Literary Brooding

  The Last Night in London by Karen White Paperback, 480 pages Expected publication: May 5th 2021 by Simon & Schuster AU London, 1939, for best friends Eva Harlow and Precious Dubose the world is seemingly their oyster. Working as fashion models at the House of Luschtak allows them to mingle with the British elite. Eva finds herself swept into a whirlwind romance with the charming Graham St John, it is everything she has ever wanted. Yet the happiness they find is tinged with the threat of war and the forces of intrigue. London, 2019, Madison Warner, freelance journalist is engaged by long tine friend Arabella to write an article on the life and vintage clothing collection of 99 year old Precious Dubose. As Maddie interviews Precious she tries to unravel the story of Eva of Graham who both seem too have disappeared during the war and also the secrets that Precious is reluctant is let go. For Maddie coming back to London brings complications in trying to shield her feelings from...

  Half Life by Jillian Cantor  Paperback, 416 pages Published March 23rd 2021 by Harper Perennial What would have happened if Marya Sklodowska (Maria Curie) had not travelled to Paris in 1891 but remained in Poland? This is the question in Jillian Cantor’s ‘Half Life’. What could easily become a mess as you cross between two different stories with the same central character is deftly handled by Cantor. By giving Curie a sliding doors moment in time allows Cantor to explore the woman and the scientist in this fictionalised account of her life. Curie in both her guises is well realised on the page and has slightly different characteristics. That makes the switch easier and engaging. As the woman who remains in Poland and marries mathematician, Kazimierz Zorawski, Marie is still there but as Marya her ability to learn and follow her scientific pursuits is severely curtailed. You can feel her frustration ooze off the page that she knows as a woman she is there to support her husba...

 Look we all know 2020 was not a great year and for me that carried into 2021 with a couple of months in and out of hospital. Still I found time to read and escape the dreariness of the world.  So here is quick recap of the year so far.  One Day I'll Remember This: Diaries 1987–1995 by Helen Garner Once again Helen Garner has allowed us the opportunity to see the world through her eyes. There are several themes that run through the entries this includes Garner musing on her success or failure as a mother, her relationships, writing process and friendships. Throughout the writing Garner exposes her fallibility and strength. The diaries provide an insight into the personal and writing life of a great Australian writer. Hardcover, 320 pages, Published November 3rd 2020 by Text Publishing Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia  Noemí Taboada at the bequest of her father travels to visit her recently married cousin, Catalina at a remote mansion called High Place. Upon arr...