Tag: London Blitz

The Midnight News by Jo Baker – a novel of a young woman in upheaval in 1940 and the London Blitz

September 6, 2023

The Midnight News by Jo Baker

This is a powerful and intense novel set in the London Blitz of the Second World War. It is enthralling, atmospheric and a little disturbing. It is narrated mainly through the point of view of Charlotte Richmond, a twenty-year-old woman with a disturbed past in 1940, when she has made a break for relative freedom in a city that is rapidly becoming accustomed to nightly bombing which is a total upheaval for many of the people left, a profound upheaval mirrored in the mind of Charlotte. As a reader I found this an unsettling, brilliantly written book, which often made me stop and admire the power of the writing.

Early in the novel the first raid is likened to an unexpected sound on the streets of London. “She can also hear a waterfall, and there are no waterfalls round here.” Charlotte does not tell her own story, but it follows her progress, her confusion and bafflement of what is happening. It explores the nature of friendship, of life experience, of contrasting family situations. Charlotte’s silent thoughts, of how despite a relatively wealthy background she is forced to count out her money that she earns for “essential war work”, is revealing of how she really lives. She finds a welcome in a boarding house, in sharp contrast to a background she has rejected, which may have rejected her. When a tragedy rocks her life, when she finds her whole view of life upset by how what is happening to everyone seems particularly awful for her, she feels threatened on every front. Her thoughts become dominated by her friends in several ways, even her remarkable godmother seems unusually preoccupied. Her typing job seems pointless, despite her being told that every piece of information is vital.

In a London being reformed on a nightly basis, where nothing is certain, Charlotte becomes convinced that she is being watched, pursued from and by a shadow man. Terrified of what is happening around her, to her, she makes decisions, attempts to make connections, but is left distressed. The only hope seems to be with a young man who she sees feeding the birds, a habit which is frowned on in a time of increasing food shortages. Tom’s gentle, non-threatening actions provide an alternative for Charlotte as she desperately seeks to silence the voices, the disturbance she feels. Tom is the only other character given his own story in the book; hesitant but supported by his family, challenged in many ways, permanently wondering.

This is a novel that twists and turns, with surprises at every turn, with challenges for every character, with real pain on many levels. It contains so many ideas, of the nature of family, of friends, of the truth in a time of upheaval in so many ways. For me it had echoes of Sarah Waters’ “Nightwatch”, where expectations are overturned, where desperate young women try to exist in a world completely changed overnight. This is a painfully honest book, with a strong inner dynamic of a disturbed and disturbing character and surprising twists and turns throughout. I really recommend it as an enthralling and significant novel of women’s experiences of the Second World War in all the messiness and unpredictability.

Dear Mrs Bird by A J Pearce – an enjoyable novel of wartime problems and answers – a warm and funny read

October 4, 2022

Dear Mrs Bird by A J Pearce

I am aware that I am a bit behind with this one – I have had a copy for years, but it was only when I listed it for our book club that I actually read it. It is so good that I am annoyed with myself for delaying, and desperate to read the sequel!

This is a novel that I found moving, funny and generally wonderful. One of my questions to the book club will be “How do contemporary novels looking back to the Second World War compare with ones actually written at the time?” In the case of this one – very well indeed. Yes, it is written with the benefit of hindsight, where the plot can be shaped by the choice of when and where to set it, and so on, but it has the undeniable stamp of warm authenticity. This is probably because a large part of the book is devoted to the problems women sent into magazines of the time, of which the author has apparently amassed a big collection. The main character, Emmeline Lake, who narrates the story in her own inimitable voice, is so truthful in her mixture of ambition, compassion and determination to do her bit that I was carried along by her story. She reveals the feelings that we can all admit to: confusion, bewilderment, ambition, uncertainty, regret and guilt, as well as attraction, excitement and the feelings of friendship for the known and less well known. While it is set in exceptional times, in London 1940 with the Blitz at full strength, it has a certain timelessness in terms of a young woman coming to terms with life and love and so much more. I really enjoyed this book.

