The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

The Forgotten Garden is the selection for my family book club this month, and while I can't say that I loved it, it was a pretty good read. Described as a "rich and satisfying mystery," The Forgotten Garden is the story of one woman's search to discover who she is and where she came from.

On Nell Andrews' 21st birthday, her father informs her that he's not really her father, that he found her in 1913, abandoned and alone on a dock in Maryborough, Australia. Nell's world as she's known it falls apart, and it isn't until decades later that she begins to explore her true origins. Her only clue is a small white suitcase containing clothes and a book of fairy tales written by Eliza Makepeace. Nell travels to the Cornish coast, where she discovers an abandoned cottage that once belonged to her family, the Mountrachets. This cottage with its hidden garden, and the secrets it guards, holds the key to Nell's true identity.

Like I said, The Forgotten Garden was a good read, but, for me, it wasn't unputdownable. Maybe it was because I had so many things to do and not enough time to read, but I had a hard time getting into the story at first. There just seemed to be so many characters and so many different time periods to keep track of. But once I had a good chunk of time to spend in this world, I found that I enjoyed it more. Some disturbing secrets were revealed, and I discovered that I didn't like the Mountrachet family, at all. In some ways, I think it was better for Nell to have been raised by Hugh and Lil Andrews than it would have been had she been raised with the Mountrachets. And that's all I'm going to say because to say more would undoubtedly give too much away.

3.5/5

Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry

Wow! What can I say about this massive (945 pages) book? I loved it. It took me some time to get into the story, and to keep all the characters -- of which there are many -- straight, but once I was able to sit and read for longer stretches of time, I found myself completely sucked into the world of Lonesome Dove, and that of Gus, Call, Pea Eye, and the rest of the gang.

In a nutshell, the book is about ex-Texas Rangers out to start a new life in Montana. The journey north is an extremely difficult one, and terrible things happen along the way.

Someone on Goodreads said that Lonesome Dove is "a rare novel that, after 940 pages, seems to have just begun." I couldn't agree more. I was frustrated that the story ended where it did; I felt like there was more of the story waiting to come out. I may have to pick up the sequel, Streets of Laredo.

I have the TV minseries of Lonesome Dove on hold at the library (how is it that I haven't seen it before?), and am looking forward to seeing Gus and the gang brought to life on the small screen.

4.5/5

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This book has a funny title, but it is one of the most charming, endearing books I've ever read.

It is 1946 and WWII has recently ended. Juliet Ashton, author of a successful London newspaper column-turned-book, is on the search for material for a new novel when she receives a letter from a man living on Guernsey Island, in the English Channel. His name is Dawsey Adams. It seems that a book by Charles Lamb, that Juliet had previously owned, has somehow found it's way into Dawsey's hands, and he's written to ask Juliet if she will be so kind as to find another book by Mr. Lamb and send it to him. Thus begins a correspondence between Juliet and Dawsey. When Juliet discovers that Dawsey belongs to a literary group with a peculiar name, she writes to ask how the group and the name came to be. As the exchange of letters continues, not only with Dawsey but with other members of the group, Juliet learns that the "Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" was formed one night as an alibi when a group of people were found out after curfew during the German occupation. Eager to know more about these people, their tastes in books, and their struggles during the occupation, Juliet corresponds with the members of the society. Thinking their stories will make a great book, Juliet visits Guernsey and finds the society members to be kindred spirits.

Told entirely through letters, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society is a warm and funny novel, one that will touch your heart. By the time the book was done, I had fallen in love with all of the characters. The historical aspect of the novel was really interesting, too. Very well written, and definitely a book I'd recommend.

5/5

The Heretic's Daughter - Kathleen Kent

In 1752 Sarah Carrier Chapman, confined to her home and weak with infirmity, writes a letter to her granddaughter, revealing the secret she has guarded closely for six decades. It is a haunting account of the horrors that enveloped a New England town called Salem, and compelled Sarah, then just a young girl, to make a decision that would change her life forever.

