Review: Taking a Chance by Deborah Burrows

 

Title: Taking A Chance

Author: Deborah Burrows

Published: Pan Macmillan May 2013

Status: Read from May 02 to 03, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the Publisher}

My Thoughts:

For some reason I had expected that the characters from A Stranger in My Street, Deborah Burrows debut novel, would reappear in Taking a Chance, instead, the author introduces two new protagonists at the center of another mystery in wartime Perth, Australia.

In Taking a Chance, twenty four year old journalist, Eleanor “Nell” Fitzgerald, reluctantly becomes involved with a convalescing American war time correspondent’s crusade to prove a woman, tried and convicted for her lover’s murder, innocent. Captain Johnny Horvath is charming, handsome and persuasive and Nell, with ambitions of using her degree in English Literature for more than penning an admittedly popular fashion advice column, agrees to assist him with his investigation.

Proving Lena Mitrovic innocent forms the bulk of the mystery plot as Nell and Johnny investigate the victims life, looking for evidence that could exonerate the woman. As they follow a trail of heartbreak, jealousy and greed in the artist’s commune where Lena and her lover lived, they encounter small town bullies, a woman crazed by grief and uncover a story of four missing young girls.

For me, the most fascinating part of the story is Burrows expose of the less desirable result of US servicemen flooding into Perth. Young, naive women, thrilled by the attentions of the exotic, cashed up visitors and swept away by the idea of wartime romance were vulnerable to exploitation. The lucky ones found themselves married to someone they barely knew, the unlucky found themselves left behind, humiliated, with their reputation in tatters, the very unlucky became ‘Lost Girls’, tricked or forced into prostitution.
The plight of these young girls becomes part of Johnny and Nell’s investigation when clues point to two of the missing girls from Lena’s community being involved in the murder and becomes of personal interest to Nell when she and Johnny rescue fourteen year old orphan Eve from a couple of drunk and belligerent sailors.

I really liked the way in which Burrows developed the relationship between Nell and Johnny, she allows it to evolve quite naturally despite the intensity of their situation and Johnny’s imminent return to active service. Nell is determined to ignore her growing attraction to Johnny, who has a reputation as a bit of a ‘cad’. She expects to marry her long time boyfriend, a lawyer, when he returns from his wartime secondment but finds it increasingly difficult to resist Johnny’s charm. Nell is worried that taking a chance on Johnny’s affections being true will leave her another heartbroken and humiliated statistic.

Just as in A Stranger in My Street, I really enjoyed the blend of mystery and romance in Taking A Chance. I loved revisiting wartime Perth (my hometown) and was once again impressed by the author’s ability to seamlessly integrate the historical detail of time and place. With all of that, combined with strong characterisation and a well crafted plot, I can only recommend you ‘take a chance’ on this entertaining and engaging novel.

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Review: Antidote to Murder by Felicity Young

 

Title: Antidote to Murder {Dr Dody McCleland #2}

Author: Felicity Young

Published: Harper Collins Australia March 2013

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Status: Read from April 26 to 27, 2013 — I own a copy{Courtesy the publisher}

My Thoughts:

Antidote to Murder is the second enthralling book in Felicity Young’s historical mystery series featuring Dr Dody McCleland. Set at the turn of the 19th century in England this story plays out against a backdrop of political and social unrest as suffragettes demand the vote, labour strikes cripple London and German spies seek British intelligence in preparation for war. In Antidote to Murder, Dody’s pursuit of her medical career makes her the target of unscrupulous colleagues and ambitious misogynists. Framed for the death of a scullery maid who was the victim of a botched criminal abortion, and with Dr Benard Spillsbury away and Chief Inspector Pike missing, Dody is forced to face her accusers alone while trying to unmask the real culprit butchering desperate young women.

In my thoughts about A Dissection of Murder I lauded Young’s fascinating balance of political and social commentary with crime and mystery and the author has achieved that same balance here.
With Dody accused of committing a criminal abortion resulting in death, a large part of this story explores attitudes to family planning in the early 1900′s. With contraception prohibitively expensive, abortion criminal and unwed pregnancy resulting in social ostracism, women shouldered both the blame and the responsibility for pregnancy. Uniformed about their own bodies and often seduced by loving promises, young women sought desperate means to end burgeoning pregnancies namely ‘backyard’ abortions procured by knitting needles, poisons and other dubious means.

