Category: Historical

‘Beck’ – Mal Peet and Meg Rosoff

Beck

Going into this I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Early reviews on the Carnegie Shadowing site seem to be focusing on the inappropriateness of this novel for teen readers, and the concerns over the graphic nature of the abuse experienced by the main character. Looking beyond these comments I learned that Peet had been inspired to write this after reading something about the historical abuse of children sent to Canada and Australia. Of course it’s not going to be all sweetness and light!

With something of a heavy heart I set myself to read this. Oh, how I was doing this book a disservice.

The opening part gives us, very tersely, the background to Beck and immediately makes it clear that this is a boy who was not going to get a good deal in life. I read with a sense of detachment of his early years in the orphanage in Liverpool. Beck gives little comment on this, and the decision to not write this in first-person means we don’t have to go too deep into the emotions/thoughts of the character though it’s all too clear how he’s feeling. I was disgusted by the way in which these boys were packed off to Canada and the lack of care and compassion shown to them.

As part one focuses on the historical element of Beck’s story we cannot shy away from the time he spends with the Brothers. From early on there are hints of bad things happening, and the little details suggesting the abuse experienced by many of the boys indicates the scale of this horror. A number of reviews express concern at the graphic nature of the bath scene where Brother Robert attempts to seduce Beck. I confess to reading this feeling very uncomfortable, and my relief when Beck fought back was chillingly quashed moments later when we were categorically told the results of him not complying with events. An event that will linger long in the memory but, however uncomfortable it made me, it is fact and a truth that deserves to be told.

Watching Beck as he journeys through life was bleak. He is not treated well, and on the rare occasions he is shown love and compassion events conspire to make him feel that he cannot trust anyone. It was a sobering thought that the criminals he encounters are actually the people who treat him most kindly.

When Beck is finally discovered by Grace they appear to have little in common. Over time, they establish a close bond and this attempt to provide Beck with some redemption was welcomed by me. I certainly didn’t read this section feeling that their intimacy was unwelcome. If anything, the fact that someone who had experienced such pain and misery could still find it within themself to love was inspiring.

Peet – and Rosoff who completed the novel after his death – are favourites to win this year’s award. By the comments on the Shadowing site there’ll be lots of students denied the chance to read this and form their own opinion of it. That is a shame. It’s a tough read, without a doubt, but there’s a lot to admire in this.

‘The Marvels’ – Brian Selznick

The Marvels

When I ordered this from my local library I really did not know what to expect. First impressions – and I’m being honest – were that it was VERY heavy, but that it looked beautiful with the gold trimmed pages and the intricate design on the front cover.

The story begins with almost 400 pages of pictures. They are wonderful illustrations, but it did make me nervous as it is so different to the usual thing I read.  However, from the opening pictures – where we see young Billy Marvel shipwrecked and his rescue – I was entranced. This is the kind of thing that you could return to time and time again, and not tire of looking for further details as you become more familiar with the story. Watching the history of The Marvels unfold before my eyes was intriguing, and I was rather sad when our story turned to 1990 and the prose section.

For those who admire the illustrations I can imagine this section – focusing on Joseph Jervis running away to London to visit his mysterious uncle – will be off putting. However, unravelling the mysteries of Albert’s story and the links to the earlier part of the book were immensely satisfying.

As soon as I finished this I felt I’d spent time with something truly wonderful. It was a real work of art, and I was most intrigued by the afterword, where the author reveals the source of this story. I’ve never heard of Dennis Severs before reading this, but I feel compelled to read more about his amazing home.

This didn’t make it onto the shortlist of the 2017 Carnegie Awards, but it is on the Greenway Awards shortlist and is a book that I can see finding itself a place on my bookshelf in the near future.

‘The Underground Railroad’ – Colson Whitehead

Whitehead’s novel focuses predominantly on Cora, a young slave. When we first meet her there’s no getting away from the fact that this is a girl who has it tough. As with any novel focusing on slavery there is a lot of horrific detail here. Unflinching in brutality, Whitehead does not hesitate to show us the grim reality of life for many simply because of their skin colour. For anyone interested in this period, the book will undoubtedly be of interest.

We follow Cora as she grows into womanhood, and watch her as she decides to trust Caesar, a recent arrival, who persuades her to try and escape. There’s plenty of literature around that shows how harshly escaped slaves were treated, so it is no surprise to se how fiercely Cora fights for her freedom. However, when she kills a young white boy who attempts to capture her it is evident that Cora is going to need some luck if she is to survive.

