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Reviews for Wendy Robertson’s Novels
JOURNEY TO MOSCOW: The Adventures Of Olivia Ozanne (Kindle Edition)
5.0 out of 5 stars
A double negative?, 19 Mar 2014
There's nothing to not love in this
book. A double negative but who cares? I'm doing an Olivia Ozanne and
re-writing the rules. For me this thought encapsulates the essence of this
fascinating book, which dispenses with the prejudices, the political and
stereotypical misconceptions surrounding the teenaged Moscow as it emerged from
its long sleep, post - Glasnost. The writer gives such insight into this period
which, ironically, is so relevant to what is happening in Putin's Russia today.
Olivia Ozanne is my hero- totally honest about who she is, warts and all, knowing she has failed as a mother and wife but always remaining true to herself and keeping the faith with her writing.
As always, this writer has woven an intricate tale with many memorable characters, the love of her life Volodya, the grey and brown Aunties, her daughter and son, even the odious Kendrick. They will all remain in my head for a long time and when I say you must read this book, I really mean it!
Olivia Ozanne is my hero- totally honest about who she is, warts and all, knowing she has failed as a mother and wife but always remaining true to herself and keeping the faith with her writing.
As always, this writer has woven an intricate tale with many memorable characters, the love of her life Volodya, the grey and brown Aunties, her daughter and son, even the odious Kendrick. They will all remain in my head for a long time and when I say you must read this book, I really mean it!
JOURNEY TO MOSCOW The
Adventures of Olivia Ozanne (Kindle Edition)
5.0 out of 5 stars A Love Story to a City
and its People, 12 Feb 2014
By
A M Joy -
Olivia
Ozanne is the writer abroad, the stranger alone, a woman who can see the
surface of things and beyond. Well rid of her ex Kendrick and his leather sofa
fetish, she comes to stay with her daughter Caitlin. This is post-glasnost
Moscow with its fallen statues, burgeoning mafia, newly restored churches, its
phones tapped but no longer listened in to, a city that demands hard currency.
Through Olivia’s eyes we see into the heart of this city and its people. We
peer inside their tiny flats into their constricted interior lives, where we meet
the mysterious Aunties whose surprising histories, stretching back to the
revolution, are slowly uncovered by Olivia.
This is a richly painted canvas of an iconic city, in many ways relevant to our understanding of the Russia of today. It is a story about a woman in search of a new self and it’s hard not to fall in love with Olivia with her enormous appetite for life or for that matter her lover Volodya who she meets at the flower stall. I fell in love with them both. But Wendy Robertson’s greatest gift is in making us fall in love with the place and its people. Gorgeous
This is a richly painted canvas of an iconic city, in many ways relevant to our understanding of the Russia of today. It is a story about a woman in search of a new self and it’s hard not to fall in love with Olivia with her enormous appetite for life or for that matter her lover Volodya who she meets at the flower stall. I fell in love with them both. But Wendy Robertson’s greatest gift is in making us fall in love with the place and its people. Gorgeous
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JOURNEY TO MOSCOW The
Adventures of Olivia Ozanne (Kindle Edition)
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful novel. I loved it., 26 Jun 2014
Olivia
- what a fascinating character who ‘goes her own way’ regardless of others.
This is an excellent story and I couldn’t put it down. The depiction of post
Glasnost Russia is realistic. There is more freedom. Calls are recorded but no
one listens to them. However, there is still much suspicion and the drivers
want ‘dollars’ in payment for taxi rides. Olivia takes no notice of her
successful daughter who worries that she is in a city that can be fraught with
danger. However, Olivia is determined to be her own person and thank goodness,
because she meets Volodya who becomes the love of her life and she becomes
special to him. The setting and atmosphere of Moscow are cleverly created, with
old cars, run-down buildings, people suspicious of their neighbours in case
they report them to the Authorities, the flower stalls and also the beauty of
the Churches and the priceless icon that the Aunties take to their Church. We
are sad that Volodya seems to have a new love and Olivia returns home bereft.
