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:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Historical Fiction Challenge Completed 2023

At the beginning of the year I signed up for the Renaissance Reader level of the 2023 Historical Fiction Challenge which required me to read 10 historical fiction books. As a comparison, last year I read 14, but this year I smashed my goal by reading a total of 22 historical fiction novels.

Here's what I read throughout the year 2023:

1. The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell
2. The Death of John Lacey by Ben Hobson
3. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
4. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
5. The Miniscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges
6. Homecoming by Kate Morton
7. One Illumined Thread by Sally Colin-James
8. The Book of Eve by Meg Clothier
9. The Becoming of Mrs Mulberry by Jackie French
10. Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See

Additional books read for the challenge:
11. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
12. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
13. The Murder of Harriet Monckton by Elizabeth Haynes
14. Newes from the Dead by Mary Hooper
15. The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
16. Miss Austen by Gill Hornby
17. The Widow of Pale Harbour by Hester Fox
18. Bone Rites by Natalie Bayley
19. The Armour of Light by Ken Follett
20. The Turn of Midnight by Minette Walters
21. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
22. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

Have you read any books on the list? I read a combination of new and backlist books from a variety of eras and genres and next year I'll definitely be signing up for the challenge again, although I'm thinking of attempting the Medieval level of 15.

Either way, I'm sure there'll be some exciting new titles coming out in 2024 to tempt me in addition to the many older books still waiting on my bookshelves or hiding in the library. Want to join me? Visit Marg at The Intrepid Reader for details.

Carpe Librum!

Review: Homecoming by Kate Morton

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

Homecoming by Kate Morton is one of my most highly anticipated releases for 2023. This distinctly Australian historical fiction novel starts strong with a refreshingly different setting - for Morton - on Christmas Eve in 1959. It's here in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia that a terrible tragedy takes place that will reverberate through the Turner family for generations to come.

Meanwhile in the present, Jess returns to Darling House in Sydney after learning her grandmother Nora is in hospital. Jess is estranged from her mother Polly but finds a true crime book at Darling House that covers a family tragedy Jess has never heard of.

Familiar in all of Kate Morton's novels is a sense of connection between the past and present and the haunting of the present by tragic events and people from the past. The author's strength is also in creating homes, manors and mansions with character, and Homecoming had two homes to explore and enjoy.

"You'll see what I mean. It's a house that rewards the curious. Have you explored the nook under the east stairs yet? I used to love playing in there. I dare say it's been lonely all these years, just waiting for a child to claim it as her own." Page 90

Told in a dual narrative style, the nature writing was evocative. I enjoyed mentions of the little township of Hahndorf which reminded me of Devotion by fellow Australian author Hannah Kent set in the same region more than a century earlier. The Australian landscape is wild and beautiful yet also dangerous, as the next excerpt demonstrates:

"The story had given her chills, but of recognition rather than fear. Mythical though the creature might have been, inherent in her children's description was a recognizable truth about this place: the uncomfortable but certain sense that danger, the unknown, was always lurking in the dark spaces 'out there'. This continent was one where beauty and terror were inextricably linked. People died here from thirst if they took a wrong turn. A single spark of fire could grow to consume an entire town. Children who wandered beyond the back fence disappeared into thin air." Page 201

I was reading The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett earlier this year, and almost mentioned in my review that I was sure the writing style and infectious appreciation of nature in this classic went on to inspire some of my favourite authors in Kate Forsyth and Kate Morton. This thought bubble didn't make the final edit of the review, however I was reminded of it when I saw this quote very early on in Homecoming by Kate Morton:

"Curious, Percy urged Prince onwards up the dense, wooded slope. He felt like a character in a book. He thought of Mary Lennox as she discovered her secret garden." Page 23

Speaking of curiosities, the very next paragraph had a reference to 'Sir Gawain on the lookout for the Green Knight', a direct reference to a late 14th-century chivalric romance in Middle English, that inspired The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro that I read just recently. I think it's remarkable how many books reference other works and how authors can inspire others - sometimes from the grave - to create new stories for eager readers.

If you've skipped ahead or noticed the three star rating I'm giving to this novel, you might be wondering why. My primary issue with Homecoming was the use of a book within a book to provide an insight into the 1959 family tragedy. I usually love this writing technique, however in this particular case, the true crime book 'As If They Were Asleep' by Daniel Miller was unconvincing. Excerpts from the book were included in the body of the novel, however the writing style was not that typically found in this genre of non fiction.