Though Dody is not a militant feminist, and is against abortion, she does feel strongly that women should be informed about birth control methods, including contraception. Already in defiance of social convention as a part time assistant forensic surgeon for London’s Home Office, the coroner’s court is willing to accept the flimsy circumstantial accusations against her with the view that a woman doctor is ‘unnatural’ and therefore an acceptable scapegoat.

The execution of the plot and the way each element fits is quite brilliant. The search for the real abortionist has plenty of twists and turns as suspicion is cast about. A doctor obsessed with Mata Hari presents as a likely suspect as does one of Dody’s jealous colleagues. Dody’s sister, Florence, involves herself in the search inadvertently forcing the killer to act.
Detective Inspector Mathew Pike is absent through much of this struggle, on special assignment for the Home Office investigating an exotic dance troupe, but returns to defend her once he is aware of what she is facing. He and Dody have not yet acknowledged their affection for one another but as they grow closer, Dody is forced to confront her conflicting desires.

Antidote to Murder combines a fascinating setting with superb characterisation and an intriguing plot. Along with A Dissection of Murder, this is a spectacular series I can’t praise highly enough and recommend without reservation.

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Review & Giveaway: Out of the Silence by Wendy James

 

Title: Out of The Silence

Author: Wendy James

Published: Momentum April 2013

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Status: Read from April 11 to 13, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the publisher}

My Thoughts:

Set at the turn of the last century in Australia, Out of the Silence is a compelling blend of historical and crime fiction. Based on a true story it draws from historical record and the imagination of Wendy James to explore the fate of two women, working class Maggie Heffernan and genteel immigrant, Elizabeth Hamilton at a time when the suffragist movement, led by Vida Goldstein, was gaining ground in Victoria.

Maggie’s story is told in the first person, beginning in rural Victoria where she lives with her family. A little wild, Maggie wants more than “…a life indoors where nothing happens but potatoes boiling over and socks that need darning, or a child to be fed or changed or beat.” and when she meets Jack Hardy, who similarly longs for more than his status offers, she falls desperately in love.

Elizabeth’s life is shared through letters to her brother and private journal entries. The tragic death of her fiance in an accident shattered her dreams for the future and she chose to emigrate to Australia to take up a position as a governess. When she determines she unsuited to the situation she is instead offered accommodation with her cousins and Elizabeth joins the staff of a private school in Melbourne, finding herself a witness to the growing suffragette movement but yet hoping for “the promise of the fulfillment and contentment and happiness that for [Elizabeth] only marriage can provide”.

Vida Goldstein, who is a real figure from history, is Elizabeth’s employer at the private school where she works, and a close friend of her cousin, Harriet, with whom she lives. Vida’s passion for women’s rights is what brings these three very different characters together, when Maggie is accused, convicted and sentenced to death for murder.

Out of the Silence is not a who-dunnit but a why-dunnit exploring the social and personal contexts that led Maggie to commit such a heinous crime. It questions where the blame lies for the path her life takes, for the choices she is forced to make and how society’s perception of who she is, and so what she deserves plays a part in determining her fate. It’s a fascinating tale that James writes with empathy and adds human interest to the wider debate about women’s rights.

Though Elizabeth’s accounts can be rather dry, her moderate views temper Vida’s enthusiasm and Maggie’s desperate circumstances. I like that James gives each woman and her perspective a voice without judgement. Though their situations are very different their basic desire, to choose their own fate, is the same.

Out of the Silence is rich in period detail, it illustrates a time, place and attitude where science, religion and social awareness began to conflict. In large part this novel is a historical record of the momentum of the suffragette movement in Australia around the year 1900. It explores the role of women in accordance with class, privilege and law of the time, contrasting the circumstances of individuals like Maggie and Elizabeth.

A well crafted, thoughtful novel, Out of the Silence is a fascinating story of women, of love and desire. I am very pleased that Momentum has republished this award winning title for a new audience to discover.