However, it turns out well in the end. Relationships are very important in this
novel. We have the mother/daughter relationship that can be fraught at times,
the love of the two Aunties which has lasted for decades, Kendrick who is an
unpleasant character and hasn’t treated Olivia well and the relationship
between Olivia and her son, who goes through a hard time with the police. The
relationship of Olivia with her own mother has been very difficult and when her
mother dies, she is in a quandary. Once again, she makes her own decisions and
takes no account of the views of others. She does what she feels is right. This
is a fascinating and very readable novel and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
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JOURNEY TO MOSCOW: The Adventures Of
Olivia Ozanne (Kindle Edition)
5.0 out of 5 stars
In Search of Fairy Tales, 19 May
2014
By
Once again Wendy Robertson has produced
a novel with a difference.
Its diverse and fascinating characters are dealt with in her own inimitable way,producing a story that is not be missed.
Told in the voice of Olivia Ozanne, who writes stories for children; these characters cover a vast variety of life-styles as well as a wide age-range, but are all equally convincing.
The novel is set against the stark background of post Glasnost Moscow, but also offers a glimpse of a north of England, peaceful on the surface but with a drugs problem beginning to raise its ugly head.
I recommend this novel to you. Read it. You will enjoy it.
Its diverse and fascinating characters are dealt with in her own inimitable way,producing a story that is not be missed.
Told in the voice of Olivia Ozanne, who writes stories for children; these characters cover a vast variety of life-styles as well as a wide age-range, but are all equally convincing.
The novel is set against the stark background of post Glasnost Moscow, but also offers a glimpse of a north of England, peaceful on the surface but with a drugs problem beginning to raise its ugly head.
I recommend this novel to you. Read it. You will enjoy it.
JOURNEY TO MOSCOW: The Adventures Of
Olivia Ozanne (Kindle Edition)
5 out of 5 stars Kicking heels up at the
past, 27 April 2014
Ashley (London, England) -
Moscow is going through upheavals as it
emerges uncertainly into a post-Glasnost era. Writer Olivia Ozanne, visiting
her very correct and successful daughter, is going through a few upheavals
herself as she burrows under the skin of the city, discovering secrets - and
her own true self. Joyous.
JOURNEY TO MOSCOW: The Adventures Of
Olivia Ozanne (Kindle Edition)
5.0 out of 5 stars Colourful story set in
post-Glasnost moscow, 7 April 2014
Post Glasnost Moscow, dreary, edgy, but
along comes Olivia Ozanne, edgy herself but with a sparkle that transcends the
drabness. She bursts into the confined world of the intriguing Volodya and his
'two aunts' sombre in their grey and brown and soon discovers their colourful
story. On the way embarassing, successful journalist daughter, Caitlin in a
recognisable volatile mother/daughter relationship.
Olivia in mid-life uncertainty is looking for more than a holiday interlude and within the fortnight her artistic fingers, with the precision of a compass draw all the strands together. The author is here at her very best showing the basic humanity of her main characters whether English or Russian, especially the 'brown aunt.'
I have always wanted to stand in Red Square, step inside a Dacha. I have now and in the memorable company of Olivia Ozanne.
Olivia in mid-life uncertainty is looking for more than a holiday interlude and within the fortnight her artistic fingers, with the precision of a compass draw all the strands together. The author is here at her very best showing the basic humanity of her main characters whether English or Russian, especially the 'brown aunt.'
I have always wanted to stand in Red Square, step inside a Dacha. I have now and in the memorable company of Olivia Ozanne.
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Journey
to Moscow: The Adventures of Olivia Ozanne (Kindle Edition)
JOURNEY TO MOSCOW: The Adventures Of
Olivia Ozanne (Kindle Edition)5.0
out of 5 stars A wonderful read., 21 Mar 2014
By
Katherine M. Fitzgerald (Tyneside UK)
- (REAL NAME)
Wendy
Robertson's latest book is a real gem. Set in Russia post Glasnost and in the
UK, it is a novel about relationships of all kinds: with children, husbands,
lovers, friends and strangers. The reader is quickly charmed into this world
where it seems anything can happen, if your mind is as open as Olivia's. This
main character's narrative voice is enticing and cajoling as it guides the
reader into both Olivia's internal and external landscapes and asks you to
share her joys and dilemmas but try not to judge. The internal situation in
Russia is exposed layer by layer through the people Olivia meets, the things
she observes and also what she has read. Her Russian lover, Volodya adds
further dimensions to the Russian story but also to the character of Olivia and
her joy in living.
