The Blurb (from Goodreads):
1792. As a teacher at her parents' Academy for Young Ladies in the heart of London, Madeleine Moreau has lived her life sheltered from the outside world. But on the night of a dazzling Masquerade, tragedy strikes and she is left alone in the world. Desperate to find the family she never knew, Madeleine impulsively travels to France in search of them. But with war around the corner, and fearing for Madeleine's safety, the enigmatic Comte Etienne d'Aubery offers her shelter at his home, Chateau Mirabelle.
Chateau Mirabelle enchants Madeleine with its startling beauty, but it is a place of dark and haunting secrets. As the Revolution gathers momentum and the passions of the populace are enflamed, Madeleine must take control of her own destiny and unravel events of the past in order to secure a chance at future happiness.
The Chateau on the Lake is a breath-taking historical novel set during the time of the French Revolution; rich, evocative and immersive. If you love Philippa Gregory and Joanne Harris, you will adore Charlotte Betts.
My Thoughts:
I love books set in France, and have had a particular fascination with the French Revolution since reading my grandmother’s ancient copies of The Scarlet Pimpernel by the Baroness d’Orczy when I was a teenager. I settled down with a cup of tea, hoping for a great swashbuckling romantic adventure. I was not at all disappointed. The voice of the heroine Madeleine is pitch-perfect – intelligent, highly educated and argumentative, she is the daughter of a French nobleman and an English lady. Fallen on hard times, they have opened a school for rich and well-bred young ladies, where Madeleine teaches. There are secrets in her parents’ life, however, and when they die tragically, Madeleine sets out to discover her hidden heritage. Her search takes her to France, and she witnesses the execution of the French king, Louis XVI, which shakes her understanding of the world to the core. Trapped in a France gone mad with bloodlust, Madeleine finds herself falling in love …
The Chateau on the Lake is one of the best historical romances I have read for a while, and I was pleased to realise that I had previously read and enjoyed one of Charlotte’s earlier books, The Apothecary’s Daughter … and she has a few other books in her back list. I’ll be hunting them down forthwith!
You might also like to read my review of Josephine's Garden by Stephanie Parkyn:
https://kateforsyth.com.au/what-katie-read/book-review-josephines-garden-by-stephanie-parkyn
The Blurb (from Goodreads):
A haiku is three simple lines. But it is also, as Allen Ginsberg put it, three lines that "make the mind leap." A good one, he said, lets the mind experience "a small sensation of space which is nothing less than God." As many spiritual practices seek to do, the haiku's spare yet acute noticing of the immediate and often ordinary grounds the reader in the pure awareness of now. Natalie Goldberg is a de-lightfully companionable tour guide into this world. She highlights the history of the form, dating back to the seventeenth century; shows why masters such as Basho and Issa are so revered; discovers Chiyo-ni, an important woman haiku master; and provides insight into writing and reading haiku.
My Thoughts:
This slim little hardback is a gentle and delicate exploration of the writing of haiku, a form of short poetry that originated in Japan and has now taken the world of Instagram and Twitter by storm. I love it, and try my hand at writing it whenever the mood takes me. I also follow quite a few other poets online, some of whom write a #haikuaday – along with other forms of #micropoetry.
Natalie Goldberg is best known for her classic book Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, which I have not yet read. She writes with great elegance and gentle touches of humour about her own personal journey into learning about haiku, and her journey to Japan to walk in the footsteps of the ancient masters. It’s a lovely introduction to both her, and the deceptively simple seventeen syllable poem. I would have liked more about the women writers of haiku, and modern masters of the form, but somehow the austerity of the book suits the artform it describes.
You might also like to read my review of A History of the World through the eye of a Needle by Clare Hunter
https://kateforsyth.com.au/what-katie-read/book-review-threads-of-life-a-history-of-the-world-through-the-eye-of-a-needle-by-clare-hunter
The Blurb (from Goodreads):
Tuscany, 1944: As Allied troops advance and bombs fall around deserted villages, a young English soldier, Ulysses Temper, finds himself in the wine cellar of a deserted villa. There, he has a chance encounter with Evelyn Skinner, a middle-aged art historian who has come to Italy to salvage paintings from the ruins and recall long-forgotten memories of her own youth. In each other, Ulysses and Evelyn find a kindred spirit amongst the rubble of war-torn Italy, and set off on a course of events that will shape Ulysses's life for the next four decades.
As Ulysses returns home to London, reimmersing himself in his crew at The Stoat and Parrot -- a motley mix of pub crawlers and eccentrics -- he carries his time in Italy with him. And when an unexpected inheritance brings him back to where it all began, Ulysses knows better than to tempt fate, and returns to the Tuscan hills.
With beautiful prose, extraordinary tenderness, and bursts of humor and light, Still Life is a sweeping portrait of unforgettable individuals who come together to make a family, and a richly drawn celebration of beauty and love in all its forms.
