OCTOBER 2024 -- HISTORICAL FICTION

 

BLACK SILK AND SYMPATHY by DEBORAH CHALLINOR

ROSEMARY S:  This is the first in a new series explaining Victorian funeral customs and features Sydney’s first female undertaker.  In 1865 17 year old Tatiana comes to Australia wanting to start a new life. She learns the funeral trade, including embalming and after the death of her husband takes over the business.  She is well respected.  It’s a book about resilience and determination.  There are a lot of quirky characters to lighten the subject.  Rosemary looks forward to reading the next book in the series.

A ROOM FULL OF LEAVES BY KATE GRENVILLE

ROSEMARY:  The story is set in the early days of colonial Sydney.  Elizabeth Macarthur is married to John Macarthur who is a bit of a bully. Although he is the most well known she is the clever one. She was a very capable woman in her own right, crossbreeding merinos.  It is a fascinating insight into colonial history. Rosemary said it was well written, not great but she enjoyed the story.

FAMILIARIS BY DAVID WROBLEWSKI

JUDY D:  This is the follow up story to the New York Times bestselling modern classic The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.  It’s the story of John Sawtelle and his wife Mary who set off for Wisconsin in 1919 with their two best friends and three dogs to start a new life. They set up a dog training programme.  The story examines love and friendship and the long partnership between humans and dogs. The word Familiaris comes from the Latin name for dog – canis familiaris. Familiaris is an Oprah Winfrey Book Club pick.

THE VIENNESE GIRL BY JENNY LECOAT

KRIS:  Hedi is a young Jewish woman from Vienna who escaped from Austria to Jersey in the Channel Islands 2 years before the Germans invaded in 1940. Her best friend is Anton, a young man from Austria who has grown up on the island. He is in love with Dorothea who grew up on the island.  Together they perform small acts of resistance until Hedi is discovered by a German officer, Kurt who does not believe in this war.  He covers for her and helps her in small ways.  It’s a great read, a story of courage and hope and how the dividing lines aren’t always clear.  Hedi, Dorothea and Kurt were based on real characters. 

THE SPY: A TALE OF NEUTRAL GROUND BY JAMES FENEMORE COOPER

PRUE:  The author also wrote the Last of the Mohicans.  This story is set during the American revolution in1780. Harry Birch becomes a spy for the American side.  Because of the secret nature of his work some suspect he is a British spy.  There are descriptions of cavalry and family members are fighting for different sides.  There is a romance. Prue said she found the expressions quaint.  It got boring after a while, but she is enjoying it and will finish the book.

A HOUSE DIVIDED BY CATHERINE COOKSON

THERESA:  The story begins in 1946 after WW11. Matthew Wallingham returns home to his wealthy family.  He has been blinded during the war. He studies to become a physiotherapist.  While he was recovering from his injuries, he fell in love with a nurse who came from a poor family in the North.  He meets with her again when they work in the same hospital.  The story is about dysfunctional families.  It was long and different, and Theresa said not much had changed concerning dysfunctional families. It was a simple and easy read.

TAKEN IN BY S. G. BRYANT

PAT:  This is a murder mystery set in 1896 in Melbourne.  Effie was an independent woman, a school teacher and a suffragette. She lived in a boarding house in St Kilda. The landlord is looking after a baby called Alfie whose mother had left him with the landlord while she went home, but would return.  When his mother came back to get him, Alfie had been privately adopted.  It became like a crime story as Effie helped the mother look for him.  It wasn’t a bad read.  There was a bit of romance.

A STUDY IN SCARLET by ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

VAL:  This is an 1887 novel which introduces Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would become the most famous detective duo in English literature. There are two stories. In London, two American business are killed.  A cabbie is arrested. The second story is in Utah in 1847, where a caravan of Mormons finds a family close to death. The surviving man and young girl are taken in by them on the condition they live under the Mormon faith.  As Lucy grows up into a beautiful woman, she falls in love with a hunter, but she is expected to marry one of her two Mormon suitors. Val said it was clever the way the stories were connected.

TOMB OF THE GOLDEN BIRD BY ELIZABETH PETERS

JO:  This is part of a series of mysteries whose main characters, the Emerson family, are English archaeologists excavating in Egypt. Howard Carter is looking for the tomb of Tutankhamun. Jo said it’s a beautiful book, over 500 pages long.  She said it was very good and she enjoyed the read.

