Review: Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase

Beginning in 1969, Amber Alton is 14 years old and staying with her family at their summer house Pencraw Hall in Cornwall. Affectionately known as Black Rabbit Hall, Amber lives with her parents, twin brother Toby, and siblings Kitty and Barney and loves spending summers running wild in the gardens, woods and beach nearby.

I love a novel where the estate or family home is essentially its own character and in Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase, that has certainly been created here. Although the image of the property on this enticing gothic looking cover is a little too manicured and not how I imagined Black Rabbit Hall at all.

Here's a better description by Amber:

"Nothing changes that much. Time goes syrupy slow. The family joke is that a Black Rabbit hour lasts twice as long as a London one, but you don't get a quarter of the things done. The other thing about Black Rabbit Hall is that when you're here it feels like you've been here for centuries but when you leave it feels like the entire holiday happened in one afternoon. Maybe that's why nobody cares that the clocks are all set wrong. Not much ever happens." Page 25

This is a split narrative novel and in the present, Lorna is looking for a venue to hold her wedding. Both points of view are told in the first person, but I found myself eager to return to the 1960s and the action taking place there as observed by Amber.

"I think that adults must get sort of worn away over time, like rocks out at sea, but remain who they are, just slower and greyer with those funny vertical wrinkles in front of their ears. But the young are a different shape from one week to the next. To know us is to run alongside us, like someone trying to shout through the window of a moving train." Page 306

Eventually the two timelines come together in a sense and I enjoyed the tension driven by the tragedy and discovering the deeply held family secrets along the way.

This is my first novel by Eve Chase, but certainly won't be my last and I'm looking forward to reading The Birdcage next. Black Rabbit Hall is highly recommended for fans of historical fiction and with an endorsement from Kate Morton, who could resist?

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Secret History of Food by Matt Siegel

The Secret History of Food - Strange But True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat by Matt Siegel is a book to tantalise the taste buds. Full of spiced and biting humour, it was an interesting read but certainly doesn't cover the origins of 'everything' we eat.

I was able to appreciate the author's punny sense of humour from the Table of Contents where I read Chapter 9 is entitled Forbidden Berries or Appetite for Distraction; a play on Appetite for Destruction, the title of an 1980s album by my favourite band Guns N' Roses.

Most illuminating was the section on corn, taking us through just how many products contain corn or corn products and how much of it is fed to livestock, making corn the most produced crop in the world.

A little more quote-worthy was the section about vanilla:

"Vanilla is second in price only to saffron, a kilo of which can sell for as much as $30,000 because harvesting it requires handpicking the stigmas of 150,000 to 200,000 flowers (at three stigmas per flower)." Page 93

Pollinated by hand, vanilla plants can take months to pollinate and then another six to nine months before the fruits are ready to harvest by hand.

"But at that point they don't have any flavour, so they need to be cured and conditioned through a process that involves hand massaging them, laying them in the sun to dry each morning, and wrapping them in blankets and tucking them in at night to sweat, which can take another nine months." Page 95

The author goes on to explain vanilla can be worth more than the price of silver, but that's with shrinkage and assuming you don't lose any of the crop from fungus, pests, disease or theft!

In medieval times, bread was baked once a week due to the labour required to mill the grain, make fire, wait for the dough to rise and the efficiency of baking larger loaves less frequently.

"And remember this was before modern preservatives, so six-day-old bread back then would have been much harder and staler (on average) than six-day-old bread today. In fact, there are accounts of peasant breads in France so hard that they had to be chopped with axes to slice them." Page 129

Sure makes me glad for the bread we enjoy today.

The chapter on feasting was full of fun historical facts. A helmeted cock involved crowning a roasted cock or hen with a helmet, tucking a silver or gold leaf lance under its wing and posing it on top of a roasted piglet so it looked like the bird was riding the pig into battle. In the same vein, a redressed swan was roasted and redressed in its skin and held upright with skewers as if it were still alive. Gross! The same thing was done with peacocks, however the finishing touch involved a ball of cloth soaked with alcohol in the peacock's mouth that was lit just before serving to make it look as though the peacock was breathing fire. Kind of makes the Bombay Alaska look a little tame doesn't it?

Loved the section on chilli:

"So eating a pepper isn't unlike, say, being stung by a bee, licking a nine-volt battery, or burning your tongue on scalding hot coffee - all sensations intended to warn the body of exposure to harm and if necessary trigger a series of protective reflexes to mitigate the effects and prevent further exposure." Page 165

Siegel outlines the body's physical reactions to spicy foods and what they're in aid of. The body sweats to flush your system, your nose runs to protect your nasal passages, your eyes water to protect your corneas, you salivate to purge your mouth and coughing and sneezing protects your airways.

I always wondered why cultures who live in hot and humid climates love hot and spicy food, but the author gives us the answer:

"...as chilies also happen to kill bacteria and mask the taste and odor of foods that aren't the freshest. This would explain why spicy foods tend to be more prevalent in hotter climates, where higher temperatures make food preservation more challenging, places like Central America, southern Asia, and Indonesia." Page 170

Siegel explains that chilies may have helped preserve food before the age of refrigeration, and the sweating that takes place when eating spicy foods has a cooling effect that helps regulate body temperature. Yeah, that doesn't work for me personally, but wow, I didn't know that.

While tidbits like this were interesting and informative, I wouldn't have said Siegel discloses many 'secrets' of food but the title is certainly more appetising than 'facts and history about some foods that you might not know'.

The Secret History of Food - Strange But True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat doesn't live up to title by containing the origins of everything we eat, but it does cover a lot of things we eat and was an informative read. It certainly made me hungry, although that's not hard!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Humidity Giveaway Winner Announced

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway last week to win 1 of 2 copies of Humidity by Dan Kaufman complete with a personal inscription by the author. Entrants correctly identified Ben as the main character in this Aussie crime novel and entries closed at midnight last night.

I drew the two lucky winners today and congratulations go out to (drum roll):

Veronica & Mrs Riskgiggle!

Congratulations to you both!! You've won a signed print copy of Humidity by Dan Kaufman valued at $21.76AUD thanks to the author. You'll each receive an email from me shortly and will have 5 days to provide your AUS postal address. The author will then complete your personalised inscription and send your prize out to you directly. Cheers and Merry Christmas!

Review: When Brains Dream by Antonio Zadra & Robert Stickgold

Published in 2022, When Brains Dream - Exploring the Science and Mystery of Sleep by Antonio Zadra & Robert Stickgold was my latest choice in books about sleep and dreaming. Largely academic in nature, the book mentions many scientific sleep studies and may be a dry read for some.

According to the authors, we dream in all phases of sleep and most people dream for at least two-thirds of the night. Some researchers believe we dream all night but if you don't believe you dream at all, you do, you just don't remember your dreams on waking. Often something can happen later in the day to trigger the memory of a dream and I can still conjure the memory of dreams from days, weeks and months ago.