My Thoughts:
This novel brings together some of my own passionate loves: art, Italy, the work of E.M. Forster, the untold lives of women … and so, of course, it’s not surprising that I adored it. Sarah Winman has a fresh and unusual style of writing. She abandons quotation marks (which I usually hate), and she leaps over years with whimsical vignettes or quirky summaries. Yet somehow it all works. The book tells the stories of an elderly art historian named Evelyn Skinner and a young British soldier named Ulysses Temper, who met once in Florence at the end of World War II, but whose lives continue to touch and affect each other 40 years later. There are a great many colourful and eccentric minor characters, including a blue parrot that acts like a kind of wise fool, quoting Shakespeare or the Bible in eerily prescient ways. I particularly loved the women at the heart of the book – Evelyn herself, Ulysses’s former wife Peg, and her daughter by another man, often called simply the Kid.
The novel is long and languid, like an Italian lunch, and full of musings on the importance of art and love and kindness and the meaning of life: ‘So, time heals. Mostly. Sometimes carelessly. And in unsuspecting moments, the pain catches and reminds one of all that’s been missing. The fulcrum of what might have been. But then it passes. Winter moves into spring and swallows return. The proximity of new skin returns to the sheets. Beauty does what is required. Jobs fulfil and conversations inspire. Loneliness becomes a mere Sunday. Scattered clothes. Empty bowls. Rotting fruit. Passing time. But still life in all its beauty and complexity.’
I finished it with a big lump in my throat.
You might also like to read my review of A Letter from Italy by Pamela Hart:
https://kateforsyth.com.au/what-katie-read/vintage-book-review-a-letter-from-italy-by-pamela-hart
The Blurb (from Goodreads):
1942, Nazi-occupied France. Sandrine, a spirited and courageous nineteen-year-old, finds herself drawn into a Resistance group in Carcassonne - codenamed 'Citadel' - made up of ordinary women who are prepared to risk everything for what is right. And when she meets Raoul, they discover a shared passion for the cause, for their homeland, and for each other. But in a world where the enemy now lies in every shadow - where neighbour informs on neighbour; where friends disappear without warning and often without trace - love can demand the highest price of all.
My Thoughts:
I really loved both ‘Labyrinth’ and ‘Sepulchre’, which brought together elements of my favourite genres – history, suspense, romance, with a twist of the supernatural. So I was very excited to get Kate Mosse’s new book, ‘Citadel’, which is a lovely, big, thick thwack of a book. You wouldn’t want to drop it on your toe, or have to carry it around in your handbag.
Even though it is very heavy and hard to hold while reading in bed, ‘Citadel’ was a swift and pleasurable read. Most nights I stayed up later than I should have, unable to put it down. I love books set in France (I’m such a Francophile!), I love books set during the Second World War, and I love books that have a parallel narrative, set in two different time periods – and so ‘Citadel’ ticks a lot of boxes for me. Unlike ‘Labyrinth’ and ‘Sepulchre’, there is no contemporary narrative in this book. Instead the story set during the Second World War is interwoven with a tale of a Dark Ages monk who is seeking to protect a mysterious scroll called the Codex. This secondary thread is only a minor part of the book, which concentrates on the primary story of the struggles of a group of women Resistance fighters trying to help people escape Nazi-occupied France. Really, the book could have done without the Codex - the story of the brave women Resistance fighters is strong enough to stand on its own. However, with this second narrative thread, Kate Mosse is able to have the same twist of the supernatural that worked so well in her earlier two books, plus tie all three books together at the climax.
I’m actually rather sad to know that this is the end of Kate Mosse’s Carcassone books – I hope she writes some more!
You might also like to read my review of The Viennese Girl by Jenny Lecoat:
BOOK REVIEW: The Viennese Girl by Jenny Lecoat
The Blurb (from Goodreads):
Australia's bravest and most honest writer explores the devastating aftermath of her elderly mother's decision to end her own life.
Nikki Gemmell's world changed forever in October 2015 when the body of her elderly mother was found and it became clear she had decided to end her own life. After the immediate shock and devastation came the guilt and the horror, for Nikki, her family, relatives and friends. No note was left, so the questions that Elayn's death raised were endless. Was the decision an act of independence or the very opposite? Was it a desperate act driven by hopelessness and anger, or was her euthanasia a reasoned act of empowerment?
After is the story of Elayn Gemmell - and the often difficult, prickly relationship between mothers and daughters, and how that changes over time. As anguished as it truthful, as powerful as it is profound, After is about life, death, elderly parents, mothers and daughters, hurt and healing, and about how little, sometimes, we know the ones we love the most.