In this novel the Underground Railroad is not simply a metaphor for those who helped runaway slaves – it has been transfigured into a literal network of tracks that cross Southern America. Watched over by sympathisers to the cause, the Railroad becomes Cora’s means to an end. Following its tracks, Cora crosses state after state – trying to escape the slave-owner desperate to have his property returned. This device also acts as an easy way in for a number of characters to feature in Cora’s life.

Where I found the book less successful was in regard to the sprawling nature of the content. There were a lot of characters dealt with, some of which were portrayed very superficially. At times, I’d have liked to follow one or two characters in more detail but this was ambitious in tone and it’s clear to see why many feel it hold a light to contemporary attitudes to race.

‘The Song of Achilles’ – Madeline Miller

The Song of Achilles

When we first meet Patroclus he is a young prince, awkward in his own skin, and definitely feeling that he is seen as a disappointment to his father. When he is exiled to the kingdom of Phthia, Patroclus comes to spend time with Achilles – the boy who is rumoured will grow up to be the greatest Greek fighter of all times.

We watch the boys grow up together and, even though they are very different, they form a strong bond. This disappoints Thetis, the mother of Achilles, who does all she can to separate the two young men.

An interview I read with Miller while I was reading this talks of her desire to understand why a character such as Achilles acts as he does (which didn’t seem to be of much interest to Homer). This, I think, explains why the first half of the book feels rather slow-the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus has to be established so that we understand the love they share.

Once we venture into the war of Troy, Miller’s writing really came into its own for me. Richly evoked, while holding little back, and seamlessly blending the worlds of mortals and gods.

The concepts explored in this story are, indeed, timeless and it really made me wish I had more than a passing acquaintance with some of the stories of Greek mythology.

For anyone who thinks Classics is a dull subject…I’d say read this and you may be pleasantly surprised.

‘Silver Stars’ -Michael Grant

Silver Stars

It is the summer of 1943 and our women soldiers, with the cries of battle fresh in their ears, are being shipped out – with the rest of the American army – to conquer the Italian island of Sicily.

With some time having passed since I read the first in the series, it did take a little time to get back in the heads of Frangie, Rainy and Rio though they remain fascinating characters. Once again Grant blends the historical detail with masterful storytelling to create the kind of book that you want to devour in one sitting, but also savour for what it tells us about war and our attitudes to fighting.

As Grant points out, he tones down the reality faced by those at war and that’s a sobering thought. The accounts of battle are vivid, and it is as if we are alongside the soldiers through their experiences. Too often, there were details I’d rather not have to think about, but I think that simply shows why books such as this are needed.

I felt mixed emotions while reading this. I felt frustration at the situations these men and women were placed in; I felt annoyed by the casual sexism and racism that was faced; I was dismayed at the seeming ineptness of some of those in charge, but my overwhelming feeling was of intense admiration for those who can face their worst fears as these characters do.

I received a copy from edelweiss in exchange for my honest thoughts, and I have to thank them – and Grant himself – for giving me the opportunity to read this.

 

‘Miss E’ – Brian Herberger

Miss E

I received a copy of ‘Miss E’ from the author in exchange for my review, and this was one of those surprising treats that make sites such as Goodreads such a great thing.

Bets is used to moving around because her father is a soldier, so she’s got used to feeling like the new kid in town. This move to California sees Bets fitting in fairly well. She develops friendships with a number of her peers and things are going well at school. Then her father is sent to Vietnam.

Within a short space of time Bets becomes intrigued by the town’s mystery woman, Miss E. A number of happy coincidences occur which result in Bets getting to know more about this mysterious figure, and developing a friendship that is unexpected but teaches her a lot.

I’ll be honest and say this was quite a slow-moving read, but it never felt dull and would certainly make an interesting exploration of this historical period.

 

 

‘Darktown’ – Thomas Mullen

Darktown

Due for publication on 13th September 2016, I was excited to be approved by publishers Little, Brown Book Group via NetGalley for an advance copy of this novel.

Described as a “riveting and elegant police procedural” I was keen to see how Mullen would link the context of race relations in 1948 Atlanta with the demands of a crime story. While it took me a while to really get into the feel of the characters and how they were linked, as far as the action goes I was hooked from the opening pages.

When we first meet Boggs and his partner Smith we are efficiently shown just how helpless the first eight coloured police officers in Atlanta actually were. They are given no cars with which to patrol, they are not allowed to carry a gun, their  contact cards have to be paid for from their own pockets and they are not actually allowed to arrest anyone without a white officer being present. Throughout the novel I admit to feeling an element of seething frustration on behalf of these characters who were treated so poorly solely because of the colour of their skin.

