BOOKS OF THE WEEK
Saltblood by Francesca De Tores
Bloomsbury Publishing, £16.99 (ebook, £11.89) Review by Hannah Cottrell
BORN in a damp cottage in the English countryside, Mary Read is forced to take the name and place of her brother, Mark, who died in infancy. Raised as a boy and shaped into a man, Mary is sent to work as a server in an estate house, and keeps her secret closely guarded throughout her subsequent time in the navy and army. After revealing her true identity, she shifts between the matters of male and female, adopting a space in between, while also chasing her strong desire for the sea. She undertakes the life of a pirate in the Bahamas alongside Anne Bonny, with the pair thought to be the only documented female pirates of the time. Francesca De Tores’ first historical novel is an intriguing and page-turning read.
The Lifeline by Libby Page
Orion, £18.99 (ebook, £5.99) Review by Alison Kershaw
LIBBY Page’s new novel sees the return of Kate – the main character in Page’s hit debut The Lido. Having moved from London to Somerset with her husband and baby daughter, Kate finds herself struggling. Her story sits alongside that of Phoebe – a mental health nurse who finds her work rewarding but overwhelming. Many readers will identify with Kate’s struggle to reconcile her old self and her old life with that of her new role as a mother, as well as Phoebe’s fight to find balance between her private and professional life. The characters are well drawn and the plot bobs along like a duck on the river. This is a novel about life changes and the power of female friendships. A gentle read which is perfect for summer.
The Hypocrite by Jo Hamya W&N, £18.99 (ebook, £11.49) Review by Hannah Colby
SOPHIA s a precocious playwright, the offspring of separated parents, the daughter of an infamous literary talent who is struggling to adapt to a changing world. When she writes a play about their holiday in the Aeolian Islands, Sophia, her father and her mother are forced to examine their relationships with each other and the failures that Sophia’s play lays bare for the world to see. Set in a pandemic environment where faces are hidden behind masks, The Hypocrite analyses the power balance between parent and child and how the decisions we make as adults impact those who we should care about most. It will appeal to those who enjoy sharp, observational literature with a critical take on modern life.
Another England: How to Reclaim Our National Story by Caroline Lucas
Hutchinson Heinemann, £22 (ebook, £11.99) Review by Frances Taylor-Cook
FORMER Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has written a thought-provoking book that explores the political paradigm in the UK since the Brexit referendum, and what can be done to repair the rifts. The policies and proposals made in the book read like they would provide a substantive alternative to the current status quo. This has the side effect of the reader possibly wondering why the political system is so biased and why the existing parties aren’t offering some of these. Another England provides a positive outlook on UK life should a political party choose to adopt any of these and puts a positive spin on the outcomes – whether this will ever be tested has yet to be seen.