I'll admit I was excited early on in this book when I read:

"... we can think of dreams as either real life; portals into equally real or alternate worlds; messages and prophecies from the gods; unfulfilled wishes; random brain noise; nocturnal entertainment; communications from the future, the dead, or other minds; sources of personal insights, problem solving, and creativity; or a window into memory processing." Page 9

Hopes the authors were going to expound on each of these topics were soon dashed as I realised I was in for a scientific and academic look into dreams and dreaming. Having said that, I'd love to share my key takeaways.

It was reaffirming to read about the process proving stimuli received during sleep like smells and sounds can actively influence the dream you're having. I'm pretty sure we've all experienced the phenomenon where the sound of your alarm begins as something else in your dream before you wake up and realise it's actually your alarm going off. In one study, the smell of a burnt match or drop of water on a participant's forehead had a direct impact on the content of the dream they were having. Interesting, right? Although I did find myself chuckling at the thought of the participant waking up to a researcher with a lit match near their head.

Also reaffirming previous learned information was the correlation between the use of smart phones and insomnia. You can't fail to notice that most people turn to their phones in moments that were once spent zoning out or gazing into the distance while waiting for something or someone. Now, any moment of spare or dead time has users reaching for their device, however this leaves no time for the brain to process thoughts during the day.

Later, when the lights go out and the phones and tablets are silent and on charge, our mind is flooded with all sorts of thoughts from the day. This makes sense as pre-sleep is the brain's opportunity to sort through the day and tag any concerns for later processing during sleep. With that in mind, we should allow ourselves to zone out and be with our thoughts more often. This doesn't mean we need to meditate but you don't need to kill time or multitask all the time, just be with your thoughts.

"Our dreams rarely come to neat endings. The most common end for a dream report is, 'And then I woke up.' the dreaming brain doesn't plot out whole stories." Page 142

When we dream the mind wanders from topic to topic in a haphazard manner in the same way our daytime thoughts have no logical structure during waking hours. Another interesting tidbit in When Brains Dream was the fact that those who were born before the introduction of colour TV actually dreamed in black and white about 40 per cent of the time.

On the content of dreams:

"At a more global level, the dreamer is usually faced with some kind of problem. These can range from relatively minor difficulties - planning a course of action, trying to make sense of a situation, or finding a lost object - to serious physical or psychological dangers such as being lost, falling ill, facing interpersonal conflicts, dealing with environmental hazards, or fleeing from physical perils." Page 157

Typical dreams include dreaming of falling, being late for something, being chased, and school and study related dreams. Do you have a recurrent dream? I'd love to know!

I'm a lucid dreamer but researchers have now been able to communicate with advanced lucid dreamers in a lab with a set of pre-arranged signals. When the participant enters a dream state they communicate with researchers via a series of eye movements at the beginning of a pre-set task and when they complete it. Now that's wild!

I enjoyed seeing the list of reality checks to perform while dreaming to determine if you're awake or dreaming, they include:

"These can take many forms, including trying to read, staring at yourself in a mirror, turning on a light in a dark room, or trying to push your fingers through your palm. In most dreams, you will experience difficulties reading, mirror reflections quickly become unstable, light switches fail to work properly, and your fingers may pass through your palm or give rise to other unusual sensations." Page 238

According to the authors, carrying out these reality checks can help you realise if you're dreaming or not.

It's widely accepted that most people can't read in their dreams, but after reading this book I focussed on my lucid dreaming ability and was actually able to read in a dream I was having! I was on a plane and was able to read the title of the book the person across the aisle from me was reading. I could also read the text on a computer screen that showed an email sent by the previous passenger. Apparently this is a rare feat so I'm pretty proud to have taken my love of reading into my dreams.

When Brains Dream - Exploring the Science and Mystery of Sleep by Antonio Zadra & Robert Stickgold is recommended for the dedicated non fiction reader familiar with the basics of sleep who wants to delve into the latest scientific developments.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Melbourne Ghost Signs by Sean Reynolds

* Signed copy courtesy of Scribe Publications *

For those that don't know, a ghost sign is a hand painted advertisement on a building from the past that can still be seen today. Sometimes they're rediscovered during renovations or the demolition of an adjacent building. Appearing like a ghost from the past, they're often covered again when a new development is erected, giving us a short lived glimpse into our social history. Other ghost signs have been preserved and have managed to survive decades in the harsh Australian climate.

Hailing from Illinois, Sean Reynolds moved to Melbourne in 2015 and works for the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. During lockdown, Reynolds started to become interested in ghost signs on his daily walks with his daughter and Melbourne Ghost Signs contains the photographs he took all over Melbourne. Helpfully broken down into chapters entitled: Central Business District, West, South, East and North, the reader can jump straight to their part of town or read the book cover to cover.

The hardback is equal parts photography and history lesson, as the author does a deep dive on the property photographed, the business or product being advertised and often the business owners. Deploying a light sense of humour and an abundance of puns, Reynolds is able to conjure a sense of nostalgia as he delves into the history. Here's an example from a property in Victoria Street Footscray, where a 70 year old ad for Cinzano can still be seen.

"But wait, there's more! The building's three younger siblings, each with its own enchanting tale, add to the corner's allure: one, a former abode of Wesdan Electrical; another, a once-upon-a-time children's library turned milk bar; while the third, now emblazoned with 'D.P. Automotive Services', has donned many hats - from tailoring to boot repairs, before revving up as an automotive service shop." Page 50

During my time as Secretary for the Southbank Residents Association, The Tea House in Southbank was a hotly contested site for development. Reynolds tells us it was the heart of the Robur tea empire and opened for business in 1905. Outdoor painted advertisements for Robur Tea soon popped up everywhere, however Robur Tea was purchased by Tetley in 1974. The author points out many faded Robur signs throughout this book, and his love for the brand runs so deep he has a Robur teapot tattoo on his bicep!

Despite the relative seriousness of vanishing and reemerging heritage, facadism, ghost signs and history, the author uses clever puns throughout and has a relatable sense of humour. I smiled to myself seeing his reflection in a few of the photos and wish I could help him fulfil his unquenchable desire to taste a Tarax soft drink.

This location in West Melbourne was full of mouth watering puns to die for, here's a taste:

"The biscuit empire of T.B. Guest & Co. sprawled like a sugary Roman Empire, conquering palates and crushing competitors with the might of a thousand ovens." Page 47

Jokes aside, I would have liked for each photograph to have a date credited, as some of the ghost signs have since been covered up. And while each location has a street name and suburb attributed, I also wished the street number was included. This would have enhanced the reading experience and enabled the motivated reader to visit the site via Google Maps street view or do a drive by.

Melbourne Ghost Signs by Sean Reynolds is a terrific trip down memory lane and will appeal to readers who enjoyed Old Vintage Melbourne and Old Vintage Melbourne 1960 - 1990 by Chris Macheras (also published by Scribe Publications) or Adrift in Melbourne and Corners of Melbourne by Robyn Annear. You can also check out some of the author's photographs on Instagram.