Emmeline or Emmy is a young woman who lives with her best lifelong friend Bunty in a flat in London. Both women come from relatively well-off families; although Bunty is an orphan, she has a loving if fearsome grandmother. They have chosen to live in central London where it is dangerous in order to do their bit, in Emmy’s case volunteering for the fire service phone centre. She is in a long-term relationship with the absent Edmund, while Bunty loves William, a fireman at the station. Bunty is a typist with the War Office, while Emmy is desperate to be a journalist, a Lady War Correspondent to be precise. She discovers an advertisement to work as a junior in a newspaper publishing house and applies in the hope that it will be the first step in her exciting career.  Unfortunately, having accepted the job she discovers that she will be assisting the eponymous Mrs Bird, a remarkable woman who edits a magazine and has strong views on the “problems” that are acceptable for her readers. Frustrated, Emmy decides that she must help some of the desperate women who write in, and so her deception begins. Bunty is appalled at her friend’s intentions, and Emmy realises that she is taking a huge risk, but as she becomes more involved with the magazine, she is determined to do her bit. As significant events overtake her and those closest to her, can she maintain her ambitions?

This is a book that I thoroughly recommend to anyone in search of a good read set in wartime. It is immensely thoughtful, absorbing and well written. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series, “Yours Cheerfully” and probably the third book due next year. A lovely read.  

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson – a wartime novel of the people who fought to survive a war and the library which opened books to all (with factual extras)

September 8, 2022

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson

This is a novel that has a clear message – libraries are great and reading is for everyone. It is specifically about a little library that was established in Bethnal Green tube station during the Second World War. In this fictional version it is run in 1944 by a young woman, a widow, Clara Button, with the assistance of the remarkable Ruby Munroe. It is shown to be a vital part of a huge air raid shelter that was established in the station by locals, despite the protests of the authorities to begin with, and it has saved many lives in an area that suffered greatly in the Blitz and continues to be a vital refuge for families and other civilians. It is set after the terrible disaster which overcame some two hundred people in March 1943 when a mother and child slipped on the stairs and caused a major pile up of people in which many were killed. The effects of this accident are felt most deeply by Ruby in the novel, though of course it became a terrible secret which destroyed many families while being kept quiet by the authorities. It is one of the many elements of real historical facts which are successfully blended into the narrative, allowing Kate Thompson to capture some of the anguish and upset experienced by the people of the East End of London. The presence of so many children in the shelter is another remarkable tale, especially as Clara has such determination to open the world of reading for them through the wonders of books.

This is a terrific story with a brilliant setting above and below the streets of London which are rendered almost unrecognisable by years of bombing and destruction. The shelter is very well observed with all the facilities including a dizzying number of metal bunks so that hundreds of families, couples and individuals could sleep in safety over a period of years. There is also a theatre and places to eat apart from the library. The latter is shown as a centre for everyone, as anyone can sign up for a ticket, borrow books or to an extent, find a quiet refuge to read. Clara is responsible for establishing a story time for children every evening which welcomes children of all ages to listen to a story as well as finding encouragement to enjoy reading. Clara is a remarkable character who has lost her husband before the book begins and comes under a lot of pressure from her family and in laws to give up work, especially following the destruction of the original library where she worked. Even though she is determined to make the library a special place, she attracts the attention of a man in authority who wants to dictate what happens in the library. It is fortunate that she has the unwavering support of many people, including Ruby who is the vibrant young woman who demands attention, especially from men. Ruby has family issues including the death of her sister Bella, and seeks to avoid thinking too hard about the past. She is deliberatively provocative in her support for Clara, and a memorable character in her own right. As most of the men at this time had been conscripted into various military forces, this book focuses on the women and children who bear the brunt of wartime trials. I really enjoyed this fictional saga, and was very pleased to have had the opportunity to read and review it.

The other element of this paperback edition which I found absolutely fascinating is the large section at the back which gives the historical facts behind the story, including the wartime provision of books from various sources, and how they were vital to the war effort, even listing the titles that were especially in demand. It looks at how libraries around the countries survived and some of the dedicated people who made sure that access to books continued. Thompson has undertaken a lot of work in relation to libraries especially over the last few difficult years, and throughout the novel there are positive comments about libraries gleaned from her interviews. This section of the book would have justified the cost of the book alone, and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone interested in the social history of libraries in this country. Altogether this is a book which I am so happy to have discovered, and that I cannot recommend enough.

