GIRL IN TRANSLATION

by Jean Kwok   (LW)

What a heartfelt story of a little girl, Kimberly Chang, and her mother immigrating from Hong Kong to America. The writer made me  feel like I was living side by side with the characters and feeling their triumphs and frustrations.

Now living in a broken down, rat and cochroach infested flat in Brooklyn, they must survive with very little possessions or money. Kimberly's mother knows no English and is forced, by her sister of all people, to work in a factory sweatshop with very little pay for extremely long hours. 

Kimberly must slip into a completely different world that she is used to and go to school, speaking and understanding very little English. Although she was a very talented student in Hong Kong, here she must face many challenges and find acceptance into society if she is to get a good education and save herself and her mother from terrible circumstances.

THE QUEEN'S LADY

by Eve Edwards   (LW)

I fell in love with this book. What a lovely story, set in 1583, a period of time I don't usually care to read about, however I really enjoyed this book, having picked it up because of the beautiful cover. I didn't realise it was #2 about the Lacey's (the other being 'The Countess') but it didn't matter I slipped into it easily. 

Lady Jane is the Marchioness of Rievaulx and begins service to the Queen (Elizabeth) after the death of her husband, who was much older than herself, but who she loved nonetheless. She is caught in a fight over her inheritance between her family and her former husbands sons. She is treated wickedly and is tricked into marrying a Frenchman so her father and brother can receive respect and wealth. She however loves James Lacey but he is not there to help her as he is exploring overseas. Will he come back in time to save her life? 

UNTIL TUESDAY

by Luis Carlos Montalvan   (LW)

This is a true story about a US soldier, suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and how his life was spiraling out of control upon his return to society, dealing with his many injuries and trauma experienced during his time in Afghanistan. That is until he met Tuesday, an assistance dog he was given through 'Wounded Warrior Project and Puppies Behind Bars'.

Montalvan found the army had abandoned him once he had returned home and tried to fit into normal life again. Even his family didn't understand what he was fully going through at first. His life changes dramatically once he receives Tuesday, his assistance dog, and they form a lovely bond which helps him to deal with his condition and stresses. A touching book highlighting the not so easy task soldiers experience when they return to their previous life and how they must cope day to day in a world that is so completely foreign to them now.

THE KITE IDENTITY 3: Everyone Lies

by Harry Edge   (LW)

Even though I hadn't read the first two books in this series I caught on quickly to the story and the characters. I liked this story even though it was aimed at Young Adults. It was fast paced, exciting and full of suspense right until the end.  As the characters travelled from country to country you were kept in touch with what was happening in each place and with each character, which built the suspense. 

Luke believes his father is still alive, although he has been reported to have died in a helicopter crash, and he and his sister are now sole heirs to their father's fortune and company, Kite Industries. Is Luke's Uncle a villain and a murderer? Has he sent an assassin to kill his sister? I tell you there is romance, suspense, murder and deceit in this book. You'll want to read the whole series I'm sure.

EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE

by Jonathan Safron Foer  (LW-not in CCB lib)

I must admit I knew nothing about this book and found it rather deep and very unusual. At the time of reading (or letting my Kindle read it to me) I wasn't well so maybe I didn't bond with the story as I usually do. I now know the movie will be released soon so I will watch that to see if it gives me a greater love for the characters.

Oskar is a nine year old boy, who suffers from Autism, and who's father is killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He was let out of school early that day and has a secret he hasn't told anyone. He was the first to come home and hear his father leave 5 phone messages to his family as he was trapped in one of the towers. They were the last words he said.

Oskar, while going through his father's things, discovers a key in an envelope with the word 'Black' written on it. He believes this is a clue and he decides to look up and track down every person named 'Black' in the phone book. This seems like an unbelievable and unrealistic task but he is determined to do it. As he meets several people

A BEAUTIFUL LIE

by Irfan Master   (LW)

This story is set in India during 1947, before partition, when India was divided. Bilal is a young boy forced to care for his dying father who hates the idea of India being torn apart and longs for the traditions of India. Because of the strong love for his father, Bilal, decides to lie to his father and hide him from any information reaching him of the riots and killings going on in his town. This is not an easy thing to hide so he must ask his friends to help him and stop visitors to his father who may tell him the terrible troubles that are surrounding them.