LONG PETAL OF THE SEA BY ISABEL ALLENDE

HELEN:  This is a master work of historical fiction.  The story begins in the Spanish Civil War with a young doctor who, with the pregnant wife of his dead brother, sail to Chile to settle. The story ends 50 years later in a Chile recovering from the fall of Pinochet.

PARIS BOOKSELLER BY KERRI MAHER

ED:  In 1919 a young American woman, Sylvia opens a bookshop in Paris. It is after World War 1.  A lot of Americans are in Paris at the time.  Sylvia becomes friends with the Irish writer, James Joyce who wrote Ulysses. When this controversial novel is banned, Sylvia tries to get it published.  Ed said it was based on a true story.  She said she would recommend it as it was a very good story.

THE FOUR WINDS BY KRISTIN HANNAH

MARGARET:  It was set in the depression in America, the dust bowl Era.  The first fifty pages were trite. As she got into the travelling she enjoyed it more, but then she read GRAPES OF WRATH BY JOHN STEINBECH. This was a far better book about displacement and poverty, but there were also moments of hope and humour.

MRS HOPKINS BY SHIRLEY BARRETT

KERRIE:  In 1871 an idealistic schoolmistress arrives on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour to teach the girls at the notorious Biloela Industrial School. Young women who suffered homelessness, poverty, abuse etc. were sent there to be taught industry and diligence.  Mrs Hopkins had a similar history to the girls. The treatment was dreadful. The school ran from 1871 to 1888 and then it was closed.  The story is based on true facts.  Kerrie enjoyed the parts of Sydney, and she was pleased the girls were given a story. Kerrie said it was a good read.

THE BOOK THIEF BY MARKUS ZUSAK

LYN:  This book is set in World War 11. Lyn said it was unusual the book was written from the point of death. It’s narrated by a compassionate Death who tells the story about Liesel, a young girl who is fostered and a Jewish boy called Max. She stole books, learned to read and found comfort in words. Liesel’s foster family sheltered Max.  Once Lyn got into it, she didn’t want to put the book down.

MONTANA 1948 BY LARRY WATSON

JUDY A:  This a coming-of-age novel, a favourite of Judy’s. This is narrated by David Hayden who is now 52.  His mother has recently died, and he reminisces over the year of 1948 when he was 12 years old and over events that changed the course of his family’s life for ever. The powerful and influential family have a housekeeper named Marie Little Soldier.  She is a Sioux Indian from the nearby reservation.  The family are very fond of Marie.  When she becomes quite sick with pneumonia, David’s older brother Frank, is called in to see her as he is the town’s doctor.  He is also the apple of his father’s eye.  Marie confides in David’s mother that Frank has been abusing girls on the reservation.  The aftermath sets family members against each.  Judy loves this book.  It’s only 168 pages of clean, spare, simple writing.  A good story well told.

BOOK OF SHORT STORIES BY RAYMOND CHANDLER

BEV:  Chandler was an American-British novelist and screenwriter born in 1888 in America.  He moved to England with his mother when he was seven years old.   He was considered the greatest pro stylist of all time.  He wrote many books about Philip Marlowe, a private eye.  Bev said these short stories were easy reads and she enjoyed reading them.

MOTHER OF PEARL BY MELINDA HAYNES

TAM:  This story is set in the 1950’s in a small town in Mississippi. The main character is 28 year old Even Grade, a black man who grew up an orphan and Valuable Korner, the thirteen year old white daughter of the town prostitute.  Both are trying to discover the identity of her unknown father.  Tam read through it to get plot.  It was heavenly nuanced to Tam read it twice to understand them.  

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE EDITED BY MIRAM LICHTHEIM

PAMELA:  She read the story of Sinuhe. This tale describes an Egyptian man who flees his kingdom, and lives as a foreigner before returning to Egypt shortly before his death.  It explores universal themes such as divine providence and mercy.  The oldest known copy of the text dates to the reign of Amenemhat 111, around 1800BCE.