The Mayfair Bookshop by Eliza Knight – Nancy Mitford and the search for happiness then and now

June 13, 2022

The Mayfair Bookshop by Eliza Knight

This cleverly written book makes the most of the existing letters and information regarding the novelist Nancy Mitford and adds a fictional layer to tell an intimate and fascinating story of the woman who wrote “In Pursuit of Love”. It is a dual time period book with the creation of a contemporary book curator, Lucy St. Clair, who is sent to London for a short time to work in the famous Heywood Hill bookshop in Mayfair. Lucy is recovering from the loss of her mother, especially as the two of them were fascinated by Nancy, and determined to discover who was the friend called Iris who Nancy left a book for in the shop. Meanwhile Nancy progresses from the ultimate Bright Young Thing through several relationships, including an unhappy marriage. As the eldest Mitford sister, she gets drawn into the family scandals, including Diana’s obsession with fascist Oswald Mosley and Unity’s attraction to Hitler among other worries. As war approaches, Nancy is struggling to make ends meet financially, cope with her errant husband and dealing with her notorious family. Letters are added to her narrative which express her feelings, and her despair when she seems unable to have a child. When war is declared, she becomes determined to play her part, but when some of her family are openly hoping for a different outcome to hostilities, many friends are absent and in danger and even her writing seems to be impossible; how will she survive?

This is a well constructed story of two women trying to find answers, as Lucy tries to discover what really happened to her heroine and her special friend. The Nancy sections are desperately personal, helped along by letters that the author has created to encapsulate the situation that the author found herself in. While this is a fictional treatment, it is a very powerful way of conveying the struggles Nancy had which went beyond the partly autobiographical Pursuit of Love among her other work.From my reading of some of the biographies which Knight lists in her bibliographies in the back of this edition, it is a powerful novel based on solid research and an understanding of the main characters. Knowing that so many of her family’s actions would be poured over by newspaper journalists and readers would have been challenging for Nancy, especially against the background of her unsatisfactory marriage and other disappointments.  Her highs and lows, her decisions and struggles are so well represented in this book in a well balanced narrative which I found a compelling read.

The strand of the book set in the twenty-first century also makes an impact, its overall theme being the wonders of being in the heart of the city which Nancy knew so well at a difficult time, as Lucy discovers the magic of the memories that still linger of Nancy’s life and times.  It lightens the book considerably to witness her enjoyment of a visit to Chatsworth where youngest sister Deborah lived for many years,and to discover the special atmosphere of a bookshop which Nancy breathed life into which survives so many years later. Lucy’s search for the elusive Iris is well depicted as a challenge which gives depth to her story and links her to her much loved mother. 

I really enjoyed this book which kept moving and drawing me on through a well known story of a favourite author. I found it difficult to put down, as it was so well written with all the details of the clothes of the time, the danger of being in London during the Blitz and the everyday struggles of rationing. It combined the two time periods with a great deal of skill, while managing to convey two enthralling stories of women meeting challenges. I was very pleased to have had the opportunity to read and review this fascinating book, and recommend it to those who love books and the story of the eldest Mitford daughter.  

A Ration Book Daughter by Jean Fullerton – A brave young woman meets challenges during the Second World War

May 11, 2021

A Ration Book Daughter by Jean Fullerton

The London Blitz affected people in more ways than the obvious danger from falling bombs; it dictated a way of life for those throughout the capital. Cathy is a young woman for whom the war is hard, but not because her husband Stan is away. That is actually a relief, as Stan is a brutal and violent man, and Cathy has not only herself to worry about, but also her small son Peter. She knows that divorce is not an option for a daughter of the Brogan family, but at least she can claim support from her sisters and brothers, and most especially her parents. Living in her rented house is challenging however, as Stan’s mother is ever present, full of verbal abuse, undercutting every action of a brave young woman trying to do her best. A message concerning her husband gives her hope, and when she meets Sergeant Archie McIntosh of the Bomb Disposal Squad she glimpses that there may be more to life. Not that her life is ever easy, and there are traumas in this novel that reflect so many aspects of London life at this period described with real feeling, as well as vivid characters who really live on the page. This fifth book in the series would also work as a standalone novel, as each character is so well introduced and Cathy is especially the focus of this well written book. Although solidly set in wartime, this book tackles some issues that are still a concern today, and the family support is so well described that it is an entertaining read. I was very pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this well written book.