A little more than a year before the witch trials will begin, Sarah and her family arrive in nearby Andover to face a community gripped by superstition and fear. With the increase in Indian raids and the spread of the plague, the Puritans come to believe that heretics in their midst are responsible for their misfortune. Based on the accusations of a dozen young girls, neighbor is pitted against neighbor, friend against friend, and the hysteria escalates, sweeping more than two hundred men, women, and children into prison on charges of witchcraft--Sarah's mother, Martha Carrier, among them. Often at odds with each other, mother and daughter must now stand defiantly together in the face of imprisonment, torture, and even death. Out of love for her children, Martha asks Sarah to commit an act of heresy--a lie that will most surely condemn Martha even as it will save her daughter.

The Heretic's Daughter was a very captivating read. To think that a small number of teenage girls pointing their fingers at others and proclaiming them to be "witches" started the mass hysteria that came to be known as the Salem Witch Trials. Dozens of men and women were hanged, and hundreds more imprisoned based on the lies told by these girls. I hope the girls got what they deserved on the other side!

The events in Salem are a sad part of our history, but a fascinating part all the same. The author of The Heretic's Daughter, Kathleen Kent, is a tenth generation descendant of Martha Carrier, one of the women condemned as a witch and hanged. I read that she spent five years researching this time in her family's history before writing the novel. And she did a wonderful job. Martha Carrier was ofttimes described as a cold, hard woman, and the author did an amazing job of portraying not only that cold side of Martha, but the warm, loving side of her as well. I loved the way the relationship between Martha and Sarah grew to be what it was in the end. I felt so bad for Martha's husband and children, and can't imagine what they all must have gone through--especially Martha and the kids when they were in jail. Kathleen Kent wrote such vivid descriptions of everything, though, that I could somewhat imagine what it would have been like.

This is a lovely novel, and one I'd recommend if you want to read one family's account of what really happened in Salem during the witch trials.

4.25/5

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead (formerly the United States of America). The government has been overthrown, and Gilead is being led by far-right conservatives. Handmaids like Offred ("Of Fred") are good for only one thing - getting pregnant. Every month Offred is forced to have sex with the Commander of the home she is living in, while the Commander's Wife lies in the same bed. She is not allowed to read, work, make money, or look directly at another person.

Her memories often drift back in time to the days when she was happily married to Luke and raising their daughter; when she had a job, friends, and her own name. All of that is gone now, and all she can do is hope to get pregnant with the Commander's baby; a baby that will be ripped from her arms and given to the Commander and his barren wife to raise as their own. Once she has a baby, she'll be passed on to the next Commander and Wife, in hopes that she'll provide this new couple with a baby as well.

This book was disturbing, yet very interesting. It's frightening to think that our society could ever reach the level that it has in The Handmaid's Tale - a society of barren Wives, housekeeping Marthas, Handmaids, Commanders, and spying Eyes. A society where any wrongdoing will result in exile to 'the Colonies' (toxic nuclear waste dumping grounds) or even death by public hanging. Yet it could happen, scary as it is.

I liked Offred. I felt bad that her entire life was reduced to going to the market and sleeping with the Commander. I think she tried her hardest to make her life as good as she possibly could, given her circumstances.

My only real complaint, besides some profanity and disturbing scenes, was that the book ended rather abruptly. I was left with a feeling of uncertainty about what really happened to Offred.

3.75/5

The Last Battle ~ C.S. Lewis

In the last days of Narnia, King Tirian has heard rumors that the lion Aslan is back, and commanding the Narnian creatures to commit terrible acts. Tirian discovers that the Aslan in question is actually a false Aslan, a donkey wearing a lion skin. As a final great battle between good and evil threatens to change everything as they know it, the inhabitants of Narnia find themselves confused and unable to determine who to follow.

When the last battle is raging, Tirian finds himself in an old stable. When he looks around, he is astonished to see that the inside of the stable is nothing like he thought it would be. Inside he finds a beautiful green meadow, blue skies, and seven of Narnia's previous kings and queens, among them Lucy, Edmund, and Peter Pevensie, as well as Jill and Eustace, and Polly and Digory (who witnessed the creation of Narnia in The Magician's Nephew, and are now on hand to witness it's destruction). In one of my favorite sections from the book, Tirian says:

"It seems then, that the Stable seen from within and the Stable seen from without are two different places."