The 'Aunties' are enchanting and would have made a novel on their own. The whole idea of them meeting in a world hostile to their love for each other and also the actuality of their joint experiences through such a tempestuous era is exciting
And threaded through all this marvellous storytelling and characterization is Olivia's experience of being a writer; having to make uncomfortable choices, to find the nub of magic at the core of any good story and discover how to execute the narrative. It is the honesty and self-knowledge of Olivia Ozanne that gives this novel its momentum and keeps the reader entranced to the end.
The 'Aunties' are enchanting and would have made a novel on their own. The whole idea of them meeting in a world hostile to their love for each other and also the actuality of their joint experiences through such a tempestuous era is exciting
And threaded through all this marvellous storytelling and characterization is Olivia's experience of being a writer; having to make uncomfortable choices, to find the nub of magic at the core of any good story and discover how to execute the narrative. It is the honesty and self-knowledge of Olivia Ozanne that gives this novel its momentum and keeps the reader entranced to the end.
JOURNEY TO MOSCOW: The Adventures Of
Olivia Ozanne (Kindle Edition)
5.0 out of 5 stars
pat kidd -
A
totally compelling read! I could not put it down until I reached the end.
Olivia is a larger than life character and we follow her relationships with her daughter -difficult- and her meeting with the love of her life. W e also become involved with the unconventional life of her son back home.
Wendy's descriptions of present day Moscow and events going back as far as The Great War are fascinating! I recommend this book to everyone!
Wendy is my favourite author.
Olivia is a larger than life character and we follow her relationships with her daughter -difficult- and her meeting with the love of her life. W e also become involved with the unconventional life of her son back home.
Wendy's descriptions of present day Moscow and events going back as far as The Great War are fascinating! I recommend this book to everyone!
Wendy is my favourite author.
GABRIEL MARCHANT [Kindle Edition]
Wendy Robertson (Author)
By Erica Yeoman
Brack's
Hill is a N.E.mining community in 1936 with 'no work, little food-less
dignity.' into this sterile world comes Archie Todhunter ready to see the
'awesome significance of a person as an individual', and there ready to gain
from his humanity are young miners, Gabriel Marchant and his friend Tegger.
We see Gabriel develop as an artist from the early use of charred larch wood given to him by his grandmother and his blind copying of Rembrandt drawings to become an accomplished painter; Tegger learns to fashion his love of words into fine poetry.
'Gabriel Marchant' is a rites of passage story sympathetically revealing life in the raw. Gabriel matures not only as an artist but discovers at Archie's Settlement 'the complication of women' through Rosel, art teacher and older woman, Marguerite model and Greta the gauche, clever schoolgirl who makes a pact with Gabriel to do 'the thing that men and women do.'
And always in the background is Archie working to release the butterflies in chrysilis state, a gifted group of young people desperate to escape the web of ignorance that could condemn them to life in the dark as black as any mine.
A very good read. Highly Recommended.
We see Gabriel develop as an artist from the early use of charred larch wood given to him by his grandmother and his blind copying of Rembrandt drawings to become an accomplished painter; Tegger learns to fashion his love of words into fine poetry.
'Gabriel Marchant' is a rites of passage story sympathetically revealing life in the raw. Gabriel matures not only as an artist but discovers at Archie's Settlement 'the complication of women' through Rosel, art teacher and older woman, Marguerite model and Greta the gauche, clever schoolgirl who makes a pact with Gabriel to do 'the thing that men and women do.'
And always in the background is Archie working to release the butterflies in chrysilis state, a gifted group of young people desperate to escape the web of ignorance that could condemn them to life in the dark as black as any mine.
A very good read. Highly Recommended.
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By A M Joy
Format:Kindle
Edition|Verified
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An exceptional evocation of the pit:
it's darkness, its amazing colour (here is the big surprise), the earth and its
ghosts and the men who worked there, especially Gabriel the man who would be
painter - wonderful.
