2025 Book Reviews

October - The Perfumist of Paris by Alka Joshi

This is the third book of the Jaipur series and follows the story of Lakshmi and her sister Radha who is the main focus of this book.

Radha is now married and living in Paris with her two daughters trying to balance her career in the perfume industry and looking after her two children and husband.
The story takes us back to India to the vivid descriptions, sights and smells while Radha searches for a particular essential oil which she needs to complete a project she is working on. The character of Radha, which is set in the 1970s, explores the taboos which still exist in cultures today around women and their careers.

It was an easy read although some of the group thought the book was too long and repetitive, others enjoyed it as the story was brought to a satisfactory ending.

September - The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

This is a tale about love, in a different and interesting way, one of the Narrator’s of this story is the Fig Tree, which makes it unusual. It is based on the fairly recent bitter conflict between the Turks and the Greeks in Cyprus. The Fig Tree throughout the book, constantly narrating the crossed social and religious boundaries. It’s a story about the forbidden love story of two people who are on the opposite sides of religion, and how sad that it destroys their families. It is a beautifully written book, and a must for everyone.

August - Combined Book Group Classic choice and Buffet Lunch

We discussed The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett which was chosen by Book Group 2. Published in 1911 and set in India and Yorkshire, it is the story of two young children who are transformed through taking care of an abandoned garden. Reading this children's classic as adults generated questions around attitudes of that era, among them the portrayal of characters, race, religion.
The book was seen as a light, easy read for the summer with a few members talking about their memories of reading, or having it read to them, as a child and sharing it with children and grand children.
An enjoyable meeting on a sunny day with lovely food and good company.

July - Literary related outing to Gilbert White's House and Gardens, Selborne

Gilbert White's book 'The Natural History of Selbourne' is the forth most published book in the English language and has never been out of print since its first publication in 1789.

On the upper floor is the Antarctic Gallery which tells the story of Lawrence Oates including a video of Ponting showing footage of the preparations for Scott's expedition to the South Pole in 1911/12.

The extensive gardens contain a wide range of herbs and medicinal plants.

June - The Stranger's Companion by Mary Horlock

The book is based on the small Channel Island of Sark and includes some good descriptions of the island. It is based loosely on a true incident.

The storey jumped back and forth from the year of a tragic double drowning 1933 to 1923 to tell a back story of three children dabbling in practical jokes, the adult intrigue of love affairs, domestic violence, ghosts and hints of witchcraft. Sark would have been a much more isolated island in the era.
Alternating chapters sometimes made it difficult to follow the plot and at times the story became muddled. The chapters from 1933 always started with a newspaper cuttings following the storey of abandoned clothes found on the rocks at Port Gorey.

Not everyone got engaged in the book feeling there were too many characters and too many secrets. This might explain why the book starts with a list of characters and a map of Sark.

Interestingly there was some discussion on the politics of Sark today, brought up to date by Joy who had relatives on the nearby island of Guernsey. A mixed review which probably is influenced by whether you have been to Sark or not.

May - Lessons by Ian McEwen

Once again there were mixed opinions about this book with only three members really enjoying it and one unable to finish it. This was a story (reportedly semi-autobiographical) about the lifelong effects of a childhood/adolescent experience. Was Roland Baines damaged by his early seduction by and obsession with his older female piano teacher? Was she responsible for his failed school exams, lack of career prospects and his inability to sustain meaningful relationships with other women?

He was left with a 7 month old baby when his wife Alissa deserted them to go back to Germany to find herself and establish her own career as an acclaimed writer. Roland, to his credit, became a devoted father to his son Lawrence, putting his own career aspirations as a talented pianist and journalist on hold and getting by financially by writing inane verses for birthday cards and playing the piano in a hotel lounge. He eventually found some emotional fulfilment through his love affair with a long term friend, Daphne, who sadly died of cancer shortly after their marriage. In the end he was sustained by his good relationship with his son and his grandchildren.

This was a story of one man's progress through childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. Some felt that the novel introducted too many characters and historical events to complement his journey. Others felt that the historical timeline from the Cuban missile crisis up to the more recent Covid pandemic served to emphasise how our individual destinies are shaped by historical, political and cultural forces as well as our own life experiences.

April - The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

There were mixed opinions of this book with some members finding the violence portrayed making it a difficult read and therefore, not enjoyable.
However several members appreciated the underlying story which was a reworking of Homer's Iliad, and told part of the tale of the Greek and Trojan wars, several thousand years ago, from the perspective of the women.
There was discussion around whether or not the characters had actually existed and it was largely felt that this is probably a fictional tale although the wars did in fact take place.

The book was very different from our usual type of book and in some ways that was felt to be a good thing. As always it provoked the interesting chat that members so enjoy.

March – Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

This book is a social commentary on being an intelligent female scientist and unmarried, widowed mother facing challenges in a male dominated environment during the 50s and 60s.   

The story revolves around the main protagonist, Elizabeth Zott, and her determination to achieve her scientific goals.  Along the way she falls in love, becomes pregnant, loses her job, and becomes a TV cookery star.  The story of her roller coaster life ends with her achieving her goals while remaining true to her beliefs in the unrecognised potential of women.

All characters, including the dog, were well drawn due to the author’s ability to weave their back story into the current plot in a way that is easy to follow and helping readers appreciate their personality traits.  A common feeling of guilt was identified within majority of characters influencing decisions and behaviour throughout. 

The book was enjoyed by all and generated discussion around various ways members themselves had experienced similar attitudes, harassment and lack of opportunities during the 70s and 80s.  We were left wondering that, despite some changes, numerous aspects of what Elizabeth experienced still happen today.

February – Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

This psychological thriller sparked much debate.

It’s a story involving a kidnapped girl, her two children by her abductor and the very different upbringings both children received. One was kept captive with her mother the other adored and had, not necessarily a loving upbringing.

The story spans many years and continents, eventually bringing brother and sister together and the repercussions it has for them and others close to them. It also has a history that repeats itself.

The consensus of the readers was that, although a riveting book it was very hard to read, due to the depravity visited on the children even into adulthood. It contains some very disturbing and adult themes and should be read with caution. 

January - The City of Tears by Kate Mosse

There was a keen discussion on this book, which most members enjoyed on the whole, although some thought it over-long or predictable, and rather too similar to The Burning Chambers (first book in the series).  There was a lot to take in and it covered many years, areas and characters old and new.  Members enjoyed learning about the continued history of the French Wars of Religion and the change of power/religion in the Netherlands, as well as the evolving of the Joubert family and other characters over the years.  Members appreciated the twists and turns, the suspense of not knowing whom to trust, and the excellent writing, which changed pace and made the danger scenes gripping. 

Themes were similar to the Burning Chambers - about religion and power, war and refugees, symbols and relics in religion, control and obsession.  How wars set families and friends apart and how such political and historical events, take their toll on the characters and family relationships.  

It was felt rather contrived that both Piet and Minou should have wealthy birthrights of which they were unaware, evidenced in documents which contrary forces were trying to hide from them or destroy. 

Given the prologue set in South Africa in 1862, and the fact that Marta and Vidal have a daughter, Louise,  some members felt compelled to read the remaining books in the series - others less so.