"Yes," said the Lord Digory. "Its inside is bigger than its outside."

"Yes," said Queen Lucy. "In our world too, a Stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world."

Beautiful.

It took some time for me to decide how to rate The Last Battle. I didn't particularly like it, until the very end. But the ending was so beautiful, so allegorical, that my opinion of the book changed completely. The last 30 pages alone make the book worth reading.

4/5

The Silver Chair ~ C.S. Lewis

Eustace and Jill are hiding from bullies at their school, when Eustace tells the story of his time spent in the land of Narnia. Thinking they'd rather be in Narnia, they call upon Aslan and ask to be transported to the magical land. Jill comes face-to-face with the lion, and he gives her four signs that will help her and Eustace on their journey. They have an important mission to accomplish in Narnia--finding the missing son of King Caspian, who is growing old and wants to find his son before he dies. Prince Rilian has been missing for a decade. Many brave Narnians have tried to find him, and all have failed. With help from the Marsh-wiggle named Puddleglum, Jill and Eustace leave on a dangerous journey to discover the whereabouts of Prince Rilian, in hopes that they can reunite him with Caspian before it's too late.

I found The Silver Chair kind of boring from the start. I don't know if it's because I've read so many Narnia books in such a short time, or if I just wasn't interested in it. Eustace and Jill were dull (I'm sad that Eustace was so boring in this installment because I found his character very interesting in the previous book), and I found them both annoying at times. I even found Puddleglum to be a boring sort of character until almost the end of the story, when he saves the children and Rilian from the Queen of the Underworld, who was attempting to place an enchantment upon them.

Definitely my least favorite of the Narnia books so far. I did enjoy the underlying message about following Aslan's (God's) instructions, though. Jill and Eustace were slow to remember what Aslan had told them, and as a result they were faced with unexpected troubles.

I hope The Last Battle is better! I'm looking forward to seeing how the series ends.

3/5

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ~ C.S. Lewis

Lucy and Edmund Pevensie, along with their bratty cousin Eustace, are transported through a painting into the land of Narnia. They find themselves onboard the Dawn Treader, King Caspian's boat. Caspian and his crew are on a voyage to discover what happened to the seven men sent to sea by Caspian's evil Uncle Miraz. The friends want to explore as much of the East as they can, and hope to sail as far as Aslan's country at the End of the World.

This book takes the reader on quite an adventure. I found myself totally immersed in what was happening to Caspian, Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace. I think my favorite part in the book was when Eustace woke up to find that he had turned into a dragon. I loved the transformation he went through, not only physically, but spiritually and emotionally.

I also loved the very end of the book, when Edmund and Lucy are talking with the lion, Aslan. Aslan has just informed the two children that they will never be in Narnia again, and they are understandably upset. But what upsets them most of all is that they will never get to see Aslan again, or meet him in their own world. Aslan says "But you shall meet me, dear one. . . . There I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."

As much as I enjoyed this book, though, I think it's time to take a break from the Chronicles of Narnia series. I'm all Narnia'd-out. So, I'm planning on reading One Tuesday Morning for my church book club, and then resuming the CoN books. A break will do me good.

4/5

Prince Caspian ~ C.S. Lewis

On their way back to boarding school, one year after returning from Narnia, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie are summoned back to the magical land; only things in Narnia are much different than they were when the four siblings ruled.

Hundreds of years have actually passed in Narnian time, and the Pevensies are shocked to behold the ruin that has come to their beloved land. Miraz, the wicked King who now rules over Narnia, has forced the magical creatures of Old Narnia into hiding.

Caspian, the nephew of King Miraz, takes a great interest in the Old Narnian ways. When his tutor informs Caspian that he (Caspian) is the true heir of Narnia, and that Miraz is plotting to kill him, Caspian flees to the forest, where he comes across Dwarfs, Giants, and other creatures of Old Narnia. When Miraz's army attacks, Caspian blows Queen Susan's horn, which transports the Pevensies back to Narnia. Together, they defeat Miraz and restore Old Narnia to power.

