Publication date 29/9/20
THE REFRAIN WITHIN by LIZ TOLSMA takes place in Hungary in 1944 during World War 11. It is a poignant tale of incredible bravery, selflessness and unconditional love in the face of the gathering tide of hatred and anti Semitism during the Nazi occupation.
It is the story of the Bognar family who have been involved in music for generations. Patrik Kedves, Eva's fiance, is the conductor of the Budapest Youth Philharmonic, Eva, who plays and teaches the clarinet, and Zofia who plays the piano, have a music shop, and Erno and his father are carrying on the family tradition of making musical instruments, in particular the famous Bognar clarinet. I love the music theme running through the story and also the strong Christian message that ties everything so beautifully together.
Zofia, who is married to Erno, is Jewish, and she and Patrik are heavily involved in the underground Zionist movement. It is a time when people have to hold their secrets close to their chest, lying when necessary. It is hard to know who to trust, and Patrik, with his own secret, his work for the Zionists and protection of Zofia, stands to lose Eva as she becomes more and more sure that he is hiding something from her.
I literally could not put this book down - not only is it beautifully written with amazing characters, but I felt I had to try and see them through to the end! This is a real classic and one of the best novels I have read this year. I cannot recommend The Refrain Within highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Independent Publishers Group. The opinions in this review are completely my own.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday 18 September 2020
Saturday 12 September 2020
THE ORCHARD HOUSE by HEIDI CHIAVAROLI
Publication date 9/2/21
THE ORCHARD HOUSE by HEIDI CHIAVAROLI is a novel you do not want to miss, especially if you are like me and count "Little Women" as one of your favourite books! It is so cleverly written, with unforgettable characters and a profound message and with the past and present overlapping in such an amazing way.
We first come across Taylor in 1995 when, at the age of thirteen, she is fostered and then adopted by the Bennetts who are her best friend Victoria's parents. Although she is treated as part of the family, Taylor is afraid to hope for too much due to her sad childhood and sees herself as being "on the outside looking in".
The girls are both ardent fans of Louisa May Alcott and spend a lot of time at Orchard House, which was her family's home, where they attend the Jo March Writing Camp. Both girls are aspiring authors and I love the way they even have their own Pickwick Club.
Running parallel to Taylor and Victoria's story is that of Louisa and her friend Johanna Suhre. Johanna kept house for Louisa's parents while the author spent a year in Europe. This is another case where a young woman is longing to be independent, but also to belong.
We see the similarity between Taylor and Louisa with their attempts to help Victoria and Johanna respectively. We also see how researching Louisa and Johanna's story draws Taylor and Victoria together.
I like the way we are told so much about Louisa, her family and her writing. The author has obviously done a great deal of research into her life.
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling the read for you, excepting to say that, in spite of the difficulty of family dynamics, feelings of jealousy and inadequacy, betrayal and abusive relationships, there is a strong Christian message of hope running through the book.
I cannot recommend "The Orchard House" highly enough to anyone who enjoys inspirational historical romantic fiction.
I was given an ARC copy of the book by Tyndale House Publishers from NetGalley. The opinions in this review are completely my own.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
THE ORCHARD HOUSE by HEIDI CHIAVAROLI is a novel you do not want to miss, especially if you are like me and count "Little Women" as one of your favourite books! It is so cleverly written, with unforgettable characters and a profound message and with the past and present overlapping in such an amazing way.
We first come across Taylor in 1995 when, at the age of thirteen, she is fostered and then adopted by the Bennetts who are her best friend Victoria's parents. Although she is treated as part of the family, Taylor is afraid to hope for too much due to her sad childhood and sees herself as being "on the outside looking in".
The girls are both ardent fans of Louisa May Alcott and spend a lot of time at Orchard House, which was her family's home, where they attend the Jo March Writing Camp. Both girls are aspiring authors and I love the way they even have their own Pickwick Club.
Running parallel to Taylor and Victoria's story is that of Louisa and her friend Johanna Suhre. Johanna kept house for Louisa's parents while the author spent a year in Europe. This is another case where a young woman is longing to be independent, but also to belong.
We see the similarity between Taylor and Louisa with their attempts to help Victoria and Johanna respectively. We also see how researching Louisa and Johanna's story draws Taylor and Victoria together.
I like the way we are told so much about Louisa, her family and her writing. The author has obviously done a great deal of research into her life.
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling the read for you, excepting to say that, in spite of the difficulty of family dynamics, feelings of jealousy and inadequacy, betrayal and abusive relationships, there is a strong Christian message of hope running through the book.
I cannot recommend "The Orchard House" highly enough to anyone who enjoys inspirational historical romantic fiction.
I was given an ARC copy of the book by Tyndale House Publishers from NetGalley. The opinions in this review are completely my own.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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