself falling for Martin Diehl, a German officer, she feels conflicted. The bone angel necklace that has been passed down through the women in her family to Celeste is a talisman and gives her strength just has it has done to generations past. 

The novel depicts the bravery of resistance that many ordinary people displayed in those terrible times. The author has evidently researched this period well and has created a vivid, believable backdrop against which her engaging, honest tale is told. I read in an interview with the author that the region of France in which this novel is set was indeed occupied by German forces during WWII. I could imagine in my mind the little village and its inhabitants, I could feel something of the immense bravery required of those in the French Resistance, and I could sense the danger and around them; the storytelling takes you there, into the hearts and minds of the characters. I felt admiration, shock and sadness as I read this story; the awful truth of some events during wartime is not avoided here. This is an absorbing, well-researched and well-written novel ideal for anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction and like Liza Perrat's previous novel Spirit of Lost Angels there are courageous female characters at the heart of the storyline. 

Wolfsangel boasts an evocative, attractive cover design too. Incidentally, I'd certainly recommend reading Spirit of Lost Angels because it's a very good read, and because you'll appreciate the connections of the family and the necklace, but you by no means have to read it in order to read and follow the story in Wolfsangel. Exciting to now anticipate the arrival of the third book in the trilogy! 

Thank you to the author for kindly sending me a copy of this novel for an honest review. 

Author links - twitter @LizaPerrat | website

Published by Triskele Books

Other blog reviews -
Pen and Paper | Jaffa Reads Too | Lovely Treez Reads | Random Things |

Tuesday Intro: Wolfsangel by Liza Perrat

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea - every Tuesday, sharing the first paragraph (or a few) of a book you are currently reading or thinking about reading soon. Visit the blog here to join in.

I'm reading Wolfsangel by Liza Perrat.

I really enjoyed Spirit of Lost Angels, by the same author, and I've found myself drawn into this story very quickly too and keen to see what happens next. 

First paragraph

'We gather in the cemetery, before the ossuary, with the straggle of other remaining survivors and their families. Our heads dipped, the mayor beings his memorial speech to commemorate the tragedy that became a legend around these parts; the evil that part of me still believes was the result of my own reckless actions.'

Synopsis

Seven decades after German troops march into her village, Céleste Roussel is still unable to assuage her guilt.

1943. German soldiers occupy provincial Lucie-sur-Vionne, and as the villagers pursue treacherous schemes to deceive and swindle the enemy, Céleste embarks on her own perilous mission as her passion for a Reich officer flourishes.

When her loved ones are deported to concentration camps, Céleste is drawn into the vortex of this monumental conflict, and the adventure and danger of French Resistance collaboration.

As she confronts the harrowing truths of the Second World War’s darkest years, Céleste is forced to choose: pursue her love for the German officer, or answer General de Gaulle’s call to fight for France.

Her fate suspended on the fraying thread of her will, Celeste gains strength from the angel talisman bequeathed to her through her lineage of healer kinswomen. But the decision she makes will shadow the remainder of her days.

A woman’s unforgettable journey to help liberate Occupied France, Wolfsangel is a stirring portrayal of the courage and resilience of the human mind, body and spirit.

Alex - Pierre Lemaitre

Alex is a crime thriller by French author Pierre Lemaitre, translated from the French into English by Frank Wynne, and published by Maclehose Press, an imprint of Quercus.

I had heard some exciting buzz about this novel before I read it, and I had also heard it is dark read with some disturbing episodes. Having now read it, I think the buzz is fully justified. It’s a novel that is difficult to review in terms of plot, because so much of the plot comes as a surprise or a shock, an unexpected twist here, an event that makes you reassess everything there. Nothing of this should be revealed to the prospective reader, if they are to fully enjoy this thrilling read. I will merely say that Alex is kidnapped and it seems like she can’t possible escape, but as we are told in the synopsis for the novel, this is actually just the start of things…

I liked the depiction of Camille Verhoeven, the detective leading the investigation, initially into the kidnapping but then further into the situation that develops; he had his own personal reasons for not wanting to pursue a kidnapping case, and yet wanting there to be justice and never giving up in his pursuit of the answers. I felt we got to know him, and the supporting cast working with him, including the contrasting pair Louis and Armand, but for me they never detracted from the main intrigue of the novel, namely Alex and her movements and actions.

I was a little apprehensive about reading this book as I was worried how scary it would be. Yes, there are some gruesome aspects but I’m glad in retrospect that I didn’t let this put me off. This is a clever thriller with a gripping narrative that kept me completely hooked throughout, and a lead character, in Alex, who held my attention and had me intrigued. This novel shocked, surprised and enthralled me; I found myself reassessing what I had read before in light of what I had just learnt. I would love to read more by this writer.