Kris

       

NOVEMBER WILL BE NON FICTION

 

 

 

 

 

SEPTEMBER -- BIOGRAPHIES AND AUTOBIOGRAPHIES

 

This month we had a very interesting and lively discussion at book club.

KERRIE:  SEARCHING FOR CHARLOTTE: The fascinating story of Australia’s first children’s author by CHARLOTTE ATKINSON

This book was published by two of her relatives who were both female writers.  The writing tradition had been passed down through the generations.  Her two great-great grandchildren were interested in Charlotte’s life. Charlotte came from a literary family, and she had a well to do upbringing. In 1826 she came out from England to work as a governess for Macarthur’s children. She married in 1827 and when Charlotte’s husband died in 1834, she nearly lost her property and her children.  She took the case to court and won.  It was the first time in history.  Her second marriage was to an overseer who was a dreadful man.  Charlotte was determined to get on in life and although she had made some bad choices, she tried to make the best of them. She went on to write children’s books. Kerrie enjoyed the book.

ED:  MY LUCKY LIFE in and out of show business by DICK VAN DYKE

Richard Van Dyke was born in 1925.  He is an American actor, entertainer and comedian.  His work spans screen and stage. He won many awards and was recognized as a Disney Legend in 1998. He was in the Dick Van Dyke Show, a CBS television sitcom, from 1961 to 1966 which made him a household name.  He starred in movie musicals such as Bye, Bye Birdie, Mary Poppins and Chitty, Chitty Bang, Bang. Van Dyke is a Dutch surname, although he also has English, Irish and Scottish ancestry. Ed enjoyed the read.

JO:  ENCOUNTERS WITH ANIMALS by GERALD DURRELL

The family went to different countries getting animals for his zoo. There were many encounters with animals.  Jo loved it and said it was a very interesting to read.

JOAN:  HILLBILLY ELEGY - A MEMOIR OF FAMILY AND CULTURE IN CRISIS by J. D. VANCE (Pub 2016)

This was a national USA bestseller.  It is a personal story of growing up in a poor rural community and climbing out to become Donald Trump’s Vice-Presidential running partner for the 2024 USA elections.

PRUE:  SIDNEY KIDMAN, THE FORGOTTEN KING by JILL BOWAN

 She did three years of research and travelling to write this book, her first one.  It was like a jigsaw puzzle without any information.  There was so little information even in the family.  He didn’t start making a name for himself in business until his brother died.  He was a thinker.  He had sheep and cattle  in South Australia on land bigger than the British Isles.  Although Prue has not read much, she said she was really drawn in and will read the whole story.

THERESA:  HAPPIEST REFUGEE by ANH DO

Although a happy book, it started off with the very sad journey out of Vietnam.  In the 70’s everything became easier.  He got a scholarship to a good school.  His mother was a very hard worker for the family as she had great love for her children.  Theresa also read The Happiest Man on Earth by Edi Jaku.   This was very sad but also uplifting.  He was unique as nothing ever got him down.  She said both men were very intelligent.   Although she enjoyed both books, she enjoyed the Happiest Man on Earth the most.

SHEILA:  Her choice of biography was a book was about Sir Paul Hasluck, Governor General in 1960’s.  He was born to English parents who moved to Western Australia.  Paul loved Australia.  She hasn’t had time to read it yet.

KRIS: THE SHAPE OF DUST by LAMISSE HAMOUDA with HAZEM HAMOUDA

This is a riveting book.  It is the story of an Australian /Egyptian citizen, Hazem Hamouda who disappeared at Cairo airport after arriving for a family holiday in 2018.  His daughter Lamisse, who was born in Australia, was working in Egypt.  She arrives to pick him up, but she cannot find him or find any information about him.  After quite some time they discover he was taken to a police station and eventually to the notorious Tora prison.   He is put in a cell with many other prisoners, both political and criminal.  His daughter Lamisse is frantic in her quest to help him but is constantly thwarted.  It is an extraordinary and painful story.  We share the long journey with Lamisse as she comes close to a breakdown.  It’s a must read.

