Veronika Jordan's Blog, page 110

The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde

Peter Knox lives quietly in one of those small country villages that’s up for the Village Garden of the Year award. Until Doc and Constance Rabbit move in next door, upsetting the locals (many of them members of the governing political party – UKARP  or the United Kingdom Against Rabbit Population), complicating Peter’s job as a Rabbit Spotter, and forcing him to take a stand, moving from unconscious leporiphobe to active supporter of the UK’s amiable and peaceful population of anthropomorphised rabbits. [image error]

I loved this book. Probably the most original story I have read in years – maybe even ever. Lately every book I read is either historical fiction set in the underbelly of 17th century or 18th century or Victorian England or yet another crime thriller or police procedural. And then there are the psychological thrillers with a twist you never saw coming. Yes we did because we’ve already read about a hundred of them. I’m not saying some of them aren’t edge-of-the-seat brilliant but there is a limit and I joined NetGalley in the hope that I might get to read something unique. And I just have. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea (or should I say dandelion brandy – see below) but it’s definitely mine.

So here we go. The concept that rabbits have been anthropomorphised during an unexplained ‘Event’ and now live side by side with humans seems ridiculous, ludicrous and crazy and initially I struggled with it. I say initially – probably for about five minutes. But then it got better and better with little nuggets of comic genius thrown in every now and again from things like Doc and Constance distilling their own exceptional (and strong) dandelion brandy in the cellar to rabbits watching The Great Escape as they naturally adore films about digging tunnels. In fact there are so many references and homages to books and films, I can’t remember them all.

Peter Knox – a very boring middle-aged man – whose wife left him because he was (yes you guessed it) too boring lives in Much Hemlock with his grown up daughter Pippa. Peter is a rabbit Spotter. To most people they all look the same but Peter has the ability to spot the differences and so works undercover doing just that, but pretending to be an accountant. Then one day he bumps into Connie – an old friend from university. Except Connie is a bunny (bunny is now used as a derogatory term for a rabbit). Because of his ‘gift’ he recognises her after 30 years. When she and her third husband Doc (rabbits often have a short life-span so multiple marriages are common) move in next door with their two children Bobby (Roberta like in The Railway Children) and Kent. Peter must now decide whose side he is on. Some of it is hilarious but this isn’t just some silly bunny story.

The Constant Rabbit is a serious insight into the human condition and how it will take another so-called ‘lower species’ to make us realise who we really are and what we have done to this earth. It uncovers the hidden racism and the not-so-hidden hatred of anyone who is different. They’ll take over and then where will we be? It says a lot about our society and many people may even recognise themselves as marginally leporiphobic. I even cried at the end though I can’t say why without spoilers. And I laughed out loud many times throughout the book.

Please read it. I know it’s weird and bonkers at times but it really is worth it. Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

From the brothels and gin-shops of Covent Garden to the elegant townhouses of Mayfair, Laura Shepherd-Robinson’s Daughters of Night follows Caroline Corsham, as she seeks justice for a murdered woman whom London society would rather forget . . .

Lucia’s fingers found her own. She gazed at Caro as if from a distance. Her lips parted, her words a whisper: ‘He knows.’

London, 1782. Desperate for her politician husband to return home from France, Caroline ‘Caro’ Corsham is already in a state of anxiety when she finds a well-dressed woman mortally wounded in the bowers of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. The Bow Street constables are swift to act, until they discover that the deceased woman was a highly-paid prostitute, at which point they cease to care entirely. But Caro has motives of her own for wanting to see justice done, and so sets out to solve the crime herself. Enlisting the help of thieftaker, Peregrine Child, their inquiry delves into the hidden corners of Georgian society, a world of artifice, deception and secret lives.

But with many gentlemen refusing to speak about their dealings with the dead woman, and Caro’s own reputation under threat, finding the killer will be harder, and more treacherous than she can know . . 

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Once again I have finished a book that falls between 4 and 5 stars. I am sticking with 4 stars only because it was slightly overlong and over-complicated. Don’t get me wrong, the story was excellently executed and intricately plotted but at times I wondered if I needed a spreadsheet to keep track of all the characters and the threads.

