BOOK REVIEW: Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières

Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières is a historical novel published in 1994 that I recall having had on my TBR list at one point, until it got lost in the shuffle. About a month ago, I saw an instagram post praising the book that reignited my interest, so I took it out of the library. Then, before I had a chance to read it, my husband and I went on a cruise. Our first. We went to Istanbul, then Troy, then Ephesus, Crete, and Rhodes. The cruise ended  in Athens. It was thrilling to see all the ancient sites, but I had a nagging sense of guilt for not knowing anything about modern Greek history. (By modern, I mean anything later than Alexander the Great.)

When we got home, I picked up Corelli’s Mandolin, not knowing that it was set on the Greek island of Cephallonia. (Cephalonia. Kefalonia). I was pleasantly surprised, and then, immediately immersed.

The novel takes place largely during WWII, when the island is invaded and occupied by Italian and German forces. The main characters are Dr. Iannis, his daughter Pelagia, a local fisherman named Mandras who becomes engaged to Pelagia before going off to fight, and Captain Corelli. Corelli is a mandolin player who joined the Italian army during peacetime and is now an officer in the Italian garrison on the island, billeted with Dr. Iannis and Pelagia. (Corelli and Pelagia fall deeply in love, despite the fact that this is essentially collaboration with the enemy.) But these are not the only characters. We are introduced to a large number of the island’s inhabitants and soldiers, and even given a disturbing insight into the mind of megalomaniac Mussolini. Dr. Iannnis is not only a doctor, but also a historian, spending long hours writing and rewriting the history of his island, and by extension, of Greece, a labor of love that is moving to read.

The story begins before the war touches the island, takes us through the war, and continues through the bittersweet aftermath to more modern times when it is tourists invading the island.

This is an extraordinary book. I couldn’t put it down. It coincidentally provided me with a history lesson that I had felt was lacking on my cruise. But more than that, it was a moving story of love (in many forms) and of the confusion, stupidity, barbarism, and occasional heroism of war. It shows how people can succumb to the brutality and become brutal themselves, or else rise above it. It’s heartbreaking and beautifully written. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

BOOK REVIEW: To Capture a Rebel's Heart by Madelyn Grey

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

To be released on April 23! To Capture a Rebel’s Heart by Madelyn Grey is the first book in a new historical romance series, Heart’s Rebellion.

This novel caught my attention because it is set not in Georgian, Regency, or Victorian England but in Revolutionary War-era New York. The war, with its neighbor-against-neighbor strife and family divisions, makes for an adventure-filled background to the romance and for a nice change of pace for historical romance fans.

Benjamin Hoskins is a young patriot eager to avenge the death of his older brother who was hanged as a rebel and traitor by the British forces. When he learns his brother had been a spy, Benjamin is willing to step into his shoes, even though spying is considered a dishonorable business. His task is to infiltrate the home of a wealthy Tory family, pretend to be a loyalist, and ferret out as much information as he can.

Clara Boyd is the beautiful redheaded middle daughter in that Tory family. Clara has always been the black sheep, and has a reputation for having loose morals, a reputation she plays up in her desperate attempts for attention. Her elder sister is the family favorite, but she is away in Philadelphia where she has met the man she wants to marry, Philip Ashby. When a handsome stranger appears at the Boyds’ home, Clara and her younger sister assume he is Ashby, coming to request their sister’s hand.

Benjamin had a different alias in mind when he came to call on the Boyds, but being mistaken for Ashby works just as well. He is invited to stay with them and gets down to business. The only problem is Miss Clara Boyd, who seems determined to scandalize him with her boldness and frank allusions to sex. His attraction to her makes it difficult to pretend to be her sister’s fiancé. And her guilty attraction to him causes her to run hot and cold.

Clara is a loyalist, and Benjamin a rebel spy. Being on opposite sides of the struggle, they cannot truly confide in or to trust one another. And yet, the attraction between them makes it impossible to keep apart. As he gathers and passes along secret information, the war heats up around them and sparks fly between them. But things really take off when Clara finds out that Benjamin is not who he claims to be. Furious, she agrees to help the British side. And then, Benjamin is captured...

This steamy romance will delight readers of historical romance looking for something a little different.

BOOK REVIEW: Lidie: The Further Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton by Jane Smiley

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Lidie: The Further Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton by Jane Smiley is a follow-up to the 1998 novel, The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton. I don’t know why it took so long for book 2 to come out. Does anyone know?

