PAMELA: The Fortunes of Richard Mahony by Henry Handel Richardson
The book was originally published in 3 volumes: 1917 Australia Felix, 1925 The Way Home, and 1929 Ultima Thule. It is set in the 1850s in the goldfields of Ballarat and follows the changing fortunes of the Mahonys . They are a semi-aristocratic family who came here during the gold rush times. They have a difficult marriage and find it difficult to settle in this "rude country". They decide to return to Britain but are unhappy there too (Vol2) only to come back to Australia to still be very unhappy. Richard Mahony is a restless man, elsewhere is always better.
Pamela described it as a long, intense book which gathers momentum around its many characters.
It’s
also a stunning portrait of a marriage, and an incredibly detailed
account of colonial Australia, Ballarat, Melbourne, the bush and the
seaside. A recommended read.
KRIS: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Kris described the story as totally absorbing and compelling and involves a young child who is found abandoned on an Australian wharf in 1913.This is a little hard to believe but she is taken in by a family and given the name Nell. On her 21st birthday her father tells her the real story of her early life and she leaves and spends the rest of her life trying to discover her parents.
There are great female characters and the story moves backwards and forwards between England and Australia, and the 20th century, 1970 and 2005.
Kris really enjoyed it.
JOAN: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
One Hundred Years of Solitude is the story of seven generations of the Buendía Family in the town of Macondo. The founding patriarch of Macondo, José Arcadio Buendía, and Úrsula Iguarán, his wife (and first cousin), leave Riohacha, Colombia, to find a better life and a new home.
The genre is magical realism which originated in Latin America in the 20th century.
Joan said it was very difficult to get into the story and to describe, but found it fascinating and thoroughly recommends it.
SOFYA:
She had also read it, enjoyed it and found it fascinating. She thought the story was about the troubles that one generation has are passed onto the next generation.
Another 'family saga' that she recommended was Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy describing it as a classic family drama with a controversial ending.
PRUE: The Azure Bowl by Anita Burgh
The author had come from a poor family but had married a Lord. For this she was disowned by both families. The divides between elements of society feature in this first of three books from the Daughters of the Granite Land series. There were many twists and turns after the son of an aristocratic family in Cornwall drowns. The mother can't cope and so returns to London while the daughter remains in the house and becomes involved in village life.
Prue enjoyed it so much, and not withstanding the length (600 pages), she is keen to read the other books in the series.
TAM: Lonely Girl by Josephine Cox
Rosie is a young girl living on an isolated farm. Her mother is a horrible person and very cruel to her child, while her father dotes on and tries to protect her. After her father is tragically killed you wonder what will happen to Rosie.
Tam described it as a simple book, a quick and easy read, good for a cold winter's day. The ending was lovely with a very unexpected twist.
JULIA: The Wildflowers by Virgina Andrews
The story revolves around four teenage girls who all come from dysfunctional families and divorced parents. Under the guidance of the psychiatrist, they share their stories and soon realise they are not alone in their situation. Julia was surprised at how much she enjoyed the book.
LAURA: The Philanthropist by John Tesarch
The author had been a gifted cellist when an allergy to rosin forced him to give this away. A successful career as a barrister followed until tongue cancer forced him into another career change.
He then turned his hand to writing and The Philanthropist is his first novel.
When a rich and successful business man suffers a heart attack and nearly dies, he begins to reflect on his life, his relationship with family and friends and past mistakes.
Laura thought it was an intelligent and thoughtful read, a family saga exploring what family is all about.
JO: Seagull Bay by Janet Tanner
When Dawn
Stephens’ parents are killed in an accident, she has to move from
her home in Canada to the small seaside town of Sturvendor in Somerset,
to live with her uncle and aunt. She makes friends with her cousin
Serena, and soon settles in well at the local school. But Dawn still
feels very alone in this strange new world.
Jo thought it a really good book about different relationships and emotions.
ROSEMARY: The Past is Another Country by Lois Battle
Three women who had been at school together meet again. One is now a successful Hollywood director, another is a nun and the third is married and lives in Australia.
Rosemary found the story to be slow and boring and so decided not to continue reading.
BEV: Liverpool Angels by Lyn Andrews
The story is set in the working class area of Liverpool. As WW1 breaks out, two cousins decide to leave their family tragedies behind and train as nurses to work on the Western Front. Here they encounter hardship and tragedy of a different kind as they work under dreadful conditions and amongst the imaginable suffering of the soldiers. Both girls find romance among all the chaos of war, but their future is uncertain as the war continues. Bev enjoyed this easy to read story.
JUDY: The House by the Fjord by Rosalind Laker
Anna had married a Norwegian pilot while he was on leave in England. He didn't survive the war, so his widow journeys to Oslo to meet his family and friends. Her father in law is not particularly welcoming but pressures her to stay and take possession of a small house on the fjord. The more she learns about the family and the house the more she is drawn to it and reconsiders her future. There are beautiful descriptions of the countryside, some snippets of information about the German occupation, but the story is very predictable with too many improbable happenings to be believable.
ANNE: Though the Heavens May Fall by E V Thompson
Set in Cornwall in the 1850s when smuggling was rife. Following a series of murders, a Cornish detective working in Scotland Yard is sent to investigate. According to Anne, all that happens next is very predictable. She probably would have enjoyed it when she was 14!
WENDY: Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides
This Pulitzer Prize winning novel tells the story of three generations of a Greek-American family. Following the fall of Cyprus they eventually end up in Detroit, USA during the Prohibition era.
Wendy found the first part, describing their move out of Europe to be very interesting but was disappointed with the pace and depth of the second half of the story. This part centers around the uncovering of a guilty family secret involving their incestuous genetic and social history.
CLAURINE also read the book, enjoying it and generally agreeing with Wendy's comments.
DIANNE: The Burning Land by Bernard Cornwell
Dianne couldn't recommend this book which tells of the Viking and Anglo Saxon battles to gain control of England. All the men were warriors and the women were good sorts!
DIANN: Jams and Roses by Mary Gibson
The book tells the story of three sisters growing up in Dockland area of London in the 1920s. The girls work in the local jam factory but at home they must put up with the rages and abuse of their tyrannical father.
The book realistically describes the hard life the girls endured, and their treatment as second class citizens. Despite being very depressing and bleak at times, highlighting that families are not perfect, Diann described it as good reading.
CONNIE: Moving On by Rosie Harris
While not really a 'family saga', this is a simple little story of a grandmother, having recently moved into a small retirement flat, must take on responsibility for her rebellious seventeen year old granddaughter following the death of her son.
Connie thought it a rather shallow book with little character or story development. Things just happened.
BETH:
Beth compared family sagas set in England and Australia.
She read Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts by Mary Gibson; describing the survival of a poor family
Cavendon Hall by Barbara Taylor Bradford; love and betrayal between aristocratic families
One Sunday by Joy Dettman; small country town in Australia where the local policeman investigates a murder
Beth felt she could relate more to the Australian characters and the language used. The regimented way of life and society in England was unfamiliar.
SHEILA: Indian Summer by Marcia Willett
A very English story set in beautiful Devon. It took you on a long, slow and peaceful journey.
She also recommended Blast Radius by R L McKinney
The story of a soldier returning to live in Scotland after serving in Afghanistan and now suffering from PTS. Sheila found it funny, truthful, well written and worth reading.
In August we will be reading and discussing Legal and Courtroom Dramas.