JUDY J: THE LAST BUSHRANGERS by MIKE MUNRO (Channel 9 Sixty Minutes Journalist)

When Mike Munro was in his late twenties, he was called to see his very ill father.  His mother had been separated from this man for many years, he was an alcoholic and gambler.  Because he was dying, there was something Mike needed to know.  His name was not really Munro, but Kenniff.  His father had changed it to hide the family humiliation and shame that their uncles were Patrick and Jimmy Kenniff, Australia’s last bushrangers.  Ned Kelly had been hung in 1880, Captain Thunderbolt killed 1870, Captain Moonlight also hung in 1880. The Kenniff brothers were always being chased by the police and for many years had avoided being arrested, but there was never any violence in their actions. When they were finally caught and made an example of, they were sent to trial.  In many respects they didn’t receive a fair trial.  Good story.

ROSEMARY:  MY JOURNEY TO THE WORLD CUP by SAM KERR

It was a simple story, but not well written.  There were interviews with friends and family.  Rosemary said she didn’t learn a lot about Sam Kerr.  Kerr didn’t want to play soccer but took it up when she couldn’t play AFL because she was a girl.  Sam is a great person, player and captain but the book was not terribly informative.

BEV:  BELIVE by SALLY PEARSON

This is an autobiography written in 2013.  Bev said it was interesting.  She was an only child to a single mother.  Her teacher encouraged her.  She was a fast runner.  They moved to the Gold Coast where she trained in gymnastics and then changed to Little Athletics.  The woman running it turned out to be her coach throughout her career. She accepted and believed that, with hard work, she could be a good runner and athlete.  This was written after the Olympic Games in Britain in 2012 where she won a gold medal for 100m hurdles.  Bev said it was interesting and worth reading. There are statistics of all her races at the back of the book.

JUDY A: HOW TO SAY BABYLON  by SAFIYA SINCLAIR

This is a memoir of a girl brought up in Jamaica in a Rastafarian family.  The Rastafari movement began in Jamaica during the 1930’s following a prophecy made by Marcus Garvey, a black political leader who led an organisation whose intention was to unify blacks with their land of origin.  His prophecy was to “Look to Africa where a black king shall be crowned, he shall be your Redeemer.”  This statement became the foundation of the Rastafari movement. The prophecy was rapidly followed by the crowning of Emperor Hall Selassie 1 in Ethiopia in 1930.  There was a crisis of faith when he was deposed by the military in 1974, placed under house arrest and died mysteriously in 1975. Safiya realised there was no accepted gospel among Rastafari.  She was the eldest of 4 children brought up by her father who adhered to a strict patriarchal, misogynistic style.  Although their mother was subjugated to her husband, who ruled by violence, she made sure the kids were well educated.  Judy said it was enjoyable to read.

PAT:  HEIDA, A Shepherd at the Edge of the World by STEINUNN SIGURDARDOTTIR

Heida is a solitary farmer with a flock of 500 sheep in Iceland’s highlands.  She was one of four daughters. She changed tyres, did all the work the men did and was never told she couldn’t do something because she was a woman.  She went to boarding school, did some modelling for a while but she found it superficial and wanted to return to farming.  In 2001 at age 23 she took over the operations of the family farm in partnership with her mother, as she owned the land.  Her father had cancer.  At 46 she is still on the farm and is still single.  She is a loner.  Although Pat found it interesting, she got bored with farm life and did not finish it.

MARGARET:  OLD RAGE by SHEILA HANCOCK

This book is contemporary.  It’s her latest book Sheila rages about Brexit and what is happening in Britain.  She talks about her early life, her wartime childhood, how her schooling was disrupted and her desire to perform.  Margaret enjoyed the read and wanted to read more so she read The Two Us.  It’s a memoir of Sheila’s marriage to John Thaw (Morse) her second husband.  It was a No 1 bestseller.  They had a holiday home in France.  It was very interesting.  Then Margaret read Just Me.  Sheila rediscovered herself as “just me.”  She travelled to different places, met interesting people and faced her prejudices.

 

 

October:  We will be reading Historical Fiction

 

AUGUST: The Tea Ladies by Amanda Hampson and The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

 

The Tea Ladies by Amanda Hampson

 

Set in 1965 in Sydney’s rag trade district, four tea ladies who work for the surrounding fashion manufacturers meet regularly on their own breaks. They are the gentle Hazel, bossy Merl, slightly dizzy Betty and rough-as-guts Irene (who herself has a colourful past).

