I LOVE SHOES (PART 4...)

These Faith shoes were £19, reduced from £65 in the Debenhams sale.  I love the gorgeous diamante butterfly effect at the front.  Another of my favourite pairs!

I LOVE SHOES (PART 3...)

These pewter Roland Cartier beauties are one of my favourite pairs of shoes, and are currently being re-heeled.  They were either £31 or £37, reduced from £70 and, quite frankly, were not worth that.  Took forever to break in, initially made my toes bleed and seem to need to get them re-heeled after only a couple of wears.
Still, they do look lovely!

I LOVE SHOES (PART 2...)

I also own these Vivienne Westwood shoes (Lady Dragon pink heart, as connoisseurs will be aware!)

Saw them in the shops for £120 and thought, bugger that.  Kept my eyes peeled and found them on Ebay for £51 six months later.  Patience is the key!

I LOVE SHOES....

I don't just spend my time reading, writing and blogging...Oh no, I also love shoes (my friends are sure my middle name is Imelda!)

Had my eye on these Debenhams luminescent babies for a while, but wasn't gonna pay 40 quid for them, no bloody way, I like a bargain!

So when I saw them today, reduced to £11.85, I just had to have them- they spoke to me!

MORE INNOCENT TIMES by IMOGEN PARKER

MORE INNOCENT TIMES

BY IMOGEN PARKER

THE BLURB:-

Gemma is ready for a change of scene. Her self-imposed exile in America worked for a while, but now she's returning to England for a fresh start. A new job, new house, new life beckons; but there are old problems too, the same painful, raw problems she ran away from ten years ago.

Daisy stole Oliver from her. Her beloved sister just walked off with the love of her life. They never talked about it. They haven't talked about anything since.

This is the story of two pairs of sisters- Gemma and Daisy, their mother Estella and her sister Shirley. It tells of love and passion, jealousy and secrets, and follows a family mystery back to its origins in the 1950s- to more innocent times.

THE REALITY:-

It was nice for someone without a sister, like myself, to read this book and try to understand how this complex relationship works. It is enlightening to see how a lack of communication in any relationship can cause severe problems.

It is full of interesting, bohemian characters, but also maddening- you want to kill Estella (who kills herself) for her stupidity in the reasoning behind carrying out that very act. You also have to ask the question; what the hell do Gemma and Daisy see in Oliver? He doesn't seem that great to me- a bit of a pig at times would be closer to the truth.

The letters between Estella and Shirley offer a lovely highlight to the novel, as do Shirley's intimate conversations with Gemma, discussing her life in her seaside town.

Fast paced, lively and modern, with people and situations you can really believe in, this would be a lovely summer read.

GILLESPIE AND I by JANE HARRIS

GILLESPIE AND I

BY JANE HARRIS

THE BLURB:-

1933, London. Harriet Baxter decides to put straight, once and for all, the truth about her life and the fate of an artist called Ned Gillespie.

Decades earlier, Harriet arrives in Glasgow in time for the International Exhibition. A young art lover of independent means, Harriet becomes friend and champion to the up-and-coming painter Ned Gillespie. She is embraced by his extended, somewhat troubled family and soon becomes a fixture in their lives. But when tragedy strikes the Gillespies, Harriet's connection with them disintegrates into mystery, deception and potentially life-changing accusations.

THE REALITY:-

Wow! This was one huge tome. I was torn between finding it long-winded, yet gloriously detailed. I don't suppose you get one without the other.

Glasgow and its characters were brought magically to life, via our modern anti-heroine. She's unconventional in that she's independent, doesn't want to be married, and she does thoroughly modern things for a woman in 1888, such as (shock, horror!) smoke.

A totally unique concept; the Scottish “Not Proven” verdict is not something I have ever encountered before. Fans of Carry On films will love the salacious content and language, as domestic and prison situations are bought wickedly to life.

This book will madden you, and you can really sympathize with Harriet as she gets set up, and the impotence she feels at not being able to do an awful lot about it. The is she/ isn't she question of the identity of 1933 Harriet's maid will have you turning the pages to the very end.

A good read, not for the fainthearted!