If you like a crime novel with an addictive narrative that keeps you guessing, that makes you question what you know and expect in terms of the crime genre, making you wonder about the limits of right and wrong, and of revenge, and if you can stomach dark themes, violence, abuse and some admittedly very upsetting episodes, then you should definitely give this a try because it has such a strong plot, great suspense, and a clever and surprising outcome. The conclusion made me stop and think and look back at the whole story again. The translation is very well done. Gripping stuff.

Published by Maclehose Press

reviewed as part of the amazon vine program


This novel counts towards my participation in the 2013 Translation Challenge hosted by Curiosity Killed the Bookworm

The Night Rainbow - Claire King

‘I fly up into my head to play with my thoughts.’

Pea (Peony, or Pivoine), spends her days playing with her little sister Margot in the sprawling countryside around her home in the south of France. It is summertime when we meet her, and we learn that her Maman is heavily pregnant. Sadly she lost her previous baby, as Pea explains, telling us ‘she didn’t bring back a baby like she promised. She left it at the hospital, along with her happiness.’ Pea wonders at the sadness inside her Maman, so deep that she cannot reach in and bring her back to them no matter how she tries.

Pea tells the story throughout and she captivates the reader. Her five year old voice is completely honest; at times so delightful in her observations, yet at other times so fearful and sad, and prone to moments of darkness. Her imagination is her strength and the key to a part of this story.

She is insightful in her observations; on one occasion, seeing the swallows, she recalls when she saw them in their nest, and now they are out in the world, no longer fed by their mother but having to fend for themselves. I felt that Pea and Margot were like these little swallows, having to do things for themselves, as the mother bird was no longer able to always be there for them at the moment. In this way, Pea is strongly bound up in the life and nature around her.

The sense of place is strongly evoked and provides an important backdrop to Pea’s adventures and exploring. I felt I could picture the meadows and trees, the little village market, and the family home.

Pea and Margot befriend Claude and his dog Merlin, who are both an integral part of their countryside surroundings. They find companionship and wisdom; Claude advises Pea that ‘you can’t mend everything that gets broken.’ Claude is an intriguing character; I wondered at his past and his life now.

Claire King has crafted a very special tale and told it beautifully. It is a tale of sadness, grief and loss, and of friendship, belief and hope. Surely an author to watch. 

I must add, I absolutely love the cover of this book, so beautiful and attractive and fitting.

Published by Bloomsbury

Thanks to the author and the publisher for a copy of this novel to read and review.

You can follow the author on twitter @ckingwriter  and visit her website here

Spirit of Lost Angels - Liza Perrat

‘I wondered how much longer I could continue such an existence.’

This is a gripping historical read about one woman's personal story during violent and changing times in 18^th Century France.

Victoire is our heroine in this moving tale of love, passion and sadness, set in revolutionary France. She has grown up in poverty in the little village of Lucie-sur-Vionne, where she has seen her mother executed and her father tragically, cruelly and carelessly killed. She then finds herself in Paris, suffering at the hands of her employer, then enduring further horrors.

At times Victoire is driven to deep despair at her situation and the losses she has suffered in her life. Even when she is feeling less low, the threat is always there: ‘I feared la melancolie would creep upon me again – the sadness that seemed ever poised to spring on to my back and wrap its malevolent arms around me for the slightest reason.’

Yet despite this deep sadness, she is stoic and brave, for at times he has to be in order to survive. As the force for change and revolution grows, Victoire will need all her strength if she is to play a part in creating huge change in her country and overthrowing the current corrupt regime. Throughout the tale, Victoire regularly thinks about the angel pendant made of bone that she once wore, and gave away in the hope that it would be a link between her and a very special person one day. 

The author introduces a great cast of characters, some in Lucie-sur-Vionne, many in Paris, whom Victoire meets and who impact on her life in different ways, all contributing to the person she becomes. I very much enjoyed the interaction she had with these characters, in particular in Paris.

The author has evidently undertaken her research to bring this novel to life, full of detail of the times to add authenticity, but never overwhelming or distracting from the progression of the exciting storyline. As a result I felt transported back to this time period, it was brought to life for me, and I could clearly and vividly imagine the places and situations in which Victoire found herself.

Liza Perrat has written a compelling, strong and beautiful debut novel with a spirited, engaging heroine and convincing historical detail which I really enjoyed reading. The plot keeps moving throughout; the story is pacy and exciting. I was drawn into the story and I grew to care deeply about Victoire and what happened to her, and I found myself rooting for happiness to come to her and for a better life to be around the corner.

Spirit of Lost Angels is the first in a series of novels under the title ‘L’Auberge des Anges’, which is wonderful to hear because I would be very keen to read more from this author.

Reviewed by Lindsay Healy

Triskele Books 
Thank you to the author for kindly sending me a copy of this novel to read and give an honest review.
Find out more about Triskele Books here. 
You can follow the author on twitter here @LizaPerrat and visit her website here.