Since finishing Melbourne Ghost Signs, I've noticed a lot more ghost signs around the city and I hope to track some down from the book over the summer. Carpe Librum!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Giveaway: Humidity by Dan Kaufman

* Giveaway courtesy of the author *

Intro

I'm running a giveaway just in time for Christmas, so if you're into Aussie crime or outback noir this one's for you. Please enter for your chance to WIN 1 of 2 signed copies of Humidity by Dan Kaufman complete with a personal inscription. The competition is open to entrants with an Australia address and entries close midnight AEST Sunday 8 December 2024. Good luck!

About the author

Dan Kaufman is a Melbourne based author and a former Sydney Morning Herald editor and journo who now teaches writing and copyediting workshops.

Blurb

Ben doesn’t like being a nude model in a small country town. Then again, the local footballers don’t like their girlfriends ogling Ben.

Broke and lonely, Ben falls for Marty, the ambitious and violent young woman rapidly taking over her brother’s drug and gun-running trade.

Once Ben gets pulled into their dark world of bikies and crime, he discovers a new level of violence that makes the footballers seem harmless – especially when his only friend is then murdered.

Giveaway

This Carpe Librum giveaway has now closed.

Review: Fierce Appetites by Elizabeth Boyle

Fierce Appetites - Lessons From My Year of Untamed Thinking by Elizabeth Boyle is structured in 12 chapters, each representing one month in the year 2020. Boyle manages to seamlessly blend elements of her own personal life with the stories and tales from her field of study as Head of Early Irish at Maynooth University and Anglo Saxon, Norse and Celtic Studies in which she has a doctorate from Cambridge University.

Drawing on Irish myths and sagas from 5th-12th centuries - part of the Middle Ages and medieval period - the 12 essay topics include: grief, journeys, inheritance, time, bodies, memory and more. From January to December, the author does mention the pandemic in order to touch on her living circumstances, the isolation of lockdown and the ways she manages to keep her students engaged, but this - thankfully - isn't a covid memoir.

Within each chapter, the author shares autobiographical information about herself, right alongside ancient stories and texts from medieval Ireland and somehow manages to make it work. Not your typical medieval historian, Elizabeth Boyle discloses to the reader many times that she left her child with her daughter's father in order to pursue her desire for knowledge and self fulfilment in another country. The separation and guilt she bears continues to surface in the essays and she boldly remains unafraid to share details of her alcoholism and sex life and the fact that she was 'the other woman'. In addition to her love of heavy metal music, I found these personal insights incongruous with her smooth and polished accent and method of delivery in the audiobook.

I imagine Dr Elizabeth Boyle is a favourite amongst her university students, despite - or perhaps a direct result of - her intimate disclosures. She's able to relate the challenges of our everyday lives in the present to medieval Irish mythology in a stimulating and nuanced way, making it easy to see why she's at the top of her field.

Fierce Appetites by Elizabeth Boyle is recommended listening for those who enjoy Irish history and memoir, a unique combination in this case.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Rapture by Emily Maguire

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

Rapture by Emily Maguire is set in the year 821 when Agnes of Mainz is five years old, having been born to an English Priest and a pagan mother who died in childbirth. Living in Germany in a city called Mainz, Agnes is raised by her father and grows up with a love of nature, books and reading. Her father regularly hosts dinners where a variety of guests from far and wide seek out his company to discuss scholarly topics and engage in academic debates.

Listening and learning at their feet, by the time she reaches adolescence, Agnes is adamant she doesn't want to become a wife and mother.

"It is said a boy can avoid war by lopping off a finger or toe. What part of me, Agnes wonders, might I sever to be freed from the bloody service required of girls?" Page 34

Preferring not to become a nun either, Agnes is ambitious and wants to pursue a life where she can continue reading, studying and learning. It's not a spoiler - it's in the blurb - but Agnes disguises herself as a man and with the help of a Benedictine monk, she joins his monastery. The structure of Fulda monastery is a real culture shock and Agnes reflects on the daily structure of the Divine Office, beginning when bells rouse them at the darkest hour for Nocturnes.

"Afterwards only the barest couple of hours to rest before being roused to sing Lauds. Then every few hours the bells calling her back to the cold, stinking church for Prime, Terce, Sext, Nones. Every day at least one additional mass and sometimes two. Several days a week they sing Psalms for the deceased. Always, Vespers as the sun goes down and, finally, in the full darkness of night, Compline." Page 90

These terms - Prime, Vespers, Compline - are often mentioned in many of the historical fiction novels I read and I wish I could remember their order and time of day. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Agnes's time adjusting to the schedule, learning the different tasks performed by the monks and of course how she conceals her true identity in a monastery full of men.

Fortunately the deception is realistic and believable and the narrative isn't heavily steeped in religious fervour. The theme of desire dominates the book as Agnes stifles her physical desires in pursuit of stimulating her mind and achieving academic accomplishment. There are threats to Agnes continuing her life's purpose, but I admired how she steadfastly remained true to herself.

Maguire's writing is exquisite and I enjoyed the snippets of debate Agnes has with other learned men in the tradition of the discussions held around her father's dinner table:

"This man, whose name she has long forgotten, always assumes the barbarian monk will support his bellicosity, always acts newly shocked that she condemns swords and fire as a first resort. He is an old man but has clearly never seen war or its ugly aftermath. That a Christian with differing views is better off headless is an easy opinion if you have never had to see the insides of a severed neck." Page 182

Agnes is praised for her work as a scribe and scholar and for her knowledge of languages, not to mention her theological rigour and elegance of phrasing yet her subsequent career trajectory was a surprising one. I didn't love the way the author ended Agnes's time with the reader, but by then I'd already enjoyed a 5 star read and it wasn't enough to sway my rating.

With one of my favourite cover designs of the year, Rapture by Australian author Emily Maguire will appeal to historical fiction readers who have enjoyed books like Cuddy by Benjamin Myers or The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco.

Highly recommended!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Psykhe by Kate Forsyth

Having a relatively poor knowledge of Greek and Roman mythology, I was a little concerned when I picked up Psykhe by Kate Forsyth. It's a fictional re-telling of the Greek Godess Psyche and Cupid and I was worried I might end up lost in the narrative or missing references I couldn't place due to my lack of background in the classics.

Kate Forsyth is a favourite Australian author of mine and I should have trusted she would make her tale accessible to those familiar with ancient mythology and those relatively new to it.

Set in Italy, our protagonist introduces herself on the first page by recounting her dramatic birth. Born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck and appearing blue and all but dead, her mother's midwife blew air into her lungs and brought her back to life:

"So I was named Psykhe, which means breath and soul and butterfly, words having many meanings. Only gods die and return to this world alive. So as I grew into girlhood, many people began to think I too must be divine." Page 3

It's clear by the second page that Psykhe has albinism and it was interesting to read an historical fiction novel featuring a main character with the physical traits of albinism; white hair, low vision and extremely sensitive skin which can burn and blister in the sun. It's a topic that has interested me for years and you can read my review of Beyond the Pale - Folklore, Family and the Mystery of Our Hidden Genes by Emily Urquhart for more on albinism in history although I suspect there are better books on the topic.

I can't comment on how Psykhe having albinism compares to the original myth, however I did find it a stretch to believe that an albino woman would be considered a great beauty at the time. Usually albinism is accompanied by fears of curses, dark forces or magic.