"As Nancy had foreshadowed, some of the scenes were written in close third person, as if Daniel Miller had listened to Nora speak about herself and then, rather than write down the interviews precisely as they'd occurred, with his questions followed by her answers, taken the next step of interpreting the memories, history and personal feelings she'd shared, showing the things she'd described. The resulting scenes spoke of many conversations, not just one or two; there were too many diverse details - some of which Jess recognised from Nora's stories, others that were new to her - to have been gleaned in the formal setting of an initial interview." Page 376

This just didn't work for me. The resulting excerpts from Daniel Miller's book read as pure fiction and not a new style of narrative non fiction.

"The scene also showed the intimate way in which Daniel Miller had come to know his 'characters'." Page 346

This writing technique is ineffective if you need to have the character ponder Daniel's writing style within the novel, and then need Daniel Miller's niece to explain how he composed the 'scenes' from his interviews. The resulting effect and mixed tense was confusing and often took me out of the story. The idea of including a true crime element was definitely on trend, but I wished the author had stuck to her tried and true method of revealing secrets and unveiling long held mysteries.

My other gripe was the length of Homecoming. I love a chunky novel and am not deterred by a hefty page count, but at 640 pages in length, this could have been edited down by at least 100 pages. There were moments of terrific writing like this:

"Her grandmother was being very kind to her, which had the effect, as kindness often does, of making Jess feel terribly sad and lonely." Page 90

Wow, so insightful! However, these reading highlights were diluted by the above concerns.

Before I close out this review, I'll leave you with another quote I enjoyed, that provides insight into two siblings arguing:

"Silence fell. A stalemate had seemingly been reached, and with no further shots fired, the room's thick ambience briefly settled. But there is nothing surer than that two siblings, each nursing a problem, will seek refuge in the familiar comforts of quarreling, and so it was with John and Matilda in that moment." Page 309

Homecoming by Kate Morton contains themes of home and belonging, and explores the often rocky relationships between mothers and daughters.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Blog Tour: The Winter Dress by Lauren Chater

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *

Intro

Lauren Chater is a talented Australian author and it's an absolute pleasure to be part of the digital blog tour celebrating the release of her latest historical fiction novel The Winter Dress.

Blurb

Jo Baaker, a textiles historian and Dutch ex-pat is drawn back to the island where she was born to investigate the provenance of a 17th century silk dress. Retrieved by local divers from a sunken shipwreck, the dress offers tantalising clues about the way people lived and died during Holland’s famous Golden Age.

Jo’s research leads her to Anna Tesseltje, a poor Amsterdam laundress turned ladies companion who served the artist Catharina van Shurman for one season at her property outside the Hague. The two women were said to be close, so why did Anna abandon Catharina at the height of her misfortune? And was the dress a gift or did Anna come by it through less honest means? Jo is determined to find out, but as she delves deeper into Anna’s history, troubling details about her own past begin to emerge, disrupting the personal narrative she has trusted for sixteen years.

On the small Dutch island of Texel where fortunes are lost and secrets lie buried for centuries, Jo will finally discover the truth about herself and her connection to the woman who wore The Winter Dress.

Review

I love an historical fiction novel based on an element from history or a true story and we certainly have that here. In 2014, a big storm hit off the coast of Texel, clearing away layers upon layers of sand and mud from a known 17th century shipwreck. Texel is located off the coast of the Netherlands north of Amsterdam, and this natural event created an unexpected opportunity to explore the shipwreck known as the Palmwood wreck. Many items were recovered by divers, including a remarkably preserved 17th century silk dress.

Textiles are rarely recovered from shipwrecks and garments from this era rarely survive, so for this silk dress to survive on the bottom of the Wadden Sea for more than 350 years is quite extraordinary. 

The news of this incredible discovery travelled around the world and inspired Lauren Chater to imagine the woman who wore the dress. As a result, the seeds for The Winter Dress were well and truly sewn. (Sorry, couldn't resist).