THE SAVAGE GARDEN by MARK MILLS

THE SAVAGE GARDEN

BY MARK MILLS

THE BLURB:-

Behind a villa in the heart of Tuscany lies a Renaissance garden of enchanting beauty. Its grottos, pagan statues and classical inscriptions seem to have a secret life of their own- and a secret message, too, for those with eyes to read it.

Young scholar Adam Strickland is just such a person. Arriving in 1958, he finds the Docci family, their house and the unique garden as seductive as each other. But post-war Italy is still a strange, even dangerous, place and the Doccis have some dark skeletons hidden away in their past.

Before this mysterious and beautiful summer ends, Adam will uncover two stories of love, revenge and murder, separated by 400 years... but is another tragedy about to be added to the villa's cursed history?

THE REALITY:-

For me, it was good to read a book written by a male author, from the point of view of a man (for a change!) and great to see relationships and sex explored from the masculine perspective.

This was extremely well researched and was a lesson in itself- it made me want to look into mythology and the works of Dante myself. The character of Adam comes across as very learned, and the author certainly knows his subject.

The drawing at the beginning of the novel was a good touch and essential for making sense of the story; it could have been more detailed, though. The direct speech between Signora Docci and Maria was lovely, and added individuality to an already good read.

This was a classy take on a murder mystery, which was as much about life inside the villa and seeing the local sights as finding out what really went on 400 years ago, and more recently. This was like an adult version of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, which, as a child, I simply could not get enough of.  The concept of a hidden room (often featured in novels!) in the shape of a locked top floor naturally made you want to explore and find out what's secreted there.

The book reached a gentle climax, and you kind of knew what was coming, which was a shame.

THE DEBUTANTE by KATHLEEN TESSARO

THE DEBUTANTE

BY KATHLEEN TESSARO

THE BLURB:-

A locked room. A collection of faded mementoes hidden in a shoebox.

And two strangers, reluctantly drawn to one another, cataloguing the contents of an abandoned mansion overlooking the sea.

But Endsleigh is no ordinary house. Between the Wars, it was the home of Britain's most dazzling debutantes- the Blythe sisters. Until one of them went missing...

THE REALITY:-

This novel had a lovely cover showing a lady in a beautiful red dress highlighted against a black and white background. Gimme that dress! Shorten it to knee length, and I'll wear it now!

The story is slow-paced and straightforwardly simple: fans of the louche, decadent 1920s with its bright young things will love it, fans of the arty Victoria and Albert museum will understand it, those with an artistic bent themselves (such as character Cate, a reproductive artist who also paints a powerful and unconventional nude portrait) will get it and those who love the concept of a locked, “Bluebeard” room will want to turn the pages to the very end.

The historical letters between Baby and Irene, which only we, and not the characters, see tie the story together and help to make sense of it. The intensity of irresistible relationships and the consequences of such infidelity are explored exquisitely.

Maybe it would have been good to have “Mrs. Healy” examined in more detail. And maybe finding out what happened to the birthmarked baby would have been nice. But maybe we don't want to know, and like the sense of mystery such evasiveness brings about.

A clever and stylish story.

THE SECRETS BETWEEN US by LOUISE DOUGLAS

THE SECRETS BETWEEN US

BY LOUISE DOUGLAS

THE BLURB:-

When Sarah meets dark, brooding Alex, she grasps his offer of a new life miles away from her own. They've both recently escaped broken relationships, and need to start again. Why not do it together?

But when Sarah gets to the tiny village of Burrington Stoke, something doesn't add up. Alex's beautiful wife Genevieve was charming, talented and adored by all who knew her. And apparently, she and Alex had a successful marriage complete with a gorgeous son, Jamie. Why would Genevieve walk out on her perfect life? And why has no one heard from her since?

Genevieve's family and all her friends think that Alex knows more about her disappearance than he's letting on. But Sarah's fallen in love with him and just knows he couldn't have anything to hide. Or could he?

THE REALITY:-

Definitely an interesting tale, but I'm not sure that I pick up much in the way of passion between the two main characters- more a clinging desperation as they each try and get their lives together in the face of the separate tragedies they have endured. I'm sure this was probably the intention of the author, considering what these two people have gone- and are still going- through.