A deeply intimate, fiercely beautiful, blazingly bold and important book
My Thoughts:
The best memoir I read in recent months is definitely After by Nikki Gemmell. A searingly honest memoir, she began writing it the day after her mother quietly decided to end her own life rather than endure any more pain. She left no note, no farewell letter, no written explanation. The book explores Nikki’s anguish and guilt, which largely arises from her tumultuous relationship with her strong-willed and opiniated mother, and also from the trauma of the police investigation and the lack of a chance to say goodbye. After also explores the moral dilemmas of the right to choose the time and place of one’s demise, a very timely exploration given the continuing battle for the right to death movement in Australia. The writing is fierce and intimate, and breathtaking in its bravery.
‘The grief is not over, it will never be over. It still trips me up in unexpected moments, stumbling me all over again …But the moving forward is stronger, swifter now; the seam of melancholy more hidden. Yes, climbing back into the world.’
Highly recommended.
You might also like my review of The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls:
BOOK REVIEW: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Get your copy of After HereThe Blurb (Goodreads):
Raised in genteel poverty after the First World War, Maria Magdalena Dietrich dreams of a life on the stage. When a budding career as a violinist is cut short, the willful teenager vows to become a singer, trading her family’s proper, middle-class society for the free-spirited, louche world of Weimar Berlin’s cabarets and drag balls. With her sultry beauty, smoky voice, seductive silk cocktail dresses, and androgynous tailored suits, Marlene performs to packed houses and becomes entangled in a series of stormy love affairs that push the boundaries of social convention.
For the beautiful, desirous Marlene, neither fame nor marriage and motherhood can cure her wanderlust. As Hitler and the Nazis rise to power, she sets sail for America. Rivaling the success of another European import, Greta Garbo, Marlene quickly becomes one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, starring with legends such as Gary Cooper, John Wayne, and Cary Grant. Desperate for her return, Hitler tries to lure her with dazzling promises. Marlene instead chooses to become an American citizen, and after her new nation is forced into World War II, she tours with the USO, performing for thousands of Allied troops in Europe and Africa.
But one day she returns to Germany. Escorted by General George Patton himself, Marlene is heartbroken by the war’s devastation and the evil legacy of the Third Reich that has transformed her homeland and the family she loved.
An enthralling and insightful account of this extraordinary legend, Marlene reveals the inner life of a woman of grit, glamour, and ambition who defied convention, seduced the world, and forged her own path on her own terms.
My Thoughts:
Marlene by C.W. Gortner is the fascinating story of Marlene Dietrich, the German actor who became a Hollywood star & then almost died whilst entertaining US soldiers during World War II. I came to this book because I love Gornter’s biographical fiction, rather than because of any interest in Marlene herself, but I soon found myself fascinated by her character and life, and watching videos of her performing online.
Despite studying hard to fulfill her mother’s dream that she become a concert violinist, Maria Magdalena Dietrich prefers to sing and playact and mimic others for comic effect. Her beauty and sensuality lead her into the free-spirited world of Berlin’s nightclubs and cabarets, where the atmosphere of gender play and free love appeal to her independent spirit. She has love affairs with both men and women and works hard to establish a career for herself in the performing arts. Gradually she finds her way into film, and is chosen to play the role of Lola-Lola, a cabaret singer and whore, in the 1930 movie ‘The Blue Angel’. Her world-weary beauty and smoke-roughened voice made her a star, and it was not long before she set her sights on Hollywood, where she causes scandal with her androgynous look and unconventional lifestyle.
Marlene Dietrich was truly an intriguing woman, & Gortner brings her to vivid, dazzling life. So good!
You might also like to read The Huntress by Kate Quinn:
BOOK REVIEW: The Huntress by Kate Quinn
Get your copy of Marlene HEREA week ago, I finished the final edit of The Crimson Thread, the book I’ve been working on for almost two-and-a-half years.
It’s always a bittersweet feeling. Joy, relief, excitement, yet also grief that this story which has inhabited my imagination for so long is finally almost ready to be born.
It will be released in Australia and the US in early July, and I’ve just been sent the glorious covers from my publishers – always such a thrilling moment!
The Crimson Thread is set in Crete during the Second World War. It begins on Anzac Day, 25 April 1941, when Allied soldiers fighting against the German invasion were evacuated from the mainland of Greece to the island of Crete, which lies halfway between Europe and Egypt.
A young Cretan woman named Alenka meets two Australian soldiers named Jack and Teddy. They are best friends who joined up together so they could see the world. Both are irresistibly drawn to her.
A few days later, the Nazis launch a surprise attack on Crete, thousands of paratroopers jumping from planes at dawn. It is the first invasion by solely airborne troops in history. For eleven days, the battle rages, with acts of astonishing courage and defiance by the people of Crete. But at last the Germans prevail, and the Allies must surrender. Thousands of Australian, New Zealand and British troops are trapped on the island. Jack and Teddy are among them.
