Treading Air

I enjoyed Treading Air by Ariella Van Luyn which is set in Brisbane and Townsville in 1945 and 1922.  The author has painted a vivid picture of life in Townsville in the 1920s. The story begins with her central character Lizzie O'Dea in 1945 Brisbane in a lockup  recovering from "the clap", a gift from a Yank soldier.  Her husband Joe is due for release from prison after a 20 year sentence.  The story moves to the 1920s when she first meets Joe and sparks a fire which burned for many years.  Joe and Lizzy move to Townsville where Joe works at the abattoir and Lizzie tries to fill her boring days.  She's not cut out to be a housewife and when circumstances change she embraces a more lucrative occupation.  The characters are very well-drawn and believable so the reader can get inside their heads, particularly with Lizzie, so we know exactly how she feels. There is strong language and the attitudes reflect the time and place where the story is set.  The author discovered these characters actually existed and built the story around them. This is the author's debut novel.  Read an interview with her here. 4/5

By Its Cover

I enjoyed By Its Cover by Donna Leon which is set in Venice.  Commissario Brunetti investigates the theft of old rare books and pages from other similar books.  These objects are very valuable for collectors.  Brunetti discovers the thefts were very professional and organised.  Despite the high security in the Libraries where these treasures are housed, they are somehow leaving the buildings.  During the investigation one key person is murdered and eventually the murder and the thefts are resolved.  4/5

LaRose

I very much enjoyed LaRose by Louise Erdrich which is set in America. Two families are devastated by a tragic event in 1999.  The father of one family, Landreaux Iron, is deer hunting and accidentally shoots and kills the young son, Dusty Ravich, from the other family.  Landreaux wants to make things "right" so he and his wife give their son LaRose to live with the Ravich family.  LaRose was the same age as Dusty and they had been best mates.  This "solution" comes from the Ojibwe tribe of which most of the people involved belong.  The story then deals with the family dynamics and the consequences of this decision.  This is a beautiful story sensitively told with well-drawn characters.  This book featured on Jennifer Byrne's Book Club on 5 July 2016.   Highly recommended. 5/5

The Housemaid's Daughter

I very much enjoyed The Housemaid's Daughter by Barbara Mutch which is set in South Africa from pre-World War II to post Apartheid.  This is the author's debut novel.  Ada narrates her story as the daughter of Miriam who is the maid in a white family's home.  The Harringtons are from Ireland.  After a long engagement  Cathleen joined her fiance in South Africa and had two children, Phil and Rosemary.  Cathleen teaches Ada to play the piano.  The reader and Ada also hear the voice of Cathleen through her diary.  Ada lives through tumultuous times and many incidents affect her life.  We have an insight in to the South African society, the cry for change and the human cost of political decisions. Recommended. 4/5

July Book Club

We had a lovely meeting last Monday evening, already seems a long time ago. Our host had just returned from a weekend visiting relatives in Melbourne so it was good that we could get together at her house.  She bought some wonderful new books which I'm looking forward to reading.We had a delicious supper of cakes and some chocolate from Aldi which was soooo good.  One of our ladies is having a fabulous European holiday, currently in Greece and sending some beautiful photos on Facebook.  She is having a great time.  Another lady is visiting family in Melbourne.  It was a cool night but better than it had been in previous days.  Next month it will be my turn to host.

Fool Me Once

I very much enjoyed Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben about army officer, Maya Stern's husband Joe Burkett being shot dead while they are walking in a park in the evening.  Maya uncovers information relating to the murder and finds there is a connection to another murder some months earlier.  She suffers from PTSD relating to an incident when she was piloting a helicopter during a battle.  She doesn't trust anyone outside her military circle.  Her husband was the second son to die in his wealthy family and Maya is suspicious of the family being involved in a cover-up.  This is a great suspense story with a big twist at the end.  I didn't see that coming! 41/2/5

A Man Called Ove

I very much enjoyed A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman which is set in Sweden.  Ove is on a mission but is thwarted by his new neighbours who are always asking for his help.  They are so "useless" they can't seem to do anything right, including reversing with a trailer.  There is also a cat which has adopted Ove and he hates cats. Ove is the epitome of a "grumpy old man".  (I do object to part of this description - Ove is only 59).  Ove is a wonderful character.  Almost everything seems to irritate him and he is good at holding a grudge.  He judges a person by the car he/she drives.  We learn more about Ove's early life which help to explain his attitude.  An event that occurred six months before the opening chapter will also reveal more. (I've removed the spoilers).  Highly recommended. 5/5