"The libraries have become my candy store" - Juliana Kimball
The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty - It's 1922 and Cora Carlisle is on her way to New York from Wichita Kansas, with her is a beautiful young woman with wisdom beyond her young years she is Louise Brooks. Long before Louise Brooks became the famous silent screen actress & siren, Cora chaperoned her for one month in New York while she attended dance school there.
Louise Brooks doesn't feature much in this book as its more about Cora Carlisle's journey to find herself and where she came from. Cora was adopted at a young age, but she does know she was born in New York. She tries to trace her parents along with trying to keep her young charge in control.
I did like this book I enjoyed the journey to New York and reading about Broadway, prohibition, silent movies, flapper girls, as well as the sights and sounds of New York at that time. However after New York this the book stalled for me, and its covered large blocks of time in a single page and seemed rushed. I would of liked more about Louise Brooks (who is on the cover) and less about Cora. Overall I liked this book but did not love it.
The Sealed Letter by Emma Donoghue - I have read a couple of Emma Donoghue book's (Room & Slammerkin) and find she can be a little hit or miss for me. This book is based on a true facts and a real court case that gripped England in 1864.
It focuses on married couple Helen & Henry Condrington and there friend Emily "Fido" Faithfull. Fido becomes close friends to the Condrington's. She keeps Helen company while Henry is away with work, but she also becomes close to Henry and enjoys meaningful conversations with him. She even at one stage moves in with the family. As the years pass Helen makes it clear to Fido that the Condrington marriage is in name only.
Fido hasn't see the Condrington's in years and after bumping into Helen in London. She is soon entangled with Helen again and is unwittingly helping Helen carry on a affair with a solider.
Henry finds out and sues for divorce, Helen fights back by convincing Fido that something unspeakable happened between her and Henry. Soon Fido is being used in court as weapon by both husband and wife. By drawing Fido into the divorce proceedings the reader gets an idea of what it must have been like to be an unmarried, working woman in Victorian times.
This book is nothing like Room at all and I found it was not as engrossing as Slammerskin. I wanted to love this book but instead I just liked it, for me it just took me too long to get into the book. However the last chapter was amazing and it was worth reading till the end.
The Help by Cathryn Stockett - I guess I'm behide the times but I finally read this book! I'm sure everyone knows the story by now but if you don't here it is in a nutshell! It's 1962 Mississippi and Skeeter is a 22 year old she has just graduated from college with a degree but her Mother will not be happy till she has settled down with a good man and married. Skeeter has come home to find her family maid the woman who raised her more than her own Mother gone and no-one will tell her where.
The story jumps back and forth between three characters, all of them providing their version of life the dinner parties of the white people, family relationships, friendships, working relationships, poverty, violence, and fear. The views of different women of the 1960's, mothers, daughters, sisters, wife's, friends, employers.
I found this book engrossing and couldn't but it down I read it in a day and a half. I can't beleive that this was parts of America and the world less than 50 years ago! Its a deeply moving story yet parts of it had me laughing out loud! Its a book that will stay with you long after you read it.
Have you read this books? If so what did you think of them? Have you any books to recommend?
The Sealed Letter by Emma Donoghue - I have read a couple of Emma Donoghue book's (Room & Slammerkin) and find she can be a little hit or miss for me. This book is based on a true facts and a real court case that gripped England in 1864.
It focuses on married couple Helen & Henry Condrington and there friend Emily "Fido" Faithfull. Fido becomes close friends to the Condrington's. She keeps Helen company while Henry is away with work, but she also becomes close to Henry and enjoys meaningful conversations with him. She even at one stage moves in with the family. As the years pass Helen makes it clear to Fido that the Condrington marriage is in name only.
Fido hasn't see the Condrington's in years and after bumping into Helen in London. She is soon entangled with Helen again and is unwittingly helping Helen carry on a affair with a solider.
Henry finds out and sues for divorce, Helen fights back by convincing Fido that something unspeakable happened between her and Henry. Soon Fido is being used in court as weapon by both husband and wife. By drawing Fido into the divorce proceedings the reader gets an idea of what it must have been like to be an unmarried, working woman in Victorian times.
This book is nothing like Room at all and I found it was not as engrossing as Slammerskin. I wanted to love this book but instead I just liked it, for me it just took me too long to get into the book. However the last chapter was amazing and it was worth reading till the end.
The Help by Cathryn Stockett - I guess I'm behide the times but I finally read this book! I'm sure everyone knows the story by now but if you don't here it is in a nutshell! It's 1962 Mississippi and Skeeter is a 22 year old she has just graduated from college with a degree but her Mother will not be happy till she has settled down with a good man and married. Skeeter has come home to find her family maid the woman who raised her more than her own Mother gone and no-one will tell her where.
The story jumps back and forth between three characters, all of them providing their version of life the dinner parties of the white people, family relationships, friendships, working relationships, poverty, violence, and fear. The views of different women of the 1960's, mothers, daughters, sisters, wife's, friends, employers.
I found this book engrossing and couldn't but it down I read it in a day and a half. I can't beleive that this was parts of America and the world less than 50 years ago! Its a deeply moving story yet parts of it had me laughing out loud! Its a book that will stay with you long after you read it.
Have you read this books? If so what did you think of them? Have you any books to recommend?
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The help sounds like a film i watched a little different though to what you have wrote but with lots of similarities if it is the same then you must watch the film it's great! :)
ReplyDeleteI would like to read the book
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Hey Vanessa yeah I think it is the same book and film but I havent seen the film yet. If I am thinking of the same film it was only out a while ago say like a year ago? I really have to see it, it is meant to be slightly different to the book, but then again movie always are!! Hope you are good :)
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