Psykhe learns the healing properties of herbs and plants and becomes a midwife, also drawing attention to herself as a potential witch. These early years are where the book excels and it's clear the author loves writing about potions and tonics and the many uses for plants known at the time.

Psykhe's relationship with a cruel and absent father highlighted the complete lack of agency she and her sisters experience as young girls and later young women. Psykhe falls in love with an immortal, referred to as Cupid or Eros in ancient mythology and a romance ensues.

When introducing the Vestal Virgins of Rome - which I just learned about watching Those About to Die with Anthony Hopkins - the author describes the Roman temple:

"The round temple to Vesta, where virgins dressed in white tended the everlasting flame of the goddess of the hearth. Taken when only children, they would never know the touch of a man's hand, the deep kiss of desire, the swelling of a child in their womb, the suck of a babe on their breast." Page 103

Readers familiar with Greek and Roman mythology may have issue with some of the author's choices in the novel but I don't know my history well enough to pass judgement. I did find several elements a bit of a stretch (a caesarian section, mouth to mouth resuscitation and the albinism) but largely enjoyed the narrative. While unconvinced by the romance element, I enjoyed the challenges presented by loving a mortal, the supernatural and fantasy elements and the lengths Psykhe goes to for love; including her quest to the underworld.

Psykhe by Kate Forsyth is a feminist re-telling that will appeal to lovers of mythology, fantasy, romantasy and historical fiction.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Silence Of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski

How's this for an opening line:

"Bonaventure Arrow didn't make a peep when he was born, and the doctor nearly took him for dead." Page 3

The Silence Of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski grabbed my attention immediately with that opening line. Set in sultry New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou in the late 1940s-1950s, Bonaventure's mother Dancy mourns the death of her husband while pregnant with Bonaventure. Born without a sound - who could forget that opening line - Bonaventure is different from other babies and doesn't cry; ever.

As he grows older, it becomes clear Bonaventure is mute, he doesn't make any sound at all but the reader knows he has a gift that allows him to hear what no-one else can. Bonaventure can hear his mother's heartbeat and find the sound of her blood flowing no matter how far away she is.

"Bonaventure Arrow could hear conjured charms and sanctified spirits deep in the marrow of New Orleans. He could hear the movements of voodoo queens and the prayers of long dead saints. He could hear the past and the present." Page 7

As he ages, Bonaventure knows his mother still mourns the murder of his father and doesn't yet know that the voice he hears and speaks to telepathically is that of his Dad. Living with his religious paternal Grandmother and fearing his religious extremist maternal grandmother, Bonaventure knows he needs to help them all to heal from their emotional and spiritual wounds.

"Although there were no definitive answers, the latest test showed that voice or no voice, Bonaventure's hearing was exceptionally acute. However, the test did not quantify his ability. Everyone would have been shocked to know that he could hear such things as the blink of an eye from across the room, or the sound of a falling flower petal before it hit the floor. They would never have been able to fathom that the scope of his hearing wasn't even accurately gauged by the sounds of blinking eyes and falling petals, or even by the sounds of shooting stars. For how can such a glorious gift be measured? Surely its value is tied to the giver's intentions, which in the case of Bonaventure Arrow had to do with bringing peace to the living and the dead." Page 122

Bonaventure is a curious, sensitive and thoughtful boy and the plot quickens when a Creole housekeeper moves in to the Arrow household. The two of them have a special connection and Bonaventure learns more about his gift, discovers the difference between hoodoo and voodoo and devises a way to communicate.

While the character development is richly layered, I occasionally found myself wondering if we really needed to know so many ancestral backstories. The descriptions of Bonaventure's gift were the absolute highlight of the book for me, so I'll hope you'll forgive the long quote above. There were so many more I could have included.

With themes of love, loss, grief and healing, I thoroughly enjoyed The Silence Of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski and would readily read another instalment as Bonaventure enters adulthood.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Mortal Monarchs - 1000 Years of Royal Deaths by Suzie Edge

Mortal Monarchs - 1000 Years of Royal Deaths by Suzie Edge gives the reader a short overview of the deaths of 48 monarchs in England and Scotland over the last 1000 years. Beginning with the demise of Harold Godwinson in 1066 and concluding with the death of George VI in 1952, a chapter is devoted to each monarch.

Listening on audiobook, the chapters vary from approx 4-15 minutes in duration, and I found them to be just the right length. However, as I realised just how many deaths the author needed to cover, the repetitive format did start to become a little tedious. Fortunately the short chapters meant I could return to the book every now and again for another monarch's bloody passing from consumption, sweating sickness, dysentery or war wounds.

The author is a medical doctor and historian and when listening to the chapter dedicated to King Henry V who died of dysentery in 1492, I learned more about how the body expels a pathogen through either vomiting or diarrhoea.

"Diarrhoea is the body's way of getting rid of bacteria causing problems within the gut by emptying out toxins or poisons fast. For faeces to leave the body in a hurry, we cannot just rely on the action of peristalsis, the normal push/pull movement of the gut tubes that move the human waste along. If you still need more of a push, then the abdominal muscles will help by contracting. They squeeze as hard as they can to push out faecal matter fast. That is why it hurts. It can also be worryingly dehydrating as water is pulled into the gut to help dilute and remove the offending bacteria." Chapter 17

This was a huge revelation to me. Firstly, I had no idea that water is pulled into the gut from around the body, which is what causes the dehydration symptoms of headache and so on. Secondly, I had no clue that the water was pulled into the gut in order to dilute the offending bacteria and ease its passage. I guess I never gave much thought to where the water came from or why it was there, but next time - let's hope it's far into the future - I'll be more informed.

Fortunately, Mortal Monarchs was published during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and so it doesn't include her death in 2022. This does date the book now that Charles III is King, but as a royalist, I don't feel the book is lacking. I think it'd be strange to read an updated version where her cause of death was included and discussed in this manner.

Mortal Monarchs will appeal to trivia and history buffs and I just wish I could retain all of the monarchs names in order and the dates and means of their passing.

Having read Vital Organs - A History of the World's Most Famous Body Parts and History Stinks! Poo Through the Ages, I continue to learn from Dr Suzie Edge, so I'm looking forward to the release of History Stinks! Wee, Snot and Slime Through Time in 2025. I can't imagine what I'll learn about the human body but I'll be sure to let you know!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Leave the Girls Behind by Jacqueline Bublitz

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

I enjoyed Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz in 2021 and the author is back this year with Leave the Girls Behind. Unrelated to her debut, Leave the Girls Behind starts in New York and takes the reader to New Zealand and beyond before the denouement.

Our protagonist Ruth is still haunted by the kidnapping and murder of her childhood friend by Ethan Oswald nineteen years ago. Later convicted of her murder, Oswald died in jail before Ruth could prove he was guilty of more crimes.

Once obsessed with the case and part of the online sleuthing community, Ruth has put it somewhat behind her and is now a bar tender in New York. When a young girl from her home town is kidnapped Ruth's past comes rushing back. Convinced Oswald had an accomplice, Ruth starts looking into the women in his life under the guise of creating a true crime podcast.