Although I’ve read several of Jane Smiley’s books (my favorites being The Greenlanders and A Thousand Acres) I didn’t read the first Lidie book. Fortunately, it wasn’t necessary to have read that one first to understand or enjoy Lidie.

In pre-Civil War Illinois, Lidie Newton is an independent-minded woman thrown into dependence upon her sisters after the violent death of her husband in Kansas Territory. The novel weaves in the backstory, providing a good sense of what took place in book one. Lidie is mourning her husband and is still traumatized by the events in “Bloody Kansas.” She is a staunch abolitionist, but no one in her family wants to talk about that, which frustrates her.

Lidie is pulled from her grief by the antics of her niece, Annie, a grown woman who is still treated as a child and is laden with chores, but who is also independent-minded. She has a secret plan of escape. She wants to be an actress. While acting in a local holiday play, she attracts the attention of an Englishman who wants to be a producer back in England. Although this part seems a bit farfetched, this Englishman arranges for Annie and her chaperone, Lidie, to travel in luxury to Liverpool. He pays all their expenses. I kept waiting for something sinister to happen, but the guy is on the level. He takes them into his home where they meet his wife and daughter. Annie is an honored guest, while Lidie is seen as a servant, Annie’s maid.

In fact, Lidie likes being treated as a servant because it allows her a good deal more freedom. She gets along well (very well) with the other servants and also makes new acquaintances in Liverpool.

Her adventures here are fairly tame, as opposed to what reportedly took place in book one. But she does heal and she has the chance to re-evaluate what her next steps should be. The ending is a surprise, and seems a nice set-up for a book three.

BOOK REVIEW: Our Spoons Came from Woolworths by Barbara Comyns

I saw Our Spoons Came from Woolworths by Barbara Comyns recommended somewhere on instagram and put it on my list. At just over 200 pages, it’s a quick read and completely engrossing. Originally published in 1950, it was re-released in 2015.

The book is narrated by Sophia, who has just told her life story to a friend. Because of the friend’s reaction, she decided to write it as an autobiography or memoir. She has an unsophisticated voice and outlook that charms the reader even as her story breaks the reader’s heart.

In England during its Great Depression, Sophia is a twenty-one-year-old art student who falls for another artist, twenty-one-year-old Charles. They are far too young and naive to wed. His mother is very much against the marriage and accuses Sophia of trapping him, even though Charles is no great prize. His maternal relatives are all awful to her. (His parents are separated.) His father is OK with the marriage so long as it means he can cut off Charles’ allowance. Sophia’s parents are no longer living. She has a sister and a brother who pop in and out of her life.

At any rate, they are married. They take a small apartment and for a while, they live off of wedding presents and Sophia’s meager income from a commercial artist job. Charles just paints. Rarely, he sells something to a friend. The novel gives the impression (although Sophia never comes out and says it) that he is a mediocre artist. She is probably the better one but because her art is commercial, it doesn’t count.

As the money starts to become scarce, Sophia finds out she is pregnant. The ignorance of these two about the facts of life is horrifying. Moreover, Charles doesn’t want children and blames her for being pregnant, not seeming to realize how it happened. Because of her pregnancy, she loses her job. Sophia is very matter-of-fact about their descent into poverty, which gives a blunt and bleak view of how they live. The novel also gives a detailed, eye-opening look at the facilities for childbirth at a charity hospital at the time. Sophia survives, as does the baby, and now their lives become even more difficult.

Charles is an annoying character. He refuses to work because he believes he is a great artist. He shows no concern for the fact that they can’t pay rent and have no money for food. He tries going behind Sophia’s back to put their baby in an orphanage where, Charles says, he’d be better cared for. But that is an excuse for his own self-centeredness. Readers will root for her to ditch this guy as soon as possible, but she’s afraid his relatives will then take the baby from her.

Poverty takes its toll on the young couple. Sophia is the sole support for her family, earning money by modeling for other artists When she becomes pregnant again, she is bullied into having an abortion. The marriage falls apart. It’s misery upon misery, with a few bright spots, but it is all related in such a clear-eyed way that readers will keep rooting for things to get better. (Spoiler alert, they do.)

