Kidd’s extensive historical research does much more than provide a backdrop to the story. The period details further the plot. For instance, the Grimke family acquires a state-of-the-art copper bathing tub on wheels, an innovation which allows a lying-down bath, and can be drained rather than dumped or bailed. When Sarah discovers Handful emerging from this tub in her room she feels, at first, that her privacy has been invaded. Then she realizes that “Handful had immersed herself in forbidden privileges, yes, but mostly in the belief that she was worthy of these privileges.
A review of Hand In Glove by Paddy Bostock
Hand in Glove is a different type of mystery that will make you wonder whether a comedy team such as Abbot and Costello wrote the script, acted it out in order to elicit the laughs readers will get when reading this book. The characters are quite different and yet all they want to do is solve the case but not before some other wild and zany things happen.
A review of The Man Who Couldn’t Stop—OCD, and the true story of a life lost in thought by David Adam
In The Man Who Couldn’t Stop, David Adam provides a compelling history of mental dysfunction, its various treatments and cites numerous cases of the miraculous and downright bizarre. But far more than being a book filled with facts and figures, this is a story about Adam’s own battle with OCD, which began early in his childhood. No one understands the effect OCD has on a life quite like a sufferer, and it’s this unique insight that sets this book apart from others of its ilk.
A review of Griffith REVIEW 43: Pacific Highways
There is so much diversity in the work presented – some of it written from the point of view of the migrant or even observer. The vantage point changes. The two editors, Julianne Schultz and Lloyd Jones open the book by orienting the reader, providing a kind of guide to modern New Zealand – from the indigenous history to the transition to the current polyglot nation “where all children learn Maori in school” and Auckland is one of the “most cosmopolitan cities in Australasia, boasting 160 ethnicities…” Roberto Onell takes a Chilean perspective, looking eye-to-eye across the Pacific Ocean to his neighbour 9,700 kms away. His essay, “To a neighbour I am getting to know” is translated, as are a number of the pieces in the books, also reflecting the polyglot nature of New Zealand. Following Onell’s essay is Li Po’s poem, translated from Chinese by New Zealand poet Ya-Wen Ho.
A review of And there was Light by Jacques Lusseyran
Some books should not be read with other books. Or the other book will not compare favorably. Some books remind the reader of why books are read in the first place – because they open the eyes and heart to new worlds that the reader had never dreamed of. Some books remove the cap from our head, and open the top of our skulls. And There was Light is such a book — at least in the first section. But for some, it might be the second section. It depends.
An Interview with Francesca Salerno
The author of The Pakistan Conspiracy talks about herself and her new book, how she began writing, her inspiration and influences, what’s on her night table, her book covers, her challenges and more.
A review of The Upright Ape: A New Origin of the Species by Dr. Aaron G. Filler
Dr. Filler proposes a fascinating new hypothesis about the evolutionary development of apes and humans. He is well qualified on this subject. He has degrees in anthropology and in medicine and is both a respected anthropologist and a world famous neurosurgeon specializing in spinal disorders. An anthropologist friend asked his opinion about a twenty-two million year old fossil that eventually became the inspiration for The Upright Ape. Filler easily recognized the fossil as the mid lumbar vertebrae from an ape-like animal that stood upright, and the fossil dates from a time fifteen million years earlier than any paleontologist would claim an upright posture for a hominoid.
An Interview with Lisa Scottoline
The author of Keep Quiet talks about her latest novel, her ‘choices’ theme, her favourite character, her writing rituals, her schedule, advice for other writers, and lots more.
A review of It Starts With The Egg by Rebecca Fett
In my view, this is a must read for those who want to get pregnant naturally and are having some difficulties, for those undertaking IVF, and for those who have experienced multiple miscarriages. I could not put this book down, riveted as I was to the simple explanations of complex science. I now find myself informed and empowered regarding the reasons and possible solutions for my infertility. It all makes much more sense now, knowing that whilst nutrition is important, infertility is so much more than diet.
A conversation with Heather Brittain Bergstrom
The author of Steal the North talks about the different challenges/benefits two writing short stories vs novels, her settings, the intersection of the personal and fiction, the meaning of her title, spirituality, her themes, her characters, her work-in-progress, and lots more.