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Review: The Railwayman’s Wife by Ashley Hay

Title: The Railwayman’s Wife

Author: Ashley Hay

Published: Allen & Unwin April 2013

Synopsis: In a small town on the land’s edge, in the strange space at a war’s end, a widow, a poet and a doctor each try to find their own peace, and their own new story. In Thirroul, in 1948, people chase their dreams through the books in the railway’s library. Anikka Lachlan searches for solace after her life is destroyed by a single random act. Roy McKinnon, who found poetry in the mess of war, has lost his words and his hope. Frank McKinnon is trapped by the guilt of those his treatment and care failed on their first day of freedom. All three struggle with the same question: how now to be alive. Written in clear, shining prose and with an eloquent understanding of the human heart, The Railwayman’s Wife explores the power of beginnings and endings, and how hard it can be sometimes to tell them apart. It’s a story of life, loss and what comes after; of connection and separation, longing and acceptance. Most of all, it celebrates love in all its forms, and the beauty of discovering that loving someone can be as extraordinary as being loved yourself.

Status: Read from April 07 to 08, 2013-I own a copy {Courtesy the publisher}

My Thoughts:

For over a week I have been trying to write a review of the Railwayman’s Wife but can’t seem to get past a few random notes and half formed sentences. Not even to re-articulate the plot except for a few basics. There is no reason for this to be so difficult, I liked The Railwayman’s Wife well enough, it’s a character driven novel, set post WW2  in a small coastal village in southern New South Wales,  exploring the pain of grief and loss. A wife, Annika, loses a much loved husband to a tragic accident and a returned soldier, Roy, struggles to overcome his wartime experiences, both are hoping for light, love and peace to return to their lives and both fear that it will never eventuate.

Not being able to articulate my thoughts about The Railwayman’s Wife has played havoc with my schedule, I can’t seem to move on to writing the next review, so here are those notes and half formed sentences for you to make of what you will.

• The prose is lovely and the imagery beautifully expressed, definitely the strength of the novel
• The story unfolds at a measured pace, there is little in the way of overt action with the drama internalised by the characters.
• Annika’s grief is realistic as it evolves through time
• Isabelle’s [Ani and Mack's daughter] precociousness is sweet rather than irritating. She has character in her own right.
  
• Annika’s perspective of her relationship with Roy is ambiguous
• I thought Frank’s character to be  distracting, I am unsure of his role in the story.
• I found the ending rather bleak, without the sense of hope I expected
  
• Overall, it’s a melancholy novel, mired in tragedy and emotional distress, but redeemed by occasional glimpses of beauty and love.
  

Perhaps this interview with Ashley Hay  will be more useful for  you decide if you’d like to pick it up. Currently Allen & Unwin is offering Australian readers the chance to win 1 of 30 copies of The Railwayman’s Wife  – visit Facebook to enter

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Review: The French Promise by Fiona McIntosh

 

Title: The French Promise

Author: Fiona McIntosh

Published: Michael Joseph: Penguin Australia March 2013

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Status: Read from March 24 to 26, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy Penguin/Netgalley}

My Thoughts:

The Lavender Keeper, set primarily in France during World War 2, introduced Luc Bonet, a lavender farmer who joined the Resistance after his family was dragged away by Nazi collaborators and their farm in Provence was seized, and Lisette Forestier who was recruited by the London Home Office, tasked to infiltrate the Reich and aid the downfall of the Nazi regime.
The French Promise continues their story as they rebuild their lives after the war has ended. Luc, haunted by all he has lost, is struggling with his new life in England. Though he loves Lisette, and their son, Harry, he is unable to lay the ghosts of his past to rest. Lisette, increasingly concerned about her husband, believes they need a fresh start and the family sets sail for Tasmania where Luc can return to Lavender farming. Luc’s grief recedes as they establishes themselves in Australia, adding a daughter, Jennifer, to their family but when tragedy strikes Luc is overwhelmed by despair until a letter from the son of a war time friend provides him with the opportunity to finally fulfill his sworn promise to avenge those he loved.