When Mrs Caroline Corsham, the wife of Harry Corsham (her politician husband who is currently away on business in France) discovers a murdered prostitute in Vauxhall Gardens, she begins an investigation of her own. Hiring the thief-taker Peregrine Child to help her, she is led into a world of prostitution, fraud, money-lending, rape, murder and all sorts, while together they attempt to uncover the truth. The descriptions of the goings-on in the underbelly of Georgian London are so well written that we are transported to the filth, excrement and degradation that lie therein. I knew about cock-fighting and bear-baiting but I have now learnt that women skinned dead mice in order to sell their pelts as false eyebrows while ‘entertainers’ juggled with live mice in Covent Garden. Who would have thought…

But enough about the poor mice (they always get a bad rap) and back to the prostitutes. Lucy Loveless (the murdered girl) and Kitty Carefree have been on the game for years, while Pamela – only 15 years old but as cunning as a barrel load of monkeys – is about to be sold as a virgin at auction. Yes this really did happen. She would be sold to the highest bidder who would have to be a gentleman of some wealth and standing and often married to boot. This is where we meet The Priapus Club, a group of libertine thrill-seekers (I’m being polite here), based loosely on the Hell-Fire Club of the time. At its head is Jonathan Stone, a money-lender who lends above the legal limit of 5% and thereby is the owner of numerous stately homes, antiquaries and a large fortune. Without any care for morality or outcome The Priapus Club ‘worshipped’ all things supposedly Greco-Roman, but more particularly drunken whoring dressed up as free thinking.

This is a fascinating look at the ‘beau monde’ of the time, the hypocrisy and double standards, and also at the dreadful lives of the poor and the things many of them had to do in order to survive. Caroline ‘Caro’ herself has to take unbelievable risks in her pursuit of the truth and she is not about to give up until she finds it. It is at times a tad unbelievable, but always exciting, and heart-stopping when we get near the end. If you love Historical fiction then don’t miss this fabulous book, but be warned that the language can be very colourful – Georgette Heyer this ain’t.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Lies, Your Lies by Susan Lewis

His life was destroyed by a lie. Her life will be ruined by the truth.

Joely tells other people’s secrets for a living. As a ghost writer, she’s used to scandal – but this just might be her strangest assignment yet. Freda has never told her story to anyone before. But now she’s ready to set the record straight and to right a wrong that’s haunted her for forty years. Freda’s memoir begins with a 15-year-old girl falling madly in love with her teacher. It ends in a way Joely could never possibly have imagined.

As the story unravels, Joely is spun deeper into a world of secrets and lies. Delving further into Freda’s past, Joely’s sure she can uncover the truth… But does she want to?

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Warning – contains spoilers.

I don’t normally start my review while still reading a book but I feel I must in case I forget how I felt at this time. Two thirds of the way through and I am totally confused. I no longer know who is who and what is what. Young Freda is really Joely’s mum Marianne (Linda) and Sir is Freda’s brother. Sir ( who is really David Martin and not David Michaels) left Marianne for Linda – his girlfriend travelling round India for three months – but Linda and Marianne are really the same person so how can that be? Joely is locked in a tower and her hair isn’t long enough I assume to do a Rapunzel so who will save her?

So how does Freda know the intimate details of what her brother got up to in Paris or in his uncle’s back garden, unless he told his sister, which would be really creepy. Is anyone who they say they are? How far will Freda go in order to defend her brother’s name apart from distinguishing a paedophile from a hebophile? And do we consider Marianne to be totally innocent as she was only 15? Oh boy.

Nearly there and things have changed dramatically. I know a lot of people won’t like this but it appears that the love between David (Sir) and Marianne (Linda) was real. Even though she was only 15. I think maybe the fact that he was her teacher is what makes it indefensible. He had a duty to his pupils and he let his desire overcome that. However 10 years seems a long sentence ( from what I have read about sentencing Laws in the UK).

It’s the end now and I have to admit that I thoroughly loved reading this book. I love the characters, especially Joely, Marianne, Holly and Freda. Just the women – funny that. But it is bonkers in places and there will always be that questions of statutory rape and teacher-pupil relationships and is there ever any excuse. I’ve known this happen twice (only one was regarded as Statutory rape) and in both cases the couples ended up married. The first was in about 1968 or 69. The boy was 17 and she was 13 – in the US they call this the Romeo and Juliet Laws. Yes he went to prison for about two years (this is because he was under 18). I was told later that when he came out they waited and got married just after her 16th birthday. The second was a teacher who had an affair with his pupil but she was 18 so no rape in this case. It was a scandal at the time because he was her teacher, but they are still married today and have two children now in their thirties.