Our main character Jo Baaker is a textiles historian and an interesting woman in her own right. In her words:

"One of the reasons I chose to pursue dress history was because I wanted to bear witness to the creation of textiles that simply won't be around in fifty years. The garments deserve better and so do the people who wore them." Page 155

Jo is astonished when she learns about the discovery of the dress in the book and I couldn't help but cringe alongside Jo when she hears how the dress was transported and hosed down by local divers trying to get the worst of the mud off. Eeeek!!! Jo is captivated by the dress and is honoured to be part of the curating process, desperately wondering about the life of the woman who once wore it.

The real silk dress
Source: www.archaeology.org 

The Winter Dress is a dual narrative and the author takes us back in time to Amsterdam in 1651 where we meet Anna Tesseltje on the last day of her old life. Anna's family have fallen on hard times, and after starting work as a laundress, her brother secures her a position as a companion to artist Catharina van Shurman.

Meanwhile, Jo finds herself caught up in the excitement of the discovery in Texel and the lurking professional competition made me grind my teeth while my heart ached for the choices Anna faced in her timeline.

Expertly researched and beautifully told, this is a well woven and alluring story with a lustre between the pages you're not likely to forget.

A total of 100 signed boxed proofs of The Winter Dress were produced for Australia and New Zealand and as a member of this blog tour, I was lucky enough to receive one of these special editions! It's such a wonderful bookish touch that appeals to we booklovers and bibliophiles and is a pleasure to house on my bookshelves.

The Winter Dress by Lauren Chater is engaging and the author's enthusiasm to imagine and reveal the owner of the dress is contagious. This is a story about grief, love, loss and discovery and is highly recommended for fans of Kate Forsyth, Tracy Chevalier, Kayte Nunn, Philippa Gregory, Kate Morton; and of course if you enjoyed Gulliver's Wife by Lauren Chater, you'll love this!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum image of the signed and limited boxed edition of The Winter Dress by Lauren Chater

Review: The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous

I loved reading The Au Pair by Emma Rous in 2019, and I was really excited to read The Perfect Guests this year, hoping for more buried family secrets, plot twists and flawed characters.

In 2019, Sadie is a struggling actress and receives an invitation to play a role at a murder mystery event at Raven Hall. In 1988, Beth is a 14 year old orphan sent by her aunt to Raven Hall to be a companion to a girl the same age, Nina.

The dual narrative in The Perfect Guests keeps the story flowing although I preferred Sadie's coming-of-age timeline at Raven Hall and the sinister undertones in the complex relationships between the characters.

I was worried the murder mystery setting might have been to cliche for my liking, but it totally worked and was the perfect platform for the 'reveals' at the end. I didn't guess at any of the character connection reveals or twists, and they were cleverly written and satisfying to uncover.

Just as in The Au Pair though, the cover design for The Perfect Guests wasn't representative of the novel for me. It's a scene from the book, however the UK cover design totally nails the atmosphere and setting and I wish this had been the cover chosen for the Australian market.

Raven Hall almost feels like a separate character, and once again, the author was able to bring the manor house and grounds to life in the way Stacey Halls does in Mrs England, and other authors like Laura Purcell and Kate Morton do that keep me coming back for more.

The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I can highly recommend it.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My Top 10 Books of the Decade (2010 - 2019)

This list is my own personal top 10 favourite books of the decade. This list has been drawn from the books I've read during the last ten years, and isn't a list of the best published books of the decade. Each book chosen has stood the test of time in my own personal reading experience. Some were new releases, some were backlist and some were published decades (or in one case more than 100 years) ago.

Here are my Top 10 Books of the Decade (2010 - 2019) in the order I read them:

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

A dual narrative historical fiction novel about a 4yo girl abandoned on a ship bound for Australia in 1913.

Three Men In A Boat by Jerome K Jerome

Published in 1889, this Penguin Classic is about a trip up the Thames river by three men and is an absolute hoot.

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

An historical fiction fairytale retelling of Rapunzel full of passion, love, hardship, revenge and redemption.

Cloudstreet by Tim Winton

A uniquely Australian novel about two families. Incredibly memorable and moving.

The Martian by Andy Weir

I don't read much science fiction but this was MacGyver in space with an awesome sense of humour.

Stoner by John Williams

A deeply honest portrait of an average man told with such care and beauty that the ending brought a tear to my eye.

The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin

The only non fiction book of the list, I learned a lot about myself and others in this book and still think about it every few days.

The Corset by Laura Purcell

A Victorian gothic thriller about secrets, friendship, needlework, gruesome hardship, betrayal, revenge, redemption, hope, poison and mystery with an ending that made me gasp.