Hailed as a story reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, it's a sadder love story; far more basic, less haunting and nowhere near as romantic.

The one character that shines through is the one you never see, and that's Genevieve. I suppose this is an obvious conclusion- as she's left totally to the imagination of the reader, she's the person that can become almost exactly you want her to be. The supernatural way she haunts Avalon- Alex's cottage- adds a spooky and atmospheric suspense of drama that draws you to her character and makes you sympathetic to her. She's also the kind of person that's not all she appears to be on the surface, which makes her intriguing.

She's not the only character who's not on the level, and the real villain of the piece turns out to be a someone you really didn't expect. The way human emotions and relationships ebb and flow is wonderfully displayed, (especially between Sarah and Jamie) as is the theme of healing and forgiveness. The storyline is very good, the plot a well-thought-out page turner and a sharp, and often unpleasant, insight into village life.

I would certainly recommend this novel, but would have maybe liked a bit of a happier ending?

THE TURNING POINT by JUDITH LENNOX.

THE TURNING POINT

BY JUDITH LENNOX

THE BLURB:-

1952: Ellen Kingsley travels to Gildersleve Hall in Cambridgeshire to work for renowned scientist Marcus Pharoah. But her pride in her new career falters as she finds herself caught up in the rivalries, desires and ambitions of her colleagues. When a tragedy occurs, the course of Ellen's life is changed forever.

In London, Ellen encounters an old friend, India Mayhew. But the events at Gildersleve continue to cast a shadow and India's involvement with Pharoah ignites a trail of destruction. After Ellen falls in love with dashing Scotsman Alec Hunter, both women must confront the revelations and passions of the past before their path to future happiness becomes clear.

THE REALITY:-

I've read most of Judith Lennox's novels and they don't disappoint. Although not my favourite offering of hers, this book certainly wasn't the worst.

What I love about her writing is not just the working of the characters, but the sense of time and place that is offered up through descriptiveness. This is a book that you can really “get into” and imagine being a part of.

I do think that novels can be as good as informative non-fiction for offering insight into something that is totally foreign to the reader- in this case the world of the geeky scientist. It is not a field I know much about, but I finished this novel a little less in the dark. Ditto the remote Scots island family home of the character Alec, and Vermont, where Marcus Pharoah goes to live with India. Both places are beautifully described and you get a real feel for actually being there.

There is a dark and mysterious element that begins at the start of the novel and runs a thread throughout, adding a backbone to a very believable cast.

I love the way human relationships and upsets are so carefully and realistically detailed, including the nasty death that leaves two young children orphaned and the impact it has on them, and one character's mental illness (bipolar disorder, if I am not mistaken) and the effect it has on her husband.  The strange, ghostly goings on in Mrs. Hunter's house, and her obsession with her dead husband really kept me reading well past my bedtime!

1950s London came alive for me, from struggles with employment, glamour, living conditions and organised crime. Make time to read this or, if it doesn't appeal, give another Judith Lennox novel a go!

BLONDES by PAULA YATES

BLONDES

BY PAULA YATES

THE BLURB:-

Paula Yates's last book was acclaimed by Andy Warhol as “The greatest work of art in the last decade.” Now the wisecracking blonde bombshell, bestselling writer, columnist and TV personality strikes again with a new history of the last two thousand years- the biggest pack of lies since Watergate.

The only gift for the blonde in your life.

THE REALITY:-

So much has been discussed regarding the tragic demise of Paula Yates (in the news again recently, due to the shocking and premature death of her daughter, Peaches) that it's sometimes all too easy to forget what a talented presenter and writer she was.

An icon of the 1980s, in terms of publicity she was up there with the other newsworthy blondes of her day: Princess Diana, Margaret Thatcher and Samantha Fox. Individual and opinionated, presenter of music programme The Tube and wife of Sir Bob, she was the epitome of the coolest of cool.