This was my favorite book of the series so far. I was hooked from the first sentence because I knew that Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy would be featured more prominently in this book. Caspian was a great character, as well, and it was interesting to read about his family and about how he was the true heir to the Narnian throne.

4 down, 3 to go. I sure am glad that these books are all only about 100 (or a little bit more) pages long, since we're reading all 7 of them for my family book club this month!

4.5/5

The Horse and His Boy ~ C.S. Lewis

Shasta is the son of a poor fisherman who treats him like a slave. When he meets a talking horse named Breehy-hinny-brinny-hoohy-hah (aka Bree), the two decide to run away together. Along the way they come across Aravis and her horse Hwin, who are also fleeing to safer lands. The four decide to travel to Narnia together, but face many difficult challenges.

When they arrive in the city of Tashbaan, Shasta is mistaken for a prince and "rescued" from the streets. He is taken to the palace of the Tisroc, who wants to marry Queen Susan of Narnia (who is visiting the palace with her brother), whether she wants to marry him or not. Thinking Shasta is really the prince of Archenland, Queen Susan and King Edmund have no qualms about discussing their plan to escape to Narnia in front of Shasta, who becomes privy to some very important information that will help him on his own journey.

This book started out strongly, and I was hoping that my interest would be held throughout. Alas, it wasn't. My interest started to wane in the middle, and while the book did get a tiny bit more interesting toward the end, it wasn't enough to make me really like The Horse and His Boy. I seem to be on a rollercoaster ride of sorts when it comes to the books in The Chronicles of Narnia series. Here's hoping that Prince Caspian is more to my liking...

3.5/5

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe ~ C.S. Lewis

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy have moved to the country to escape the air raids in London. One day while playing hide-and-seek with her siblings, Lucy decides to hide inside of an old wardrobe. When she realizes that the wardrobe has no back panel, Lucy walks through it and finds herself in the land of Narnia.

Lucy becomes friends with a Faun named Mr. Tumnus, who tells her about the evil White Witch, the self-proclaimed "queen" of Narnia. When Lucy returns to her siblings and shares the story of her adventure in Narnia, no one believes her. Soon, though, Edmund ventures through the wardrobe and into Narnia, where he meets the evil witch herself. She mesmerizes him with her beauty and bribes him with sweets, and when she asks him to return to Narnia with his siblings in tow, he promises her that he will.

When all four of the siblings find themselves in the magical land, they aren't sure who to trust. Edmund escapes from the group to tell the White Witch that his brother and sisters have come to Narnia, while Peter, Susan, and Lucy meet with the powerful lion, Aslan, who helps them fulfill their destiny to become rulers of Narnia.

I enjoyed The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe much more than I did The Magician's Nephew. The story was entertaining, and the characters were interesting. A good, fun read.

4.25/5

The Magician's Nephew ~ C.S. Lewis

This is the first book in The Chronicles of Narnia series, which my family has decided to read this month. It's the story of Digory and Polly, and their magical journeys to other lands, thanks to some rings that were given to them by Digory's Uncle Andrew (the magician referred to in the title of the book).

After following Polly into an unknown land, which they named the 'Wood between the Worlds', Digory sees numerous ponds of water. Using the rings to travel between worlds, Polly and Digory jump into one of the ponds and end up in Charn, a dying world, where Digory frees an evil witch. The witch follows Polly and Digory back to their world, and the two children plot to return the witch to her own land. Thinking they've once again found the pond that leads to Charn, they jump in, only to find themselves in a different world. They hear a lion singing, and trees, animals, and all manner of things begin to grow out of the ground. The "birth" of Narnia has occurred.

There were times when I really liked this book, and times when I got bored, but overall it had a good message and was fairly interesting. There were definitely allusions to the Creation, as well as Adam and Eve being tempted to eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. I liked the Christian overtones.

Books 2 through 7 continue the Narnia story. I'll blog about them as I finish them.

3.5/5