The novel is about what happens next – how Alenka hides them, how they survive living in caves and cellars, how they learn to resist, how their friendship is strained to the limit by conflicting tensions of love and duty, and how betrayal can sometimes come from those to whom you are closest.
The Crimson Thread is inspired by a true story, and also by one of the world’s ancient myths – the story of the minotaur locked in the labyrinth and fed upon the blood of young men and women.
Here is an extract from the book:
It has been a long dark winter spent in lockdown here in Sydney! Luckily for me I live near the ocean in Manly, and so I have been able to walk along the beach front or by the harbour most days, and work in my garden, and read in the early spring sunshine. My vegetable garden is bursting with fresh green goodness, and so I’ve been cooking up some feasts too.
I’ve begun work on my next novel, which is a retelling of ‘Psyche’, one of my favourite myths. It’s very early days yet, so I’m mainly reading and researching and daydreaming – though I have already written the first 101 words! The beginning of a new story is always the hardest part to write, and so I’m hoping the fact my opening lines came to me in a flash means the rest of the novel will come as easily and swiftly (though I promise you this is wishful thinking – writing a novel is never easy!) If you’d like to know more about the inspirations of ‘Psyche’ check out my Writing Journal HERE.
I’m also working on The Maiden Made of Blossoms & Other Tales of Transformation, the fifth book in the ‘Long Lost Fairy Tales’ series. There are seven stories in each book, and so far I have rewritten the ancient Japanese fable of ‘The Fox Witch’, an old Romanian fairy tale about a girl who wishes to be a boy, ‘The Frog King’ which was probably told to Wilhem Grimm by Dortchen Wild, the heroine of my novel The Wild Girl, and ‘Tattercoats’, an English version of ‘Cinderella’ which has a delightful gooseherd in it as the heroine’s magical helper. Next, I plan to retell the Welsh myth of Bloduewedd, the maiden made of blossoms who was transformed into an owl.
I’ve also been busy developing an inspiring new creative writing course called Dare to Dream: Find your Voice and Tell your Story. It’s an online course, running every Monday night for 4 weeks in November, and is designed for writers at any stage of their careers who wish to unlock the door to their subconscious and find joy, inspiration, vitality and empowerment in telling their story. It’s already booking out fast, so be quick if you want to join us! You can book here through the Australian Writers Centre
For other writing courses, keep an eye on my Upcoming Talks & Workshops page – and I’m very hopeful that my Cotswolds retreat will go ahead next year, hopefully in mid-May.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Jenny Gordon
Better Read Literary Tours
[email protected]
And, finally, you can read my reviews of the best books I’ve read recently at What Katie Read - including books by Maggie O’Farrell, Kathryn Heyman, Gabrielle Carey and Sheila Kohler.
Bright blessings upon you all!
Kate
The Blurb (from Goodreads):
A chilling police thriller set in a small coastal town on the Mornington Peninsula, where the discovery of human bones on an isolated beach has reawakened a twenty-year-old cold case…
On the evening of September 22, 1998, three teenage girls venture out for a night of mischief in the coastal town of Blairgowrie. But only two return . . .
For over twenty years the disappearance of fifteen-year-old Cecilia May remains a baffling cold case - until human bones are discovered on an isolated beach.
Now it’s up to Detective Emmett Corban and his team to dig up decades of trauma, and find the missing piece of an investigation that’s as complex as it is tragic.
Does the answer lie with the only suspect, a registered sex offender who confessed, then immediately provided a rock-solid alibi? Or with the two teen survivors – neither of whom can keep their story straight?
But the police aren’t the only ones hunting for the truth: someone else has arrived in the seaside town. And she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to find her own version of justice…
My Thoughts:
I’ve been reading a lot of contemporary crime written by Australian women in the past couple of years, loving the mix of suspense and intrigue with the moody Australian landscape. The Girl Remains by Katherine Firkin is set on the Mornington Peninsular, and the small coastal town with its fibro shacks, wild beaches, and stretches of impregnable bush reminded me vividly of my own childhood summer holidays. Luckily none of mine ever turned out like the characters in this book!
In September 1998, three teenage girls on school holidays together went out for a night of illicit fun and games. Only two returned. The disappearance of fifteen-year-old
Cecilia May has haunted the town of Blairgowrie ever since. Twenty years later, her bones turn up on the beach and police detective Emmett Corban is tasked with investigating the cold case. His life is complicated by the fact his wife is a freelance photographer seeking to make her break with stolen photos of the crime, and a convicted paedophile who lives in the town has already been judged and found guilty by the townsfolk.
Well-paced and full of twists and turns, this is a very readable police procedural. I had the added pleasure of guessing the identity of the murderer (which, given the tricky plot, was not easy).
You might also like to read my review of Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox:
https://kateforsyth.com.au/what-katie-read/book-review-gone-by-midnight-by-candice-fox
