Book reviews from Monmouthshire Libraries

The Cardturner by Louis Sachar

2010-10-26T12:06:00.002+01:00

Seventeen year old Alton Richards isn’t thrilled when his blind, elderly Uncle asks him to be his card turner when he plays bridge. But Alton doesn’t have much choice; Uncle Lester is rich and Alton’s parents are determined that the family will inherit some of his wealth. Helping Uncle Lester soon turns out to be more interesting than Alton anticipated, especially when a pretty girl appears on the scene.

I am not really interested in bridge so took the author’s advice and occasionally skipped the explanations about the game.

From the author of the best-selling Holes, this is a gentle and engaging novel for young adults.

Fiona Ashley, Community Library Manager

Down River by John Hart

2010-10-06T16:56:00.001+01:00

Five years ago Adam Chase was acquitted of murdering a local man in Rowan County, North Carolina. Even his father hadn’t seemed convinced of his innocence. Adam moved to New York, cutting all ties with his family and leaving behind the woman he loved.

In response to a friend’s plea, Adam returns home to find tensions in the community are running high and before long the nightmare of accusations begins all over again.

This is a tense and atmospheric thriller, exploring forgiveness and the strength of family ties.

Fiona Ashley, Community Library Manager

Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith

2010-10-04T09:17:00.004+01:00

This is another gentle book from the author of the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. It features the interwoven stories of the people living in a four-storey building in Pimlico.

The author’s assured, light touch results in an engaging and witty read. Some of the stories are left unresolved and I hope there will be another instalment soon.

Fiona Ashley, Community Library Manager

The Siege by Helen Dunmore

2010-09-17T11:02:00.001+01:00

Life for most people in communist Russia is full of fear and suspicion, with people disappearing because of a careless word. Young Anna Levin shoulders a lot of responsibility as she juggles working in a nursery and taking care of her father and young brother. She must also worry about whether they are prepared for the coming winter. Has she planted enough food? But the encroaching Germans are going to make this winter in Leningrad harder than she can possibly imagine.

The Caldicot Library Reading Group recently discussed this book. With such harsh subject matter it is hard to say that you “enjoy” reading novels like this but it was a wonderful reading experience, surprisingly uplifting, very moving without being sentimental, and beautifully written.

Fiona Ashley, Community Library Manager

Hustle by Will Ferguson

2010-09-07T15:48:00.006+01:00

Nineteen year old Jack McGreary’s life seems to be going nowhere. He lives in a small town, the optimistically named Paradise Flats, in the back of beyond. His mother has died and his father is being swindled out of what little money he has. Jack is in a dead-end job and even his love-life is turning out to be very frustrating. Then Virgil and Rose ride into town in their Nash Ambassador and Jack becomes entranced by the life of the con artist.

As the trio travel around America’s South West performing various con tricks on who ever they meet, life suddenly seems much more glamorous and rewarding. But how long can they stay one step ahead?

This fantastic book is set just before the Second World War and is so vividly written you can almost feel the heat of the jazz clubs and smell the greedy sweat of some of the con victims. This is a very entertaining and absorbing tale.

Fiona Ashley, Community Library Manager

Mr Rosenblum’s List by Natasha Solomons

2010-08-10T12:19:00.002+01:00

The minute Jack Rosenblum stepped onto British soil in 1937 he wanted to be a proper English gentleman. He was given a pamphlet entitled “While you are in England: Helpful Information and Friendly Guidance for every Refugee” and has spent the last fifteen years trying not only to follow it’s rules, but also annotating them in the hope that he and his wife Sadie will be truly accepted into their new country.

Now a successful London businessman, Jack feels that only membership of a prestigious golf club prevents him from achieving his dream. But the exclusive golf clubs don’t seem to want any Jewish members and Jacks decides he must build his own. He purchases some land deep in the Dorset countryside and begins to construct it with his bare hands.

The blurb for this book calls it “utterly charming” and for once this is no exaggeration. The two central characters really come alive on the page; Sadie and her determination to remember the family they left behind, and Jack equally determined that they forge a new life in England.

This is a lovely, witty and warm story.

Fiona Ashley, Community Library Manager

The Lighted Rooms by Richard Mason

2010-07-05T14:04:00.001+01:00

Eloise is a confident, highly successful career woman. Her eighty year old mother, June, is becoming increasingly frail and the only sensible solution seems to be to move her into a residential home. Partly to assuage her guilt, Eloise takes June on a “holiday of a lifetime” to South Africa but then things begin to unravel.

Following a chat with an ex-lover Eloise has invested millions of Derby Capital’s funds in osmium but it now appears that there is a major problem with it’s development. Eloise is called back to London and has to deal with the worst crisis of her career. As Eloise faces financial ruin, June tries to settle into her new home but is haunted by visions of her family’s experiences during the Boer War and memories of her own past.