For Sir and Marianne neither of these apply. He was a lot older than 17 and she was below the age of consent. I cried at the end, feeling sorry for all of them but then feeling guilty because I felt sorry for Sir and shouldn’t have. I feel that the author intentionally left us with this quandary and I know some of my fellow Pigeonhole readers thought that Sir deserved everything he got. I even felt sorry for Freda even though she locked Joely in a tower and was bat-shit crazy.

Then there’s Joely and Callum’s marriage. I know some readers were shocked that she took him back. But not everyone ends their marriage when things go wrong, especially under the circumstances. We only usually hear about the ones that do. However there are two problems here. It won’t be solved overnight. It may take years for the trust to be regained. But it’s mainly the fact that Callum chose Joely’s best friend, rather than a quick fling with a stranger. There’s the rub.

Finally, just before starting this book I watched Julia Bradbury on TV doing one of her Britain’s Best Walks on the Exmoor coast visiting Lynton and Lynmouth which made it even easier to picture the beautiful places described. And of course there’s the funicular railway! I adore these – they take me back to my first overseas holiday to Austria when I was 12 and we rode the funicular in Salzburg. If there’s one near I have to ride it. Even the dog loves it. I’m a bit obsessed. I’ve even considered touring the country from funicular to funicular, writing the history of each – but that makes me sound like those people who write about Britain’s best roundabouts… and we are not talking funfairs.

Many thanks to the Pigeonhole and my fellow Pigeons for making this such and enjoyable read. I shall be reading more of Susan Lewis’s work very soon.

 

Seven Lies by Elizabeth Kay

It all started with just one little lie. But we all know that it never ends there. Because, of course, one lie leads to another…

Growing up, Jane and Marnie shared everything. They knew the other’s deepest secrets. They wouldn’t have had it any other way. But when Marnie falls in love, things begin to change. Because Jane has a secret: she loathes Marnie’s wealthy, priggish husband. So when Marnie asks if she likes him, Jane tells her first lie. After all, even best friends keep some things to themselves. If she had been honest, then perhaps her best friend’s husband might still be alive today…

For, of course, it’s not the last lie. In fact, it’s only the beginning…

Seven Lies is Jane’s confession of the truth—her truth. Compelling, sophisticated, chilling, it’s a seductive, hypnotic page-turner about the tangled, toxic friendships between women, the dark underbelly of obsession and what we stand to lose in the name of love.

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I would have given this 5 stars but it took me quite a while to get into. I could not identify at all with either of the main characters – Jane with her obsession with Marnie – and of course Marnie herself. I’ve probably never been the sort of person who has known this kind of friendship. I still see people from school (though my friends now are not the ones who were my best friends then). We’ve grown apart over the years and in some cases I don’t even like them much. But I know people who are still best friends with their schoolmates but they give each other room to breathe. Jane has an expectation of friendship that goes beyond normal. Everything in her life revolves around her best friend. She also has issues with her mother who always favoured her younger sister Emma, now anorexic (though we are never really sure what triggered it). Jane’s mum suffers with early onset dementia and Jane visits her once a week. Out of duty? Not sure why. Their issues are unresolved but Jane makes no effort to resolve them. When she tells her mother about the sad or cruel things that have happened, she seems to do it out of spite. There was no need to tell her at all.

The one part that I didn’t get is how Jane switches her love temporarily to her husband Jonathan, but can’t understand when Marnie falls in love and gets married. Jane hates Marnie’s partner Charles with a vengeance. He’s a bit of an arrogant prat but that’s Jane’s version as she sees it. Charles has replaced her in Marnie’s life and Jane is insanely jealous. People get married Jane, and putting their family first becomes the new ‘normal’.

The writing and emotions portrayed are wonderful and beautifully written but I still struggled to find sympathy for Jane. She has no empathy with any of the other characters such as her sister Emma and at the end I felt there were a couple of strands left unresolved such as the introduction of journalist Valerie. But we do get to discover who Jane is ‘talking to’ and that part will have you holding your breath till you gasp out loud.