As a young teenager being (of course!) up to date with all the trends myself, I coveted this book. I couldn't afford it though (I believe the hardback version was £20 at the time and I had never even seen so much money!) and had to sate my interest by flicking through a copy owned by a pretentious friend. That is, until recently, when I remembered its existence and picked it up from Amazon.

Why I should be interested in a book about blondes is maybe beyond me. After all, I am naturally a very dark brunette and (apart from a pre-teen experiment with peroxide that left me with an orange fringe, and a mid-teen liking for red and white streaks) ecstatically happy to stay that way. I've also tended to admire dark haired female role models more, and think properly dark hair is more attractive than light (but don't tell my boyfriend, he's a dirty blonde!)

This book is a coffee table gem and-a-half.  Part truthful research (in the days before the internet) and part pure conjecture, it is cleverly written with a tongue-in-cheek style.  Featuring blonde (mainly female) icons from every possible age; from biblical times through to fairy tale princesses, stars of the silver screen, royalty, politics and advertising, it is certainly full of interesting content, discussed in a comedic way.  Okay, the definition of “blonde” is maybe stretched a little- I always thought Elizabeth I and Boadicea were redheads- but we'll let Paula Yates have her artistic licence as the book has a lot of depth to it and is a great and funny read.

Slightly outdated in terms of humour, you'll still love the accompanying pictures, artworks and quotes.  I would have loved to have read more books like this.  It's such a shame that Paula Yates couldn't sort her shit out.

THE SECRET KEEPER by KATE MORTON

THE SECRET KEEPER

BY KATE MORTON

THE BLURB:-

1961: On a sweltering summer's day, while her family picnic by a stream on their Suffolk farm, sixteen-year-old Laurel hides out in her childhood tree house dreaming of the bright future she just can't wait to seize. But before the idyllic afternoon is over, Laurel will have witnessed a shocking crime that changes everything.

2011: Now a much-loved actress, Laurel finds herself overwhelmed by shades of the past. Haunted by memories, and the mystery of what she saw that day, she returns to the family home and begins to piece together a secret history; a tale of three strangers from vastly different worlds- Dorothy, Vivian and Jimmy- who are brought together by chance in wartime London and whose lives become fiercely and fatefully entwined.

Shifting between the 1930s, the 1960s and the present, this is a spellbinding story of mysteries and secrets, murder and enduring love.

THE REALITY:-

Wow! I have read Kate Morton before, and always find myself asking; where the hell does she get all her clever ideas from?!  I only hope that my brain turns out to be as creative and fertile as hers, and that my writing manages to draw readers in with the same intensity that draws me into her stories.

This is another full-on and in-depth read, tailor made for lovers of family sagas. It highlights human relationships and not just of the romantic variety- the relationships between siblings, the relationships between parents and their children, estrangement, and the way people from the same family can be so very different are all tackled and explained sufficiently. I like the way that the book explores the concept that scratching below the surface of a seemingly idyllic situation can reveal something altogether more sinister. I also loved the way mild mental illness became a theme through the character of Dolly, who lives out her own fantasies via her own narcissistic personality disorder.

Like the writings of Charles Dickens, there are many separate little stories going on within the main theme, which makes for strong and believable characters in a multi-faceted novel which takes you on a journey that does have a surprising and clever twist to it. It is clearly laid out, so it's easy to differentiate between the different perspectives, places and time frames.

Sensitively written, so that it's easy to sympathize with some characters and absolutely hate others, this is not a novel you will be able to put down in a hurry!

THE RIVAL QUEENS by FIDELIS MORGAN

THE RIVAL QUEENS

BY FIDELIS MORGAN

THE BLURB:-

It's 1699 and those intrepid heroines the Countess Ashby de la Zouche and her maidservant Alpiew are once more scavenging for scandal for that scurrilous rag, the London Trumpet. But with the bailiffs in hot pursuit they are reduced to seeking refuge in a concert hall. No sooner have they settled down for an evening of tedium than one of the players staggers onto the stage, her hands dripping with blood- a doyenne has been decapitated under their very noses.

