November books

These are my favourite reads from November:

A Storm of Infinite Beauty - Julianne Maclean

This novel is set in Canada and Alaska. In Nova Scotia, Gwen Hollingsworth is the curator of a museum celebrating the life and achievements of her second cousin, Scarlett Fontaine. Scarlett is famous for being a Hollywood actress, singer and songwriter . Unexpectedly a writer and former investigative journalist, Peter Miller, contacts Gwen to show her a newspaper clipping from 1964. It reports the aftermath of a drastic earthquake in Alaska, and contains the photo of a man handing a young woman her baby, who had been rescued from the disaster. The young mother looks like Scarlett, then known as Valerie. It was always thought that when she had died in 1979 she was unmarried and childless. Gwen and Peter set out on a hunt to find this man, to discover what happened to Scarlett's baby. The newspaper story also stirs painful memories of Gwen's past heartache from when she lost her newborn daughter two years earlier. To make the conundrum worse, her estranged, unfaithful husband Eric is now asking to try their marriage again. As the past unfolds its secrets, Gwen has some deep choices to make. A beautiful timeslip novel, well-written, with plenty of interesting content.

In the Hide - Gordon Buchanan

My latest non-fiction read has been this fascinating autobiography of the Scottish wildlife photographer. In the book he writes about his humble beginnings in the west of Scotland and on the Isle of Mull, and how he found amazing mentors who gave him the opportunities to follow his dream career. He intersperses these with stories from particularly exciting or challenging adventures from his photo shoots, and the amazing animals he's had the opportunity to film in the wild. Having seen most of his television programmes, I found it particularly interesting to read about his emotions as he was filming these, and he brings to life the tension in some particularly hair-raising expereinces. He opens up about his own personal challenges and how he feels that the natural world and his close family have saved and supported him. Also, his complete commitment to his job and the respect he feels for the wildlife and for the people who live in the areas where he was filming, makes this a tribute to the natural world and honours it completely.

The Warmth of Snow - Heidi Eljarbo

This Christmas romance novel is predictable, but full of charm. Set in Sweden in the early 19th century, we find orphan Erica who has grown up in the home of her aunt and uncle and their family. They gave her a home, but not the love she had experienced from her own parents. To make up for this, she tries to do good deeds for the local villagers, which includes giving them hand-made cards. On an impulse, she decides to give one to Count August Brandell, who has returnned injured from the Napoleonic Wars. When she calls upon him, she discoveres a man who is hiding away from the world, unable to walk, jaded with life. But he's only a few years older than she is, and she's determined to help him. August on his part is jolted from his despondency by her warm and generous nature. His elderly housekeeper, Stina, cares for him like a son, and encourages Erica in the belief that she can awaken him into joining the world again. A bond begins to form between the injured soldier and his sweet-natured neighbour. But there are underhand plans afoot that could harm Erica, and misunderstandings abound. As snow falls on the countryside, August and Erica are torn apart, and it looks like their love is doomed. A delightful novel to warm a cold winter evening.