PAULIE'S WEB PAPERBACK – 20 AUG 2013
A M Joy on
24 Sep 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified
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Paulie, Queenie, Christine, Martiza
and Lilah are five women who are caught in the web of prison, five good women
who meet in a white van - a paddy wagon -and whose lives are transformed by
their experience of imprisonment. In this exceptional and insightful novel,
Wendy Robertson introduces us to the hidden world of invisible women that is
prison. Her characters and their stories leap off the page at us, there are no
stereotypes here, this is not Prisoner Cell Block H or Bad Girls but it is
every bit as compelling. She is a consummate story-teller, who weaves a
fascinating web around these disparate lives and if you want to know what
prison is really like and who the women we lock away every day are then READ
THIS. I know of no other novel which will give you such unique insight into
this closed world. With the liberation of fiction Wendy Robertson takes us
closer to the truth than any reductive documentary could and on the journey she
treats us to the poetry of Paulie, to laughter and tears and to a celebration
of the friendship between women.
PAULIE'S WEB PAPERBACK – 20 AUG 2013
Paulie's Web by Wendy Robertson is an
uplifting read of a subject that could be nothing but depressing. That it is
not. The humanity of the author comes through loud and clear as we learn of the
very different women doing time for crimes they have committed. We are left
with the very obvious fact that for some people life is loaded against them.
Christine is particularly vulnerable and totally believable. The common decency
that all these women share is beautifully released through the course of the
story by the author who has worked and supported the inmates of a female
prison. She shares her inside knowledge and the reader is left to question
their own stance on those less fortunate than themselves.
PAULIE'S
WEB PAPERBACK
Mrs Hilary Smith on
13 April 2014
I loved the characters in Paulie's
Web: their strengths, their weaknesses, their backstories and in spite of
everything - their humour.
PAULIE'S
WEB PAPERBACK – 20 AUG 2013
By Katherine M.
Fitzgerald on 1 Dec 2013
Format: Paperback
Paulie's Web draws on Wendy
Roberston's time as a Writer in Residence in Low Newton Prison, Durham. A group
of women are taken to the same prison on the same day; a mixed bunch of females
who grow to care about each other. One of them, Paulie sets out - at later date
- to try and find all of the women and show them what she has written. With the
sharpness of a journalist and the skill of a novelist, Robertson cleverly
brings all of these characters to life, making the reader care about them. She
has a deft style, almost a magician's touch, in that the characters quickly
take root and you feel yourself urging Paulie forward and hoping she and the
others find some resolution and peace.
It would have been easy to sentimentalize these characters, all of whom have, in one way or another, drawn short straws in the living stakes, but Robertson neatly avoids this by making them characters many of us can relate to and consequently
It would have been easy to sentimentalize these characters, all of whom have, in one way or another, drawn short straws in the living stakes, but Robertson neatly avoids this by making them characters many of us can relate to and consequently
THE ROMANCER edition 1
For fans of Wendy
Roberton's work, The Romancer - a unique and unusual memoir - offers great
insight into the writer behind the books. But you don't need to be a fan to
enjoy this exploration of what it is to be a writer and in particular the
relationship for the writer between fact and fiction.
For those thinking of writing memoir this is a great non-linear example of the form. As well as being a book about a writer's life - often poignant and tender - it is a book about writing - full of great tips and a Forty day plan for writing your novel.
For those thinking of writing memoir this is a great non-linear example of the form. As well as being a book about a writer's life - often poignant and tender - it is a book about writing - full of great tips and a Forty day plan for writing your novel.
CRUELTY GAMES (KINDLE EDITION)
Cruelty Games is a remarkable book and
I found it impossible to put down. What I think it does so well is to show us
the ordinary beginnings of what becomes an extraordinary situation. Anyone who
has taught in schools or worked with children will recognise the situation and
the characters all too well.It seems amazing that the first edition came out
before the Jamie Bulger case and it makes the book sadly prophetic, exploring
as it does the tradegy of children murder.The characters of Rachel, the young
teacher and Ian the boy who lives daily with neglect and abuse lived on, long
after I finished reading.Highly recommended
A WOMAN SCORNED
By pat kidd on
12 Aug 2012
Format: Paperback
A shy sickly child is cured by an
enigmatic yet secretive woman who lives by her own moral code.
However, this strange woman becomes the victim of evil rumours after the deaths of some of the villagers where she lives.
The young woman she cured does her best to defend her from impending doom.
Based on a true story in Victorian times.
Thrilling!
However, this strange woman becomes the victim of evil rumours after the deaths of some of the villagers where she lives.