Led by Betty, they investigate murder, rescue a kidnapped Russian gymnast and help introduce the latest fashion trends in their industry. 

 

Rosemary:

Rosemary described the book as ‘cosy crime’. She enjoyed the characters but thought it a little unrealistic how they suddenly turned into sleuths. It was a nice easy read, a bit of escapism and gave good insights into life in the 60s. A sequel is coming out soon.

 

Bev:

Bev found that the book was a bit slow to start but thought it got better and became more interesting.

 

Joan: 

Joan commented on Hazel, the leader of the tea ladies, saying that she was a woman of the times. Despite her involvement in the sleuthing, she was unable to read or write, something she avowed to rectify.

 

Ed:

Ed also enjoyed the book and was suspicious of Bob (Hazel’s husband) straight away!

 

Jo:

Jo enjoyed the characters and the storyline. The book took her back to the ‘good old days’.

 

Theresa:

For Theresa the book brought back many memories as her sister had lived in Surrey Hills, so it was quite nostalgic for her. She did feel sorry for Hazel and the downtrodden role she had in her marriage although she eventually did stand up to Bob.

 

Prue:

Prue had only just started the book, but she was thoroughly enjoying it. Her first job was as a tea lady, and had lived in the area.

She described it as ‘not the best book’ she had read but it was a good read.

 

Judy J:

Judy’s comment was that humour must be a difficult genre to write. She didn’t find the book and the situations described in it, very funny. Yet she enjoyed the discussion in the group of some of the funnier incidents.

Her favourite part was the coming of the new fashion era of miniskirts etc lead by Jean Shrimpton.

 

Judy De L :

Judy agreed that she hadn’t found the book very funny. It was an easy and light read. Talking about it was more amusing.

 

 

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

 

This semi-historical novel traces the writing and publication of the Oxford Dictionary at the time of the Suffragette movement and World War 1.

 

Lyn:  

The author weaves the fictional character of Esme Nichol through the book. The intricacies of word selection, meanings, description and examples of use fascinated her.

She enjoyed the book more on this second reading, appreciating  the astounding depth of research.

 

Val:

Val enjoyed the book as it was quite original in its subject matter. She commented on how the plight of women was woven through the narrative. Val had also lived in and attended school in the area where the book was set.

 

Margaret:

The main  ideas of the book were words, language and women’s place in society, being very subservient to men.

Through reading the book you learn about the history of the times without it being done in a heavy way. She also enjoyed the bit of romance in the story.

The Book Binders of Jericho is the companion book.

 

Kris:

Kris enjoyed the book although it was a little slow to begin with. This is the author’s first novel, and she has written several other interesting non-fiction books.

Even though it’s quite  long, it’s a story to be savoured. Kris thought she is a great storyteller and a beautiful writer, weaving the story around historical facts. It’s well worth reading.

 

Helen:

While she took a while to get into the story, she thought it was such an original beginning with a young girl sitting under a desk picking up bits of paper with words on them.

She loved the characters and finding out about the history of the Oxford Dictionary.

This genre, learning about history with fiction thrown in, is much like the books written by Geraldine Brooks.

 

Pat:

The first half was slow and depressing, with so much sadness for young Esme. She enjoyed the second half much more.

It was such an interesting concept that the Oxford Dictionary was created in a back yard shed by a group of people who were totally obsessed with words. As such it was very different from any book she had read. The photos in the back tied everything together. 

 

Judy A:

She managed to read nearly 150 pages before the slow moving and tedious story forced her to give the book away. The author’s notes and epilogue were more interesting.

 

Tam:

Tam described the book as a fascinating study of words and the need for dictionaries to keep track of changing uses and meanings. It was interesting that men were usually educated and only the words they used were included. An original type of story.

 

 

 

Sheila:  Hornblower and the Crisis  by C S Forester

 

This historical novel forms part of the Horatio Hornblower series from when Hornblower had  gone to sea as a 17 year old and finishing as  Commander. Set in 1805 it tells the story of Napoleon’s plans to invade England.

All the books are well written, and the descriptions of  the English sailor’s life on ships regardless of their position is very interesting. So too are the descriptions of the warships  and how they won the battles. It’s history served up in a novel.

 

 SEPTEMBER: Autobiography or Biography of your own choice.