I absolutely loved this book; Richard Mason is certainly a very talented storyteller. The two threads of this touching and moving story were equally gripping.

Fiona Ashley, Community Library Manager

The winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction 2010 is The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

2010-06-11T16:22:00.004+01:00

See review below

The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey

2010-06-07T12:02:00.000+01:00

This is the story of the marriage between French Sabine and the very English George. In 1956 the passionate newly weds arrive in Trinidad; George has a three year contract to work there, and Sabine is determined to make their short stay a great success. But Sabine soon realises that George has been completely seduced by Trinidad’s beauty and she faces a life-long battle to return to the safety and normality of England.

This is a powerful novel that weaves together politics, history and racism. It is also a love story that resonates with the heat and allure of Trinidad.

Fiona Ashley, Reading and Youth Manager

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore

2010-06-01T14:02:00.004+01:00

A thoroughly thought provoking novel centred on student Tassie who lives in the American Midwest. The story weaves together two strands of her life - her family life in Dellacrosse and her student life in university. I found myself totally immersed in Tassies' two families - the Keltjins on their small farm and the Brinks in the university town of Troy.

Not wishing to give away too much of the story, 'A Gate at the Stairs' captures so much - climate change, racism & terrorism. It shares with the reader a range of emotions including love, tragedy & grief. Tassies' take on all of this is both humorous and heart wrenching. The dialogue & imagery is captivating.

I'll certainly be searching out more of Lorrie Moore's books!

Ann Jones, Principal Librarian

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

2010-05-24T09:59:00.003+01:00

This epic novel (yes, there is no getting away from the fact that this is a very long book) tells the story of Harrison Shepherd.

Harrison was born in Virginia in 1916 but leaves America at a young age when his Mexican mother decides to flee to the arms of Enrique, a landowner in Mexico. The romance doesn’t last, a recurring event in her colourful life, but it is in Mexico that Harrison discovers books and begins writing the notebooks that will sustain him throughout his life.

Harrison’s career is varied to say the least; a cook to the famous muralist Diego Rivera, confidant to Diego’s eccentric wife Frida Kahlo, a secretary for exiled Bolshevik leader Leo Trotsky. All of this gives him plenty of material for his final career as a novelist.

From Mexico in the 1930s to a fear-filled America in the 1950s, this is a wonderful and moving tale with several beautifully drawn and very memorable characters.

Fiona Ashley, Reading and Youth Manager.

Black Water Rising by Attica Locke

2010-05-11T09:03:00.000+01:00

In 1981 Jay Porter is a Black lawyer struggling to make ends meet in Houston. The only birthday treat he can afford for his very pregnant wife is a boat trip up the bayou but the evening ends disastrously when they hear a woman scream and gunshots ring out in the darkness.

Events soon spiral out of control and Jay is caught in a tangled web comprising politics, unions and the oil industry. Matters are further complicated by the involvement of a lover who cruelly betrayed him in the past.

This is an extremely atmospheric and tense thriller; you can almost smell the murky water, feel the heat trickling down your back. What makes this a wonderful novel however, is the convincing social background.

Immerse yourself in 1980s Texas and be glad you are not standing in Jay’s shoes.

Fiona Ashley, Reading and Youth Manager

The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison

2010-05-10T12:50:00.001+01:00

On 1st September 1939 eight year old Anna Sands waits on a station platform in London, convinced that she is going to the safety of a family in Devon or Cornwall. But her train is destined for Yorkshire and she soon finds herself at Ashton Park, a country house that has been turned into a boarding school for evacuees.

Ashton Park is owned by Thomas and Elizabeth Ashton, a childless young couple trying to come to terms with the devastating aftermath of an attack of polio. As Anna settles down to life at Ashton Park, she is increasingly drawn into their deteriorating relationship.

Full of longing and crushed dreams, this is an enjoyable debut novel.

Fiona Ashley, Reading and Youth Manager

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

2010-05-10T12:49:00.001+01:00

Thomas Cromwell had an extraordinary life. His father was an alcoholic, abusive man who managed to scrape a living as a blacksmith and brewer. Forced to run away from home and make his own way in life, Thomas uses his wits to rise far above his station. He eventually becomes one of the most powerful men in the court of King Henry VIII.

This is also an extraordinary novel. A cliché it may be, but Hilary Mantel can certainly bring history to life. Intriguing and compelling, this is historical fiction at its very best.

Fiona Ashley, Reading and Youth Manager

The Orange Prize for Fiction 2009 winner was Home by Marilynne Robinson

2009-06-02T15:33:00.011+01:00

Home by Marilynne Robinson

Glory has moved back to the sleepy town of Gilead, Iowa to look after her frail father. As she struggles with the disappointments in her own life, her brother Jack, the black sheep of the family, returns to the refuge of their old home after an absence of twenty years.

This is a very moving and beautifully written story from a Pulitzer prize-winning author.
Fiona Ashley