These are the books I have enjoyed reading this past month:
Kate Morton - The Clockmaker's Daughter
Kate Morton is one of my favourite authors, and this book certainly didn't disappoint. In 2017, Elodie Winslow, an archivist for a 19th Century philanthropist, uncovers a forgotten box containing a hand-made leather satchel. Inside this is an artist's sketcbook and a Victorian photograph of a beautiful unidentified young woman, along with slip of paper containing a passionate declaration of love - unsigned. Elodie recognises one of the sketches instantly - it's the house from a story that her mother used to tell her as a child. But she has no idea of its location, as her mother died when she was young. Elodie begins to follow clues, which gradually lead her to Birchwood Manor, a house by the River Thames. We are transported into the past, firstly to the nineteenth century when artist Edward Radcliffe lived there. There is a dark tragedy surrounding him and the house, also the story of a long-missing priceless jewel. But there's another voice that echoes through the novel, that of a ghostly presence at Birtchwood Manor. This spirit observes a family coming to live there during World War II, and now in the present day sees a young man take up residence for research. Eventually all the strands begin to come together. When Elodie finally travels Birchwood, the house changes her life too, and making her question her past, her relationship with her dead mother, and her own future. It's a beautifully woven tapestry - intriguing, tender, imaginative, full of colourful historic detail and peopled with fascinating characters. I absolutely loved this book.
Jean Fullerton - A Ration Book Dream
This is the first of Jean Fullerton's East End wartime sagas. On the day before war is declared, Mattie is helping her younger sister Cathy get ready for her wedding to fiance Stan. Mattie lives with her parents, grandmother, and six siblings in a workman's cottage in Wapping, near the London Docks. They're a close family, but money is tight. Mattie takes on the demanding job of a full-time air-raid warden, determined to do her bit for the country. But there are dark undercurrent in the East End. Her sister's husband is involved in a campaign for peace, and Mattie begins to suspect that all is not as it seems with him. Mattie herself is charmed by young banker Christopher, an educated man with striking blond looks, and she starts dating him. But somehow she can't get the thought of Daniel, the tall Irish priest who has come to help out at her family's church, out of her mind. As the months go by, she begins to realise that she will have to summon all her courage to protect her family, and she has some difficult choices to make. The scene-setting is excellent, and a rather slow start picks up pace to provide and exciting adventure filled with colourful characters, reaslistic setting of time and place, and plenty of romance.
Sue Moorcroft - Under a Summer Skye
A romantic novel set on the Scottish Isle of Sky was an ideal read for my summer holiday on the nearby island of Mull. Thea is the youngest of three adopted sisters. She leads a quiet existence of head gardener at a wonderful house on the island of Skye, far from her English roots. The garden is open to the public, and she's happy working for the Scandinavian couple who own it. Her sister Ezzie also works there as an administrator. But there are people searching Thea out, determined to rake up an unhappy experience in her past and put it in the public eye. Dev, a journalist, has a remit to interview her, while popular influencer Fredek is chasing her in the belief that she owes it to him to appear on his social media channels. Dev ends up rescuing a dog and finds himself face to face with the woman he's hunting - and instead he finds himself falling for her. As Thea finds her own heart engaged, Dev realises that the last thing he wants to do is to hurt her. Now all he wants to do is to get out of his obligation to expose her past, but it turns out to be harder than he thought. As other secrets from Thea's past come to light, can he hide his true identity while doing all he can to help the woman he's come to care for? A very engaging book and a great holiday read. Also, there are two more books in the series, so there's plenty more good reading to look forward to!
