The Memory Stones

I very much enjoyed The Memory Stones by Caroline Brothers which begins in Argentina at the time of the military coup in 1976.  The circumstances ordinary people found themselves in was something they would never have imagined could happen in a "civilised" society.  The story is told with great sensitivity as the reader feels the terror and the fears of ordinary citizens.  Osvaldo Ferrero is a doctor who flees Argentina when his cartoon depicting the new regime is published.  He leaves behind his wife, Yolanda, to search for their second daughter, Graciela.  Their elder daughter, Julieta, is already living in Mexico.  The years go by and Graciela cannot be found.  Yolanda joins a group who demonstrate peacefully and actively search for the people now known as "the disappeared".  This is a country's tragic story, beautifully written.  Highly recommended. 5/5

A Banquet of Consequences

I very much enjoyed A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George which is set in England.  This is a DI Lynley story including his sergeant Barbara Havers who is trying to redeem herself after "crossing the line" in a previous book.  This is a complicated family saga at first with some terrible outcomes for many of them.  There is a suicide, murder and other apparent crimes with this dysfunctional family.  It takes a little while to appreciate what is happening in this story, but stick with it (of course, it is a weighty tome).  It will keep you hooked, with twists and turns. 41/2/5

Where the Past Begins

I've read Where the Past Begins by Amy Tan which is the author's memoir.  Most of the book was very interesting.  Tan writes about her grandmother and mother who lived in China prior to the Revolution and their stories formed the back story for Tan's life.  Her parents had a difficult time after they went to America to improve their lives and that of their children. They faced terrible tragedy.  As a child, this was often very bewildering. Tan's parents had high hopes for the success of their children to justify coming to the US.  Tan had boxes of material to sort through and discovered some of the documents which impacted on her life, giving her an understanding which could not have been appreciated as a child.  The structure of the book was not appealing.  I was engaged with the narrative but when the story went "off course" to, for example, examine pages of emails, I found this less interesting. 3/5

Into the Water

I enjoyed Into the Water by Paula Hawkins, which is set in a small English village.  There is a river in the village and a swimming hole is part of it. The pool has a history of tragedy dating back centuries.  More recently there have been two women and a teenage girl who have died in the pool.  The police are investigating whether these drownings have been suicide or murder.  This village has lots of secrets and is highly dysfunctional.  There are lots of characters and each chapter is from the perspective of a different character, also could be first person, or third person.  Sometimes difficult to remember who is who. 4/5

Under the Eye of the Clock

I enjoyed Under the Eye of the Clock by Christopher Nolan which is a memoir about the author's school days in Ireland.  Nolan has written in the third person and used the character Joseph Meehan to tell the story from a different perspective.  Born in 1965 to a loving family who refused to acknowledge his limitations of his disability.  They recognised Christopher was an intelligent person and found ways for him to express his thoughts by communicating with a typewriter.  It would have been tedious and a labour of love for those who helped him write with a stick attached to his head.  He went to a "normal" school with the support of students and teachers.  After school  he was accepted in to Trinity College.  This book was originally published in 1987, republished in 2013. Computer technology has now made it easier for similarly disabled people to express themselves.  Nolan fulfilled his dreams as an author and showed his readers that dreams can come true. 4/5

March 2018 Book Club

We had our Book Club meeting on Monday evening and it was great to see all of our members present.  This is very rare as there is usually at least one member away on a holiday.  Of course, over the next few months some of our members will indeed be travelling interstate or overseas.  I think we need to travel as long as we possibly can, storing new memories to savour in the future.  Our host provides a lovely place to

meet and we enjoyed a delicious supper.  She bought some great new books which we will enjoy over the coming months.  It's always good to get together to talk about the travels we've been on and those we've yet to have.  Indicative of our age with lots of chatter about our grandchildren, so wonderful to be a grandmother.  Happy reading!

Congo Dawn

I very much enjoyed Congo Dawn by Katherine Scholes which is set in the Congo in 1964.  Secretary, Anna Emerson, is from Melbourne and learns that her father is dying.  Anna's parents are divorced so she goes to the Congo to see her father.  She then learns more about her past and sets out to discover more.  This is a volatile time in the newly independent country.  I enjoyed the story and also the history of the country. 41/2/5