Tag: childhood
+ 1960s, 1970s, adoption, childhood, family, fiction, friends, grief, Iceland, Iceland noir, lies, review, Scandi noir, secrets, sisters
Home Before Dark by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir translated by Victoria Cribb
November, 1967, Iceland. Fourteen-year-old Marsí has a secret pen pal – a boy who lives on the other side of the country – but she has been writing to him in her older sister’s name. Now she is excited to meet him for the first time. But when the date arrives, Marsí is prevented from going, and during the night her sister Stína goes … Read More Home Before Dark by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir translated by Victoria Cribb
+ 1930s, 1940s, childhood, family, family drama, female friendship, fiction, germany, grief, Historical fiction, holocaust, jewish history, love, memoir, nazi germany, relationships, review, secrets, sisters, World War Two, WW2
The Nowhere Sisters by Jan Casey
Berlin, 1938. One journey will change their lives forever. Twelve-year-old Margarete has lost everything — her parents, her home, and the fragile safety of the orphanage she once knew. When the Nazis target Jewish families across Germany, Margarete is placed on a Kindertransport train bound for England. She expects to face the terrifying journey alone. Until a small, frightened girl is thrust into her … Read More The Nowhere Sisters by Jan Casey
One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up: A Memoir of Growing Up and Getting On by Wes Streeting
Wes Streeting might have ended up in prison rather than in parliament. His maternal grandfather Bill, an unsuccessful armed robber, spent time behind bars, as did his grandmother, who was also a political campaigner. Brought up on a Stepney council estate, the young Streeting saw his teenage parents struggle to provide for him. In One Boy, Two Bills & A Fry Up he brings … Read More One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up: A Memoir of Growing Up and Getting On by Wes Streeting
+ 1990s, adoption, childhood, cult, family, fiction, forgiveness, loss, love, motherhood, obsession, review, secrets, siblings, sisters
The Nowhere Girls by Carmel Harrington
On a cold afternoon in December 1995, two young girls are found abandoned on a platform at Pearse Station in Dublin. Thirty years later, investigative journalist Vega is determined to find out what happened to the so-called ‘Nowhere Girls’. Where did their mother go? Why did no one come forward to claim them? And where are they now? Searching for answers takes her on … Read More The Nowhere Girls by Carmel Harrington
+ childhood, fiction, folklore, Historical fiction, List, Magical realism, review, supernatural, superstition, USA, whimsical
My Top 5 Books of 2025
I’m a bit late this year with my reflection on my favourite books of 2025. It’s always hard. There weren’t obvious instant standouts as in previous years. I have tried to include a mix of genres and although I read a lot of crime fiction, which occasionally make my quarterly selections, my top books of the year tend to be something a bit different, so … Read More My Top 5 Books of 2025
+ childhood, family, fiction, gay, ghosts, loneliness, loss, love, motherhood, mystery, review, secrets, siblings, supernatural
The Season of Secrets by DE McCluskey
To make sense of what was happening around you, could you believe? ‘This could be your mother’s last Christmas,’ were not the words Alison wanted to hear so close to the holidays. Determined to spend one last festive season with her ailing mother, Alison, her daughter Grace, and Anthony her brother, decide to make the journey back to the town where they grew up. … Read More The Season of Secrets by DE McCluskey
+ extract, memoir, non-fiction
Phoenix Rising – a memoir by Albina Du Boisrouvray – extract
Albina du Boisrouvray was born into extreme wealth as granddaughter of Bolivian tin magnate Simón Patiño, and the daughter of Count Guy du Boisrouvray. Through a turbulent relationship with her mother and her regular prayers for her parents to divorce, she navigated a privileged but often lonely childhood. Disconnected from her aristocratic upbringing, Albina was determined to break away. Albina searched for her tribe. … Read More Phoenix Rising – a memoir by Albina Du Boisrouvray – extract
+ 1950s, alcoholism, bullying, childhood, family, family drama, fiction, marriage, motherhood, review
The Butterfly Bush by Josephine DeFalco (Book 1 of The Butterfly Series)
Growing up and figuring out who you are has never been easy. It’s the early 1950s, and following her husband’s death in WWII, Leandra’s mama yanks her off the family’s Appalachian farm to fulfill her personal dream to live in a big city. Leandra, only thirteen years old, learns that survival is best accomplished by pushing aside her country identity to fit into city … Read More The Butterfly Bush by Josephine DeFalco (Book 1 of The Butterfly Series)
+ cancer support, childhood, family, fiction, friendship, grief, love, review
The Wish by Heather Morris
Jesse is 15. She loves her friends, her little brother and her parents – even when they’re arguing, which feels like constantly these days. But most of all, she loves playing video games. Even from her hospital bed. Alex is 29. He doesn’t love a lot of things. To be honest, he’s not really sure he knows how to. His desk at work, as … Read More The Wish by Heather Morris
+ childhood, family, fiction, grief, Italy, loss, love, Magical realism, marriage, murder, review, secrets, supernatural, thriller
The Unravelling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline
When Julia’s husband is brutally murdered in a random attack, her life unravels in ways she never could have foreseen. Haunted by his death and spiraling into despair, Julia seeks refuge in a secluded Italian villa she has mysteriously inherited from a stranger. But her sanctuary becomes a prison as she uncovers disturbing connections to her own past – and faces chilling threats that … Read More The Unravelling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline
Two For Joy by Sarah A Denzil Isabel Fielding #2
Leah Smith has a new name, a new job and a new home. The sleepy seaside town, Clifton-on-Sea, is a refreshing change from the gloomy moors of Yorkshire. She couldn’t be farther away from her serial killer stalker. Or so she thinks… A new name isn’t enough to make her forget her past. Leah must come to terms with the events that occurred at … Read More Two For Joy by Sarah A Denzil Isabel Fielding #2
+ 1960s, 1970s, adoption, childhood, family, fiction, friends, grief, Iceland, Iceland noir, lies, review, Scandi noir, secrets, sisters
Home Before Dark by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir translated by Victoria Cribb
November, 1967, Iceland. Fourteen-year-old Marsí has a secret pen pal – a boy who lives on the other side of the country – but she has been writing to him in her older sister’s name. Now she is excited to meet him for the first time. But when the date arrives, Marsí is prevented from going, and during the night her sister Stína goes … Read More Home Before Dark by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir translated by Victoria Cribb
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