The book opens with Cathy working as a Woman’s Voluntary Service organizer, sorting out clothes for those struggling with the loss of clothes in the bombing. She appreciates the problems of having a child in the circumstances, as the Army only pays a small amount to those looking after children even as  rationing bites into every aspect of life. She does the voluntary work as she can take advantage of the nursery for Peter, and it gets her out of the house and away from her thoroughly unpleasant mother in law Violet. When she receives a telegram informing her that her husband is missing in action she almost visibly rejoices, as being the widow of her abusive Stanley is infinitely preferable to being his wife. Meanwhile Archie is trying to deal with an unexploded bomb, and as always, although the mechanical process is dangerous, so is dealing with Lieutenant Monkman, theoretically the officer in charge but who is rapidly becoming a liability to Archie and his squad.  They meet as Archie rescues the lively Peter, and the mutual attraction is obvious. He is in a dangerous job, and Cathy cannot think of life as a free woman for months, but a glimmer of hope exists. Tragedy, lies and trouble lie ahead, and Cathy and Archie will have much to contend with over the next weeks, while coping with the memories of what has gone before.

This book allowed me to enjoy the picture of a community and family pulling together at some points, while dislike and suspicion also occur against a background of the challenges of war. Fullerton is an experienced writer who has a great ability to keep her various characters going along their own paths, while focusing on one situation in particular. It is a mark of a good writer that their writing can evoke so many emotions in the reader – in this case a real dislike of Violet! I recommend this book as not only part of a well written series, but also an enjoyable book in its own right.    

The House Opposite by Barbara Noble – A brilliant 1943 novel of the London Blitz made available by Furrowed Middlebrow at Dean Street Press

April 14, 2021
The House Opposite by [Barbara Noble, Connie Willis]

The House Opposite by Barbara Noble

A book written about life in London in 1943 will probably make some reference to the Blitz. In this powerful novel the bombing is a theme, constantly in the background, explaining and justifying what the characters do, how they live. There is no melodrama, but an acceptance that life is affected, that fear affects people in different ways, that people behave differently when there is real danger. This exceptional book has been made available by the brilliant Dean Street Press, as chosen to be part of the wonderful Furrowed Middlebrow series.  Connie Willis in her Introduction points out that Noble gets the Blitz right, in the facts, the atmosphere and the little details. I found it an incredible read, documenting the telling experience, the way that people fight to get on with their lives in the best way that they can, subject to the same emotions as people everywhere at any time. It is a book that speaks of first hand experience, and I was very pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this special book. 

Elizabeth is a secretary who is having an affair with her married boss. Alex’s wife and children are in the country, evacuated away from the nightly bombing raids that give a certain desperation to Elizabeth’s thoughts about the man who she is secretly so attached to, the man she calls on the phone to check has survived, before adopting her role as the efficient Miss Simpson. Her loving father, solicitor and warden, has a huge potential for understanding, for coping, but her mother is terrified of the raids, fearful of being alone, and discovers some comfort in concealed alcohol. Elizabeth is coping, but feels a sort of guilt about Bob, a soldier who devotes his precious leave to her, unaware of her true feelings. Meanwhile Owen, who lives in the house opposite, is an insecure teenager who recoils from an flippant statement from her, that he is “Only that pansy Cathcart boy”. At eighteen he is wounded by her dismissal, but also by his own reactions, aware of his devotion to an older cousin, Derek, who was a schoolboy hero and protector, now in the glamorous air force, training to be a pilot. Derek was the shining sportsman, the instinctive leader, whereas Owen was the younger, bookish and only son of a mother who nurses a life changing secret. As he struggles with his feelings, he is fascinated by the damage, the excitement of a city in peril, the physical evidence of which could be collected. While Elizabeth does not fear for her own physical safety, she knows that others ar  losing everything and injured in horrifying ways, while she has accepted a secret relationship that brings her little joy and knows is tainted by a lack of a future. Alex’s claim to fear about the raids is set alongside the fact that when they leave London for a snatched weekend, they fear discovery “They were both of them secretly apprehensive all the time”. The bombing is almost a relief – it frees Elizabeth from worrying about a future that may never come for her.