I had been looking forward to this sequel after having enjoyed the blend of action, adventure, romance and intrigue in The Lavender Keeper. While Lisette is the dominant character in first novel, The French Promise features Luc and is a quieter story that focuses on emotion and human drama in the aftermath of the war. I love how the author connects the characters and events of The Lavender Keeper with The French Promise, and for that reason wouldn’t recommend this as a stand alone novel. I feel the experience would be lacking without knowledge of the history of Luc and Lisette’s history.

The novel begins by sharing the fate of Luc’s family at Auschwitz-Birkenau where Rachel and Sarah are the only family members to survive the initial purge on arrival. While Sarah labours in a German factory, Rachel’s musical talents provide her with some advantages when she is chosen to teach music to the camp supervisor’s children. Unfortunately it is there that she comes under the notice of Commander Herr von Schleigel, an enemy of Luc’s, who takes perverse pleasure in condemning Rachel and her sister to death. McIntosh deals with the subject of the Holocaust sensitively but it is it’s aftermath and it’s impact on the survivors that is featured in the novel.

Not knowing exactly what happened to his family after they were taken by the Nazi’s has been a festering source of grief for Luc. Though he was certain they died in a German death camp it’s not until he is contacted by Max Vogel seeking information about his own father, Colonel Killian, with whom Luc and Lisette share history, that Luc is able to mourn his family. Through Luc, McIntosh explores the ethics of vengeance and it’s cost, as he decides to confront Commander Herr von Schleigel for his wartime atrocities. I found it interesting that though my sympathy was wholly with Luc, and my hatred for the Nazi officer complete, I hoped Luc would surrender his drive for revenge in favour of moving on with his life and finding the happiness he deserved. The characters of The French Promise are so finely and realistically drawn that I became invested in their well being and cried and laughed along with them.

The French Promise is a captivating saga of love, loss, and the triumph of the human spirit, providing closure for Luc and Lisette’s story. Fiona McIntosh is an extraordinary storyteller (I can also recommend her DCI Jack Hawksworth crime series and her fantasy stand alone, The Scrivener’s Tale) and this historical fiction duology is a stunning example of her talent.

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Review & Giveaway: The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth

Title: The Wild Girl

Author: Kate Forsyth

Published: Vintage: Random House March 2013

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Status: Read from March 15 to 17, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the publisher}

My Thoughts:
The Wild Girl is a stunning tale of passion, love and war where history and imagination intertwine to create a wonderfully rich portrait of a woman whose contribution to the legend of the Grimm Brothers is finally acknowledged.

Dortchen Wild lives in the small kingdom of  Hessen-Cassel in Germany in the early 1800′s, as Napoleon Bonaparte marches across Europe. One of five daughters of an apothecary,  her only relief from her father’s tyranny comes from the rare occasions she can escape his attention and her friendship with her next door neighbour,  Lotte Grimm. As the war intensifies, Lotte’s older brothers Jakob and Williem return home. With a single glance, twelve year old Dortchen falls in the love with the scholarly Williem but he barely notices her and she can only worship him from afar. As war rages and Cassel is plunged into economic ruin, the Grimm brothers hope to reverse their fortunes by publishing a book of collected fairytales.  It’s not until Dortchen shyly offers to contribute that Williem realises Dortchen has grown up, but her father forbids any courtship between the desperately poor neighbour boy and his daughter. While the lovers endure years of enforced separation due to abuse, war and poverty Dortchen never stops hoping for her own happily ever after.

Kate Forsyth uses historical record as the anchor for a story that she then develops with informed imagination. The Napoleonic War and it’s social effects grounds the tale in time and place while her fictional narrative winds in and out of what is known about the Grimm brothers, the origins of their fairytale collection and Dortchen. I don’t doubt that Forsyth’s research, using primary sources such Williem’s diaries amongst others, is impeccable but I most admire how she creates a plausible, seamless narrative melding fact with fiction. The author’s intuitive grasp of behaviour and motive ensures her characters, their environment and their lives feel authentic.