A great story though and many thanks to The Pigeonhole, my fellow Pigeons and the author for making this such an enjoyable read.

The Lost Boys of London by Mary Lawrence

In the twilight years of Henry VIII’s reign, alchemist’s daughter Bianca Goddard uses her skills to aid the living, and help seek justice for the dead . . .

While her husband fights the Scots on behalf of King Henry VIII, Bianca Goddard earns her coin by concocting medicines that offer relief to London’s sick. Some unfortunates, however, are beyond any remedies she can provide–like the young boy discovered hanging from a church dripstone. Examining the body, Bianca finds a rosary twisted around the child’s neck. A week later, another boy is found dead at a different church. When Fisk, the impish little son of Bianca’s acquaintance, goes missing, she fears he may become the third victim . . .

There are many villains who would prey on wayward, penniless boys. But Bianca suspects the killings are not brutal acts of impulse, but something far more calculated. In her room of Medicinals and Physickes she examines the sole piece of evidence: a sweet-smelling, dark-stained cloth. If Bianca can unravel its secret, reputations and lives will be saved. But the expected hour of the next murder is approaching, and a single misstep may mean another boy is lost forever . . .

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When I started reading I had no idea that this was Book 5 in the series of Bianca Goddard Mysteries. Nor did I realise that the author actually lives in the US. However neither of these detracted one bit from my enjoyment. The Lost Boys of London is a historical fiction novel – not my usual genre though I do dip in from time to time (Alice Hoffman, Kate Mosse, Andrew Taylor) – but it was a rip-roaring tale of murder and mayhem in Tudor England, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

My only criticism is the convoluted language which initially took some time getting used to and was often quite tiring to read, particularly when it crept into the descriptions as well as the dialogue. However, by half-way I’d forgotten my misgivings and got used to it. I was reading on my Kindle and at the end discovered a glossary of terms – I wish I’d known it was there from the beginning!

In the acknowledgements, the author mentions that she is not a history scholar and apologises for any mistakes she may have made with the facts. Well I am not either, though I did study the Tudors many moons ago for O Level and A Level History. In spite of that my knowledge of the Tudors is quite basic, but then I have to admit that I didn’t care too much (apart from the main facts about Henry VIII and the dissolution of the monasteries). I am not sure that a woman would have been allowed to accompany the police examining murder victims and interviewing members of the church in those days, but as this is a work of fiction I didn’t start checking the facts on Wikipedia. 

Actually I really loved this story. It was exciting and the tension built up as we follow both Bianca and her accomplices in London and her husband John, sent away to Scotland to protect the bowmen as they fight the Scots, burning and pillaging the towns and villages. And we mustn’t forget her cat Hobs, who I dearly loved almost as mush as she does.

The Illustrated Child by Polly Crosby

Romilly lives in a ramshackle house with her eccentric artist father and her cat, Monty. She knows little about her past – but she knows that she is loved.

When her father finds fame with a series of children’s books starring her as the main character, everything changes: exotic foods appear on the table, her father appears on TV, and strangers appear at their door, convinced the books contain clues leading to a precious prize.

But as time passes, Romilly’s father becomes increasingly suspicious of the outside world until, before her eyes, he begins to disappear altogether. With no-one else to help, Romilly turns to the secrets her father has hidden in his illustrated books – realising that his treasure hunt doesn’t lead to gold, but to something far more precious…the truth.

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This book is so beautiful and sad, words cannot give it justice. Yes it’s slow at times – especially in the middle – and I guessed at some of the tragedies that do not come to light until the end, but don’t let that put you off. It’s not yet another book full of twists and turns and a shocking reveal. This is a gentle read about Romilly’s coming of age and one that will have you in tears at the end. All the characters are beautifully drawn – her dad Tobias whose life is changing in ways that she is too young to understand, her mum who cannot cope with reality – we don’t find out why until later on (I can identify with this), her elderly grandmother Beatrice who she has only just met, her mysterious friend Stacey and Monty the cat. Then there is Lidiya in the Circus who plays a part in her childhood.

I loved this book. It’s so real and heartfelt, it will stay with me (and hopefully you) for many years to come. For lovers of When God Was a Rabbit and The Trouble with Goats and Sheep.

