On the Shelf
Book Reviews
The Saffron Runners
B.G. Fox
Quentin Wilson Publishing
Set in Afghanistan in 1827, The Saffron Runners tells the story of Suleiman, a young man who becomes Horse Master of Farkhar after the death of his father. Together with his band of warriors, they set out on a perilous journey across the desert to invade Persia and seek retribution after brutal raids on their villages. Their primary goal is to seize the Persians’ prized horses and take them as their own, believing that the majestic beasts are their true destiny.
Steeped in historical detail and Afghani culture, it’s clear the author has thoroughly researched the topic. She describes the dangerous journey across a magnificent landscape in great detail, not to mention the bloodthirsty battles (terribly gruesome, and not for the fainthearted!) and harrowing hurdles along the way. Romance and mystery are woven into the plot, adding another layer to the storyline which gallops along at a nail-biting pace. BO
The Good Teacher
Petronella McGovern
Allen & Unwin
Set in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, The Good Teacher is an easy read with a big twist.
Allison, a teacher approaching 50, finds herself struggling to start the teaching year with her marriage recently finished. Add to that a new student, Gracie, who has a rare form of cancer.
Allison goes above and beyond to help Gracie and her dad Luke, inviting them to live with her. The community rallies and helps fund a trip to America for specialist treatment.
When the police knock on the door, Allison’s world is tipped again.
A journey of the kindness of human nature, betrayal, the role of social media and questionable choices, The Good Teacher will keep you turning the pages. LF
Raft of Stars
Andrew J. Graff
HarperCollins
When 10-year-old Fish shoots his best friend Bread’s abusive father, the two boys flee into the woods on the outskirts of Claypot, Wisconson. Panicked and scared, they build a raft and take to the river, but soon discover the untold dangers of the wilderness.
Fish’s grandpa, his mother Miranda, the town sheriff and lost soul Tiffany set out to find the boys before they reach the treacherous Ironsford Gorge.
This book had me hooked right from the start, reeling me in with a note found on Fish’s grandpa’s fridge:
‘ Fish had me put this note on your fridge to tell you we are running away…we have our bikes and fish poles, and a tarp, and also a pouch of your tobacco…Please tell the sheriff that Fish didn’t want to shoot my old man…’
Full of heart-stopping adventure amidst a vividly depicted landscape, this riveting character-driven book had me gripping the pages right to the very end.
BO
The Frenchman
Jack Beaumont
Allen & Unwin
For obvious reasons Jack Beaumont is the pseudonym of a former operative in the French foreign intelligence service. The book is fiction, but knowing the author has lived this life makes it very believable.
Alec de Payns is married with a young family. He uses several identities in his various missions which are necessary for his own safety and that of his family. When a mission goes horribly wrong in Palermo, Alec is pretty sure the team has been betrayed by someone close to them.
Before this can be resolved he has to travel to Pakistan to investigate a secretive biological weapons facility.
The rumour is that the facility is manufacturing a chemical weapon that could destroy Paris.
I really enjoyed this debut novel and hope there will be a sequel. NG
This Has Been Absolutely Lovely
Jessica Dettmann
HarperCollins
Annie Jones can finally taste freedom; she can almost touch the reality she has dreamed of for the last 30 years as she has raised her children, and then cared for her elderly parents. She has put herself second for long enough. However, her millennial children have different ideas. As the family gather for Annie’s father’s funeral, family expectations are challenged, complications arise, and unexpected secrets about the neighbours are revealed.
For Annie, the sentence ‘this has been absolutely lovely’ has become code for ‘it’s time to wrap this up’, illustrating the emotional ambiguity that can exist among family and friends. Sharply witty, yet soft and genuine, this is a tale of growing up, of giving in, of family and whether it is ever too late to try again. LD
The Paris Library
Janet Skeslien Charles
Simon & Schuster
The Paris Library is set firstly in Paris between 1939–1944, where we meet Odile as she starts work at the American Library. She continues working there during the years of the Nazi occupation and it is fascinating to read how the brave librarians supported their Jewish customers, going to great lengths to get books to them.
The book then moves to Montana from 1983–1989, where Lily, a high school student, wants to interview the French neighbour, Odile, for a school project. Odile and Lily have a lot to offer each other and Lily is fascinated by the wartime exploits of the librarians.
In the author’s notes she mentions that she too worked at the American Library in Paris in 2019 and heard some of the stories from the family members of some of her characters.
This is one for lovers of books, words, libraries and the power and strength of the human spirit. NG