The unlikely sleuths find themselves with an abundance of suspects: players, ruffians in pink ribbons, a Punch and Judy man- not to mention a painter with a silver proboscis. Their pursuit of the culprit takes them from the Tower of London to Bedlam, with a brief detour via the fields of Wapping. With a little help from Pepys and a lot of laughs and mayhem along the way they uncover a web of corruption that extends to the highest echelons of society.

THE REALITY:-

The person who bought me this book was not wrong in thinking that I would love it- a bodice ripping carry-on of a thrill set in post-Restoration London, with reproachable characters, naughty ladies, mystery, wrongdoings and intrigue. As a lover of Forever Amber, by Kathleen Windsor, this period in history tends to excite me.

But I have tried.   For... oh, ten years now, this book has sat on my shelf. In that time I have tried to read it no less than three times, the last time very recently!  I managed to get to around page 100- but I still could not tell you much about what went on, as the words seemed to flow in through one ear and out of the other.

Maybe it was the somewhat slapstick style of writing. Maybe it was the stupid, childish names of some of the characters. But whatever it was, I could just not get into this novel so, sadly, it's finally going into the charity bag.

Maybe one of you would like to read it and give me an opinion?

THE GLASS PAINTER'S DAUGHTER by RACHEL HORE

THE GLASS PAINTER'S DAUGHTER

BY RACHEL HORE

THE BLURB:-

In a tiny glass-stained shop in the hidden backstreets of Westminster lies the cracked, sparkling image of an angel.

The owners of Minster Glass have also been broken: Fran Morrison's mother died when she was a baby; a painful event never mentioned by her difficult father Edward. Fran left home to pursue a career as a classical musician. But now Edward is dangerously ill and it's time to return.

Taking her father's place in the shop, she and his craftsman Zac accept a beguiling commission- to restore a shattered glass picture of an exquisite angel belonging to a local church. As they reassemble the dazzling shards of coloured glass, they uncover an extraordinary love story from the Victorian past, sparked by the window's creation. Slowly, Fran begins to see her own reflection in its themes of passion, tragedy and redemption.

Fran's journey will lead he on a search for the truth about her mother, through mysteries of past times and the anguish of unrequited love, to reconciliation and renewal.

THE REALITY:-

This was one of those books that easily slips between two times and places (1993 and the early 1880's), as Fran researched the history of the stained glass angel and how it tied in with her ancestry.

The writer has gone into great depth shaping her main characters, dipping into the world of classical music, and the artistry and techniques involved with stained glass workmanship. And it's paid off, with the creation of a truly lovely, yet melancholy story.

I like the way that Fran's difficult relationship with her father and the mystery regarding her mother adds a sense of intrigue that you just have to get to the bottom of, and way the Laura's dilemma's becomes central to the main theme. Family relationships, especially those that are less than perfect (as so many are) are deeply delved into, and these help to explain the characters foibles with a large dose of reality. In fact, a lovely contrast within this book is the way a hefty chunk of modern realism is mixed with the other worldliness of the past and the truly fantastical question of the existence of real angels.

I also absolutely loved all the angel orientated quotations at the forefront of each chapter- they gave a beautiful touch to the novel. Definitely one to give a go!

BORN BAD by JOSEPHINE COX

BORN BAD

BY JOSEPHINE COX

THE BLURB:-

Eighteen years ago, Harry made a hard decision that drove him out from the place he loved. Since then he carved out a life for himself, and found a semblance of peace. Yet he is still haunted by the memory of the warm carefree girl with the laughing eyes.

For Judy Saunders, the pain of her past has left her deeply scarred. Cut off from her family and trapped in a loveless marriage, the distant memories of her first love are her only source of comfort in a dark and dangerous world.

Years later, Harry is heading back. Excited, afraid and racked with guilt, he has little choice. He must confront the past and seek forgiveness.

THE REALITY:-

I've always wanted to read Josephine Cox's books, as they looked like the kind of family sagas that I get on well with. I just maybe wish I hadn't chosen this one? It was very gritty and real, in the style of Catherine Cookson, but was perhaps a bit too depressing for my taste.

Set in 1956, at 468 pages long the book was very thick, considering it's only dealing with the time span of a few months. It was therefore full of glorious detail (which I always prefer to too little) with a great plot:- the question of what really went on with fourteen-year-old Judy and her baby was the issue that kept me turning the pages.