The Binding by Bridget Collins

A combination of fantasy and historical fiction about the art of binding memories into a book.

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

A young adult fantasy novel about a boy who grows up in a library and is obsessed by the mysteries surrounding the lost city of Weep.

Thoughts?

Wow, what an eclectic list! What are your thoughts? It was great to see three Australian authors on the list and a good combination of genres represented. 

An honourable mention should go to one of my favourite authors Philippa Gregory. Two of her books were included on my Top 5 books of 2015 and 2016 respectively, but she just missed out on making it onto my Top 10 Books of the Decade. 

Have you read any of the books on my Top 10 list?

Carpe Librum!

Review: Dressing the Dearloves by Kelly Doust

* Copy courtesy of Harper Collins *

Sylvie grew up in the family manor of Bledesford, escaping the expectations that accompanied the Dearlove family name and fleeing to New York where she established her fashion label.

Years later she returns home, her business in ruins and full of shame for tarnishing the Dearlove name.

Discovering Bledesford has deteriorated to the point of no return, Sylvie begins to help her parents prepare the estate for sale. In doing so, she discovers an attic full of vintage garments from the glory days of Bledesford, gets to know her mother and Grandmother better and begins to uncover some long-kept family secrets.

Dressing the Dearloves by Kelly Doust is a multi-generational family saga encompassing five generations. This is an historical fiction novel of secrets, family, love and relationships tied together by a thread of fashion. I don't know anything about fashion, but I enjoyed the sense of history Sylvie attaches to vintage clothing.

"She'd always wondered at the things those clothes had seen. Great parties between the wars, certainly, but also the insides of souks or palaces, or some clever dressmaker's studio on the Left Bank in Paris. But it was more than that, Sylvie thought - a dress could be a beautiful thing but it also held something of what the wearer had experienced when they were wearing it - love, joy, sadness, desire, anger." Page 89

This novel reminded me very much of The Butterfly Room by Lucinda Riley. There too the main character's home is a run down family estate (Admiralty House) on the verge of bankruptcy. Vintage garments worth a lot of money are discovered in the attic and are an inspiration to the main character. Of course, this isn't the fault of the author Kelly Doust; Dressing the Dearloves was published first in 2018 but if you enjoyed The Butterfly Room you'll love this.

Dressing the Dearloves by Australian author Kelly Doust will appeal to historical fiction fans who enjoy a feel good story about strong and determined women, secrets, family, romance and fashion. Also recommended for fans of Kate Morton.

Carpe Librum!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

P.S. For more, check out my review of Precious Things by Kelly Doust.

Review: The Butterfly Room by Lucinda Riley

* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *

The Butterfly Room by Lucinda Riley is an historical fiction novel told in dual timelines from multiple character perspectives. It's a multi-generational family saga set in Suffolk and contains several mysteries and a few secrets.

Posy Montague is our main character and we meet her at the age of 70 when she is living in the enormous rundown family estate Admiral House, her adult children having moved away.

One of Posy's sons is an antiques dealer and I really enjoyed the little insight we get into his occupation and business.

As we get to know Posy and changes in her family start to happen, we go back in time to Posy's childhood and her father's service in the war. We get a glimpse of Posy's life at university and how she fell in love and eventually married.

The modern timeline features Posy and her children and their various family goings on, which include domestic themes of: friendship, love, parenthood, career, adultery, divorce, domestic violence and grief.

Coming in at more than 600 pages, The Butterfly Room is a very character-driven novel that moves forward inch by inch, conversation by conversation. This person drives to that house, has a conversation. Next day, this person phones that person, travels up from London etc. What kept me engaged throughout the domestic drama were the two mysteries and the hint of a few family secrets that were worth uncovering. (I managed to correctly guess one of them - which never happens - and incorrectly guess the other, so that surprise was satisfying).

After the 400 page mark I started to pick up on a number of repetitions that proved mildly irritating. The repeated use of phrases of endearment like 'my darling girl' and 'my darling boy' were used by different characters way too frequently. While some originated from the same family members - thereby somewhat understandable and thereby excusable - others weren't.

I also noticed that many of the characters had a habit of talking to themselves aloud in full sentences. These sentences were printed with the use of dialogue punctuation which seemed strange and while I can believe one character might do this, I couldn't believe that many characters would possess this personality trait.