The young woman she cured does her best to defend her from impending doom.
Based on a true story in Victorian times.
Thrilling!
5.0 out of 5 stars Hello? Are we reading the same book?, 1
Aug 1999
By A Customer
It's easy to deride sagas for being 'merely soap',
but the gift of a true writer is in the telling of stories and characters who
stay with you long after you close the book - and Wendy Robertson is one of
those writers. All her stories are based in the North East of England, and the
harsh beauty of the countryside comes through in her writing as strongly as the
people who live in it. Like many of her novels, A DARK LIGHT SHINING is rooted
in real experiences, and has a heightened vitality and truthfulness missing
from so many run-of-the-cotton-mill clog'n'shawlers. If her characters are
unusual, it is because people themselves are as unusual as their society
permits them to be, and far from resorting to the stereotypes found in less
thoughtful books, she creates vivid, complicated human beings. A skilful,
imaginative novelist who delivers far more than this genre traditionally
promises.
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5.0
out of 5 stars
family
saga before the 1st world war, 22 July 2012
pat kidd -
This is a completely rounded story with
a lovely flavour of Co.Durham there.The characters are delightful -e.g.the
mother figure and the strong-minded lady gardener.
It encompasses so many different fields -e.g.the Romany element. Avery warm read.
It encompasses so many different fields -e.g.the Romany element. Avery warm read.
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LIZZA (Kindle Edition)
I read "Lizza" when it was
first published in 1987. I loved it then and still love it now.
Lizza is the misfit in a very typical Mining family. She's too clever and too studious to thrive in that environment, but her widowed mother knows instinctively that Lizza needs a different world in which to blossom and flourish and so she sends her away to what, at first, is a cruel existence. Eventually Lizza realises that there will be a life for her away from the mining community and that her mother really did love her and have her interests at heart all the time.
The book is full of colourful characters and down-to-earth situations during the poverty-stricken days of the General Strike.
I definitely recommend this to adults and teenagers alike.
Lizza is the misfit in a very typical Mining family. She's too clever and too studious to thrive in that environment, but her widowed mother knows instinctively that Lizza needs a different world in which to blossom and flourish and so she sends her away to what, at first, is a cruel existence. Eventually Lizza realises that there will be a life for her away from the mining community and that her mother really did love her and have her interests at heart all the time.
The book is full of colourful characters and down-to-earth situations during the poverty-stricken days of the General Strike.
I definitely recommend this to adults and teenagers alike.
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LIZZA (KINDLE EDITION)
5.0 out of 5 stars Mother Love, 17
May 2012
By
I absolutely loved this book. I was
hooked from the first moment when lizza is forced to thank a well-meaning
neighbour for giving her a hideous hat to wear on the train. The train will
take Lizza away from everything she knows and she doesn't want to go but her
mother has decided and no-one argues with her mother, except for Lizza, of
course.
Lizza and her mother are two of a kind but one has the hope and ambition of the very young while the other is ground down by the day to day grim reality of survival. My heart bled for the woman - so unbending, so strong and yet so sad. Her incredible stoicism and determination doesn't mask her vulnerability. It was as if she ever gave way to her true emotions then she would break. Lizza and her mother share a truely moving relationshop.
I can't wait to read the next part of Lizza'a life.
It would be a shame to miss this book. It tells us so much about the bonds of family.
Lizza and her mother are two of a kind but one has the hope and ambition of the very young while the other is ground down by the day to day grim reality of survival. My heart bled for the woman - so unbending, so strong and yet so sad. Her incredible stoicism and determination doesn't mask her vulnerability. It was as if she ever gave way to her true emotions then she would break. Lizza and her mother share a truely moving relationshop.
I can't wait to read the next part of Lizza'a life.
It would be a shame to miss this book. It tells us so much about the bonds of family.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
A WOMAN SCORNED - Serial Killer or Scandal Victim?
