A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

Chilean author Isabel Allende's latest book is a historical novel in one sense, but also a moving love story set in difficult political times. It follows Spanish doctor, Victor Dalmau through Spain's Civil War to the new life he forges in Chile. Based on the life of a real person, this novel is a wonderful piece of fiction which brings history to life through well-rounded and very real characters. 

Victor is the quiet dreamer of his family, growing up the son of a music professor; Guillem, his older brother an ardent supporter of the communist Republican cause, is charismatic and heroic. As the Franco dictatorship takes over with harsh reprisals, Republicans in their thousands made the arduous journey across the mountains into France, a country that didn't want them either. Among the refugees is gifted pianist Roser, who is carrying Guillem's child. As Guillem is most certainly dead, Victor searches for Roser and vows to take care of her and her baby.

The poet Pablo Neruda is the Chilean consul in Paris, where he organises a ship to transport refugees to Chile. To qualify for passage, Victor must persuade Roser to marry him. The story follows the family's settlement in Chile (described by Neruda as 'a long petal of the sea'), the life they make together, friends and connections, their developing relationship. But around the corner is another political uprising that will rock their world.

A Long Petal of the Sea is a brilliantly engrossing read, taking you through some horrific events of the twentieth century. Each chapter begins with a snippet of Neruda's poetry, events around the poet's life woven into the story. Another real character is Salvadore Allende, the socialist leader from the 1970s who becomes Victor's friend. 

The novel deals with issues such as nationhood, displacement, family and the ongoing effects of war. But it's the characters, particularly fiesty, artistic, clever Roser, and gentle, reliable, hard-working Victor that really stood out for me. They are written with such heart, their struggles against some harrowing situations making the story even more poignant. Meanwhile, Allende puts in all the facts in a very readable way that will save you hunting for background material on the Internet. It makes for a very satisfying read, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Posted by JAM

Catalogue link: A Long Petal of the Sea

Hester and Harriet by Hilary Spiers

A good read any time of the year is this Christmas themed offering from British author, Hilary Spiers. Hester and Harriet are two ageing sisters, both widows living out their retirement in a small English village. They enjoy good food, courtesy of Hester who’s a dab hand in the kitchen, as well as bridge parties and looking out for the hobo, Finbar, who lives in the old bus shelter at the end of their lane.

When Christmas arrives, they would be happy to spend the day by the fire, but duty beckons in the form of a meal spent with their boring cousins George and Isabelle who have no idea about food. But when they discover a young girl and her baby in Finbar’s hidey-hole, Hester and Harriet are only too happy to come to the girl’s rescue instead.

As if this isn’t enough, George and Isabelle’s teenage son, Ben, turns up on their doorstep after a flaming row with his parents and looks set to stay. Hester and Harriet’s life is thrown into disarray, but the two rally round: sharp-tongued Hester grudgingly shows Ben a thing or two in the kitchen, while social justice warrior, Harriet, goes into bat for their refugee: Daria, from Belarus who has lost her passport and is being spied on by a dodgy looking character lurking in their lane.

There are plenty of chuckles as the women keep Daria hidden and stick their noses in where they are patently not welcome. The village characters are a treat, particularly Finbar who was once a classics teacher and is pedantic about grammar. I found this a light, fun read, nicely plotted and loaded with snappy dialogue and wintry village atmosphere.

Posted by JAM

Catalogue link: Hester and Harriet

Self-Portrait by Marti Friedlander

'The light in New Zealand was so strong, so bright. Such bright strong sunlight against the rather dour national character of the people. A bright sunny land, and yet it wasn’t a sunny life.’ - Marti Friedlander

Born in 1928, Friedlander had a tough start to life. At the age of three, she and her older sister, Anne, were sent to live in an orphanage in London’s East End. After a couple of years, plagued by serious health problems and lack of care, she was moved to a Jewish orphanage in Norwood. Here, she received life-saving surgery, security, a sense of Jewishness, and an education that culminated in a Trade Scholarship. Photography was suggested, and she agreed.

Marti Friedlander immigrated to New Zealand in 1958. It was supposed to be a temporary stay, to meet her new husband’s family and to see the countryside that he so glowingly praised. But, circumstances turned out otherwise and this bright, curious, and spirited young woman with a passion for people and culture found herself marooned in a sparsely populated, bland post-war suburban society without the consolation of motherhood to occupy her. Tragedy had found her again, and the quote above, with its reference to light and sorrow, captures Friedlander both as the outsider struggling with loss, as well as the artist.