In Before You Knew My Name, the narrative focussed on what happens after a member of the public - protagonist Ruby - discovers the body of a victim of crime. Given Ruby was the name of the main character in the previous novel, I thought the use of the name Ruth in this one was way too similar for my liking, but I guess it's a minor point.

What unites these two crime novels is the injustice of violence against women, and in this outing Bublitz explores the idea that some women in the orbit of a suspect could be complicit, willingly turn a blind eye or even go so far as to help perpetrators of terrible crimes.

"'And it really shouldn't matter. But it does in the end, because if you grow up thinking you are not special, you cling to anyone who suggests you might be.'" Page 214

Through the characters and their life experiences, Bublitz explores how women might find themselves under the influence of perpetrators like Ethan Oswald.

The author divides her time between Melbourne and New Zealand's North Island and Ruth's scenes in New Zealand added to the narrative. I also enjoyed the mention of Melbourne in the novel, despite being used as a method to highlight the extreme levels of domestic violence in Australia:

"Melbourne, it seems, is a city reeling from its failures. Ruth reads pages and pages of articles dedicated to examining the epidemic of family violence not just in this city but across the entire country. The data is horrifying; at least one Australian woman a week is murdered by an intimate partner." Page 188

I share the author's outrage at this statistic and she doesn't shy away - and nor should she - from the darker side of domestic violence and the toll it takes on Australian women and their families.

The cast of characters is extensive and their connections to the case became a little complicated and difficult to keep track of at times. Leave the Girls Behind is recommended for fans of crime fiction with a focus on the issue of domestic violence and culpability.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Life of Birds by David Attenborough

David Attenborough is a biologist, natural historian and international treasure and I don't know why it's taken me this long to read one of his books. In a continuation of my recent stretch of nature books, The Life of Birds by David Attenborough was an enlightening read.

Covering a range of birds from all over the world, the book is chock full of information and new-to-me facts like this one:

"One of the heaviest of all flying birds is the swan. A full grown one may weigh close to 16 kilos." Page 37

Outlining the different phases of a bird's life cycle, The Life of Birds covers flight, birdsong, mating rituals, the laying of eggs and nurturing of young.

The audiobook was easy and informative to listen to and the book offers a limited number of colour photos. As a consequence, you can't see all of the birds mentioned or the behaviour being described. But let's face it, while I might be able to find 10 hours a month to listen to an audiobook, I'm never going to invest that amount of time watching bird documentaries; even at the hands of a legend like David Attenborough.

Back to the book and I was fascinated to learn that geese fly in a V formation to take advantage of the slip stream, which is strongest at the wing tip of the bird ahead of them. Not only that, flapping in unison gives even greater advantage to all but the lead bird at the front of the formation. Just as in cycling, the birds take turns at the front so that they all share in the work. Fascinating!

A mature oak tree can generate ninety thousand acorns in a season which I found truly astonishing. Some birds like the jay bury individual acorns, using local landmarks to remember the location of each cache, and sometimes placing pebbles and stones nearby as markers. Meanwhile, other birds stash their acorns in the same location.

"Willow tits hold the record for the number that an individual bird will store in a day - over a thousand. The nutcracker, a European relative of the crow, collects the greatest number to be gathered in a single season - up to one hundred thousand." Page 64

This reminded me of the woodpecker responsible for storing 317 kilos (700 pounds) of acorns in the wall of a homeowner's house in California.

When describing the gargantuan appetite of young chicks in the chapter entitled The Problems of Parenthood, Attenborough tells us:

"A great tit, which feeds its young with beakfuls of insects, may deliver food to its nest nine hundred times a day." Page 215

Wow. If you love birds, nature or the work of the great David Attenborough, you'll enjoy The Life of Birds. Gotta fly!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

* Copy courtesy of Penguin Random House *

Ernest (Ernie) Cunningham is back for the third time in this Christmas themed special, Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret by Benjamin Stevenson. Ernie re-introduces himself to the reader, serving as a reminder for fans and a perfect - yet brief - introduction for new readers picking this up as a standalone.

In the Prologue, Ernie promises to follow the rules of crime writing in another fair play murder mystery that won't include unreliable narrators or hidden clues. Instead, he'll be delivering this Christmas crime special in the form of a twenty-four chapter advent calender with seven gifts wrapped under a tree and six suspects to consider. By the end of the Prologue I was back on board the Cunningham express and keen to open my presents.

Set in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Ernie attends Katoomba police station in the opening pages to speak with a person charged with murder. After hearing their story, he readily agrees to take on the case. Cleverly written with periodic nods to the classics, Stevenson draws on his comedic talent and the laughs are never far away:

"Jeez, Ern. You really are some kind of detective these days. How'd you know that?" "I googled it while you were crying." Page 22

Ernie regularly breaks the fourth wall to address the reader and foreshadow events - even disclosing when he'll solve the case - heightening the tension as he investigates the murder. Stevenson has kept track of all the Yuletide threads in this tightly plotted mystery and I think Ern is getting better with each investigation. I love the unique writing style and the clever way the author uses particular writing techniques to entertain the reader.

The author also manages to include interesting character observations and everyday interactions in a way that made me stop and take notice in recognition:

"I nodded. She had a thick Irish accent that was taking me a few minutes to jump into the skipping rope of." Page 56

This is such a perfectly relatable description presented in a way that's flattering to the character and adds dimension and depth to this light-hearted mystery. The 7 Commandments of Holiday Specials was the perfect touch to wrap up this festive Christmas novella full of holiday cheer with just a touch of magic.

Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret by Australian author Benjamin Stevenson is the third installation in a series that is entering rare territory here at Carpe Librum, that is: every book has been a 5 star read!

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everyone on this Train is a Suspect ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Highly recommended and the perfect Christmas gift!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

There are so many classics I still haven't read and thankfully my bookish buddy Veronica from The Burgeoning Bookshelf bravely agreed to tackle Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe with me recently. We were both reading the Penguin clothbound edition and when I encountered a sentence 21 lines long within the first six pages - and looking further ahead saw zero chapter breaks - I knew I was in for a challenging read.

Published more than 300 years ago in 1719, this review is going to contain plot developments so if you're precious about having the plot of Robinson Crusoe spoiled you should give this review a miss. This book is about Robinson Crusoe and his adventures after being shipwrecked on an island. We get a surprising amount of backstory before the eventual shipwrecking but we're told on the title page that Crusoe spends 28 years alone on an un-inhabited island so how's that for a 300 year old spoiler from the author?

As a character, I wasn't a fan of Crusoe at all and I found him selfish and self-serving. The novel contains much internal reflection and thoughts about God and purpose and you could argue it was a spiritual story of sorts, although lacking a conclusion.