Many thanks to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I must also give a mention to Kit Williams, whose book Masquerade, written and illustrated in 1979 inspired a worldwide treasure hunt by concealing clues to the location of a jewelled golden hare. I know it also inspired The Illustrated Child. William’s amazing wishing fish clock built in 1985 by renowned clock maker Michael Harding still plays music and blows bubbles every 15 minutes in the Regent Arcade in my home town of Cheltenham.

4 Riverside Close by Diana Wilkinson

How well do you know your neighbours?



When residents of a North London cul-de-sac enrol in a seemingly innocent social network called Join Me, they soon find themselves embroiled in a murky web of sinister manipulation and murder.

From the outside, Caroline and Jason Swinton have an idyllic life. But when the cracks start to appear the residents of Riverside Close are drawn into a dangerous game. When Jason’s body is discovered in a house on the close, everyone becomes a suspect. Could his lovely wife be responsible for his murder? Or do the neighbours have a motive for wanting him dead? As the secret lives of those living on the Close are gradually revealed, it becomes clear that someone is hiding something they will stop at nothing to protect…

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When the residents of Riverside Close get a leaflet through the door about a website called Join Me, little do they know that some of their lives will be changed forever. Join Me, run by husband and wife team Jason and Caroline Swinton, is not supposed to be a dating website. Its aim is to bring like-minded people together to go on trips to London to visit the Zoo, take a boat trip down the Thames or share fine wine and dining. Why is it therefore that women don’t meet other women to share these adventures? That would be good. Like pen pals who actually meet and do stuff. Why is it that it’s only bored housewives who find a kindred spirit in the same handsome man under different guises? Join Me has a very different agenda, as ludicrously naive and stupid Susan finds out. So does Alexis, whose relationship with doctor husband Adam is falling apart. But Alexis is a lot smarter than Susan. And Olive, an eighty-something busy-body is keeping a diary of all the comings and goings. Then Jason is found dead inside the only empty house in the close – number 4. Who killed him? Were they lining up? This is wonderful stuff, so why only 4 stars I hear you ask. 4.5 would be nearer the mark.

I actually loved this book until the last bit when the killer is revealed. Towards the end I made a list of my ‘suspects’. The perp was originally number one on my list but I soon dismissed him as too obvious and a motive that would make him a total hypocrite, unless he was bonkers. I then went through the list dismissing each one until I chose the one I thought would be a great twist. Unfortunately I was wrong!! I loved my twist!! However, I still enjoyed it and would highly recommend it. It’s original and fun and brilliantly written.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and my fellow Pigeons for once again giving me the opportunity to read a book I would probably never have found on my own or chosen to read.

The Gilded Cage by Camilla Läckberg

People would kill to have Faye von Essen’s life. She lives in an ultra-swanky apartment in the most exclusive area of Stockholm, she has a gorgeous husband who gives her everything she’s ever wanted, and she has an adorable daughter who lights up her world. Faye’s life is perfect.

So how is it, then, that she now finds herself in a police station?

The truth is that Faye’s life is far from what it seems. The truth is that Faye isn’t even her real name. And now she’s been caught out. There’s no way she’s going to go down without a fight. The only question is – who will escape with their life?

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For once in my life I don’t really know what to say. What a difficult book to read. On the one hand it is well written and tells us a lot about a Swedish life-style I didn’t know existed, though I expect it’s the same in any Western country. Faye is one of a gaggle of rich and spoilt housewives whose lives are fuelled by greed and drink (I would be under the table after a tenth of what these women pour down their skinny necks), except she isn’t skinny and believes that is why her husband no longer fancies her. But he is a ruthless pig and has also locked her in a ‘Gilded Cage’ where nothing matters apart from what others in his world can see. And she doesn’t fit in. Academically smart but inherently stupid, it takes a wake-up call to finally catapult her into her final revenge.

Now all this would be fine if it wasn’t for a couple of things. Faye commits one crime that can never be forgotten and in my mind really spoils the whole story. Why the author included it I can never understand. Any sympathy we may have for Faye is now gone for good. Secondly, her rise to success in her own business is a little too predictable and unlikely. But then this is fiction so a bit of artistic licence is allowed.

