Sponsored by Dartmouth Community Bookshop Book Review


challenging times many of us are looking for an escape and this charming family drama may well fit the bill.


T THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING


his is the understatement of the decade but it’s also the title of a book which might just be the tonic for our current situation. In these


going and the determination and desperation of the mother and her son are palpable. The book attracted negative press on publication in the US touching on the sensitive subject of migrants. However, there’s no doubt this book is well researched highlighting the grim reality of drug cartels and people trafficking


by Emma Jones


61


This Changes Everything by Helen McGinn (published by Boldwood Books) is set in the magical city of Rome and the wilds of Cornwall.


It is a


heartening story of love and loss - a welcome relief, a ‘hug of a book’ which gives us the chance to escape and travel (yes… I know.. I dare to mention the word) to another world outside our own homes. With relatable characters and secrets revealed the story unfolds evoking a strong sense of place. This is the perfect choice for fans of JoJo Moyes and the author is already an established wine writer so prepare yourself with a charged glass in hand alongside some good salty snacks. Spring sees a new wave of paperbacks with some


corkers on the horizon including historical favourites such as Hilary Mantel’s The Mirror and The Light followed swiftly by the multi-award winning Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell based on Shakespeare’s lost son. Another recent arrival is American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins (Tinder Press) which was recommended to me by a friend some months ago and it quickly grabbed my interest amongst the furore of the US elections. The book opens in the midst of a devastating family


event in Acapulco and tells the desperate story of Lydia’s attempt to escape with her young son to safety cross the US/Mexico border. Like a thriller the book has a ruthless, yet charming villain as well as an inevitable and exhausting chase. Fear keeps the pace


and the challenges faced aboard La Bestia (otherwise known as the train of death). “Devastating and timely... it’s hard to imagine there will be a more urgent or politically relevant novel this year” - Observer Perhaps the ultimate read for the thriller fan at the moment would be The Sanatorium (Bantam Press) by Sarah Pearse. “This spine-tingling, atmospheric thriller has it all: an eerie Alpine setting, sharp prose and twists you’ll never see coming” (Richard Osman). Indeed, it’s probably the closest you’ll get to a skiing holiday this year and it will keep your pulse racing tinged with elements of Stephen King and Agatha Christie. That said it won’t surprise you to hear that the author herself is based in South Devon and she seems set to hit the big time with this her debut novel. My final recommendation is for an audiobook.


Their popularity has soared recently with many of us finding it easier to listen rather than read alongside the narrator’s ablility to enhance the written word. English Pastoral by James Rebanks and narrated sympathetically by Bryan Dick is described as a ‘stirring history of family, loss and the land over three generations on a Lake District farm.’ It is one of those nature books which is both poetic as well as full of straight forward northern charm – a great accompaniment to either a blowy coastal walk or a soothing mug of tea. ‘A heartfelt book and one that dares to hope’ Alan Bennett. Wise words Mr Bennett.


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