"Upon the whole, here was an undoubted testimony, that there was scarce any condition in the world so miserable, but there was something negative or something positive to be thankful for in it; and let this stand as a direction from the experience of the most miserable of all conditions in this world, that we may always find in it something to comfort our selves from, and to set in the description of good and evil, on the credit side of the accompt." Page 54

Crusoe has a good attitude in this regard and the ability to see the silver lining is an important life lesson still being learned today. There's also a heavy focus on gratitude, as this quote attests:

"It put me upon reflecting, how little repining there would be among mankind, at any condition of life, if people would rather compare their condition with those that are worse, in order to be thankful, than be always comparing them with those which are better, to assist their murmurings and complainings." Page 132

Naturally we have many sayings to this effect (the grass is always greener, there's always someone worse off than you, a bird in the hand etc.) but 300 years ago, I wonder if this sentiment was as well known as it is today.

However, I was most entertained when Crusoe was being industrious on the island. Scavenging everything he could from the shipwreck, he sets up a camp with defences, plans out his rations, ingeniously cultivates food sources and builds and makes almost anything. In the time he was alone, he dries grapes for raisins each season, builds pens for wild goats, sows corn and barley, weaves baskets and makes clothes, furniture and more.

The scariest part of the book by far was when Crusoe saw a footprint in the sand that wasn't his own. He was terrified and for the next two years worked to increase his defences while continuing to monitor his surroundings in fear.

Eventually we learn the footprint belongs to visiting 'savages' as Crusoe calls them - and again the reader needs to remember this was written 300 years ago - and he witnesses them killing and eating human prisoners. Embarking on a plan to rescue a prisoner was a grand idea, until Crusoe shares his ultimate purpose is not for a companion but to make one his slave.

"Besides, I fancied myself able to manage one, nay, two or three savages, if I had them so as to make them entirely slaves to me, to do whatever I should direct them, and to prevent their being able at any time to do me any hurt." Page 158

I found this abhorrent and was grinding my teeth in anger when Crusoe succeeds. He calls his freed captive Friday - for the day he was rescued - which I found terribly insulting. With all of that religious reflection, why didn't he choose to call the man Providence, Faith or Adam? He teaches Friday english and tells him his name is Master (eye roll). Friday is grateful to Crusoe for saving his life and swears fealty - in effect - for life.

Other similar rescues occur after this point, including Friday's father. Their reunion was an emotional moment, but he and a Spaniard return to the mainland in a canoe to rescue fellow Spaniards and plan to return to Crusoe's island and share in the plentiful provisions. In that time, a mutinied ship arrives, a battle of weapons and wits takes place, and Crusoe becomes the captain of sorts.

Without any hesitation, Crusoe decides to leave the island for good, completely setting aside his previous plan with Friday's father. I was infuriated that Crusoe has no qualms abandoning his previous agreement, instead believing a letter will suffice. He also doesn't acknowledge any reluctance by Friday to leave the island before his father has returned, knowing they may never see each other again.

When Crusoe reaches society, there was plenty about his business dealings but I was interested to hear how Friday was adjusting to the culture shock. Crusoe goes on to have a family, but did Friday want to return home or have a family of his own?

Alas we never find out because the protagonist is too selfish to care, taking pains to provide for a loyal old woman from his earlier life as a young man yet completely dismissive of his year's long companion. There's also no reflecting on God after his 'salvation' either. He just goes back to business and his affairs, ugh!

Having finished it, I'm shocked Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe has been recommended reading for children and students over the years. The internal reflections are dull and the cannibalism and murders make it way too violent for young readers. If the book started with his shipwreck and focussed purely on his labours, then it would be one hell of an adventure. Alas, we have this story instead and I didn't enjoy it.

Thanks to Veronica for the buddy read and the encouragement to get through this. It's now off my list, woohoo! (I'm publishing this review on a Friday in tribute to an exploited and overlooked character).

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Australian Ghost Stories by James Phelps

* Copy courtesy of Harper Collins *

Australian Ghost Stories - Shocking True Crime Stories of the Haunted, The Supernatural and Paranormal Happenings by James Phelps was an engaging piece of investigative journalism and a riveting read.

Promises to include accounts from a rugby league legend, Bathurst winner and an Aussie rock icon were delivered, although my favourite accounts came from regular members of the public. I was hoping to read about the house in Humpty Doo, but given the author's efforts to bring previously unknown cases to light and shy away from the already heavily publicised ones, I understand why Humpty Doo wasn't included.

In addition to several family homes on regular suburban streets, the author included the Aradale Lunatic Asylum in Ararat, Victoria, and the Hydro Majestic in the Blue Mountains, NSW. This was the first time I'd ever heard mention of the Hydro Majestic - the hydropathic sanatorium turned hotel retreat for the rich - but then it cropped up in the very next book I read, Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson. I love bookish coincidences like this and I'd love to stay there one day.

Not surprisingly, the author drew from his extensive knowledge of Australian prisons and jails, having researched and written several books about them, two of which I've read: Australia's Most Murderous Prison - Behind the Walls of Goulburn Jail and Green Is The New Black - Inside Australia's Hardest Women's Jails. St Saviour's Cemetery is the oldest of Goulburn's forty graveyards and the accounts from hardened prison officers working at Goulburn jail were super creepy.

The colour photographs were a great inclusion and not all accounts were specifically linked to a true crime; in many cases there was no known reason for the haunting. In presenting his research gathered from interviewing more than a hundred people, James Phelps isn't afraid to break the fourth wall and the narrative often jumped around in time and location.

"(Even authors are allowed to do supernatural things while writing a book about the supernatural). And to confuse things even more, we are going to hit fast forward instead of rewind." Page 136

I wondered why this seemingly erratic writing style was necessary and I can only imagine it was to keep the reader engaged but a lesser committed reader may find it too distracting. Not me though, I was here for ALL of the stories, no matter their method of delivery or how much I longed for a fixed structure.

Enjoying an interview with James Phelps about Australian Ghost Stories on GoodReading recently, I was surprised to read that the author doesn't believe in the supernatural. If Phelps was a sceptic looking for answers, surely he found them after traversing the country recording first hand accounts with people from all walks of life with nothing to gain by sharing their accounts for this book. There are just too many unexplained experiences.

Australian Ghost Stories by James Phelps made the hairs on my arms stand up, but if you're a sceptic, I'm not convinced this will make you a believer; but what could? Perhaps a visit to St Saviour's Cemetery would be a good place to start... or if that sounds too confronting, you could always read a FREE sample of the book... with the light on of course!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre

The plot behind The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre (A.R. Torre) isn't new - author tells life story to writer before their death* - but in this author's hand, the trope was an absolute winner!

Helena is a famous and successful romance author who lied about the way her husband and child died four years ago. A cancer diagnosis and news she has just a few months to live has galvanised Helena into action and she plans to reveal all in her last ever book. After embarking on the writing process, her health deteriorates to the point she needs help. Helena reaches out to her nemesis in the romance genre and puts aside their year's long rivalry to ask for professional help finishing the memoir. This is the ghostwriter of the title, although the book doesn't focus on them so I'm not clear on the choice of title.

The Ghostwriter is a slow burn mystery and the reader finds out more about Helena's backstory at the same time as the ghostwriter. Chapters of the manuscript are woven into the narrative and we hear from Helena in the first person, her agent Kate and of course the ghostwriter.