I loved the idea Bilal had of taking 'memory photos' of life around him to remember his life. Snapshots like a camera would take. Bilal also found that once he had lied he had to keep telling lies to cover up the original lie, and he also found that lies became easier the more you told.

I didn't find this book particularly gripping but it did give an insight into life in India during this time and  the tension that existed during the lead up to partition and the loss of friendships once people were dispersed to other parts of India to survive.

BROKEN MEMORY

by Elisabeth Combres   (LW)

This is an easy read, with short chapters, aimed at the younger reader but don't let that put you off. It packed a punch that's for sure. Although fiction, this story was based on real life stories and historical events during the Rwanda genocide, and the trauma the Tutsi people faced during this horrific event in 1994.

Emma is a 5 yr old Tutsi girl who hides in her house while she hears her mother being killed close by. She escapes and finds a Hutu women she befriends who looks after her and hides her from rebel soldiers for many years. Emma is devastated that she cannot remember her mother's face but can remember her last words 'You must not die'.

There are many heart breaking stories during this terrible time in history which left hundreds of thousands of people, especially children, misplaced, traumatised and memories that will torment them for many years, sometimes forever. The struggle to learn to heal memories and to trust again is necessary for survival.

A touching story told very simply... may we never forget the horror!

REMARKABLE CREATURES

by Tracy Chevalier   (LW)


This book is different and had quite a different story line than I expected. It's the story of a wonderful friendship between two remarkable women, Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot, who were drawn together through their love of collecting fossils. Although the story is fiction is was based on the actual life of these two women,living in Lyme Regis during the 1820's. Mary, who was struck by lightning as a baby, had a real connection with nature and the sea. She would collect curios (fossils) from the beach and sell them in her father's shop to tourists who passed by. 


Mary certainly had an eye for detecting fossils and discovered some of the first pre-dinosaur  fossils in England, including the ichthyosaur and the plesiosaur.  However, this was a man's world and she didn't get any recognition for her discoveries or a scientist until later on in years.


Although 'fossils' to me seems like a slightly boring subject the story was a wonderful blend of scientific fact, myths, customs, romance along with a story of friendship thrown in. It challenged the thinking of the time of evolution and where fossils fit into the scheme of God's creation.


I did enjoy this book as I did with another of Tracy's books I recently read 'The Girl with the Pearl Earring'.

LES DARCY

by Peter Fitzsimons   (LW)

This is a wonderful biography of an Australian boxing icon named Les Darcy. I must admit I hadn't heard of him prior to reading this book, but after mentioning this book to friends, it seems that most had heard of him. He was a wonderful young man who was a natural boxer but also a descent fellow and hard worker, and loved by nearly everyone who met him. He worked hard to provide for his family. With a family of 10 children, one handicapped and a father who was usually drunk, Les tried to lessen the burden for his loved mum. He was strong and handsome with a charming smile. Deeply religious, this stemming from his rich Irish Catholic ancestory, he never missed going to Sunday Mass and was very close to his local priest.

Les earned his icon status by working his way up the rung of the boxing community fighting the biggest and meanest they could throw at him and became a lightweight and heavyweight champion. He wanted to set his family up with a nice home and enough money to keep them well and tried desperately to travel to the USA to compete with their champion boxers and win some big bucks. Unfortunately, the war had started and men were signing up to go to Galipoli and fight with the Allies. He was still underage and needed his mother to sign a conscent form but she refused. This led some members of the community to send him white feathers in the mail and call him a coward for not going with their sons to fight. 

Les just wanted a couple more fights to prove himself and earn his money then he was prepared to enlist. The government refused a passport for Les on three separate occasions which frustrated him and he eventually, with the help of a friend, stowed away on a ship going to America. They all knew of him there and soon fell in love with him and soon there were matches schedule, however time after time he was refused permission to fight due to his ex-manager in Australia who had connections high in the government.