Leila's Secret

I liked this story very much, Leila's Secret by Kooshyar Karimi, a novel based on actual events in late 1990s Iran.  The author, Dr Karimi, was a doctor in Iran who risked execution to provide terminations for girls and women who became pregnant in impossible situations.  For example, following rape, pregnant while unmarried, pregnant prostitutes, pregnant to someone else while married.  All of these "crimes" carried the death penalty.  The story is told by "The Doctor"  and "Leila" in alternate chapters.  Leila tells of falling in love with a beautiful young man while she lives in a home where the men dominate.  She dreams of going to university and becoming a teacher but her position in life does not allow this.  The Doctor's chapters deal with "situations" he chooses to remedy such as abortions and hymen repair.  He does this at terrible risk to himself and his family.  Karimi is an Iranian refugee now living in Australia.  The story is sometimes harrowing and very sad, especially so as Karimi says the repression of many women in Iran continues. 41/2/5

The Nightingale

I very much enjoyed The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah which is set in France during World War II.  Two sisters endure the War in different ways.  Older sister Vianne lives in a village in the countryside with her small daughter Sophie.  Vianne's husband, Antoine, is a POW in Germany.  As her house is a very nice one strategically located close to an airfield a Nazi soldier is "billeted" there.  Vianne's younger sister, Isabelle, lives in Paris and wants to help France's war effort.  She begins some dangerous work.  Both sisters witness the roundup of Jews and others who are sent away to "work camps".  The terrible winters during the War also take their toll.  The story is told by an older woman living in the USA who is invited to a function in 1995 to commemorate the "Nightingale's" deeds.  The reader only learns the identity of the older woman towards the end of the book.  A strong story, beautifully told. 41/2/5

After Darkness

I enjoyed After Darkness by Christine Piper which is the story of a Japanese doctor stationed in Broome who is interned following Japan's entry into World War II.  The story is narrated by the character, Dr Ibaraki, who is interned in the South Australian camp.  He tells his story in a series of flashbacks to his time as a doctor in Japan where he was engaged in "research".  He then took a job at a hospital in Broome where there is a small Japanese population attracted by the pearl diving season.  In the internment camp Ibaraki does some work as a doctor and is trying to balance conflicting loyalties.  4/5

12 Years A Slave

I read 12 Years A Slave by Solomon Northup with some trepidation, having some knowledge of the story and wary of the horrors within.  It is the personal account of the author's life during the mid-1850s in America's south.  This is an important story documenting the author's kidnapping and sale into slavery.  Northup was born a free man but was duped into travelling with unscrupulous men who profited from his sale.  The stories of life on the cotton plantations overseen by ruthless owners is heartbreaking.  The desperation the slaves endured is hard to read.  The author's elation at being freed is tempered by knowledge of the plight of the slaves he has left behind.  41/2/5

August Book Club

We had another great Book Club meeting last night.  It is always good to get together with these lovely ladies.  Our numbers were down a little this month as there were members holidaying in Bali, Alaska and far north Queensland.  Hope they're all having a wonderful time.  Next month some members will also be overseas, mainly for family reasons and hopefully will enjoy some

"vacation" time as well.  Our ladies are well-travelled.  Our thanks to our hostess for a very pleasant evening of conversation and providing some sumptuous home-baked treats for our supper.  Thanks also for great new books from which we can choose.  I have picked a number of books to read till our next meeting and hope I will enjoy each one. 

The Night Circus

I very much enjoyed The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern which is mainly set in England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  A girl, Celia, tutored by her father and a boy, Marco, tutored by a "benefactor" learn the art of magic.  When they are older Celia and Marco try to understand the reason for the tutelage.  They are the latest unwitting players in a long running "duel" between their magician teachers.  The magic night circus provides the venue for the "competition".  There are many twists and turns in this delightful story.  The teachers will stop at nothing to ensure they win, but there can only be one winner.  How will it end?  41/2/5

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

I very much enjoyed We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler which is set in the USA from about 1960s to the present.  The narrating character is Rosemary and she tells the story of her family which appears quite dysfunctional.  Rosemary has her psychologist father, mother, brother Lowell and her sister Fern.  When Rosemary is about five years old, her brother and sister disappear and most of the story if about her efforts in later life to find them.  This is an "unexpected" story which is very thought-provoking.  It examines the ethics of animal experimentation for "the good of mankind."  It is a well-written story, challenging and very compelling.  It was shortlisted for The Man Booker Prize 2014.  This is not an "ordinary" story. 5/5