Now a gruff and no nonsense woman with no discernible outward warmth, the events which made Helena this way are revealed as she seeks to make peace with her past before her illness claims her. The bond that forms between Helena and the ghostwriter was powerful and left them both changed by the end.

At no time did I have any inkling as to where the story was going, nor was I able to guess at the ending. And wow, what an ending! According to the Author's Note, this is her fourteenth novel and it really shows in the tightness of the plotting and building of suspense.

The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre was an expertly crafted domestic thriller and I absolutely loved it. Highly recommended and definitely one of my favourite reads so far this year!

* The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is the best example of this 'author confesses all' trope.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant

After a bout of serious reading, I was in the mood for some light-hearted middle grade magic and The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant was just the ticket. Affectionately known as Dilly, our main character Cordelia is the youngest member of the Hatmaker family. These magical milliners utilise alchemy and weave enchantments into each of their unique creations to give the wearers the qualities they seek. This could include a hat to combat stage fright or a hat to instil peace within the wearer.

When Cordelia's father is lost at sea at the beginning of the book, this kicks off an entertaining series of events.

The book is set in London around the year 1800 placing it in the Regency era and there are other Royal maker families in this fantasy world, including: the Cloakmakers, Glovemakers, Watchmakers, Bootmakers and Canemakers.

These families are ancient rivals and Cordelia is training to become a hatmaker when she learns:

"Magic is in everything natural in the world. Magic lives in the wind, in the rivers, in the earth, in the sunlight. It's in flowers and trees and rocks and it's born in all creatures. But most people have forgotten about it or - even worse than forgetting - they think it's old-fashioned." Page 66

Merchant's imaginative writing when it comes to magic is a little reminiscent of the world building in Harry Potter but in a refreshingly unique way. As an example, every meal made by the Cook at the Hatmaker's house was a symphony of deliciousness that had the potential to heal all manner of maladies:

"Cook would stir up herby stews to soothe hurt feelings, bake honey cakes to mend broken hearts, make crinkle-crusted pies for courage, and melting-cheese pastries to bolster tired souls. Her cucumber soup could cool a hot temper and her bread-and-butter pudding inspired kindness in even the grumpiest person. Her roast potatoes seemed to help with everything." Page 43

I'd love to try everything but the cucumber soup. Containing several illustrations by Paola Escobar, it turns out The Hatmakers is the first in a series. The second book in the series is called The Mapmakers followed by The Troublemakers which was published earlier this year.

Incidentally, it was only when writing this review that I learned the author Tamzin Merchant played the role of Catherine Howard in The Tudors (mind blown!) as well as Imogen Spurnrose in Carnival Row. What a talented and versatile woman.

The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant is thoroughly recommended for middle grade readers looking for a unique adventure, but don't forget your hat!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

I was given a copy of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius by a family member for Christmas in 2021 and it contains the spiritual reflections of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius from 180AD. I'll admit it was a little intimidating, difficult to read at times and the sentiments became repetitive but I’m pleased to have read it.

Meditations is a collection of personal thoughts divided into 12 books although I wasn't able to discern any clear theme or order to any of the books. Marcus Aureliuis had a staunch belief in the gods and that the soul lives on after death. Believing all things have a natural beginning and an end, he also held the view that the gods would never give a man more than he could endure.

Reading like a series of dot points from a self help book, here's an example of advice from early on in the book that we can still apply today:

"Do not waste the remaining part of your life in thoughts about other people, when you are not thinking with reference to some aspect of the common good. Why deprive yourself of the time for some other task? I mean, thinking about what so-and-so is doing, and why, what he is saying or contemplating or plotting, and all that line of thought, makes you stray from the close watch on your own directing mind." Page 17

The author never expected his work to be published which explains the lack of order or cohesion to his thoughts. Instead, these writings are personal reminders to himself on how to 'do better' as we say today. It includes sage advice for the ages, like this:

"The best revenge is not to be like your enemy." Page 46

Reading Meditations is akin to reading a series of distilled diary entries or prompts on how to lead a principled life and be a good example to others, and included suggestions like this one:

"So keep yourself simple, good, pure, serious, unpretentious, a friend of justice, god-fearing, kind, full of affection, strong for your proper work. Strive hard to remain the same man that philosophy wished to make you. Revere the gods, look after men. Life is short. The one harvest of existence on earth is a godly habit of mind and social action." Page 51

Marcus Aurelius mentions the duty of man many times in his writings, and believes strongly that to be a good person you need to contribute positively to the community, best summarised in this observation:

"What does not benefit the hive does not benefit the bee either." Page 57

I found some of his opinions harsh, particularly his thoughts about death and sleep:

"When you are reluctant to get up from your sleep, remind yourself that it is your constitution and man's nature to perform social acts, whereas sleep is something you share with dumb animals. Now what accords with the nature of each being is thereby the more closely related to it, the more in its essence, and indeed the more to its liking." Page 73

Marcus Aurelius didn't appear to fear death, quite the opposite actually. He wrote frequently of facing the fact death is inevitable and advising not to worry about it. Instead he encouraged embracing death although there's no way of knowing if he was able to do this himself when his time came.

"What dies does not pass out of the universe. If it remains here and is changed, then here too it is resolved into the everlasting constituents, which are the elements of the universe and of you yourself. These too change, and make no complaint of it." Page 74

If I had to summarise Meditations, I would say the overall sentiment is: life is short, we will all die soon and be forgotten so work hard, obey the gods and be an upstanding man.

"Work. Don't work as a miserable drudge, or in any expectation of pity or admiration. One aim only: action or inaction as civic cause demands." Page 86

I wonder what the author would think of today's society and work ethic. What's clear in his work is his recognition of the passage of time, and how quickly we die and will soon after be forgotten. Perhaps he would be pleased to know that centuries later people still study his work, but most of us can never hope to achieve this type of legacy.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius was repetitive and a tough read given the translation, beliefs of the times and the dot point nature begging an overarching structure that just wasn't there. In this case, the sense of accomplishment I feel after reading Meditations is greater than my rating, but 'I make no complaint of it' and am more than satisfied.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Golden Mole by Katherine Rundell

In the mood to continue learning about our natural world, I recently picked up The Golden Mole - And Other Vanishing Treasure by Katherine Rundell. Reading the e-book and listening to the audiobook read by Lenny Henry, each of the short chapters are dedicated to a particular endangered animal. There were a total of 22 animals featured in the book, including: the wombat, giraffe, lemur, narwhal, seahorse, pangolin and the golden mole of the title. A variety of creatures were chosen, including those that live in water, on the land or in the air; the large; the small; those that bring good luck as well as those that inspire fear.

I was proud of myself for reading the chapter about the spider given my fear of arachnids and just Googling the word now to check my spelling gave me a bloody heart attack! I also enjoyed hearing one of my favourite animal facts: the horn of the narwhal was once misrepresented to collectors as belonging to a unicorn.