I did find the characters extremely stereotyped, but was very glad of the much-needed happy ending! The twist regarding who was the real villain of the piece was also pleasantly unexpected.

I'd certainly give this author another go.

MR. HAU (CHINESE RESTAURANT IN EASTBOURNE)

I recently went for a short break to Eastbourne.  Although the weather was foul, we did not let it spoil our fun!

I can thoroughly recommend The Pier Hotel, where we stayed, but can thoroughly NOT recommend Mr Hau's chinese restaurant.  Here is a copy of my review, to be found on Tripadvisor.  Eat there at your peril!!!!

“Revolting attitude, food not much better”

I had a bad feeling the minute my partner and I entered this restaurant- I just wished I had acted on it and left there and then.
We were not made to feel particularly welcome and were given a minuscule table, wedged in between two other couples, despite there being other, better places to be seated at.
The food was edible although nothing spectacular. The crispy duck was cremated, and the beef in the curry was tough and gristly- a bit like chewing on an old plimsoll.
The food was not itemized on the bill and they charged me 80p for two extra pancakes to go with the duck ( they offered us 4 or 6, I chose 6 as this is what you usually get in other restaurants, with any extra often thrown in for free).
I then refused to pay all of the cheeky 10% tip that automatically appeared on my bill. Whilst I am not averse to tipping, I will decide exactly how much, thank you very much. This resulted in the waitress returning and moaning that I had not paid "the full amount". When I refused, the owner was brought out of the kitchen to show me the menu, where it states that 10% automatically gets added onto every bill. I pointed out that this was not something that he could legally enforce and he shut up. This resulted in us being duly ignored when we got up, said goodbye and left, not that I could care a toss.
Avoid like the plague- a very bad experience.

• http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g190722-d2224384-Reviews-Mr_Hau-Eastbourne_East_Sussex_England.html

THE RIVER HOUSE by MARGARET LEROY

THE RIVER HOUSE

BY MARGARET LEROY

THE BLURB:-

Ginnie Holmes has found something she never intended to find- an overwhelming passion for a man she should not be with. At an abandoned boathouse hidden on the river bank of the Thames, Ginnie steps into a world that's just a little bit brighter than her ordinary life. An escape from an empty marriage and a drifting life.

A terrifying event means the lovers' secret becomes a deadly catastrophe. And Ginnie finds herself in the path of extraordinary danger, not only facing the exposure and grief she has feared, but endangering herself and everyone she loves.

THE REALITY:-

Ginnie's marriage is empty, although her family life, and her career are not. But during one of her romantic rendezvous with her lover, she spots a stranger behaving suspiciously. Murderous events mean that she is faced with a moral dilemma- does she say what she saw and risk everything, or keep quiet?

This is a very middle class take on the subject of extra-marital affairs. All the characters are well-educated, have good jobs and live in nice areas. They are well-rounded, carefully drawn, much defined by their careers and have enough substance and detail about them to be interesting. I personally know the area where the novel is set, so a sense of place was easy to envisage.

But somehow, the supposed passion of the affair all seems lost. When Ginnie and Will (also married) get together, their trysts seem way too seedy to be anything special. Maybe this was the intention of the writer, but the love scenes are very base, and the ending of the relationship comes across as lacking, and not very emotional. Although their passion is supposed to be “overwhelming” that doesn't come across at all, and the whole thing seems mapped out by Ginnie and Will from the start.

Ginnie eventually does the right thing from the point of view of her conscience and a murderer gets convicted, but it's a story that seems to drift off into nothing rather than have any sense of a real climatic ending (although the part where Ginnie's daughter goes missing does have a sense of tension). In fact it's Ginnie's relationship with her daughter, rather than Will, that comes across as more interesting.

Light, bright and trite. You kind of know how this would continue if there were to be a sequel. An OK read, but nothing to rock the boat.

SISTERS by LINDA LAUREN

SISTERS

BY LINDA LAUREN

THE BLURB:-

Kate and Alice are sisters who are so different and yet so much the same.