There is so much to admire about this book, the grim tolerance of destruction, the curiosity of where the bombs had fallen, the passing on of rumour and fact. The relief of surviving another night is set against the realities of others’ probable losses. It reveals and explains how people had to carry on with their own lives against constant uncertainty, how fear became a constant, tolerated as the immediate had to be dealt with on a daily basis. It is a revelation of how people truly responded to the times, and how life continued. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in first hand accounts of how people lived in a novel written and originally published without the benefit of knowing what the future would hold.     

Christmas with the Teashop Girls by Elaine Everest – Women working and living together in 1940 as the Blitz increases

October 13, 2020
Christmas with the Teashop Girls: Amazon.co.uk: Everest, Elaine: 9781529015928: Books

Christmas with the Teashop Girls by Elaine Everest

This is a brilliantly written novel with a startling beginning. Set in late 1940 it tells the story of  a group of young women who work in the Lyons tea shops of Ramsgate and Margate. In a previous book we have been introduced to Rose, Katie and Lily; Rose is the manager of the Margate branch, and Katie and Lily are some of the “Nippies” or waitresses in the Lyons tea rooms.They have good friends and Rose’s mother, Flora, who live locally, and together they are trying to cope with the problems of an area under heavy bombing. Despite this being the second book in the series, it is so well written that it is possible to pick up the story relatively easily without reading the first book. The story revolves mainly around Rose, whose marriage to Ben Hargreaves is being discussed, as well the hard work which is caused by being on the coast of England which is actively in danger of invasion. There is a lot of research into a period and a place beset by frequent bombing raids and local arrangements to shelter in tunnels. This book, like all of those written by this author, demonstrates real understanding of her characters and the setting in a desperate time in Britain’s history. I was so very pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this well written book. 

The author has taken a risk by opening this book with Rose and her mother Flora in peril. The focus then reverts from Christmas Eve to the previous September, as the young women associated with Lyons teashops are introduced. The matriarch who runs the boarding house, Sea View, is Flora, who becomes involved with the lives of her tenants. Rose, Lily and Katie live in a cottage given to them by Mildred, an exceptional woman who goes out fishing locally and runs a somewhat smelly van. Anya also works at Lyons; she is a forthright refugee from Occupied Europe and sets out her opinions with an entertaining honesty. The preparations for the wedding involve Rose meeting the widowed Ben’s daughters and mother, Lady Diana. Diana soon emerges as a memorable character, contradictory in her behaviour but always active and on the scene. Rose’s happy time with Ben in London is affected by heavy bombing as the blitz of London begins, but it is still very lively in Kent as not only bombs fall from the sky. There are emotional problems which are not altogether caused by the bombing, and there are some very satisfactory confrontations involving Flora and some of her supporters. 

The most enjoyable part of this engaging book is the interplay between the characters as they strive to cope with all the challenges and uncertainties of being at war. The personalities are so well drawn that even minor characters are given life and personality. This is so in the case of Eileen, who claims to be Rose’s half sister. This is a superb read full of vibrant characters and in a setting of the later part of 1940, when so much was uncertain, life was precious and had to be seized, yet there were still those with ulterior motives. This is an entertaining and engaging book with many memorable characters, and I recommend it to everyone who enjoys these ensemble books set during the Second World War.  

I always look forward to Elaine’s books and this one is no exception – I really enjoyed some of the set pieces and confrontations. While it is sometimes difficult to pick a favourite character from an ensemble novel like this, I must admit to really liking Lady Diana, who is certainly a strong and impressive character. Do you sometimes pick out a favourite character in books?

Plenty Under the Counter by Kathleen Hewitt – a wartime murder mystery with and element of comedy

September 22, 2019

 