When it comes to the title, I'm not quite sure The Butterfly Room was the best title for this generational family saga. A butterfly room does feature in the novel, but it could be perceived as a teaser or a spoiler. I'd have preferred a title capturing the magnificent property that unites all of the characters, that of Admiral House. Riley did a wonderful job of evoking the gardens and property in a way that really made it come to life and was the star of the novel for me.

Recommended for fans of historical fiction, family sagas and romance at all stages of life. Fans of Kate Morton, Hannah Richell, Anna Romer and Sarah Maine will feel at home with Lucinda Riley's The Butterfly Room.

My Rating:

Review: The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant by Kayte Nunn

* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *

The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant is a terrific historical fiction novel from Australian author Kayte Nunn. Unfolding in dual timelines (1950s and 2018), the story is told from three character perspectives: Rachel (Marine Scientist), Esther Durrant (of the title) and Eve, looking after her grandmother in London.

It has to be said that I'm not usually a fan of romance novels or a great love story, but somehow Kayte Nunn tricked me by writing such a compelling historical fiction novel about a woman committed to a mental asylum by her husband in the 1950s, that the romance elements kind of snuck up on me.

Esther Durrant is a young mother committed to a private hospice by her husband with the very best of intentions for her care and recovery. It's 1951 and Esther is outraged when she finds herself trapped at Little Embers, which seems to be little more than a mental asylum. She has no choice but to surrender to the treatment being offered to her and the other patients in residence; men suffering shell shock and PTSD from the war.

Rachel takes up her new research post in the Isles of Scilly, off the Cornish coast and soon comes across the isolated island location of Little Embers. It's there that she discovers a number of incredibly moving letters secreted away in an old suitcase. (Although by the end of the novel, there's never an explanation for why the suitcase wasn't 'sent on' as planned).

In London, Eve is taking care of her grandmother - a retired mountaineer - and helping to write her memoir. These three storylines intertwined exceptionally well with just the right amount of time spent with each character.

The location was vividly described and I enjoyed the remote locality and the rugged wilderness of the Isles of Scilly in both timelines. However I'm not convinced the cover accurately conveyed the content or feel of the novel for me. Perhaps an image of the mental asylum on a remote island with a pair of hiking boots next to the door step would have encompassed the feel of the novel better for me. I also have no idea why there’s a butterfly on the cover.

The promo for this novel promises it will appeal to readers who love Elizabeth Gilbert and Kate Morton. I heartily agree with this. However, I'd go one step further to say that Kayte Nunn achieves her story in a far more compact and precise way than Elizabeth Gilbert did in The Signature of All Things and managed the timelines far better than Kate Morton did in her last novel The Clockmaker's Daughter.

The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant is highly recommended for historical fiction fans; even those who don't typically enjoy a romance.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Au Pair by Emma Rous

* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *

The Au Pair by Emma Rous is the perfect blend of atmospheric tension, mystery, twins, dark family secrets and folklore surrounding a large family estate on the Norfolk coast known as Summerbourne.

Unfolding in two narratives, present day Seraphine is a twin exploring the mysterious suicide of her mother the day she and her brother were born at Summerbourne. Seraphine believes the au pair - who disappeared after the suicide - may have information and seeks to track her down.

The second narrator is the au pair Laura and we read about the lead up to Seraphine's birth in the early 1990s from her perspective. This reads like an historical fiction novel, but given the alternate time line is set in the 1990s I guess it really isn't. 

There is an underlying feeling of menace as Seraphine is warned against digging into the past and questioning a photo she found of her mother holding just one baby the day of her birth.

This was the perfect read for me and my only criticism is the cover art. I'd go so far as to say I wouldn't have picked this up in a bookshop based on the cover alone. It just doesn't do the novel justice in my opinion.

The Au Pair by Emma Rous is described as perfect for fans of Kate Morton and I heartily agree. The author gently pulls the reader along on the mystery and I was heavily invested in the story.

Highly recommended!

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

2018 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge Completed

I successfully completed the Renaissance Reader level of the 2018 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge this year hosted by Passages to the Past.

Last year I barely scraped it in, but this year I comfortably read 10 historical fiction novels to complete the challenge, plus an additional 4 for good measure.

