On the Shelf / Book Reviews
Norma Geddes, Lucinda Diack and Belinda O’Keefe share their latest must-reads – find a cosy corner and enjoy!
Miss Benson’s Beetle Rachel Joyce Penguin
Set in 1950, this is a charming tale of friendship, love and adventure. Life hasn’t been easy for Margery Benson, nor has it been inspiring. Yet in memory of her beloved father she makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to leave her job and advertise for an assistant to accompany her across the world on an expedition for a beetle, that may or may not exist.
Escaping her own troubles, her assistant is the vibrant, funny and evocative Enid Pretty – a far cry from Margery’s ideal candidate. Together they travel from London to New Caledonia, risking everything and breaking a number of rules along the way.
They make an unlikely duo, but one I couldn’t get enough of.
This is a story less about what can be found than the belief it might be found, and makes for a quirky read and wonderful escapism. My only criticism is that the ending came too soon. LD
The Paris Secret Natasha Lester Hachette
Natasha Lester is the author of several well received novels. She is an Australian author and her research and love of history makes this another great read. The story moves from London to Paris and finally Australia, across multiple timelines, ranging from 1939 to 1947 and the present day. Themes include the Second World War, the Holocaust, the Resistance movement, female pilots, spies and fashion – an excellent combination!
In the earlier years we have sisters Skye and Liberty Penrose who are both involved in the war effort but also have a troubled relationship. The post-war story takes us to Paris and the fashion designer Christian Dior. People were desperate to forget the horrors of the war years and Dior was making a name for himself with his beautiful gowns and a new perfume named for his sister. Fast-forward to the present day and we meet Kat Jourdan, an Australian fashion conservator. She discovers a stash of Dior ball gowns hidden in her grandmother’s attic and gets caught up in some closely guarded family secrets that tie all the characters together.
This is a wonderful story that will have you wanting to read more of the author’s books. NG
Weed: A New Zealand Story James Borrowdale Penguin
Cannabis is the most popular illegal drug in our country and third most popular drug overall, behind alcohol and tobacco, yet it also represents a troubled relationship. Here award-winning journalist James Borrowdale dives in deep to understand this relationship, meeting a fascinating cross-section of New Zealand along the way. It includes a 19th-century nun who allegedly grew pot, a bystander to the Mr Asia syndicate and a convicted heroin dealer turned criminologist, as well as people both using and offering the drug for medicinal relief, politicians and law-makers old and new.
What’s revealed is an engrossing, heady and sometimes surprising account of New Zealand and weed. Fusing insightful, personal stories with analysis and historical research, Weed lays out the facts as they are, about an issue that can no longer be ignored. LD
The Book of Lost Friends Lisa Wingate Hachette
I love historical fiction and with this book there is a wonderful mixture of both history and fiction. The story is set in Louisiana in two time periods: 1875 and 1987.
The year 1875 places the reader 10 years after the Civil War when slaves have been emancipated. This doesn’t mean their struggles have ended and life is still extremely hard and dangerous. Slave families have been forcibly separated, many sold to other plantations or simply disappeared. Hannie Gossett is desperate to know what has become of her family and sets off with two young women, half-sisters Lavinia and Juneau Jane who are looking for their father.
In 1987 we have Bennie Silva, a young newly graduated teacher working a five-year stint in a very poor run-down school as a way to cancel her student loans. After becoming discouraged by her inability to reach her students and get them excited about reading and learning, she hits on an idea of connecting the children with the past history of their town. 1875 suddenly connects with 1987 and the fascinating history of their town becomes real.
Definitely my favourite book (so far) this year. NG
Ripiro Beach Caroline Barron Bateman Books
In this very moving memoir of ‘life after near death’, Caroline Barron traces her family history in a bid to understand why she feels like her life is falling apart.
After surviving the trauma of almost dying in childbirth, the years that follow are dark – she is not the same person.
Her father, who was adopted and never found his birth mother, died suddenly on Caroline’s twentieth birthday, leaving unanswered questions about who she really is and where she came from.
Determined to discover her ancestry and find answers to her inner turmoil, she embarks on a search which uncovers family secrets she struggles to come to terms with.
This memoir, which delves into mental health, suicide and survival, is heartfelt, raw, and brutally honest. BO
Jock Goes on Holiday Christine Taylor
Another delightful children’s tale from the author of Where is 102?
For farm dog Jock, a holiday to Twizel is a chance to take in the local sights, catch up with old friends and meet some new ones.
Little ones will enjoy the opportunity to learn and experience the visual feast that is driving south from Mid Canterbury to Twizel, and all that the small town has to offer.
Ideal bedtime reading for those little booklovers out there. LD