In the tradition of the original Grimm’s fairytales, Dortchen’s childhood is beset by darkness. Her mother was a weak woman addicted to Laudanum and subservient to her husband. Dortchen’s father, pious and strict during her childhood, devolved into a drunken, abusive tyrant in her adolescence, illustrated in several harrowing scenes. The war and resulting economic deprivations is hard on the family and though three of the sisters are eventually able to escape, Dortchen is forced to remain at home and care for her ailing parents. It is saddening to see Dortchen withdraw into herself in self defense, her spirit eroded by her fading hopes for escape from her father. The spark is only revived when she steals a moment or two with Williem. Her relationship with him is fraught with angst, drama and passion, their love is challenged repeatedly and a happy ending is never guaranteed.

The fairytale’s appear in the narrative not just as stories passed between the characters but also with some relationships to the plot. Dortchen often hopes that Williem will recognise her pain in the tales that she tells, though his scholarly focus seems to make him somewhat oblivious to the subtleties. They also reflect the political and social instability of times with tales of greedy kings and an abandoned, unfed children, despite their origin being from other times and places. The fairytales themselves are both versions of familiar stories like Cinderella and Snow White as well as less well known tales like that of a singing bone that identifies a murderer.

Really I could go on, The Wild Child is remarkable. A tale of triumph over adversity, an epic historical romance, a fascinating glimpse into the history of storytelling – it is all those things and more. One of my favourite reads for the year, I recommend it wholeheartedly.

 

Earlier today I posted a Q&A with Kate Forsyth HERE. Visit to learn more about the author, the book and  download an ESampler.

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AWW Feature: Q&A with Kate Forsyth, author of The Wild Girl

Welcome Kate Forsyth

I am thrilled to introduce you to Australian author Kate Forsyth today. Kate Forsyth is the internationally bestselling author of more than twenty books, including The Witches of Eileanan and Rhiannon’s Ride series for adults, and The Puzzle Ring, The Gypsy Crown, and The Starthorn Tree for children. She has won or been nominated for numerous awards in Australia and the US.

Currently undertaking a doctorate in fairytale retellings at the University of Technology, having already completed a BA in Literature and a MA in Creative Writing,  last year she published  Bitter Greens (Random House 2012)  an exquisite retelling of the Rapunzel fairytale, interwoven with the dramatic true life story of the woman who first told the tale and I was captivated by its effortless blend of history and fantasy.

Today I am delighted to be celebrating the release of Kate’s newest novel, The Wild Girl (Random House 2013), the story of Dortchen Wild and her relationship with the Grimm brothers, the authors of the Grimm’s Fairytale collection. The Wild Girl is a stunning tale of passion, love and war where history and imagination intertwine to create a wonderfully rich portrait of a woman whose contribution to legend is finally acknowledged.

You can read my review of  The Wild Girl , and have the chance to win a copy, HERE.  But first, Kate graciously agreed to answer some questions for me about The Wild Girl. Read on to learn more about this novel and how you can download an Ebook Sampler to enjoy.

Q: Please tell us about The Wild Girl

Kate: ‘The Wild Girl’ tells the beautiful untold love story of the forbidden romance between Wilhelm Grimm, the younger of the famous fairy tale scholars, and the young woman who told him many of their most compelling fairy tales. Her name was Dortchen Wild and she grew up next door to the Grimm brothers in the small German kingdom of Hessen-Cassel. It was a very bloody and turbulent time, with Napoleon conquering most of Europe, and Dortchen’s father was an autocratic man who disapproved of the impoverished Grimm brothers and forbade her from seeing Wilhelm. They met secretly so she could tell him such well-known stories as ‘Rumpelstiltskin’, ‘Six Swan’s, ‘Hansel & Gretel’, ‘The Frog King’, and ‘The Elves and the Shoemaker’, (plus many more). She was only nineteen and he was twenty-six, yet it was a long time before they could at last be together. 

Q: Why did Dortchen Wild capture your imagination?

Kate: It was the irresistible combination of the beautiful and heart-wrenching love story, and the telling of the tales. I’ve always been both enchanted and frightened by fairy tales and I found it extraordinary that this one young woman had a head stuffed full of all these marvellous stories, and that she told them to Wilhelm so they could be saved forever. I felt a very strong connection to Dortchen right from the very beginning – her birthday is actually only a week before mine – and I found it very easy to imagine myself into her skin.

Q: What are the challenges in melding historical fact and fiction?

