Happy New Year! My favourite reads from December are:
Raynor Wynne - Landlines
This non-fiction title is the third book in Raynor Wynne's Salt Path series. I was totally gripped by the first book. It told how she and her husband, Moth, lost their home at the time he was diagnosed with a serious chronic illness, and the power of the outdoors to reverse his symptoms. I bought this memoir without realising it was book three - I'll need to read book two now! In Landlines, Ray and Moth are living on their Cornish farm, but his symptoms have begun to progress. To add to the problem, it's the end of Lockdown and everyone is living with the spectre of the Covid pandemic. Ray begins to wonder if another long trek could work its magic again on her ailing husband. Moth's hesitant and skeptical, suspecting he's on a downward spiral. But he can't resist the lure of the trail, and somehow they manage to organise a trip to the northern-most parts of Scotland, where they aim to walk from Caithness to Fort William. Trials and tribulations abound, people are wary of strangers because of the ongoing virus fears, and it doesn't quite pan out the way they intended. But they keep on walking... The couple's love of the outdoors and nature is inspiring, and Ray's thoughts on the loss of wild spaces and the effects of humans on the natural world are insightful and meaningful. Another inspiring and riveting read.
Suzanne Fortin - The Dance Teacher of Paris
A dual-time novel set in present day and during World War 2. In Paris in 1942, Adele and her father run a dance school, keeping alive her mother's memory. In the dark time of the Nazi occupation of the city, it's a welcome release for the children. To Adele's dismay, her sister Lucille has become involved with Peter, a Nazi officer. Lucille claims that he's going to leave his wife and marry her. As the occupying force tightens its grip and the deportation of Jewish families begins, Adele realises that she must fight the evil and protect the innocent, no matter what the danger to herself. The modern part of the story focuses on Fleur, orphaned young, and brought up by her French grandmother. Lydia is now in her eighties, and every year she visits Paris on her own to reminisce. But this year she aks Fleur to accompany her, to discover about her grandmother's past. When they arrive in the city, Lydia is upset when she finds an old ballet shoe attached to a railing. Attractive antiques dealer, Didier, offers to help them investigate the source of the shoe. But Fleur doesnt know whether she can trust him, as he believes that Lydia can lead him to a priceless missing painting. In different centuries, two women seek to protect the people they love, and to search for the future they desire. Excellent historical atmosphere, drama and romance all combine to make a thoroughly good read.
Jenny Colgan - Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop
Carmen works at McCredie's traditional bookshop in Edinburgh, part of a picturesque row of shops in a historic part of the city, just below the castle. But times are hard, and all the shops are feeling the pinch. Carmen is nursing a broken heart, as Oke, the love of her life, has returned to his native Brazil and is working somewhere deep in the rainforest, out of communication - or else he's ghosting her. Carmen is so hard up that she's staying with her sister Sofia, who's on maternity leave, but who wants Carmen's room to house a full-time nanny for her four children when she returns to her high-powered job. To make matters worse, local entrepreneur Jackson McClockerty is buying up many struggling businesses and turning them into tacky souvenir shops. He has his eye on the shop where Carmen works. As Christmas approaches she has to come to terms with new challenging living arrangements, and with the realisation that Oke's not coming back. Delving into the secrets of the old bookshop she aims to find a new way of keeping its wonderful atmosphere and keeping it a source of wonder and joy for different generations, including her nieces and nephews. The people she thought she knew reveal hidden depths as snow begins to fall on Scotland's capital. A colourful and imaginative read with enjoyable characters, this novel celebrates the love of tradition and the magic of books.