Here's what I read:

1. The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
2. Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth
3. Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen by Alison Weir
4. The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
5. Book of Colours by Robyn Cadwallader
6. The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse
7. The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell
8. A Superior Spectre by Angela Meyer
9. The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton
10. The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory
11. Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
12. Melmoth by Sarah Perry
13. The Corset by Laura Purcell
14. Tombland by C.J. Sansom

I'm looking forward to participating again in 2019 so stay tuned for my sign-up post.

Carpe Librum!

Australian Women Writer's Challenge & Aussie Author Challenge Completed in 2018

It's been a record breaking reading year for me and I've completed all three of my reading challenges. Two of them are Australian, so I thought I'd wrap them both up together here.

2018 Australian Women Writer's Challenge
To complete the Franklin level of the 2018 Australian Women Writer's Challenge, I had to read 10 books and review 6 of them. I outdid myself this year and read and reviewed the following 15 books:

1. Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth
2. The Suitcase Baby by Tanya Bretherton
3. The Flying Optometrist by Joanne Anderton
4. Book of Colours by Robyn Cadwallader
5. Ache by Eliza Henry-Jones
6. The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell
7. A Superior Spectre by Angela Meyer
8. The Yellow House by Emily O'Grady
9. Everywhere I Look by Helen Garner
10. Always With You by Debbie Malone
11. The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton
12. Paramedic by Sandy Macken
13. Well Read Cookies by Lauren Chater
14. Stalked by Rachel Cassidy
15. The Lost Man by Jane Harper

Aussie Author Challenge Completed in 2018
For the Aussie Author Challenge I had to read and review 12 titles by Australian authors across a minimum of 3 genres. At least 4 titles had to be by female authors, 4 titles by male authors and at least 4 had to be new (to me) authors. I smashed the reading challenge this year and read the following 26 books:

1. The Commando - The Life and Death of Cameron Baird, VC, MG by Ben Mckelvey
2. Hangman by Jack Heath
3. Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth
4. Pentridge: Voices from the Other Side by Rupert Mann
5. The Suitcase Baby by Tanya Bretherton
6. The Flying Optometrist by Joanne Anderton
7. Book of Colours by Robyn Cadwallader
8. Ache by Eliza Henry-Jones
9. Cicada by Shaun Tan
10. The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell
11. Australia's Most Unbelievable True Stories by Jim Haynes
12. A Superior Spectre by Angela Meyer
13. The Yellow House by Emily O'Grady
14. Scrublands by Chris Hammer
15. Best Foot Forward by Adam Hills
16. The Nowhere Child by Christian White
17. Everywhere I Look by Helen Garner
18. Always With You by Debbie Malone
19. The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton
20. Long and Winding Way to the Top by Andrew P Street
21. Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak
22. Paramedic by Sandy Macken
23. The Girl on the Page by John Purcell
24. Well Read Cookies by Lauren Chater
25. Stalked by Rachel Cassidy
26. The Lost Man by Jane Harper

What books by Aussie authors did you enjoy this year?

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton

RRP $32.99 AUD
Published 12 September 2018

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

The Clockmaker's Daughter is the hotly anticipated historical fiction novel from Kate Morton published today. Told from multiple character view points and unfolding across several time periods, this was quite an ambitious and unexpectedly complex novel.

Despite the magical and evocative writing style that I love, the novel contained more than 20 main characters and I often found it tough to keep all of the characters - and their relationships to each other - straight in my mind. Added to that, the narrative jumped forwards and backwards in time from the point of view of multiple characters and I often felt the story was disjointed as a result.

I enjoyed the writing and setting more than the overarching storyline and would have preferred a tightening up of the novel to make it easier for the average reader to follow. Chapter headings telling us who was narrating would have been a terrific start, although there was a certain mystique to the voice of Birdie. 

At 582 pages, The Clockmaker's Daughter is a hefty read and I definitely recommend reading it monogamously with as few breaks as possible. I always read multiple books simultaneously, and just one or two days between reading sessions in this case meant that I easily lost track of which narrator I was with and where I was in the timeframe.

Having said all of that, the mystery in The Clockmaker's Daughter was marvellous and I'll never tire of Kate Morton's writing style. Her novels always contain secrets, the mysteries of time and the effect lives lived have on a place. My favourite character was in fact Birchwood Manor on the river Thames. It was described so well and formed the perfect anchor in the story to unite the characters.

