The Case of the Married Woman: Caroline Norton: A 19th Century Heroine Who Wanted Justice for Women by Antonia Fraser My rating: 5 of 5 stars First of all, I should start with a bit of a disclaimer. I am, I must confess, somewhat obsessed with Caroline Norton. I am also a fan of AntoniaContinue reading “The Case of the Married Woman by Antonia Fraser – A Review”
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Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke My rating: 5 of 5 stars I began this novel with some trepidation, not being particularly keen on the fantasy genre. Yet, when I opened the book, it was to find that Piranesi begins with a quote from The Magician’s Nephew, one of my favourite childhood books (in many ways farContinue reading “Piranesi by Susanna Clarke”
Pandora’s Jar: Women in Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes
Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes My rating: 3 of 5 stars I always like to explain my reasons when I give a book three stars or less. My rating of three stars for this book came about from a combination of the circumstances of my coming to it, together withContinue reading “Pandora’s Jar: Women in Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes”
Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller: An Unsettling Read
Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book was a bit of a strange one for me. I really, really enjoyed the writing, but I found, by the end of the book, there was something deeply unsatisfying in how the story played itself out. Another book from the Women’s PrizeContinue reading “Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller: An Unsettling Read”
The Midnight Library – A Book to Read in a Single Day
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig My rating: 5 of 5 stars It has been a long time since I began and finished a book on the same day. This is the book that did it. The premise of the book is, in essence, quite simple – what if you were given the gift toContinue reading “The Midnight Library – A Book to Read in a Single Day”
This is how we come back stronger: the book and the postcard that came with it
I have just started reading this book: I wanted to curate my thoughts on it as I begin the journey of reading each of the very different contributions. It has taken me some time to pick the book up from my ever-growing TBR pile. I had been so looking forward to reading it, yet theContinue reading “This is how we come back stronger: the book and the postcard that came with it”
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps her House by Cherie Jones
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones My rating: 5 of 5 stars How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps her House a tale told Lala’s grandmother, Wilma, early in the novel. It is a tale of two sisters. One ‘good’, one ‘bad’, and the consequences that result for the choices they make, whenContinue reading “How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps her House by Cherie Jones”
No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was somewhat of a tricky book to get into. The book is divided into two parts, largely consisting of short paragraphs, which sometimes do not gel together particularly well. I suspect that this was an attempt to mimic theContinue reading “No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood”
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward: ‘He Will Look at Me’
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward My rating: 5 of 5 stars He will look at me. He will look at me. He will look at me. So intones Esch, the fifteen year old girl on the brink of a devastating womanhood, desperate to be seen, to be noticed, to be loved, as she andContinue reading “Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward: ‘He Will Look at Me’”
Understanding the British peerage system: WTAF?
I have got myself into something of a muddle trying to get to the bottom of why Caroline Norton was so miffed that some other Mrs Norton had the temerity to call herself ‘the Honourable Mrs Norton’ in an article written for Bentley’s Miscellany. And I think, what it boils down to, is that IContinue reading “Understanding the British peerage system: WTAF?”
Deborah Siddoway 