Chains of Sand by Jemma Wayne Reviewed by Frances Colville

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Margaret Graham

Chains of Sand by Jemma Wayne will haunt you long after you have reached the last page. It’s a wonderful story, which draws you in from the very beginning and grips you until the final reveal. And it’s well written too.

This is a book about identity, about what it means to be Jewish in London and in Israel, about what life is like for Israeli citizens, and for Palestinians living in Gaza. It explores religious beliefs, racism and anti-semitism, and looks at the strength of family ties and the power of relationships. There is also a strong thread of feminism, cleverly worked into the story given that the two main characters (both of whom we can empathise wholeheartedly with) are male.

And for me, showing us more than one side of the debate is perhaps the main strength of this book; as we follow the lives of the two men, one of whom is desperate to leave Israel and the other to move there permanently, and also dip into the lives of several other characters, both male and female, we are made aware that of course there is no easy answer to any of the huge questions which the author raises.

But above all, this is a book about people, not facts or philosophies or doctrines. And those people have lodged themselves firmly in my head.

Chains of Sand by Jemma Wayne is published by Legend Press and available as a Paperback Original priced £9.99 from 7 July 2016.

A Launch at Breakfast by Kathleen Thompson: The Santiago Sisters – Victoria Fox

Posted on July 15, 2016 by Margaret Graham

The Ivy Kensington Brasserie was the perfect venue for the launch of The Santiago Sisters – Victoria Fox’s latest novel, due for release on 28th July.

Victoria explained the plot and inspiration over a fantastic breakfast, and quite frankly what could be better than hearing about the background to a novel in the company of interesting people and great food.

It transpired that a few years ago, Victoria spent an exciting time in Argentina and Patagonia, herding cattle with gauchos, watching tango in street cafes and sleeping at least partly under the stars (their tent had a few poles missing) and so she chose Argentina as the background for her story.

What story? An exploration of ‘sister’ relationships through the two main characters – Calida and Teresita Santiago.

Victoria and Tory

As she talked to us, she brought the whole Argentinian and Patagonian experience to life in such a way that clearly the book is going to be unputdownable.

She and Cleo, editor from HQ, (a new imprint being launched by Harper Collins this month) discussed how they had worked together to produce the final product. Besides Alice and Tory from Midas PR, there were representatives from various magazines, including our own Frost magazine and also Claire from Fabulous Magazine.

Next week, Frost Magazine will be publishing a review of The Santiago Sisters published by Mira on 28th July. pb original £7.99.

All is not Forgotten by Wendy Walker Book Review

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Margaret Graham

All is not Forgotten landed on my desk along with others. Flipping through the pile this debut psychological thriller intrigued me. It’s not usually a book I would read. I can’t bear violence towards children, for Jenny is one, though I suppose in fact she is a youth. She is 15, so a youth, but really as are they all, a vulnerable child.

I couldn’t put it down.

Wendy Walker has created a fascinating concept that explores memory and what you would be willing to do to protect your child.

Jenny is attacked, raped, horribly. Her parents agree to an experimental treatment that wipes the mind, enabling her to move on with her life. But does she? Can this really work?

She has a scar on her back, and instead of being haunted by the memory of an event, she is instead tormented by an unknown fear.

This is perhaps why it intrigued me. One of my own children had to undergo massive painful surgery at the age of one. The consultant said that because of his age my son had no understanding of the pain and distress of the event, and would forget the actual incident. But for many years, his dominant emotion to any situation would be an intense fear. And so it was. It breaks my heart even now to think of it.

The unknown for Jenny is worsened by the knowledge of a violation. But what?

And where is justice? Her father is obsessed with finding her attacker and her mother is in denial.

The decision is made to take Jenny back into her memories. But even if it can be done, will pulling at the threads of her suppressed experience reveal more than intended. Where is the healing then?

Well written, thought provoking at a profound level. A triumph, but it won’t be a novel that you can forget, so be prepared. And to try and decide what decision you would make.

The only problem for Wendy Walker is what to write now.

Let me know your thoughts on the book at frost@margaret-graham.com

Film rights have been pre-empted by Warner Bros, with Reese Witherspoon set to produce.

Published by Harlequin on 14th July. £12.99

Do It Like A Woman by Caroline Criado-Perez

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Tracy Baines

Do It Like A Woman …and change the world by Caroline Criado-Perez

Doing anything like a woman used to mean being a bit rubbish.

No longer. Now, as the women in this book prove, it means being brave, thinking differently, speaking out, standing up, taking a risk, fighting back, dreaming big, and being more than a bit amazing.

Every day, all around the world, women are reinventing what it means to be female in cultures where power, privilege or basic freedoms are all too often acquainted with being male.

From physical strength to having a voice and being heard, women are still being overlooked and even dismissed. I still find it hard to believe that women not only have to fight to be heard but that the fight is not over. Many of the older generation will remember when things were much worse in the UK and USA and we have come a long way over the years but women in others countries are not so fortunate. FGM is one topic covered and the graphic description and potential side effects suffered by young girls made me grit my teeth as I was reading it – and sadly, women continue to be the perpetrators which I find baffling.

The book contains examples of women challenging various boundaries on a day to day basis which differs from country to country. Speaking out, not keeping silent, putting your head above the parapet can be traumatising and draining but it has to be done. Criado-Perez tells of the consequences.

We could, in the next few weeks, see leaders of both Conservative and Labour parties, and we already have female first ministers of Scotland and Northern Ireland. It will be interesting to notice how the general reaction differs as to when Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979. I remember many males objecting to being told what to do by a woman. I think there will be fewer protestations now, it is much more common to have women leading companies and businesses.