Kate: The first and most difficult challenge is finding the facts in the first place. Dortchen Wild is virtually forgotten by history. I had to create a lot of story out of my own imagination, using her own stories to guide me. Then there was the difficulty of portraying such well-loved figures of the Grimm brothers as fictional characters. I set the known facts as immovable pegs around which I wove my own intuitive interpretation of their lives. Finally, there’s the need to write a compelling, fascinating, unputdownable novel. I had to make sure the story wore the historical background lightly. I really dislike books where the author feels a need to show off their scholarship by weighing down the story with pages of details and facts. It has to be just enough to bring the past to life without slowing down the pace. It can be a delicate balancing act sometimes.

Q:What was the most surprising piece of information you uncovered in your research?

Two things, which actually strike off each other. Firstly, Jane Austen and the Grimm brothers were contemporaries of each other. Her first novel ‘Sense & Sensibility’ was published in 1811, and the first edition of the Grimm’s fairy tales was published in 1812. She was actually ten years OLDER than Jakob Grimm at this time.

Secondly, the last witch to be executed in Europe died only 3 years before Jakob was born, in 1782. That means Jane Austen was seven. The woman’s name was Anna Göldi and she was convicted of bewitching her employer’s daughter causing her to have fits.

Q: What was the highlight of your research trip to Germany?

Kate: I had a couple of magical moments, but the one that stands out for me the most is on my first day in Kassel (which used be spelt with a C).

I had had a extraordinarily vivid dream in which a young woman danced alone in a snowy forest, at twilight, dressed all in black. They sky was grey, the ground was white, ravens flew over, crying harshly. Above the forest was a castle, its windows lit up with light. People were dancing up there, their shadows twirling past the golden windows, and I could hear violin music spilling into the dusk. The girl in black was dancing wildly, laughing and crying both at once. Then a tall young man, also dressed all in black, stepped out of the shadowy forest and danced with her and the scene – so strange and wild – turned into a joyous one. I had used this dream as the opening and closing scenes of the novel and, indeed, it became the front cover image as well.

Anyway, when I went to Kassel I went to the castle there and went walking through the parklands and forest around it, looking for a spot that seemed to chime with my dream which I remembered so vividly. I came to the woods below the forest and stood so that the castle was in the same spot as it was in my dream. I wondered to myself – if violin music was played in the castle, could you hear it from here? Just then – I swear to this with everything I hold true – I heard violin music. It was the spookiest, most eerie thing that has ever happened to me. At first I thought I must be imagining it. But no. A young woman stood just below the palace, playing a violin. She was about 19 years old, blonde-haired and blue-eyed, just like I imagined Dortchen would look, and she stood alone on the shore of the lake, just below the palace, playing her violin. Every hair on my body rose up, quivering. I could not believe it!

Kate took a photo of the child and shares it here at left

Q: Which is your favourite Grimm fairytale?

Kate: Can I please have three? ‘Six Swans’, ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘The Leaping, Lilting lark’, which is one of the tales Dortchen told Wilhelm. Its a very beautiful and romantic variant of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ with a much stronger and more active heroine.

Q. Name three of your favourite novels by Australian women writers

‘Angel of Ruin’ by Kim Willkins.

‘Daughter of the Forest’ by Juliet Marillier.

‘The Forgotten Garden’ by Kate Morton.

Q. What is your preference?

• Coffee/Tea or other? Tea!
• Beach/Pool or River? Beach.
• Slacks/Jeans or Leggings? None of these. I mainly wear dresses
• Butterfly/Tiger or Giraffe? Tiger.
• Swing/Slide or Roundabout? Swing.

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Review: Fever by Mary Beth Keane

 

 

Title: Fever

Author: Mary Beth Keane

Published: Simon and Schuster AU March 2013

Status: Read from March 27 to 28, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy Simon and Schuster AU}

My Thoughts:

Fever is a fascinating novel that mixes historical fact and a fictional narrative to tell the tale of ‘Typhoid Mary’, the woman held responsible for several deadly outbreaks of the disease in the US around the turn of the nineteenth century.

