Blue eyed Boy

This intriguing story Blue eyed Boy by Joanne Harris was a very good read. The story is told using posts in an online chat room. The reader is not sure if the posts reflect reality or fiction. A man whose online alias is "blueeyedboy" and a female "Albertine" post their stories. Are they discussing events that actually happened - or not? Who are they really? The ending was great - totally unexpected. 4/5

In the Sanctuary of Outcasts

This memoir In the Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White tells of the his experiences as an inmate in an American federal prison which also served as the country's national leprosarium. Neil gets to know some of the lepers and becomes fond of them, even though they are supposed to be segregated. This prison at Carville on the Mississippi River has housed lepers for over 100 years. At first the prison was a huge culture shock to the author as he had lived a lavish lifestyle on other people's money and by his own admission had let down a lot of people when it all came crashing down. His prison term is a journey of self-discovery as he learns many lessons about life from people he would have least expected to learn from. He tells us some of the history of the disease and how those afflicted were treated by society. Carville is now a museum - see web site. Very interesting read. 4/5

A Simpler Time

I very much enjoyed A Simpler Time by Peter FitzSimons. I've read some of his biographies and was very pleased to read this book about his own early life. He was the youngest of seven in a loving family who farmed near Gosford. He always researches his books well and he was fortunate to have to have a lot of primary sources in the form of letters and other material to write his memoir. It is a beautiful story, highly recommended. 4/5

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

I very much enjoyed The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery ,set in an old apartment building in Paris. The two main characters, Renee Michel, the building concierge, and Palome Josse, a precocious 12 year old girl, tell their stories in the first person, in different fonts. They are very similar characters as they try to hide their intelligence. When the owner of one of the apartments dies, it is sold - a rare event as they are usually passed to another family member. The new owner is a perceptive and intelligent Japanese man, Kakuro Ozu who changes the lives of Renee and Palome. The book has a slow start and the characters seem at first to be arrogant and pretentious - but please persevere. A beautiful and well-written book. 4/5.

Cold Justice

I enjoyed Cold Justice by Katherine Howell, set in Sydney. Starts out with two story threads which are connected by the reopening of an investigation into the murder of a teenage boy, Tim Pieters, 19 years before. A female detective, Ella Marconi, is on the case. In the other thread Georgie Riley, a paramedic, comes down from the country for a reassessment of skills and is paired with Freya, her schoolfriend who left school suddenly after Tim's death. Tim's cousin, a doctor and MP has pushed for the case to be reopened. When the two threads come together, we learn of the connection and that there are secrets and lies which are resurfacing after 19 years until the truth and murderer is finally revealed. Recommended. 4/5

Serena

I enjoyed Serena by Ron Rash which is set in North Carolina in the 1930s. Serena marries Pemberton, a timber company owner who is cutting down the forests. There is some tension at the time between the timber industry and national parks (what's new!). Serena is ruthlessly ambitious in the pursuit of her goals. When she loses her baby she sets out to have the baby Pemberton fathered with another woman prior to their marriage killed. Serena is a powerful and confident woman - maybe a bit incredible? It was interesting to learn about the timber industry generally and the dangers to the workers. Recommended. 4/5