One quote that stood out for me, as women continue to work harder for equal recognition was the following:

‘I am reminded of the aphorism that we will have equality when there are as many mediocre women at the top as there are mediocre men. ‘

Quite.

www.portobellobooks.com

www.carolinecriadoperez.com

Coastlines:The Story of Our Shore by Patrick Barkham

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Tracy Baines

Coastlines: The story of our shore is a portrait of the British coastline from the Giant’s Causeway to Land’s End.

Told through a series of walks beside the sea, this is the story of the most beautiful 742 miles of coastline in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – its rocks, plants and animal, its views, walks and history – and of us, the people of this island nation, shaped by our shore.

Barkham explores land that is protected by Enterprise Neptune, the National Trust’s maritime section which was launched in 1965 to protect our national coastlines. Scotland does not feature as it has its own National Trust but it would be great to know that a second volume will follow.

This is the perfect read if you are planning a break or a day out in the UK. However, if you are sofa bound you will still enjoy the vivid description and various anecdotes that Barkham recounts on his journey. I laughed at tales of the formidable Mrs Christie of Brownsea Island in Dorset and smiled at Norrie Dougan walking down the street with Elvis in Strangford Lough. His beautiful, tightly observed descriptions made me want to seek out new areas of coastline and revisit those of my childhood.

Each page is packed with tales of curious places, and curious characters. It’s not simply a book of walks but contains stories of the people and past that shaped our country, those times of war and peace that have left their marks upon this beautiful land. The chapters cover Art, Faith, Work and Childhood among many others; looking back to the past and forward to the future, and the steps that are being taken to preserve our shores.

I enjoyed discovering the history and heritage of each location as well as the author’s own experience of it and made many notes of places to check out and explore. There is plenty of information on relevant websites, nearest railway stations and OS map coordinates if you should care to visit yourself.

A book to dip in and out of whenever the fancy takes you.

The Salt Marsh by Clare Marsh

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Margaret Graham

As a bestselling author I am increasingly impressed by the standard of novels being published by Head of Zeus. I have not read one I have disliked or thought lacking in expertise or originality.

The Salt Marsh is another of this ilk . It is a ‘haunting thriller’, so says the blurb, set in the windswept marshes of Kent and Norfolk.

I can assure you that it is indeed haunting, it is also well written and evocative with a great sense tension and of place. Clare Carson has bags of empathy, and the characters live. There is pace and rhythm. So what more can I say?

The Salt Marsh tells of Sam, who can’t lay her father’s ghost to rest. Jim was an undercover agent living a double life, and Sam has left university to find out the truth about his work.

The story moves from the nightclubs of 80s Soho to the salt marshes and shingle spits of Norfolk and Kent. I remember both – the cigarette heavy gloom of the nightclubs, and the salt laden winds of the east coast. I can also remember the smugglers’ huts but never found any buried bones. It is here, in these two arenas that Jim’s secret past beckons her. So, will Sam walk away and pick up her own life? Or become an undercover operative herself and continue her father’s work in the shadows?

Read it and find out. Let me know your thoughts. frost@margaret-graham.com

The Salt Marsh, Head of Zeus, HB £18.99

Lucky Us by Amy Bloom

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Tracy Baines

When Eva’s mother abandons her on Iris’s front porch, the girls don’t seem to have much in common – except, they soon discover, a father. Thrown together with no mothers to care for them and a father who could not be considered a parent, Iris and Eva become one another’s family. Iris wants to be a movie star; Eva is her sidekick. Together, they journey across 1940s America from scandal in Hollywood to the jazz clubs and golden mansions of Long Island, stumbling, cheating and loving their way through a landscape of war, betrayals and big dreams.

Set in 1940s America, this is a thrilling and resonant novel about loyalty, ambition and the pleasures and perils of family. Iris has grit and the determination to escape her surroundings; she wants a different life and Eva soon becomes a part of, and important to, those new horizons. Bloom artfully covers such detail in so few words that it read like a huge sweeping novel rather than the slim volume it was. Clever and deft writing, sharp and witty by turns, the characters and their circumstances are finely observed and I cared about each one of them, willing them to overcome the obstacles that littered their paths.

Iris and Eva are full of guts and the determination to not only survive, but thrive. The book explores what is possible when we refuse to give up and are willing to be flexible and adapt to conquer life’s twists and turns. Something that resonates with the challenges we face at the moment.

A totally satisfying and superb read. I look forward to reading more of Amy Bloom’s writing now that I’ve found her.

www.grantabooks.com

The Lazy Guru’s Guide To Life by Laurence Shorter Reviewed by Frances Colville

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Margaret Graham

An amusing and at first glance lighthearted book, but one with serious undertones, The Lazy Guru’s Guide to Life by Laurence Shorter takes a fresh look at the very current subject of mindfulness and offers suggestions for de-stressing, and making life flow as it should. By using the simple techniques described in the book and learning how to embrace your inner Lazy Guru, you can improve your quality of life and understand how to achieve more by doing less.

You can read this book (and appreciate the beautifully simple and very effective line drawings) at one sitting in less than an hour, or you can take it one page, one thought, one session at a time. It’s the sort of book you can return to again and again. The way of the Lazy Guru is to make space in your life by stopping, tuning in and letting go. Learn how to beditate, or to clear out the crud or to dump your shoulds (I should be doing this or I should be liking that). I particularly enjoyed the illustrations of a thunderous herd of shoulds (aka wildebeests) first shown charging through our hectic lives and then slinking away quietly once they have been tamed.

Laurence Shorter is an author, leadership coach and stand-up comedian and this book successfully combines those diverse elements. Recommended for anyone in your life suffering from depression, or those energy-sapping, life-affecting illnesses like fibromyalgia or ME, but also one to buy for yourself if you want to improve the quality of your own life.

The Lazy Guru’s Guide to Life is published in hardback by Orion Books, priced £14.99 and available now.

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