In 1907, Mary Mallon was arrested at the direction of the Department of Health. A forty year old, unmarried, Irish immigrant cook she stood accused of spreading Typhoid, a bacterial disease transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, among the New York households she worked for over a period of several years. Her role was identified by Dr George Soper, a health researcher who discovered that Mary was the link between outbreaks, despite the fact she remained asymptomatic. Mary felt victimised by the state who tried to force her to have surgery to remove her gallbladder (thought at the time to be the host of the disease) and when that failed exiled her to North Brother Island, a Quarantine hospital in the middle of the East River where she eventually spent over 30 years in isolation until her death in 1938.

There was little sympathy at the time for Mary Mallon, who caused the illness of as many as 50 persons, the death of three and likely more. Mary Beth Keane attempts to humanise Typhoid Mary in this novel and illustrate the possible thought process of the woman accused of willfully spreading deadly disease. I am familiar with only the basics of the case (see Wikipedia for an outline) so I am not sure where exactly Keane’s imagination merges with known facts but the author brings some balance to the prevailing view of the ‘evil’ woman who fought the Health Deapartment every step of the way, and later flaunted their decree she was never to cook again.

Mary does prove to be a sympathetic character in Fever, even though she has a temper and a tendency to make poor decisions. Keane focuses on the period between Mary’s arrest and her second period of exile, sharing the details of Mary’s ordinary day to day life with her common law relationship with Alfred Breihof, a feckless drunk who was often unemployed. Personally I found the chapters focusing on her relationship, or following Alfred, a distraction from Mary’s story though it does add depth to her character. Still, I was far more intrigued by Mary’s reaction to her vilification as Typhoid Mary. It’s understandable that Mary would find it difficult to believe Dr Soper’s claims that she was the cause of Typhoid outbreaks, especially given it was a common disease whose cause and mode of transmission was unknown. Accused of creating a trail of illness and death Mary fought the medical establishment, dodging the Dr Soper, refusing testing and denying her culpability. It is also clear that Mary was victimised by the Health Department which took advantage of her status to impose unreasonable demands on her. Despite several larger outbreaks being traced to other asymptomatic carriers soon after Mary’s arrest, she was the only one arrested and forcibly exiled, mainly it seems because the other identified carriers were men with family and money, who could not be as easily bullied.

Mary’s case raises interesting moral and ethical questions about public health and safety, asking for example, if the rights of one individual outweigh the safety of many. It is also a fascinating glimpse of medical knowledge and sanitation in the early 1900′s. Remarkably most of the cases of Typhoid fever could have been avoided with the simple act of hand washing.
Fever is also a vivid portrait of New York City at the turn of the century and particularly of the lifestyle of the ‘servant’ class. From streets heaped with garbage to rooms crowded with tenants, basic hygiene and sanitation was practically non existent, encouraging diseases that could have been easily eradicated.

The provocative tale of an enigmatic historical figure, Fever is a compelling read. Keane skillfully infuses historical fact with imagined personality to creating an entertaining and intriguing tale which should appeal to a wide audience.

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Review: The Autumn Bride by Anne Gracie

Title: The Autumn Bride {The Chance Sisters #1}

Author: Anne Gracie

Published: Penguin Viking Feburary 2013

Status: Read from February 13 to 14, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy Penguin Australia}

My Thoughts:

The Autumn Bride is a charming Regency romance introducing the Chance sisters by popular Australian author, Anne Gracie.

After rescuing her younger sister from a London brothel, Abigail Chantry finds herself the sole charge of Jane, Damaris and Daisy. Though the girls pool their skills and resources, when Jane falls ill they cannot afford the services of a doctor, and in desperation Abigail climbs through the window of a mansion hoping to find a trinket she can exchange to pay for one. Instead Abby finds Lady Beatrice Davenham, a frail, elderly woman at the mercy of her neglectful staff. Incensed by the dowager’s condition, Abby and her ‘sisters’ with the approval of Lady Bea, claim kinship and evict the servants, restoring order to the house. It is an ideal situation for them all until Lady Bea’s nephew, Lord Max Davenham returns from overseas and is immediately suspicious of the ‘Chance’ sisters and their motives.