(Kindle Edition)5.0 out of 5 stars Exploding
The Myth, 10 Nov 2011
By
This review is from:
A Woman Scorned, like Wendy Robertson's
recent novel, Paulie's Web deals insightfully and sensitively with issues of
justice and injustice in the lives of women. In this case, the life of a women
who became part of a northern myth - the North's very own serial killer - Mary
Ann Cotton. In a beautiful re-working of the Mary Ann Cotton story Wendy
Robertson explodes the myth and asks searching questions about the nature of
the outsider in the community and about our propensity for demonising the
feminine and the vulnerable. Her skill is in making it flow effortlessly and
capturing us in her story-telling web. A great piece of fiction that will make
you think again.
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A WOMAN SCORNED - Serial Killer or Scandal Victim?
(Kindle Edition)
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down, 20
Jan 2013
By
Lesley -
I got the book to take on holiday, it
was supposed to last me the week, i couldnt Put it down. I had it read in 24hrs
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5.0 out of 5 stars everyone is entitled happiness at some time, 23 july 2012
This is Wendy's first adult novel and
it gives a foretaste of all the superb novels to follow.
The story begins in 1895 when a family moves to Co. Durham for the fatherto work in the coal mines. The father is a force to be reckoned with and his daughter Susannah inherits his strength of character but not his bitterness.
Tragedy in the family means that Susannah feels she must give up all possibility of happiness and devote herself to looking after her father and brothers..Further, her compassionate nature compels her to adopt a baby. However, as she grows older, she begins to realise that she herself has rights to whatever life has to offer.
Superb characterization adds to the wonderful unfolding story.
The story begins in 1895 when a family moves to Co. Durham for the fatherto work in the coal mines. The father is a force to be reckoned with and his daughter Susannah inherits his strength of character but not his bitterness.
Tragedy in the family means that Susannah feels she must give up all possibility of happiness and devote herself to looking after her father and brothers..Further, her compassionate nature compels her to adopt a baby. However, as she grows older, she begins to realise that she herself has rights to whatever life has to offer.
Superb characterization adds to the wonderful unfolding story.
5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone is entitled
happiness at some time, 23 July 2012
.
THE LONG JOURNEY HOME (KINDLE EDITION)
Anna )
This review is from: The Long Journey Home (Kindle Edition)
This is the first book I've read in
ages that made me want to go to bed early so I could read it in peace and going
to sleep late as I didn't want to put it down.
THE LONG JOURNEY HOME (KINDLE EDITION)
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful read, 14
April 2013
By
BenAlpin Books (Scotland) - See all my reviews
Verified Purchase(What is this?)
This review is from: The Long Journey Home (Kindle Edition)
This is a superbly written book. It is
about the experiences of a young girl, Sylvie, caught up in the maelstrom of
the fall of Singapore to the Japanese invaders. It is a deep book dealing with
the traumas suffered by those taken into captivity, and also the issue of
racial sensitivities as the age of Colonial domination in Asia is abruptly
brought to a halt, and the seeds of the current democracies start to sprout.
The author does a fantastic job of covering both these themes, weaving them into the complex story of a young girl whose pre-war family world falls apart, to be replaced by something deeper, and with a lovely twist at the end.
The author does a fantastic job of covering both these themes, weaving them into the complex story of a young girl whose pre-war family world falls apart, to be replaced by something deeper, and with a lovely twist at the end.
5.0 out of 5 stars friendship under
japanese occupation, 21 July 2012
By
THE LONG JOURNEY HOME (KINDLE EDITION)
Singapore is occupied by the Japanese
during the 2nd World War. Sylvie tries to escape but gets lost in all the
confusion. She is rescued by the family of her governess Virginia Chen. The
story tells of their enduring friendship during this time.
Wendy's meticulous research into the background of Singapore itself and the effects of occupation evoke a wonderful feeling of having been there.
Highly recommended.
Wendy's meticulous research into the background of Singapore itself and the effects of occupation evoke a wonderful feeling of having been there.
Highly recommended.