If this were any other author, I'd be giving this novel 3 stars or below, but I have to admit the sheer joy of holding a chunky new novel by one of my favourite Australian authors in Kate Morton significantly added to my reading enjoyment and made up for the moments I felt lost in her web of stories.

My rating = ***1/2

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell

* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *

The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell is the perfect historical fiction novel and I just loved it! Replete with crumbling mansion/estate that has seen better years, the novel is a story about family, secrets and regrets unfolding in a dual narrative.

Lillian marries Charles Oberon at the age of 26 and becomes mistress of Cloudesley, a manor house in the Chilterns. Now quite elderly, Lillian's story unfolds in a series of flashbacks.

Maggie comes back to Cloudesley to care for her Grandmother Lillian and is forced to face the repercussions and shame of her own actions a year or so ago.

I flew through The Peacock Summer and felt as though it was written just for me. Don't you love it when that happens? The pacing was perfect without any dull periods and the writing was so atmospheric I could almost hear the peacocks in the garden with Lillian and trace my finger through the dusty rooms along with Maggie.

The Peacock Summer is definitely for fans of Kate Morton and those who enjoy historical fiction. Highly recommended. I'm just sad it's over.

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

WIN a copy of To The Sea by Australian author Christine Dibley

RRP $32.99 AUD

* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *

Australian author Christine Dibley has written a stunning saga set on the sweeping coasts of Tasmania and Ireland. Perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Alice Hoffman, To The Sea is lyrical, evocative and deeply engrossing.

Blurb
On a clear summer’s day, Detective Inspector Tony Vincent answers a call-out to Rosetta, an idyllic Tasmanian beach house. Surrounded by family and calm waters, 17-year-old Zoe Kennett has inexplicably vanished.

As four storytellers share their version of what has led to this moment, they weave tales which span centuries and continents. But this is a missing persons case and to solve it Tony needs facts, not fiction: how will such fables lead him to Zoe and to the truth?

As his investigation continues, he is slowly drawn into a world where myth and history blur, and where women who risk everything for love must pay the price through every generation.

Author Bio
Born in outback New South Wales, Christine Dibley arrived in Tasmania thirty years ago and has been held there by that strange bond islands weave around their inhabitants. Christine resigned from her position as a CEO in the health industry four years ago to pursue full time writing and To the Sea is her first novel.

Giveaway

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Review and Blog Tour: Beyond the Orchard by Anna Romer

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *

Today I'm participating in the blog tour for Beyond the Orchard by Australian author Anna Romer, author of Thornwood House.

Blurb
Lucy Briar has arrived home in turmoil after years overseas. She’s met her fiancé in London and has her life mapped out, but something is holding her back.

Hoping to ground herself and find answers, Lucy settles into once familiar routines. But old tortured feelings flood Lucy’s existence when her beloved father, Ron, is hospitalised and Morgan – the man who drove her away all those years ago – seeks her out.

Worse, Ron implores Lucy to visit Bitterwood Estate, the crumbling historic family guesthouse now left to him. He needs Lucy to find something – an old photograph album, the very thing that drove Ron and his father apart.

Lucy has her own painful memories of Bitterwood, darkness that has plagued her dreams since she was young. But as Lucy searches for the album, the house begins to give up its ghosts and she is driven to put them to rest.

And there, held tightly between the house, the orchard and the soaring cliffs, Lucy uncovers a long-hidden secret that shattered a family’s bond and kept a frightened young girl in its thrall ... and Lucy discovers just how fierce the lonely heart can be.

My Review

Beyond the Orchard is an historical novel with dual time frames, a crumbling estate called Bitterwood (great name right?) and family secrets of love, grief and guilt to discover.

Distinctly Australian, I loved the early references to places in Melbourne I instantly recognised, including: Dandenong Road, Elsternwick, Prahran, Geelong and the Great Ocean Road. It certainly gave me a buzz to see Lucy visit these familiar places.

However what hampered my enjoyment further was the sheer number of character points of view combined with the multiple different time frames. Looking back, I counted at least four time periods (1917/1918, 1929/1930, 1977 and 1993) at least five different character perspectives and the manuscript of a fairytale entwined with the story. This was just too much for me.