The novel reminds me in a way of another older, re-released book that I also enjoyed, Nothing Grows by Moonlight by Torborg Nedreaas. In that book, the female protagonist is older and jaded when she tells her story, but in this book, one gets the sense that Sophia can’t be jaded, and it makes the story more uplifting.

BOOK REVIEW: The Riddle of the Roses by Mary Lancaster

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

The eighth book in Mary Lancaster’s historical mystery/romance series is now available. The Riddle of the Roses continues the adventures of Constance Silver and Solomon Grey, a Victorian era private investigating team.

In this book, Constance and Solomon are asked to investigate the death of Caterina di Ripoli, a young opera singer. The request is made by Sebastian Kellar, who readers have met in a previous book, a diplomat with a shady background and shadier connection to Constance. He was an old family friend of the singer and he has a strong feeling the death was not natural. He blames the husband, who stands to inherit all her fortune.

However, the singer has a long history of heart disease, and there is no indication that the death was anything but a complication of that disease. Part of the mystery is why Kellar thinks there may have been foul play. The husband’s grief is convincingly sincere and deep.

Constance and Solomon resist taking the case, which appears to have no merit. But the presence of a bouquet of roses in the dead woman’s room, that seem to have appeared out of nowhere on the night of her death, draws them in. As they dig deeper, rather than having no viable suspects, they find too many, one of whom is Kellar.

The Riddle of the Roses is another gripping mystery that kept me guessing until the end. At the same time, it continues to explore the relationship between the (now married) investigating duet. There are also some intriguing love stories developing within the supporting cast.

BOOK REVIEW: The News From Dublin by Colm Tóibín

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

I don’t read many short story collections (which is what I say whenever I review a short story collection.) However, I’m addicted to Colm Tóibín, so when I saw this collection on Netgalley, The News From Dublin, I had to request it.

Everything Tóibín writes is extraordinary, with deep dives into the characters’ psyches and beautiful prose. There are nine stories in the collection, set in different time periods and different countries. Like all short stories, there are no happy endings and they are much more character driven than plot driven. Tóibín is able to make even unsympathetic characters compelling (The Free Man). I highly recommend the book for the first 8 stories.

The only one that didn’t captivate me was the final story, The Catalan Girls, about a family of Catalan sisters who emigrate to Argentina to make new lives for themselves. They were not close. In fact, they didn’t like one another and their mother only cared for one of them–not the protagonist. That story seemed to drag, maybe in part because it was novella length rather than short story length, but maybe the wandering through life was the point.

Short story fans should not miss The News From Dublin.

BOOK REVIEW: A Shop Girl’s Guide to Wooing a Lord by Shana Galen

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Shana Galen has a new series coming out: The Heiress Hunters. Book 1 is A Shop Girl’s Guide to Wooing a Lord.

The heiress hunters are the sons of the Earl of Glenister. When they learn of the family’s impending bankruptcy, and of their parents’ reluctant decision to marry off their fifteen-year-old sister to a significantly older wealthy lord to salvage their estates, the sons decide that one of them will have to marry an heiress instead. Being brothers, they turn it into a competition. Garrett Kildare, the second son, is determined to be the one to save the family. The only problem is, the heiresses he has been introduced to leave him cold.

Tamsin Archer is an impoverished commoner who lives with her twice-widowed mother in a tavern where their labor is exploited by the owner and where Tamsin is beaten by the owner’s wife. If this situation isn’t hopeless enough, Tamsin has two younger step-siblings who were sold to a man named Snoozer who runs a company of chimney sweeps. Tamsin has to turn over the little money she earns in order that they might be fed. She’s trying to save up to buy them back, but the price is forever out of reach. And so, she begins stealing. At an aristocrat’s party, she is caught mid-robbery by Garrett.

Tamsin knows what a kind person he is, because she met him once, years before. He bought violets from her when she was a desperate flower girl. She is even more desperate now. She manages to run off, but Garrett is determined to find her. When he does, and learns her story, he wants to help. 

Unfortunately, Garrett is also sticking to his plan to marry an heiress. He falls for Tamsin, but he can’t marry her. She’s a commoner and she’s poor. Tamsin in turn has been in love with Garrett since her flower girl days, but she also knows the class difference is insurmountable.

Or is it?

This steamy Regency Romance is a fun read that introduces spirited protagonists to root for as well as a host of brothers who will no doubt continue the hunt for heiresses. (And a sister who’ll get her own story, I hope!)