Finally there’s the ghastly sex scenes. Even Fifty Shades of Grey managed to be more erotic and exciting. These scenes are all vile and horrible but maybe for someone of my generation I am expecting the sex to be at least a little romantic, even when it’s frantic. Unintended rhyme. I know many of us felt the same. Or maybe the author’s intention is to shock and disgust in which case it certainly succeeded.

Anyway, it’s still a good story and I would have given it 4 stars if it wasn’t for Viktor. Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and my fellow Pigeons for making it an enjoyable read.

Buried by Lynda La Plante

Millions of stolen, untraceable bank notes lie untouched in an old Victorian cottage, the hidden legacy of the Dolly Rawlins and her widows.  But the millions are not forgotten. Released from prison, Esther Freeman is determined to retrieve the money. And so too is Mike Withey, Shirley Miller’s brother and Audrey’s son.

When a fire breaks out at the derelict cottage, with a badly charred body inside along with what looks like thousands of burnt bank notes, it attracts the attention of the police and one young detective in particular, Jack Warr. Jack’s investigation into the fire, and the burnt body inside, coincide with an investigation into his own past. Adopted at birth, Jack discovers his birth father may have been none other than Harry Rawlins, a renowned criminal.

As he finds out the truth about his own identity, Jack finds himself becoming increasingly aggressive, stopping at nothing to find the truth – including breaking the law himself.

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This is a really good read if you are into traditional police procedural stories. Lots of great character development and twists and turns though probably not any massive surprises. For me personally it is a bit old-fashioned, a bit The Sweeney, particularly in the language and descriptions but I loved it nonetheless.

Jack is the perfect main protagonist. Adopted at five years old by Charlie and Penny, he has never been interested in where he came from until now and what he discovers will change his life forever. Charlie and Penny are lovely as is his wife Maggie. In fact she is probably the nicest of the lot! As for Jack, we can’t have a perfect main character can we. He needs to be flawed and conflicted but do nothing too bad that we can’t forgive. Or can he? You’ll have to read it to find out.

What I didn’t realise is that this book follows on from Widows, which was made into a TV series in the 1980s. I’ve never seen it unfortunately. However, there is enough background that it doesn’t matter whether you have read or watched Widows.

Will I read the next Jack Warr book? Probably, though I think this will make a great TV series and as this is Lynda La Plante I expect to see it on our screens soon. Anyone who reads my reviews will know I love to cast the characters but this one is hard as most of my ‘favourites’ are too old to play Jack. I think Lynda already has someone in mind, though Richard Madden is a slight possibility but my money is on David Caves (Jack from Silent Witness) though he’d have to lose the accent. I know he plays Jack in SW but I just kept visualising him as I was reading.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to my fellow Pigeons for making this such a great experience.

The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside by Jessica Ryn

She’s always looking on the bright side… Dawn Elisabeth Brightside has been running from her past for twenty-two years and two months, precisely. So when she is offered a bed in St Jude’s Hostel for the Homeless, it means so much more than just a roof over her head. But with St Jude’s threatened with closure, Dawn worries that everything is about to crumble around her all over again. Perhaps, with a little help from her new friends, she can find a way to save this light in the darkness?

And maybe, just maybe, Dawn will finally have a place to call home…

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I absolutely loved this book. I’m not sure how many times I was reduced to tears but that’s a good sign for me! I would give it six stars if I could.

Dawn Elizabeth Brightside did not have an easy beginning. Her beloved father disappeared when she was a child and her mother – well let’s just say she wasn’t the best. Then something happened and Dawn has been running for 22 years. In fact the exact time since her daughter Rosie was born. We don’t know why she’s been running all this time but the reasons why are revealed bit by bit.

The story really begins when Dawn is accepted into St Jude’s hostel for the homeless in Dover. St Jude’s is run by Grace (half of the story is seen from her point of view) and Peter, an ex-service user himself. Then there is Cara, whom Dawn befriends, trying to get off drugs so she can be reunited with her twins, Jack, in care and then prison but trying to turn his life around once and for all, Teardrop Terry and a host of others, living in the hostel or on the streets. Everyone has a backstory, most are heart-wrenching.

But Dawn is full of hope and blessed with a vivid imagination. How can she and Grace and the others save St Jude’s when funding is withdrawn and the hostel is faced with closure? This is a book filled with sadness, but more than anything it’s filled with love and of course extraordinary hope.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.