5.0 out of 5 stars A second world war story with a difference., 9
Aug 2001
jc@jean-currie.demon.co.uk (Yorkshire
UK) - See all my reviews
A THIRSTING LAND, the third in the Kitty Rainbow Trilogy opens in 1939 when
she is an old woman and her elder daughter Leonora is living in Alexandria with
Sam Scorton and their twins Thomas and Kay. Kay meets and marries a pilot but
when he returns to England to join the RAF he is killed in a bombing raid on
London and she is left with a baby. After the end of the war when Sam has died,
Leonora, Kay and Thomas return to England. The family will all be together to
celebrate Kitty's 85th birthday. Kay, a young widow with a child, hates the
cold of the north after the warmth of the Mediterranean and the dreariness of
post-war Britain after bright Egypt. She has nothing to look forward to in her
young life until Kitty gradually rouses Kay's interest in her various
businesses and the history of her family. Meantime Laurenz and Patrizia Gold,
Jewish refugees who have endured horrendous experiences escaping from Nazi
occupied Europe, are trying to start a new life in a resettlement camp not far
from Kitty's house. Patrizia is cowed, terrified of her husband but Laurenz is
ruthless and determined. He has allowed nothing to get in his way during their
escape and no one is going to stop him now. He will be a success no matter what
it takes. Kitty hands over the running of her factory to Kay despite objections
and opposition of her staff. It is a challenge that Kay enjoys and she forgets
her intention to return to Egypt. When Laurenz presents himself for a job, Kay
takes him on and little by little, be makes himself indispensable. He also
makes Kay feel young and desirable again, that there is more to life than work
and that it should be enjoyed. She falls for his charm, until she learns he has
another side.
Wendy Robertson has a wonderful way of interweaving all her very different characters, bringing them together from far and near and blending their stories. All the emotions leap off the pages - joy, sadness, terror, sympathy, love, hate - making an absorbing read.
Wendy Robertson has a wonderful way of interweaving all her very different characters, bringing them together from far and near and blending their stories. All the emotions leap off the pages - joy, sadness, terror, sympathy, love, hate - making an absorbing read.
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Read, 26 Jan 2014
By
Karen (Bristol England) -
Purchased this for my Mum who gets through a book a
week - this has been her favourite story in ages - she would give the book 5
stars.
5.0 out of 5 stars Nineteenth Century character
in a page-turning novel, 5 Aug 2001
jc@jean-currie.demon.co.uk (Yorkshire
UK
In this, the first book in THE KITTY
RAINBOW TRILOGY, Kitty certainly makes an unconventional appearance. Ishmael
Slaughter, a bare-knuckle fighter in the mid nineteenth century, sees a baby
fall from a viaduct and rescues her from the River Wear. He has no idea who her
parents are and he names her Kitty Rainbow. His landlady has just killed the
kittens he was caring for so he dare not take the baby home with him. Instead
he persuades a Scottish draper with a tendency to hit the bottle to look after
her along with Thomas, her 'strange' young son. Kitty continues her unorthodox
life, learning to cope with her foster mother's drinking bouts and Thomas's
silence. She grows up wild, fending for herself, battling against those who
would drag her down, fiercely loving to her friends, Ishmael most of all, but
tough with her enemies. She works hard, finds love and becomes pregnant, but
now most of all she feels the need to know something about her parentage.
Ishmael, now ageing is the only link she has, but he knows nothing and she
travels from Priorton in the north of England to London. She had known danger
in her hometown but this is the London of Jack the Ripper when every young
woman on the streets walks in fear. After learning the story of her parentage
she returns north to her loved ones to build a life for herself and her baby.
Wendy Robertson draws such a realistic picture of a town in the northeast of
England in the nineteenth century, peopled with strong characters, good and
bad, rich and poor, that the reader endures Kitty's hardships and fights her
battles with her, cheers when she wins and worries with Ishmael about what is
to become of her.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
SANDIE SHAW AND THE MILLIONTH MARVELL COOKER,
5.0 out of 5 stars 13 Jun 2012
bookworm -
Very few stories are written with a factory
setting. But this one is and its characters
come alive - from the Manager down to the schoolgirl temp,they're all very realistic and very different.
Read it and you'll love it!
come alive - from the Manager down to the schoolgirl temp,they're all very realistic and very different.
Read it and you'll love it!
SANDIE SHAW AND THE MILLIONTH MARVELL COOKER
By
Mr. G. C. Cook (WOLVERHAMPTON,WEST
MIDLANDS,UNITED KINGDOM) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
(REAL NAME)
Well written hilarious story set in the 1960's for
those who were around then well worth a read just for the memories alone.