As we are shown Dunlow, a bigoted cop who has grown used to people doing things his way, lock horns with Boggs it is clear that things are not going to go smoothly. I could not believe some of the details we are given in the novel – but however upsetting they might have been to read, I think they were vital. This was a compelling read that I can’t wait to see people’s reaction to. The news that this novel is due to be adapted by Sony Pictures Television and Jamie Foxx is exciting stuff, and I can’t wait to see how such a gritty read translates to the screen.

 

‘Eileen’ – Ottessa Moshfegh

Eileen

I became aware of this when I saw it was longlisted for the 2016 Man Booker Prize, so I was pleased to receive an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The most obvious thing to say upon completing the book is that this will not be to everyone’s taste.

The narrator of this story is Eileen Dunlop, a woman of indeterminate age, and she is looking back on events that took place around Christmas 1964.
Eileen is not a character you will easily warm to. As she describes herself – and we obviously don’t know to what extent she is manipulating our perceptions of her – we see a lonely twenty-four year old woman who behaves like a little girl in many ways. She lives with her alcoholic father and has a mediocre job in the local boys’ prison. She dresses in her dead mother’s clothes, has evident body issues, is quite unpleasant to those she encounters and has an obsessive need to detail her bodily functions. Yet there is something utterly fascinating about this quite grotesque character.

For a lot of the novel very little happens. Then Eileen meets new colleague Rebecca and her life changes.

What follows was not at all what I expected. It’s better to not know the details in advance, but Eileen gets to be the heroine of her own story. I was surprised that events took the turn they did, and the ambiguity of the ending sums up for me the utter selfishness of Eileen. What happens to others is simply irrelevant-once they don’t impact on her life it is as though they don’t exist.

I found this a puzzling but seductive read. Having enjoyed it so much I purchased my own copy.

‘Conversion’ – Katherine Howe

Conversion

A bestselling author, and Prep and The Crucible are mentioned in the blurb…this sounds too good to be true. It was!

Our setting for this novel is St Joan’s Academy in Danvers, Massachusetts, which is a high-achieving school. The girls who attend this exclusive educational establishment set their sights high, none more so than our narrator Colleen Rowley. Unfortunately, for a novel which was meant to be set in a modern high school the characterisation was a let-down. There was a very old-fashioned feel to the characters, even though they were talking about topical things, and the narrator was someone whose voice never quite rang true. Her self-proclaimed superiority irritated me, particularly because she spent so much of the novel being very smug (even when she didn’t have any right to be).

One day Clara Rutherford, one of the most popular girls in the school, has a fit that results in uncontrollable tics. This strange event is swiftly followed by a number of other girls falling ill. Local and national press are quick to follow this story – determined to find out what is causing these privileged and high-achieving girls to succumb to these mysterious ailments.

Sound familiar? It should, and the fact that the setting of this novel happens to have been known as Salem in the past gives a really obvious pointer as to where the writer is heading. Or so I thought.

We do get the character of Ann, a young girl caught up in the events of Salem, telling us about what happened and offering her account of the hysteria surrounding the witch trials. I was expecting (hoping) that Howe would blend these ideas and use the similarities between the events to make a comment on modern society and its obsession with achievement. Instead, we got two seemingly separate stories and they remained that way.

Perhaps if I’d expected less from this I’d have been more impressed, but it felt like a very good idea that didn’t quite work out.

 

‘The Muse’ – Jessie Burton

The Muse

This is a hard novel to review as I’m not entirely sure where to start. There’s a number of stories within this novel, and it’s only clear how they are linked as they pull together.

The main focus of the novel centres on the discovery of a painting by celebrated artist Isaac Robles. Edmund Reede, an art historian, is determined to authenticate the painting’s provenance, and ensure it is seen. As he attempts this, we learn the background of the painting.

The setting shifts from 1930s Spain to Britain in the 1960s. There’s a large number of characters that feature within this story: the Schloss family, Isaac Robles and his sister, Margot Quick and Odelle Bastien.

I feel it’s important not to give away any plot details since the appeal of the novel really does come with the gradual revelation of details and the manipulation of our understanding of events.

Throughout my reading I had a sense of some crucial detail being hidden, and I thoroughly enjoyed the discovery of this information, although there were a few heavy-handed signs to signal that to us that something along these lines was coming.

The characters were elusive, and this does make sense in light of the whole novel. I enjoyed the period details, particularly the sections focusing on Odelle’s experience in 1960s London, but it was also an interesting look at how we regard artists and the pressure that expectation can put on creativity. Though I haven’t yet read ‘The Miniaturist’ I understand that Burton has publicly talked of her own battles with this issue after the success of her debut novel, which suggests we’re also being given some insight into the writer’s fears and concerns.

A huge thank you to the author and publishers, via edelweiss, for the advance copy.