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Sponsored by Dartmouth Community Bookshop Book Review
never been so popular and since bookshops have reopened book sales have been up on last year’s figures. Once again we can relish the treat of browsing through shelves before discovering that gem of a book which you never knew you wanted.
KEEP CALM AND READ! B
ooks have been a haven and an escape during lockdown. The good news is that reading has
by Emma Jones
seen through a sharp, observant eye. This is both a personal adventure but also one which will resonate with any keen traveller who enjoys the magic and mayhem of different destinations along with the unexpected acts of kindness and sense of community amongst fellow travellers. Travelling from London to Tibet and from North Korea to
Travelling, particularly abroad, now seems like a luxury so it’s not surprising that A Theatre for Dreamers by Polly Samson (published by Bloomsbury Circus) hooked me so quickly with its sun-drenched cover and story set on the Greek island of Hydra. This highly evocative novel is set in 1960 centring around the island’s bohemian society. Fiction weaves through reality amongst the creative circle of poets, painters, writers and musicians including Charmian Clift and Leonard Cohen. “Burning with the heat and light of Greece, this is a spellbinding novel about utopian dreams and innocence lost - and the wars waged between men and women on the battlegrounds of genius.” Narrated by 17 year old Erica, newly arrived from London in search of adventure after the death of her mother, the enchanting story captures a time and a place, evoking the tangled love lives and the ups and downs of the artists and their muses. “A surefire summer hit ... Feels at once like a gift and an escape route ... At once a blissful piece of escapism and a powerful meditation on art and sexuality - just the book to bring light into these dark days.” Observer Whilst yearning back to my travelling youth and memories of interrailing in Europe I happened upon Around the World in 80 trains: a 45,000 mile adventure (published by Bloomsbury) written by Monisha Rajesh and recommended by none other than Michael Palin. The author, a London based journalist with a passion for travel and trains embarked on this epic journey in her quest to discover whether the romance of railways still exist. This lively, entertaining and often humorous travelogue is full of quirky anecdotes, and paints a picture of places, people and breathtaking views
Canada and beyond she finishes on the ultimate train of all - the Venice Simplon Orient Express. No summer is complete without a riveting page
turner and The Truants by debut author, Kate Weinberg (Bloomsbury Publishing) looks set to take that position. This coming of age, campus novel begins as Jess Walker embarks upon university life in Norwich. Drawn into a group of misfit friends with dysfunctional backgrounds the story tackles first love, obsession and tragedy. With a magnetic professor whose expertise is Agatha Christie, the thriller is full of dark humour and references to the queen of crime’s novels and murders. “With deft characterisation, plenty of mystery and twists in the tale, it had me gripped.” - The Daily Mail The must read book of the summer – if you haven’t
read it already is Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (published by Corsair). All I need say is…Engrossing… lyrical…beautifully written, compelling characters, all set in the magical and evocative marshlands of North Carolina. Read it before the film comes out! Finally, a brief mention for the latest publication
by the Britannia Museum Trust written by M J Pearce - Dunkirk Operation Dynamo: 26th May – 4 June 1940 An Epic of Gallantry. Published mid- lockdown this commemorative history marks the 80th anniversary and stands as a lasting tribute to the courage and achievements of the personnel who took part in Operation Dynamo. The book is based on the official account held in the BRNC archive and combines a modern historical commentary with a large number of previously unpublished photographs.
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