Javaslublu Books "javaslublu" (Sussex,
UK) - See all my reviews
When the families of McNaughton and
Farrell are brought together, the meeting is not an amicable one. Biddy Farrell
creates friction between the families, and when Margaret McNaughton is found
wandering the streets one night and a prostitute is murdered, the finger of
blame points to Tommo Farrell.
5.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing extended family full of mystery, 9
Sep 2012
By
pat kidd -
This is a compelling read from beginning to end. It
tells the story of four generations of women who have lived together - not always
in complete harmony - nevertheless devoted to each other.
There is a mystery which threads throughout the book and keeps the reader fully absorbed. Each character is very different from the others and has her own tale to tell.
There is a mystery which threads throughout the book and keeps the reader fully absorbed. Each character is very different from the others and has her own tale to tell.
Help other customers find the most
helpful reviews
jc@jean-currie.demon.co.uk (Yorkshire
UK)
Susan is working in a mental hospital
in the north of England when she hears about the horrendous suffering in the
Spanish civil war and sets out to see what she can do to help. In a dressing
station that had been set up in a small church, she nurses men and women of all
nationalities, among them ChiChu who has lost all her family. She becomes very
fond of the young girl and determines to take her back to England but their
troubles are not over. They do not fit into London life and they set off on
their travels again, this time to the north of England to a lonely farm where
Susan grew up. The start of World War II brings more problems, especially for
ChiChu, who is imprisoned in the mental hospital where Susan first worked,
deemed insane because she does not speak English and cannot be understood.
This is a page-turning book moving from the horrors of a mental hospital in the 1930's, through war in Spain to a different war in Britain, where no one is sure who can be trusted but there is also love and laughter and great characters.
This is a page-turning book moving from the horrors of a mental hospital in the 1930's, through war in Spain to a different war in Britain, where no one is sure who can be trusted but there is also love and laughter and great characters.
By
jc@jean-currie.demon.co.uk (Yorkshire
UK) - See all my reviews
CHILDREN OF THE STORM, the second book
in the Kitty Rainbow Trilogy opens in 1914 when Kitty Rainbow's children have
grown up and are away from home. Her second daughter, Mara, loves her teaching
job in Hartlepool despite Mr Clonmel, the headmaster but she loses all the
familiar things she has grown to appreciate when the school is demolished by
bombardment from a German warship. The school is no more, Mr Clonmel dies in
her arms and her bereaved landlady, Pansy is hysterical. A dying Frenchman
gives Mara a package and asks her to give it to his children who are living in
Priorton, her home town. There is nothing left for her in Hartlepool and she
goes back to Kitty, taking her landlady with her, when Pansy moans that she
cannot live alone. Mara finds the Frenchman's children, and is surprised when
they are not children at all, but adults. Jean-Paul is working and at the same
time is trying to look after his deranged sister Helene and Mara takes it upon
herself to help. Meantime Pansy turns out to be not as helpless as she claimed
and loses no time in building a nest for herself causing havoc in Kitty's
household. Leonora, Kitty's elder daughter has been nursing in Russia in
terrible conditions and returns home exhausted and devastated by what she has
seen. Wendy Robertson tells an absorbing story with strong women battling
against the odds - Kitty providing a home for her extended family; Mara picking
herself up after losing her job, helping those around her and fighting
prejudice; and Leonora trying to get on with life again after all she has
suffered and endured. The setting moves from the northeast of England to the
trenches in France and the makeshift hospitals in Russia and all are vividly
depicted.
pat kidd -
A young French girl is a member of a
travelling group of players which arrives in a small Co. Durham town.
She feels safe in this group - a sanctuary from a turbulent past. However, tragedy soon strikes and forces Pippa to relive events which she struggled through to get to this seeming peace.
Through budding friendships with a young Italian miner and a young playwright she is eventually enabled to find peace and to look forward to a brighter future in this quiet old fashioned place
She feels safe in this group - a sanctuary from a turbulent past. However, tragedy soon strikes and forces Pippa to relive events which she struggled through to get to this seeming peace.
Through budding friendships with a young Italian miner and a young playwright she is eventually enabled to find peace and to look forward to a brighter future in this quiet old fashioned place
THE LAVENDER HOUSE Paperback –
6 Mar 2008
As is usual in Wendy's tales, fact and fiction combine
perfectly to make a compelling story. The drama is interspersed with deep
friendship and some very interesting characters.
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