It has been a long time time since I have read a historical romance so I admit to approaching The Autumn Bride with some degree of trepidation. I was glad to discover a storyline that, while featuring the development of a romance between Abigail and Max, was built primarily around the dynamics of the Chance ‘sisters’. I also enjoyed the touch of mystery surrounding Jane’s abduction, though the link between the brothel and the orphanage is obvious from the first.

I found my self quickly charmed by Abigail, her ‘sisters’ and the indomitable Lady Bea. I much prefer resourceful protagonists with a bit of fire in them to simpering heroines so I liked Abby immediately. Lady’s Bea’s bright spirit and disregard for convention also quickly earned my affection as did Max, who’s sense of honour is admirable. I even developed a soft spot for Featherby and William who do little but lurk in the background.

The humour in The Autumn Bride was unexpected and I was surprised to find myself smiling widely at the witty dialogue. The pacing is appropriate, though traditional romance fans may find the relationship between Abby and Max a little slow to begin.

I enjoyed The Autumn Bride, it is a engaging book that is funny, romantic and charming. The first in a quartet of novels featuring Abigail, Damaris, Jane and Daisy in turn, I will be happy to pick up the next on it’s release.

I was fortunate to ask Anne Gracie a few questions about The Autumn Bride, please CLICK HERE to learn more…

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Review: The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier

 

Title: The Last Runaway

Author: Tracy Chevalier

Published: HarperCollins Australia Jan 2013

Synopsis: When modest Quaker Honor Bright sails from Bristol with her sister, she is fleeing heartache for a new life in America, far from home. But tragedy leaves her alone and vulnerable, torn between two worlds and dependent on the kindness of strangers. Life in 1850s Ohio is precarious and unsentimental. The sun is too hot, the thunderstorms too violent, the snow too deep. The roads are spattered with mud and spit. The woods are home to skunks and porcupines and raccoons. They also shelter slaves escaping north to freedom. Should Honor hide runaways from the ruthless men who hunt them down? The Quaker community she has joined may oppose slavery in principle, but does it have the courage to help her defy the law? As she struggles to find her place and her voice, Honor must decide what she is willing to risk for her beliefs. Set in the tangled forests and sunlit cornfields of Ohio, Tracy Chevalier′s vivid novel is the story of bad men and spirited women, surprising marriages and unlikely friendships, and the remarkable power of defiance.

Status: Read from January 08 to 09, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy TheReadingRoom}

My Thoughts:

Girl with a Pearl Earring, was a bestseller for Tracy Chevalier so when I received a copy of The Last Runaway I was looking forward to read it. Set in the 1850′s, this novel follows Quaker Honor Bright, accompanying her betrothed sister, on her journey from England to a new life in America. When tragedy strikes, Honor must continue to Ohio on her own where she struggles with an unfamiliar society, far from her family and friends.

Unfortunately I was rather underwhelmed by The Last Runaway. The larger themes examined are the difficulties of choosing between principles and practicalities, passion and duty, but the contradictions are only cursorily explored.

Honor lacked the spirit I expected from a lead character, even as a Quaker woman of her time. She makes little effort to connect with her new life and her passive demeanor is uninteresting. Her letters home reveal more of her character, but it’s only a glimpse without sharing nay real insight. For me, Honor’s rebellion against her husband and the Society by not speaking for six months, came across as a passive aggressive ultimatum rather than the spiritual choice Chevalier intended.

I thought most of the characters in The Last Runaway tended to be fairly one dimensional, including Honor’s new husband and mother in law. I really liked Belle though, a milliner who welcomes Honor into her home during her journey and is instrumental in supporting the Underground. Belle’s brother Donovan, a slave hunter, is perhaps the most complex character in the novel but he remains largely incidental to the story.

Much is made of Honor’s role in the Underground Railway in the synopsis, however her actual interaction with the escaping slaves was minimal. She leaves food out under upturned crates and whispers instructions to those that occasionally pass through but it is passive assistance, even with the threat of the Slave Fugitive Act. While there are glimpses of the fear and desperation of the escaping slaves, it seems almost irrelevant somehow.

The ending was quite the surprise however, not what I was generally expecting though it was not quite enough to redeem the book either.

For me The Lost Runaway was not much more than okay. It gave a brief glimpse into life during a specific time and place but without the depth I thought the subject deserved and the author capable of.

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