October books

My favourite reads from October are:

Dorothy Koomson - Beach Hut 501 (A Short Story)

Sims Rumakah, a professor of chemistry, lives in Brighton where she owns Beach Hut 512. She has a long-standing feud with Tamsyn, founder and leader of 'the Hutters', the group chat for the hut owners. Tamsyn has decided it's her job to police the hut owners and keep them in line. Since the recent vandalism to some of the huts, this has become more challenging. When a message arrives from Tamsyn about another hut being targeted, Sims realises hat it's 512  that's been destroyed. She also believes that this is connected to her own past, and the danger that still threatens her. Sims is determined not to let it ruin her existence. But when she goes to see the evidence, she's shocked to find the scene swarming with police. It turns out that there's a lot more to this incident than it first appeared. As Sims becomes a suspect in a serious crime, she begins her own investigtaion to discover the true culprit, and regain her life. Told with irony and honesty, it's a noir novella with plenty of twists and turns, with sharp observation and character study. It kept me hooked to the end.

Anette Chavez Macias - When We Were Widows

Ana and her elderly mother Imelda, both widows, are forced to vacate their home after a bathroom flood. She's horrified when Imelda arranges for them to go and stay with her daughter, Yesica, in Santa Monica. Ana has long had an uneasy relationship with her daughter. Yesica always adored her father, but there's so much she doesn't know about her parents' marriage. In addition, Yesica own husband was killed in a car crash just a few months earlier. Yesica agrees to have her mother and grandmother to stay, as she's been forced to take leave from her job, as her caring boss Damien has seen that she needs time out to process her grief. As the three women circle around each other warily at close quarters, they have to find a way of living together. Gradually secrets of their past marriages come to the surface, and both Ana and Yesica begin to see their lives ahead in a different light. A novel of women's changing lives, of relationships between mothers and daughters, and of rediscovered life and love, formulated in a family of Mexican descent. I found myself believing all the characters and it was interesting to learn more about Mexican heritage.

Christian Lewis - Finding Hildasay

This is the author's remarkable true story of how walking the coast of the UK saved him from depression and gave him back his self-worth. Ex-soldier Chris was at rock-bottom, penniless, jobless, homeless, and his daughter had moved out because she couldn't cope with his misery. While suffering from PTSD and struggling with his mental health, a wild idea came into his mind - to walk the coast of Britain to raise money for a British Forces charity, knowing that so many of them were struggling like he was. Cobbling together a kit, he set off, remarkably ill-prepared, but this action made him feel that he had a purpose. It was a difficult task, camping every night, eating frugally, suffering the elements, but he was determined to keep going and make his daughter proud of him for once. Gradually his self-esteem increased, as he began to see donations to the charity increasing in value, and he began to meet people who helped him and respected his resilience and commitment. He gained great solace from the wonders of nature, especially once he reached the Scottish coastline, and adopted his faithful dog, Jet, who became a wonderful companion. But as the world spiralled towards the horrors of a pandemic, could he really keep up his mission to keep walking the coast? A heartwarming story of courage and determination, a man finding healing his life and forging a new future for himself and others.