Kate, the one who'd done something with the looks and sense of style they'd both shared. Her life: the world of fashion and fashionable places. Keeping in touch between trips abroad. A world of airports and exotic destinations, spring collections and sensuous fabric, of beautiful people and immaculately skin-deep emotions.

Alice, her twin and once inseparable companion. Living now in the suburbs with a nice, boyish husband and a house that's always a mess.

Alice pregnant, then Alice a mother: lovingly flustered and scatty, almost- but never quite- coping. Both women a warm, living reproach to the other as Kate, coolly organized, descends to help out her sister's crises.

Each woman with an ache of regret for what might have been. Neither foreseeing that her way of life was not as stable as she thought.

THE REALITY:-

I read Linda Lauren as a teenager, and her other two novels explored the journey of pubescent girls growing into women in a completely unique way. This book deals with twin sisters whose lives have taken very different paths.

At 128 pages long, this was probably the shortest book I've read since I was a kid. Also, having 20 pages missing in the centre of the novel was not a positive thing! On close inspection, looking carefully at the spine, it looks as if they were never there in the first place, as opposed to having fallen out, or having been cut out...most strange! But I found that this, thankfully, didn't mar the story too much.

Linda Lauren writes in a gritty and very real way, exploring many of the issues that affect working class young women. Although the book was written in 1983, everything inside here holds a strong relevance today.

Perfectly groomed Kate works in fashion and reconnects with the sister she's been out of touch with for a while. Alice lives in happy domestic chaos with an adoring husband, popping out children in quick succession. But neither of their lives are as happy as they appear on the surface- Kate is married to a harsh, self-centred, perfectionist of a man and Alice doesn't feel she can accommodate the third child that is already on its way.

I like the way women's problems are dealt with; the medical realities of difficult pregnancies and childbirth, the struggles trying to run a home and raise a young family and the question of abortion. I also like that the story is tinged with more radical ideas, such as Kate experiencing severe abdominal pain as Alice goes into labour. I love the way the relationship between these siblings is explored and explained.

But most of all I loved the ending, with its very, very, VERY unexpected twist. Certainly worth a read. 

THE DISTANT HOURS by KATE MORTON

THE DISTANT HOURS

BY KATE MORTON

THE BLURB:-

Edie Burchill and her mother have never been close, but when a long-lost letter arrives one Sunday afternoon, with the return address of Milderhurst Castle, Kent, printed upon its envelope, Edie begins to suspect that her mother's emotional distance masks an old secret.

Evacuated from London as a thirteen year old girl, Edie's mother was chosen by the mysterious Juniper Blythe and taken to live at Milderhurst Castle by the Blythe family.

Fifty years later, Edie too is drawn to the castle and the eccentric Sisters Blythe. Old ladies now, the three still live together, the twins nursing Juniper, whose abandonment by her fiancé in 1941 plunged her into madness.

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother's past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst Castle, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in the distant hours has been waiting a long time for someone to find it.

THE REALITY:-

Kate Morton writes in a fascinating way, in layer upon layer of information that slips seamlessly from wartime to 1992, from the deep perspective of one character to another. She also adds the “fictional” writings of the Sisters Blythe's father, Raymond Blythe- these seem so real that you find yourself questioning whether the man actually existed!

I can really identify with the main character Edie: a creative woman who lives within her own head, as many imaginative people do. She is someone who's a book person (to the point of being obsessed by books) rather than a people person. The 1990s sections are all via Edie's voice and written in the first person, which gives a lovely contrast to the other parts of the novel and helps the reader to avoid confusion.

The novel also deals with the difficulties that lie within families, such as being the one member who doesn't fit in with the rest, the lack of closeness that can exist between mother and daughter (noted in both the modern and historical sections) and the way mental illness can be passed down through the generations.

This is a meaty tome of a book for serious readers, and not for the fainthearted! But it will draw you in and not let you get away. A must for those of you who love stories regarding mysterious, whispering buildings that contain deep secrets and fascinating occupants within their walls. I seriously recommend this novel as it drew me in and wouldn't let me leave until the very last end.