Songs of A War Boy

I very much enjoyed Songs of a War Boy by Deng Thiak Adut.  It is a memoir of the author's life when he was a small child in South Sudan, a seven-year-old soldier, a refugee who came to Australia, and his education to tertiary level in Australia.  I felt immense sadness that such small children were used as weapons in the terrible war in Sudan.  When Deng came to Australia he learned his English with extensive reading.  Even The Wiggles helped him with the English language, which is a difficult language to learn.  He did his law degree at University of Western Sydney, a tremendous achievement considering where he'd come from and the difficulties of university life.  Deng is a remarkable young man.  Then Premier of New South Wales, Mike Baird, invited Deng to give a speech on Australia Day.  Reading this very moving speech, I see this man as a leader not just of his own community but for all Australians. 5/5

The Clever Guts Diet

I found The Clever Guts Diet by Dr Michael Mosley very interesting.  There have been great advances in looking at the medicine involved with the gut.  There is a fascinating world in our gut and we can find out what bacteria (good and bad) live there by having our poo examined.  We can then eat to increase the good guys and starve the bad ones.  There is a great deal of information about allergies, cravings, boosting the immune system.  Ensuring our gut is healthy will make us feel better and possibly lose weight.  There are websites given to explore further e.g. www.cleverguts.com. This is a book to keep for further reference. 41/2/5

A Hundred Small Lessons

I enjoyed A Hundred Small Lessons by Ashley Hay which is set in Brisbane.  An elderly widow, Elsie, lives alone in the house where she and her husband brought up their children.  She is forced to leave because of ill health and the house is bought by a young family.  Lucy, husband Ben, and toddler Tom have moved to a new city and settle in to their new home.  The story is told in flashbacks when Elsie lived there and the present with Lucy.  So lots of small stories about both their lives with similarities and differences. Charming.  4/5

The Gustav Sonata

I very much enjoyed The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain which is set in a small town in Switzerland before and during World War II and in the late 1990s.  The first part has Gustav living with his mother Emilie who is an undemonstrative mother.  She tells him his father was a high ranking police officer during the War who helped Jewish refugees.  She said he died as a result of this and now resents Jewish people.  Gustav befriends new boy Anton at school.  He and his family are relatively well off, and Jews.  Anton is an accomplished pianist who suffers from severe stage-fright.  Gustav enjoys spending time with Anton and his family.  In the second part of the story, we get the backstory, more information about Emilie's life and how she met Gustav's father.  We learn more about him and how he helped the Jews.  In the final part, Gustav and Anton are 50 years old and we learn what happens to them.  This is a beautiful story, well written. 41/2/5

The Party

I've read The Party by Robyn Harding which is about a girl, Hannah, who has her 16th birthday party where something happens that impacts on the lives of all those involved.  Hannah wants to be with the "in crowd".  Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character - Hannah, the 16-year-old; Jeff, her father; Kim, her mother; Lisa, friend's mother and others.  It was confronting to see how 16-year-olds treat each other and the bullying that goes on, particularly on-line.  Revenge seems to be the theme.  It's about what you have and how you can get more.  The characters were not likeable. 31/2/5

My Name is Lucy Barton

I read My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout which is set mainly in New York.  Lucy is in hospital for a long period when her children were young.  She was brought up in a very poor family.  She got a good education and got herself out of poverty.  She married a wealthy man and then had a completely different life.  She was estranged from her family so was surprised to wake up and find her mother at her bedside.  As the days go by she becomes closer to her mother and it is her relationship with her mother which is most of the story.  Lucy is looking back on that time so it is a memoir. A slow-moving little story. 3/5

July Book Club

I did not have to go far for Book Club this month as it was in "walking" distance.  Our hostess bought some great new books which I'm looking forward to reading.  It was not too cold outside but still snug inside.  There were seven of us this time.  One of our ladies is exploring the beautiful Outback with her

husband.  Another lady is holidaying on an island north of Australia and another has gone north seeking the sunshine.  We enjoyed chatting about anything and everything, solved the problems of the world and had a delicious supper.  We'll look forward to doing it all again next month.

The Words In My Hand

I read The Words In My Hand by Guinevere Glasfurd which is set in 17th century Amsterdam (sound familiar?).  A young woman, Helena, moves from the country to a job as a maid to Mr Sergeant who has a French lodger, Rene Descartes.  Helena and Descartes come to know each other very well and when the inevitable happens she is forced to move to a place where she is not known.  For a while after the birth of her baby girl, Descartes lives with her.  The author has based her story around what is known about these two people and their relationship.  31/2/5