The black and white photos throughout the book showcase her outstanding collection and cover the major areas of her work, from portraits of New Zealand’s emerging and celebrated artists to photos of the protest movements in the 70’s and 80’s. Highlights include the photos of kuia with moko for a book with Michael King and snapshots in time of quintessential New Zealand characters and locations. All vividly show why she is regarded as New Zealand’s leading photographer.

While Friedlander shares details of her life and the ups and downs of her marriage, these are not delved into too deeply, nor are they the primary focus of the book. It is very much the artist talking about how her life has infused her art, never separate from one another, and that symbiotic way that art emerges from it. It is a beautiful touching illustration of a full life, well lived, courageous and unconventional – the fruits, of which, have added much to our collective cultural heritage. 

If you're not going to read this book or one of the libraries' other books on Friedlander (which you should!), you can visit Friedlander's website to see examples of her work - the link is below.

Reviewed by Spot

Catalogue Link: Self-Portrait

Marti Friedlander - website

Burying the Typewriter: Childhood under the eye of the secret police by Carmen Bugan

This is a memoir that lives up to all its publicity. Bugan is a poet and her writing transcends the two genres to create a lyrical account of her family’s life under constant surveillance in Ceausescu’s Romania.

There’s a chapter in the book called ‘The angel in bunica’s dream’ which describes the autumn day when the grapes had turned purple-plum-red and the author’s grandmother has a severe stroke. Bugan and her sister beg her to wake up – “Bunicuta mea, bunicuta mea – please come back to us, please come back to us.” The priest makes circles around bunica with the censer, anoints her with holy oil, blesses her with basil and holy water, and opens the book. He reassures the sisters that bunica Anghelina will wake up because the book has opened on the red writing. Bunica is in a coma for thirty days and does, indeed, awaken. When she does, she has a story to tell.

Sadly, the old ways that cling on, in the form of bunica and bunicu, are an anathema to the communist-era State that Bugan grows up in. At school, the children are taught the meaning of community. Sometimes, this means that, if one child is naughty, the whole class will get a beating. Other methods include alarming stories enriched with a moral purpose and compulsory ‘volunteer’ work after school. History is re-written to match the official version, as is the reality of their daily lives.

Bugan’s parents run a grocery store for a time and her knowledge of the inconvenient economic deprivations can’t be completely obviated by the regime – especially when you’ve got a father like hers. Although a loving parent, Ion Bugan has a long acquaintance with Ceausescu’s security services and prisons. He listens to Radio Free Europe and Voice of America. Every night, he digs up a typewriter in his backyard and reburies it before morning. He goes for long drives and then, one day, he just can’t remain silent any longer. The consequences for himself and his family test the strength of all.

Burying the Typewriter manages to recall the dark days of the Eastern Bloc whilst simultaneously exuding the charm of childhood and the carefully sifted wisdom of an adult’s reflection on family. Being a talented poet, no review can adequately convey the beauty of Bugan’s writing – best you read it yourself.

Reviewed by Spot

Catalogue Link:  Burying the Typewriter

The other hand by Chris Cleave

Newsday calls this novel “searing….. poignant and compelling…. utterly believable and mesmerising.”  It is all that and so much more! Chris Cleave’s second novel set in contemporary Britain deals with immigration, depression, persecution and fear and the world as we know it now shown from two completely different viewpoints. It is quite simply a "must read".

There is a frontispiece in this novel that I have never ever seen before. It is a letter from the Senior Editor at Hodder & Stoughton which says, amongst other things, “that every now and then a book comes along that is so special it gives you goose bumps”. This is one of those very rare books.   Posted by Hastings Book Chat

The Other Hand was published in the USA and Canada as Little Bee.

About the Author

From Chris Cleave's website: www.chriscleave.com

Chris Cleave is 38. He lives in London with his wife and three children.

His debut novel Incendiary won a 2006 Somerset Maugham Award, was shortlisted for the 2006 Commonwealth Writers Prize, and won the United States Book-of-the-Month Club’s First Fiction award 2005.

His second novel is titled Little Bee in Canada and the US, where it is a New York Times #1 bestseller. It is titled The Other Hand in the UK, where it is a Sunday Times bestseller. It was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award.

His third novel is Gold - see our review for Gold

Chris Cleave has been a barman, a long-distance sailor and teacher of marine navigation [read a short story I wrote about there here], an internet pioneer and a journalist. 

Read about The Other Hand on the author's website: www.chriscleave.com/books/the-other-hand-little-bee

Check our Catalogue and reserve online

The other hand by Chris Cleave, 2008