Anzac Memories

I very much enjoyed reading Anzac Memories by Alistair Thomson.  This is a new edition published in 2013.  The first edition was published in 1994.  It has been updated in this new edition with material the author could not access for the earlier publication.  In the 1980s, the author interviewed many World War I veterans living in the working class suburbs of Melbourne and the book has excerpts from many of these interviews.  However, the book concentrates mainly on the lives of three of those veterans.  Their stories are examined in detail as we learn about their background, their service in World War I, their lives in the post-War era and their reflections as older men when they are interviewed.  This book is very well researched as the author has provided an excellent background to the history of the War and particularly the life and views of significant historians of the time, the most prominent being Charles Bean.  Rather than being an homogenous group of "heroes", the author demonstrates that of course, they were men, and therefore each one was different, with different backgrounds, attitudes and reasons for going to war.  They did not all conform to the stereotype as much as that might have suited the historians of the time and now.  The author has explored how the "veterans remembered their war, and how their remembering was shaped by wartime and post war experience."  Their memories may also have been influenced by the notion of the Anzac legend.  In this edition the author was able to access the Veterans' Affairs files for his three veterans to clarify and augment the oral histories.  On a personal level, the author learned more about his grandfather who was also a WWI veteran.  This book is highly recommended to anyone with a strong interest in Australia's role in World War I. 5/5

February Book Club

We have started the New Year with our first Book Club meeting.  There was a lot to catch up on as we hadn't seen each other for a couple of months and we had each read a lot of books during that time.  Our thanks to our hostess for a delicious supper which we all enjoyed.  A lot has been happening in our lives and 2014 promises to be a good year.  Two of our members are going overseas for some weeks each and they're very much looking forward to that.  One of them will be in South America and in England.  We hope they both have a wonderful time.  Our hostess bought a swag of great new books for our reading.  I have a number of books I'm looking forward to getting in to.  As I've said before "too many books, not enough time."

The Dark Enquiry

I enjoyed The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn which is set in London in 1889.  Lady Julia Brisbane and her husband Nicholas Brisbane investigate the murder of a medium, Madame Seraphine, who holds seances for exclusive guests.  Brisbane is an "enquiry agent" who investigates many matters and Lady Julia is determined to be more than a partner in love, but also help her husband with his enquiries.  She little realises the dangers she may face by "helping", much to the frustration of her husband.  Their investigation leads to clues that espionage is involved and they must unravel the mystery to ensure they will both be safe. 31/2/5

The Importance of Being Seven

I enjoyed The Importance of Being Seven by Alexander McCall Smith.  This story is from his 44 Scotland Street series and has a large cast of characters.  Everyone's favourite character is Bertie, who is currently aged six (and has been that age for a long time) and aspires to being seven.  Poor Bertie has a "helicopter" mother, Irene, who subjects Bertie to Italian lessons, yoga and psychotherapy.  Bertie has a baby brother, Ulysses, who looks suspiciously like Bertie's previous psychotherapist.  There are other characters whose lives the reader follows with interest such as Matthew and his bride Elspeth who discover they are expecting.  Domenica and Angus (with his dog Cyril) go off to Italy for a holiday with another "friend" Antonia.  The writing is clever and witty and certainly can't be taken too seriously.  It is fun to read about these "over the top" characters. 31/2/5

Life After Life

I very much enjoyed Life After Life by Kate Atkinson which features a character, Ursula, born in 1910.  Ursula's life story is told in a number of different scenarios.  Firstly, the story of her birth, then situations that occur throughout her life, especially relating to her involvement in World War II.  Ursula has a "gift" (or is it a curse) that she can see her different lives and finds some of the results disturbing, so resolves to change them, change history.  This is an unusual book where Ursula meets her "end" a number of times, but it is fascinating to read once you get used to what is happening.  The story shows how your life can be changed by even the smallest decisions you make. It is a very enjoyable and "different" read. 41/2/5

Friendship Bread

I enjoyed Friendship Bread by Darien Gee which is set in an American town called Avalon.  A woman, Julia, grieving the loss of her son finds a plastic bag with the "starter" and instructions on how to make the bread on her doorstop.  The idea is to make your own loaf and give away some starter to three friends, with the instructions.  So it's a kind of nice "chain letter" which has something productive at the end.  The story has many characters but the main ones are Julia, Madeline and Hannah.  We learn about their individual stories and then as the reach of the "starter" grows, other characters are introduced connected to these characters.  Some chapters are complete stories about just one person.  It's a "feel good" book and includes recipes for the bread. Enjoy. 4/5

Father of the Rain

I enjoyed Father of the Rain by Lily King which is set in a WASP area of Massachusetts, USA from the 1970s till 2008.  It tells the story of Daley and her troubled relationship with her father.  When 11 years old Daley and her mother leave her father.  The reason becomes apparent but Daley still adores her father and visits him most weekends.  He and her mother have new lives now.  The story moves to a later time when Daley has successfully graduated from college and is embarking on what promises to be a very successful career.  She then has to confront the reality of her father's alcoholism, which she always knew was an issue but which he and his immediate associates have denied.  How she deals with this crisis will decide her future.  The characters are well drawn in this story.  Daley loves her father but can see his flaws and always hopes he will redeem himself. 31/2/5