A murder mystery, a comedy, a brilliant plot, all set against a background of the London Blitz, rationing and so much more. The Imperial War Museum Wartime Series has discovered some wonderful books and reprinted them; this is the only one by a woman and features the Home Front in a lively way. Originally published in 1943, this reprint puts a book by a prolific but little known author back into the easy to buy lists, and it stands up to comparison with many late Golden Age detective fiction. The body appears on the first page, the mystery is investigated by a Flight-Lieutenant David Heron, war hero in a completely natural way, the events are dramatic but understandable, the characters truly live in their speech and behaviour. The investigation is given a time limit by David, the friends and acquaintances who help and hinder all have their own priorities. His relationship with Tess is lovely, and their conversations flirtatious and funny. Another memorable character is Bob Carter, disappointed in his attempts to join up to the military, he decides to establish a club for nationals from the twenty six allied nations. His progress via contacts in laying hands on furniture, alcohol and other necessities is a funny counter point to the shop of the title; the mysterious fancy goods shop that proves to have rationed items “Under the counter”  for those willing to pay extra. David is an ex actor, and his knowledge of the theatre provides an added layer of humour and entertainment, as well as a background to his jolly relationship with Mrs Meake, his landlady. I was so pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this insightful and mainly light-hearted murder mystery. 

 

The book begins with David’s rather rude awakening to discover that a body has been discovered in the garden of the house he has returned to from hospital following his plane being shot down. Mrs Meake is shaken by the questioning of a police inspector, which has already led to one of her lodgers departing. As David explains to his friend Bob and girlfriend Tess, the lay out of the house includes rooms for Mrs Meake’s daughter, Thelma, a sailor’s room who is frequently away, and a Mr Smedley. There are other eccentric lodgers who all have their moment, despite their tenuous links to the mystery. Strangers in the area turn up in the local pub and the streets, as this is a novel which happens in a small geographical area, a part of London full of atmosphere in 1942 when the novel is set.

 

I really enjoy novels which were written at a time when the outcome of the war was still uncertain, without the benefit of hindsight. Often written as entertainment and to raise morale among those spending time in difficult settings, these writings are spontaneous and full of the small details that the authors were witnessing every day. This novel is a fine example of an apparently prolific writer who manages to combine a mystery with a fine novel in any sense. I really enjoyed the dialogue, pace and setting of this book, but the characters are the real achievement. This is a great read for fans of middle twentieth century novels, and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoys classic crime novels.   

East End Angels by Rosie Hendry – Life in the London Blitz

October 19, 2018

Image result for east end angels by rosie hendry

A saga of the Second World War, but this time quite a special one, Rosie Hendry’s book is about three women who undertook one of the most dangerous jobs on the Home Front: ambulance driving in London. The danger that they tackle every night as the Blitz starts in 1940 is the main drama of the book, yet they are young women with real and challenging family backgrounds. The addition of the beginnings of romance is an added complication and for the three young women discovering new relationships is a new dimension to their lives. There are tragedies and barriers to negotiate, both real and in life, but ultimately there is some hope as real friendship survives all.

Stella, or Frankie, is new to Station Seventy – Five as well as driving, and she soon discovers that there is far more to her role than manging large vehicles. An unusual introduction to Winnie reveals a sense of flexibility regarding rules, which can mean both trouble and survival, not least for a small dog called Trixie. A third young woman, Bella, completes the trio at the centre of the novel, with her sadness at her family’s loss. Personality clashes and a firm boss can make life complicated, but personal crises are soon to be swallowed up in the overwhelming danger each character faces as German planes begin their nightly raids. Nevertheless, each woman must face concern about loved ones as both civilian and military family and friends are in dangerous and threatening circumstances. Winnie has to battle a forceful family despite her brilliance in her work and her seemingly luxurious living conditions. Bella’s living arrangements continue to be difficult, though she develops a unique insight into people’s lives. Frankie has to cope with challenging relatives as well as her real fears of managing in devastating circumstances. Places in London such as St. Paul’s cathedral become symbols of survival as there is no peace for the people of London, and exhaustion sets in for many.

This book is engaging, as each character seems to work as a real person in difficult circumstances. It is not overly melodramatic, as contemporary accounts of the blitz back up many of the events explored with a sure touch. The writing style does not wallow in the tragic, and Hendry packs in many events in this confident narrative. I enjoyed her creation of the characters, as she shows a deft touch at conveying emotions and motives. It is a very readable book, with a skilful realisation of what will keep the reader involved. I look forward to discovering further books in this series.

Meanwhile I have enjoyed rereading (for about the third time) “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” for the next Bookworms meeting in November. It is different from the film! I think that they are both enjoyable in their own way, as long as I remember that they are different things. I read it in two sittings….https://northernreader.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/a-literary-socie…and-a-book-group/ ‎  is my review from some time ago