Category: Off The Shelf

Off The Shelf bookclub

Two books Reviewed

OFF THE SHELF

“Holding the Line” by Barbara Kingsolver

In 1983, Barbara Kingsolver, had a job as a scientific writer but she spent her weekends as a freelance journalist covering the Phelps Dodge Miners’ strike in Arizona. This book tells the story of how miners’ wives took up the mantle of their labourer husbands and held an 18-month picket line for a union contract that never materialized. Kingsolver follows this timeline through the eye-witness accounts of the women from Arizona. It’s a verbatim report from many tapes, and the group often felt it was lengthy and repetitive. However, what we did feel was immensely gripping, was the powerful strength of the women who continued to battle for a fair and just cause. The relentless belief, and energy of the Miners Women Auxiliary is a testament to how commitment can outwit and grind down the giants, who tried to break the morale of the strikers through violent and sometime illegal methods. The book shows how strong women changed the patterns of life by making small steps and it was acknowledged that this wasn’t an easy road to take, with often a high price to pay in terms of marriage relationships and family breakups. Although it was hard to keep track of the threads of the research there was no doubt that the endless efforts of these women led to major changes for the rights of women. As individuals began to speak out and ‘hold court’ in a world which was dominated by the male voice, they earnt a respect which travelled internationally creating a world arena for women to continue to speak out against injustices. It is a book which includes many characters and acronyms which can be confusing, but the direct factual approach leaves the reader with the sense of awe that this was an immense period in world history for feminism.

The group gave it as score of 8 out of 10.

Isobel Davies

“Golden Hill” by Francis Spufford

It is 1746 and a handsome young man arrives in New York wanting to cash a bank order for £1,000. The City is very much in its infancy and suspicious of the newcomer; who is he and why is he here. A fast-paced rollicking story with many highs and lows for the protagonist. It is full of twists, turns and wonderful descriptions. Extensive research obviously underpins this novel.

Opinion on this book was divided. Half of the group found it hard to get into because of the archaic language and at the start it seemed disjointed. The rest of us really enthused over the fun, adventures and eventual reveal.

We scored 7/10

Patricia Coulthard

“Midnight Blue” by Simone van der Vlugt

OFF THE SHELF

“Midnight Blue” by Simone van der Vlugt

The group were all quick to agree that this was an excellent easy read for the month and gave it a score of 8 out of 10.

The book is set in the Netherlands in the 17th Century and although lacks historical references there is an excellent plot which twists and turns throughout the story. Catrin, the main character of the book, is a strong and ambitious woman who leaves her hometown, after the death of her husband. There is a dark shadow cast over her exodus which gradually unfolds throughout the story and her dark past is forever following her. She first finds employment as a housekeeper in Amsterdam, where the city is flourishing, and it is here that her talents and skills as an artist are discovered. Catrin tries to fulfil this ambition but is thwarted until she leaves for the smaller city of Delft. As a designer of ceramics, she tries to survive life as a widow and finally marriage. The book is written in the first person, and this helps to develop Catrin’s strong emotions and feelings that have been formed by her relationships and hardships in her life.

 

Isobel Davies

“Hello Beautiful” by Ann Napolitano

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano is an unlikely title, for a book about William, who has great difficulties relating to a real world.

After a childhood of neglectful love, his parents had lost a baby and were incapable of showing any feeling. William’s one interest in life is baseball and he achieves a scholarship to a college. He meets Julia and her loving family of sisters who almost adopt William. So, the story continues with Julia, a great world organiser falling for William and they get married, later in life, they divorce, and he marries her sister, who through her love of books, understands William and his isolating life.

The group gave the book a score of 8 out of 10

Anne Gill

“I Kiss Myself Goodbye: The Many lives of Aunt Munca”

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OFF THE SHELF

“I Kiss Myself Goodbye:
The Many lives of Aunt Munca”

 

This is a memoir written by Sir William Robert Ferdinand Mount (3rd Baronet). Principally he is writing about his relationship with his aunt, an apparent millionairess who calls herself Aunt Munca after the mouse in a Beatrix Potter book (it was never explained why). According to Mount, his aunt is a bit of an enigma and a consummate liar, “Nothing about her back story seems to add up”. Mount writes about his summer holidays at her house by the sea and the comings and goings of various guests. He name-drops frequently throughout the book and paints the characters who come and go but in a very superficial or irreverent way. There is no depth to any of the characters.
Mount does get to find out about his aunt’s background – probably the most interesting part of the whole book. Despite that there was a general feeling of so what? The title, I kiss myself goodbye is a reference that Aunt Munca makes to her background – a background that she wants to disown and forget.
This book has been well reviewed elsewhere – but take a deep sigh here – none of our book club members liked the book, only one gave it a six out of 10, with the rest scoring it as low as 2, 3 or 4. Three of us failed to finish it. It was described variously as tedious, boring, pointless and self-indulgent. Overall rating 4 ½ out of 10.

Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield

OFF THE SHELF

“Bellman & Black” by Diane Setterfield

 

This month’s book was Bellman & Black a ghostly, gothic read written by Diane Setterfield.

When William Bellman was a ten-year-old child, in an act of bravado he killed a rook with his catapult. An act that he regretted, went on to forget, but was to impact on his future.

As he progressed to adulthood, William was blessed with increased good fortune, a successful career, a happy marriage with children. William began to experience a series of personal tragedies and at each funeral he attends, he sees a mysterious stranger in black, someone he thinks he should remember but can’t place.

This dark and atmospheric read was full of guilt and regret. William avoids dwelling on unpleasant memories and enters a bargain with the dark stranger whom he names Mr Black. William becomes gripped with building of a lucrative new business in the shape of an emporium selling everything needed to commemorate a loved one’s death. This connects William’s obsession with other’s death as a way of avoiding the mourning of his loved ones and evading the living of his own life.

As the author makes several references to rooks in myths and fables, William becomes increasingly unhinged and convinces himself that Mr Black was somehow related to the rook he killed years ago and that he was seeking revenge for this act.

Whether as a ghost or in the form of the grim reaper, Black eventually makes himself known to William who insists on paying Black his perceived debts. Black says that what he offered was an opportunity not a business partnership. The opportunity being thought and memory. Lost good and bad memories and the grief of his un-mourned loved ones’ deaths tortures William to his own death.

This was a beautifully written story based on memories and loss. Although many characters and events could have benefitted from further exploration and explanation from the author, most of us found it a good read. We gave the book a score of 8/10.

Bournville by Jonathan Coe

OFF THE SHELF

“Bournville” by Jonathan Coe

The village of Bournville was developed at the end of the 19th century. George Cadbury had expanded his chocolate making business to a larger factory set in countryside outside Birmingham. He was a Quaker and believed that workers had a right to good working conditions and housing. Over time he bought 120 acres near his factory and built the village of Bournville. This provided his workers with good quality houses with gardens. He also provided leisure facilities which he believed, led to a better quality of life.

Jonathan Coe’s story follows one family through a period, from the end of the second world war to the beginning of the COVID epidemic. Principally this is a story about family and family relationships.

Coe sets his story in the context of Bournville village life and historical and often life changing cultural events, beginning with VE day and Royal coronations, and the development of television through 75 years to the COVID epidemic. The story begins at the beginning of the COVID epidemic and moves between present and past. In this book Coe uses the family stories around these events to illustrate how the British see themselves in relation to the rest of Europe and just occasionally using humour to do this. Alongside the occasional humour there was poignancy and sadness but nevertheless a story that offers optimism and hope.

Overall, our book club enjoyed the book and gave it a score of 8.5.

“Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin

OFF THE SHELF

“Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is a novel that explores the enduring power of love and guilt. Sadie and Sam, bond over video games when the pair meet in a children’s hospital; Sadie as the sibling of a cancer patient and Sam while enduring ongoing treatment for a crushed foot following an accident. We see this childhood relationship renewed and the bond cemented when the couple meet up again during their university years. The novel continues as the couple develop their gaming genius in partnership with Marx a failed actor and student friend of Sam’s as they conceive of, and programme, a game about a young boy named Ichigo, which becomes famous and lucrative. We see the partnership’s well-being impacted as they strive from developing one game to the next. The plot unfolds with various relationships along the way including Sadie’s abusive affair with her tutor Dove. Although the couple were never romantically involved, Sadie’s character in a game ends up married to Sam’s avatar.
Marx was a favourite character with our readers as he grounded the couple and mended relationships. His death devastated both Sadie and Sam. It was he who coined the title of the book based on Macbeth’s speech but with a positive twist. It’s tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It’s the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea that if you keep playing, you could win. No loss is permanent because nothing is permanent, ever.
The story immerses the reader into the world of gaming culture which some of the group found novel and interesting, but the gaming aspect was too consuming for some. Although we enjoyed the book, we all agreed that it involved too many unnecessary side events and personalities which added to the length of the story line.
Our Book Club rated it 6 out of 10

Anne Gill

“Metronome” by Tom Watson

OFF THE SHELF

“Metronome” by Tom Watson

This dystopian novel was highly praised on BBC TV programme ‘Between the Covers’ We had mixed feelings; most agreed that it was well written and portrayed the desolate island landscapes convincingly. The thoughts and feelings of the characters drew the reader into their alien and bleak world. Some of us found it a page-turner, however, we all agreed that the further we read the less believable the story became. Ultimately, although expertly written, we decided it was a frustrating and flawed story.