With all of this going on, the fairytale didn't work for me, the romance didn't interest me and I found it hard to accept the ending. (Peace? I don't think so! Not a spoiler, but hopefully those on the blog tour who have read it will know what I'm referring to here.) 

The strongest part of the novel by far was the story of Orah, and I would have preferred to read her story over that of Lucy unravelling her family history at Bitterwood any day. Orah was a fascinating character who really came alive on the page. Her rescue had me gasping in suspense and I found her story moving and definitely memorable.

I haven't read Thornwood House, so I can't compare it to this, but Beyond the Orchard will appeal to readers of Australian fiction and fans of Kate Morton.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Check out the next stop on the blog tour here on 2 November.

Review: The House Between Tides by Sarah Maine

RRP AUD $29.99
Published 22 June 2016

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

When a novel includes a crumbling estate, an inheritance, a mystery and a dark secret then I've got to read it and The House Between Tides by Sarah Maine has it all.

Set in Scotland, the landscape is truly the main character in this novel. It's wild and atmospheric and you can almost feel the wind in your hair, lick the salt spray from your lips and hear the squawk of the birds in the air. 

Unfolding in dual time frames, we learn the present story from Hetty Deveraux (2010) and the past from Beatrice in the early 1900s.

I preferred the chapters from Beatrice's point of view, as I found Hetty to be a real push over. I was often frustrated by her actions and was desperate for her to make a stand but it works for the novel.

The mystery unfolded at a steady pace, but it wasn't a big surprise at the end. I would have preferred a little less focus on Blake's artwork and less about his passion for bird collecting, but all in all, The House Between Tides is a solid debut for Sarah Maine. 

Readers who enjoy Kate Morton's novels will feel at home with Sarah Maine.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Review: Precious Things by Kelly Doust

* Copy courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers Australia *

Precious Things by Australian author Kelly Doust follows a handmade beaded collar through history to the present, touching on the women who owned it and wore it in the past.

Maggie is an auctioneer in London and she comes across the collar in a box of neglected lace and fabric and is immediately drawn to it. 

Interspersed between Maggie's narrative of busy family life in present day London, are individual vignettes from the previous owners of the collar, from 1890s France to the present day. Despite being written by the same author, each of the characters had their own distinct voice and setting, and as a reader I appreciated the skill required to accomplish this.

I loved the little sketches breaking up some of the content within the chapters, but I was soooo glad there was a timeline at the back, detailing the women who had owned and worn the collar/coronet so I could refer to it at the end.

When it comes to presentation, Precious Things was the most thoughtful and beautiful advanced review copy I've ever received. You can see in the photo below that it came wrapped with lace and ribbon, several postcards with quotes and a precious thing, a candle holder. Given author Kelly Doust has worked in the publishing industry herself, this should come as no surprise but it still made an impression I won't forget.

The cover design for Precious Things is wonderful, however my only gripe is that the collar on the cover doesn't match the description of the collar/coronet in the novel and I so desperately wish that it did. The collar in the novel had a recurring fleur de lis pattern, and I just don't see that in the lace collar on the cover.

If you're a fan of Kate Morton, historical fiction, vintage items and dual timelines, then Precious Things is for you.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Secret Heiress by Luke Devenish

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *

Australian author? Check
Gothic setting? Check
Twins? Check
Manor house? Check
Servants? Check
Inheritance? Check

The six elements mentioned above make for a very enjoyable read and those who love seeing these topics penned in any Kate Morton novel, will enjoy this offering by fellow Australian author Luke Devenish.

The Secret Heiress is a deeply layered mystery set in central Victoria in two time frames with two main characters, Ida in 1880s and Biddy in the 1900s.

The mystery kept me guessing and the complex layers of lies and deceit were difficult to unravel, making for a satisfying read in a 'whodunnit/whydunnit' kind of way. I highly enjoyed the upstairs/downstairs environment, and I think this is the first gothic historical fiction novel I've read set entirely in Victoria.

My only complaint would be the lack of chapter breaks. There were very clear breaks between time periods, however these sections were quite long with no chapters to break up the pages. (There were a few sentence breaks but I always like to stop reading at the end of a chapter and I wasn't able to do that here).

Luke Devenish is an accomplished writer and this was an impressive and refreshing read in a genre generally dominated by female authors. Recommended for historical fiction fans far and wide; particularly those who haven't read a gothic Australian novel before.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!