79 Book Review


KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY I’m going through a faze of nostalgia and love of


history at the moment so it’s no wonder I’m really stuck into my current book – The Cut Out Girl by Bart Van Es (published by Penguin). It is a “story of war and family, lost and found” and unsurprisingly won the Costa Book of the Year Award 2018. This book is a real page-turner - a mix of history and memoir which is all at once deeply moving, tragic and uplifting.


It is the story of Lien, who as a Jewish by Emma Jones


main character has bags of wartime spirit and the book will take you back to that era of the ‘stiff upper lip’ with a flatmate called Bunty, when things were spiffing and when “Boots took a biff during the air raids.” The Observer described it as “a joyfully uplifting and optimistic novel... a timely story of courage and good humour in adversity,” with a theme of friendship which holds strong in any era.


girl during the war was hidden and raised by a foster family in Amsterdam, who were the author’s own grandparents. Bart van Es recounts the incredible story of her difficult life – not least because he wants to unravel the secret as to why she fell out with the family after the war. This is a very personal account with details patched


together with memories, diaries and a scattering of images and photographs. Alongside other witness accounts and archive material the reader is quick to realise that Lien was but one of many Jews who endured the difficult and frightening Nazi occupation in Holland and one of the few to survive. As a historian the author adds fascinating background and context to Lien’s story which rings true even in today’s difficult political situation. “Without families you don’t get stories” is a


quote from the book which resonates throughout, reinforcing this incredible story of belonging, betrayal, love and ultimately reconciliation. If you like historical settings but are looking for a


more light-hearted book take a look at Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce (published by Picador). et in wartime London the book caught my eye as it reminded me of my grandmother – another Mrs Bird who bore a resemblance to the main character with her no- nonsense, capable and enthusiastic attitude. This is the story of a young woman, Emmy, who


yearns to be a war correspondent but who ends up leading the life of a secret agony aunt. The charming


Family drama has always been a hotbed of activity


for fiction and hence a mention for The Familiars by Stacey Halls (published by Zaffre). This has been dubbed the most spellbinding debut novel of the year and the cover alone is sure to catch your eye. As is so often the case this work of fiction is based on real people and the fascinating story of the Pendle witch trials in Lancashire. Set in the seventeenth century it is the ideal escape from the Brexit fog with the story centering on the life of a young married woman who when pregnant for the fourth time but with no living child engages the help of a young midwife accused of witchcraft. The book is rich in historical detail with feminist themes set in an era when society was patriarchal and when women had to fight for their place in the community. And don’t forget ... World


Book Day on 7 March – www. worldbookday.com - check the website for some inspiration and don’t forget to exchange your free £1 book token for any of the 12 new World Book Day books available in your local book shop.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124