I enjoyed being reminded that crows have great memories and are highly intelligent, they remember human faces and are capable of rewarding and punishing behaviour in kind. In an example, the author explains that university students wearing masks captured crows and kept them briefly in captivity before releasing them. When the students walked past them again without their masks they were ignored, but if they were wearing the masks they were mobbed by the crows still carrying a grudge. The information was passed down to the next generation, and students wearing the same masks long after all of the original crows had died were also attacked. 

On the plus side, the reverse is also true and crows can reward human behaviour. A girl in Seattle by the name of Gabi Mann became famous when the crows she'd fed for years began to bring her gifts in return. When her mother dropped the lens cap from her camera in a field nearby, one of the crows picked it up, washed it in their bird bath back at home and left it out for her to find. Astonishing! (For more on crows and ravens, check out my review of The Ravenmaster - My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Skaife or The Book of the Raven - Corvids in Art & Legend by Caroline Roberts and Angus Hyland).

Some of the creatures featured in The Golden Mole may be familiar but you might be surprised to learn about others facing endangerment and extinction.

The Golden Mole by Katherine Rundell is recommended for animal lovers and readers who enjoy short, punchy chapters about wildlife and the endangered species all around us.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Cuddy by Benjamin Myers

Cuddy by Benjamin Myers is an historical fiction novel told in a blend of writing styles, including: narrative prose, quotes from historical reference books, poetry, diary entries and even a play. Anticipating a novel about the life of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne told in a fictional first person point of view, Cuddy was an unexpected story.

Born in 634 AD in Northumbria (modern day Scotland), Cuthbert had been a monk, a prior and a bishop and was a hermit at the time of his death in 687 AD. Beloved in life, many came to pray at his grave at Lindisfarne and were healed. Deciding to elevate his remains as relics on the anniversary of his death, his body was found intact - hadn't decomposed - and he was declared a saint. Pilgrims visited the shrine for decades until Viking raids threatened the area.

Cuthbert's body was transferred to a coffin and transported by a dedicated group of worshippers seeking a safe resting place for their beloved saint. On the move until the year 995, a site was finally chosen and a series of churches were built to house St Cuthbert's remains. Construction of Durham Cathedral commenced in 1093 and still houses the Shrine of St Cuthbert today.

Pieced together from the non fiction quotes in the book, I share all of this because it's a fascinating slice of history and if you're still reading, it means you agree. Myers has created characters from each of these periods of Cuthbert's history in the wildly different formats mentioned above.

We hear from Cuthbert (affectionately known as Cuddy) early in the book but he's already close to death:

"Well now. You should have been here a candle or two ago. The scenes of despair amongst the monks at my final days of retreat to this bluff in the foaming ocean was quite the picture." Page 7

I love that phrase, 'a candle or two ago.' In Book I we join the religious folk in 995 AD carrying Cuthbert's remains and an orphan girl who has visions regarding his final resting place.

In Book II we jump to the year 1346 and through the eyes of the fletcher's wife, meet a stonemason engaged in building the great Durham Cathedral. The work of the mason and the history of the stone - then and now centuries later - was beautifully written:

"In the stone is yesterday's sun and the stories it has seen, not only of wandering holy folk and the fiery Norse, not only old white churches and milkmaids, galloping Frenchmen and the green men that took to the trees but other details not always pressed to the page by monks. Everything the stone has borne silent witness to is held within it now...... Rainstorms and quarrymen, Picts, plague pits and paupers, hawkers and jesters, skirling new life and coughing old death, archers and anglers, devils and angels, sunrises and sunsets, courting couples sitting on stone walls watching snowfall, villeins and franklin and wandering freemen, nets of cuttlefish and pails of crabs, sores and scabs, bed-bound mothers and gaoled fathers, babies - a thousand wailing babies - and church bells, cabbage soup and nettles and worms and sacks and jam and garlic and knives and deer and murder and toll gates and caravans and soothsayers and plums and coffin-makers and lepers and laughter and ice and logs and oats and sex and sin and Cuddy and Jesus and God." Page 237

I know that was a long quote, but it perfectly captures the awe and wonder I feel when gazing at a Cathedral built more than 1000 years ago and I want to be able to revisit these words again, even if I no longer have the book.

Leaving those characters behind to leap forward a few centuries, the Interlude was based on a haunting and shocking account of history. In 1650, Durham Cathedral was used as a prison by Oliver Cromwell to house 3,000 Scottish prisoners of war. Suffering in the cold without food or water, the prisoners destroyed the pews and burned the timber in order to keep warm. Devastatingly, 1,700 soldiers died from battle injuries, dehydration and starvation and were buried in mass graves nearby.

This is a disturbing chapter of history I knew nothing about but certainly won't forget, as the author has created a macabre play for the Interlude, whereby several soldiers being held captive engage in dialogue with eachother and the cathedral. Yes, you read that right.

It was a relief to reach Book III covering the period in 1827 when an arrogant Professor from Oxford travels to the Cathedral to oversee the disinterment of the saint in order to verify his remains are uncorrupted. Diary entries tell this tale and the character is haunted by his complicity and fears for his sanity. I felt the author's outrage at the desecration and believe the character met a satisfying fate. 

Book IV brings us to 2019 and it was perhaps an unnecessarily long tale to deliver the reader to Durham Cathedral and the tomb of St Cuthbert.

Cuddy by Benjamin Myers seemed to me to be the story behind the building of Durham Cathedral over time told through the lives of a handful of individuals:

"My story, and that of Fletcher Bullard, just one story in a thousand million stories that combine to define a place, concludes thusly:" Page 263

While brief, each serves as a complete story and while the reader may be reluctant to leave a character or point in time, their stories reach a natural conclusion of sorts.

A word on the layout as there were several techniques that were used - presumably - to impress but which I found slightly irritating. In one case, a character's visions were presented in one continuous paragraph with font that slowly reduced in size until it was barely readable by the end. Elsewhere, poetry was presented with varying alignment choices that left me cold, with just one word or sometimes even one letter per line. I guess you could say that while I enjoyed the mashup of writing styles within Cuddy, the unconventional layout choices fell short of the mark.

The descriptions of the cathedral from characters across time were incredible, with the 2019 character of Michael describing the vast edifice before him as enrapturing. It certainly had me pausing at certain times in the novel to research a fact or take a virtual tour of the cathedral and I'd love to visit in person one day, even just to see the sanctuary knocker.

"The face of the Sanctuary Knocker then, is that of the lonely miscreant, the damned, the doomed, the cursed, the blasted, the blighted, the bedevilled, the fated; he who shall live their life seeking God's eternal forgiveness alone." Page 197

Now that I've finished reading Cuddy, I believe it to be the complex history of Durham Cathedral rather than the story of a saint. This unique blend of fact and fiction and multiple writing styles felt original and is recommended for fans of Ken Follett and his series beginning with The Pillars of the Earth.

Prologue AD 687
Book I Saint Cuddy AD 995
Book II The Mason's Mark AD 1346
Interlude The Stone Speaks AD 1650
Book III The Corpse in the Cathedral AD 1827
Book IV Daft Lad AD 2019

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★