We gave it 6.5

Tricia Coulthard

“A Spell of Winter” by Helen Dunmore

OFF THE SHELF

“A Spell of Winter”
by Helen Dunmore

This is an unsettling story of love and betrayal, which is dark and claustrophobic in parts, but a story we all wanted to finish. It is set in turn-of-the-century England, with a Gothic literary genre. Catherine and Rob Allen are siblings two years apart, who grow up in a world of shameful secrets. Their mother creates a public outcry by abandoning her family for a bohemian life on the Continent and their father is committed to an asylum in the country. So, the children are sealed off with their grandfather, maid, and tutor in a crumbling country estate. The main overseer of their childhood is the well-loved servant, Kate, but the predatory tutor, Miss Gallagher lurks around in the shadows. In true gothic fashion, terror, blackmail, violence, and eroticism collect beneath every dark surface. Although the characters are emotionally complicated, they remain absorbing, and it is hard not to wish for the ‘cloud’ to lift.

Against this strange and secretive life, Cathy and her brother Rob develop a closeness so fierce that it eventually threatens to smother them both. The turning point in the story comes when Rob, in Cathy’s eyes, unforgivably runs away and she feels betrayed. She is left to build her life and relationships with two significant people who live close to her, her grandfather and Mr Bullivant. When World War I eventually bursts upon them all, Kate seems to find herself and learns quickly how to become self-sufficient. It’s only after she’s experienced this hardship that she’s given a second chance to be redeemed by love.

There is a slightly Austenesque edge to the characters and the book is intensely gripping if not slightly disturbing in parts. It is understandable why it won the 1996 Orange Book Prize. Our Book Club gave it a score of 8/10.

Isobel Davies

 

 

THE PROSECUTOR by Nazir Afzal

OFF THE SHELF

“The Prosecutor”
by Nazir Afzal

 

Nazir Afzal knows a thing or two about justice. As a Chief Prosecutor, it was his job to make sure the most complex, violent, and harrowing crimes made it to court, and that their perpetrators were convicted. From the Rochdale sex ring to the earliest prosecutions for honour killing and modern slavery, Nazir was at the forefront of the British legal system for decades.

But his story begins in Birmingham, in the sixties, as a young boy facing racist violence and the tragic death of a young family member – and it’s this that sets him on the path to his ground-breaking career, and which enables him to help communities that the conventional justice system ignores, giving a voice to the voiceless.

A memoir of struggle and survival as well as crime and punishment, The Prosecutor is both a searing insight into the justice system and a powerful story of one man’s pursuit of the truth.

One of the book club members who recommended the book was fortunate to hear Nazir Afzal speak at a conference and was inspired by him and consequently recommended the book.

The book club members found this a refreshing read compared to some other books we have read. It was not always an easy read because of the content addressed, however the members appreciated that this needed to be discussed. We all thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and it was a great insight into the justice system and the author’s courage and conviction. It reminded us how important having the appropriate and correct evidence is vital in a trial. We overwhelmingly gave the book a score of 10/10 and would highly recommend it.

Chris Munroe

 

 

“The Stranding” by Kate Sawyer

OFF THE SHELF

“The Stranding”
by Kate Sawyer

This book is about survival. The book flashes back to Ruth’s previous life and her decision to leave a toxic relationship to lead a new life in a whale sanctuary in New Zealand. On her arrival, it unfolds that some kind of seismic catastrophic event has occurred. On a deserted beach, Ruth survives along with an unknown man by climbing into the mouth of a beached whale.
Ruth and the stranger endure an amazing, new life together and through many hardships, fall in love, and produce two daughters. The story demonstrates how one can build a new and fulfilling life, even though everything is lost.
Although beautifully and emotionally written, some members were frustrated by the implausibility of events and had to supress concepts of reality to enjoy the book. The group rated the book as 7.5/10.
Anne Gill

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