Category: Reading Challenges

My Week in Books

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MyWeekinBooks

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WaltScott_Sugar MoneySugar Money by Jane Harris (ebook)

Martinique, 1765, and brothers, Emile and Lucien, are charged by their French master, Father Cleophas, with a mission. They must return to Grenada, the island they once called home, and smuggle back the 42 slaves claimed by English invaders at the hospital plantation in Fort Royal. While Lucien, barely in his teens, sees the trip as a great adventure, the older and worldlier Emile has no illusions about the dangers they will face. But with no choice other than to obey Cleophas – and sensing the possibility, however remote, of finding his first love Celeste – he sets out with his brother on this ‘reckless venture’.

Manhattan BeachManhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan (ebook)

Manhattan Beach opens in Brooklyn during the Great Depression. Anna Kerrigan, nearly twelve years old, accompanies her father to the house of a man who, she gleans, is crucial to the survival of her father and her family. Anna observes the uniformed servants, the lavishing of toys on the children, and some secret pact between her father and Dexter Styles.

Years later, her father has disappeared and the country is at war. Anna works at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where women are allowed to hold jobs that had always belonged to men. She becomes the first female diver, the most dangerous and exclusive of occupations, repairing the ships that will help America win the war. She is the sole provider for her mother, a farm girl who had a brief and glamorous career as a Ziegfield folly, and her lovely, severely disabled sister. At a night club, she chances to meet Styles, the man she visited with her father before he vanished, and she begins to understand the complexity of her father’s life.

GraceGrace by Paul Lynch (ebook)

Early one October morning, Grace’s mother snatches her from sleep and brutally cuts off her hair, declaring, ‘You are the strong one now.’ With winter close at hand and Ireland already suffering, Grace is no longer safe at home. And so her mother outfits Grace in men’s clothing and casts her out. When her younger brother Colly follows after her, the two set off on a life-changing odyssey in the looming shadow of the Great Famine.

To survive, Grace will become a boy, a bandit, a penitent and finally, a woman. A meditation on love, life and destiny, Grace is an epic coming-of-age novel, and a poetic evocation of the Irish famine as it has never been written.

The Year of the SnakeThe Year of the Snake by M. J. Trow & Maryanne Coleman (eARC, NetGalley)

Sometimes, a snake is just a snake. And sometimes…

First-century Rome.  Senator Gaius Lucius Nerva is taken ill at a dinner party and dies a few days later. His heartbroken wife, Flavia, is told it was a natural death. Calidus, Nerva’s recently freed slave, suspects otherwise.  As he embarks upon the funeral ceremonies, Calidus becomes more and more convinced that his master was murdered and begins an investigation, seeking out everyone who had attended the dinner party.

His enquiries lead him to rub shoulders with the ‘great and good’ of Rome; senators, soldiers, even the ruthless and mercurial Emperor Nero. And his former lover, Julia Eusabia, who seems intent on rekindling their romance and luring him away from his wife and daughter.  Calidus’ quest is by no means easy or safe as he encounters the darkest and most dangerous people in Rome. But he knows he must keep searching for the person responsible, to bring justice to the master he had loved.

This racy historical whodunit brings to life the sights, smells and sounds of ancient Rome, with sharp humour and a Christie-style finale to boot.

A Gathering of GhostsA Gathering of Ghosts by Karen Maitland (eARC, NetGalley)

The year is 1316 and high on the wilds of Dartmoor, hidden by the mist, stands the isolated Priory of St Mary, owned by the Sisters of the Knights of St John. People travel from far and wide in search of healing at the ancient holy well that lies beneath the chapel.

But the locals believe the well was theirs long before Christianity arrived and there are those who would do anything to reclaim their sacred spring… As plagues of frogs cascade from the well and the water turns to blood, is there witchcraft afoot? Or is the Old World fighting back at last?

ConnectednessConnectedness (Identity Detective #2) by Sandra Danby (ebook, review copy courtesy of the author)

TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD, ARTIST JUSTINE TREE HAS IT ALL… BUT SHE ALWAYS HAS A SECRET THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY EVERYTHING

Justine’s art sells around the world, but does anyone truly know her? When her mother dies, she returns to her childhood home in Yorkshire where she decides to confront her past. She asks journalist Rose Haldane to find the baby she gave away when she was an art student, but only when Rose starts to ask difficult questions does Justine truly understand what she must face.

Is Justine strong enough to admit the secrets and lies of her past? To speak aloud the deeds she has hidden for 27 years, the real inspiration for her work that sells for millions of pounds. Could the truth trash her artistic reputation? Does Justine care more about her daughter, or her art? And what will she do if her daughter hates her?

This tale of art, adoption, romance and loss moves between now and the Eighties, from London’s art world to the bleak isolated cliffs of East Yorkshire and the hot orange blossom streets of Málaga, Spain.

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000032_00032]Sheriff and Priest by Nicky Moxey  (ebook, review copy courtesy of the author)

Wimer could have become a monk. Instead, his decision to become a Chaplain – to make his way in the wider world of men – has put his soul in mortal danger.  In 12th century East Anglia, poor Saxon boys stay poor. It takes an exceptional one to win Henry II’s friendship, and to rise to the job of High Sheriff of all Norfolk and Suffolk. Falling foul of the stormy relationship between Henry and his Archbishop, he is excommunicated three times, twice by Thomas a’Becket, and once by the Pope.

He also falls in love with the King’s Ward, Ida. Before he plucks up the courage to do anything about it, the King takes her as his mistress, and Ida needs Wimer’s support to survive that dangerous liaison.  Although he is eventually reinstated in the Church, his problems with his religious superiors, and his love for Ida, will guarantee him a place in Hell, unless he can find land and resources to do something spectacular in the way of penance…

The Blood Road (Legionary #7) by Gordon Doherty (eARC, courtesy of the author)

381 AD: The Gothic War draws to a brutal climax, and the victor’s name will be written in blood…

The great struggle between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Gothic Horde rumbles into its fifth year. It seems that there can be no end to the conflict, for although the Goths are masters of the land, they cannot topple the last of the imperial cities. But heralds bring news that might change it all: Emperor Gratian readies to lead his Western legions into the fray, to turn matters on their head, to crush the horde and save the East!

The men of the XI Claudia legion long for their homeland’s salvation, but Tribunus Pavo knows these hopes drip with danger. For he and his soldiers are Gratian’s quarry as much as any Goth. The road ahead will be fraught with broken oaths, enemy blades… and tides of blood.  (Cover to be revealed)

On What Cathy Read Next last week

Blog posts

Tuesday – I joined the blog tour for A Woman’s Lot by Carolyn Hughes, the second in her Meonbridge Chronicle series set in a medieval Hampshire village.  I shared my review and an extract from the book.

Wednesday – WWW Wednesday is the opportunity to share what I’ve just finished reading, what I’m reading now and what I’ll be reading next.   I also published my review of a lovely little book, The Shady Side of Town: Reading’s Trees by Adrian Lawson and Geoff Sawers.

Thursday – I reviewed After the Party by Cressida Connolly.  Set just before and during the Second World War, it tells through the experiences of one family the little known story of those who opposed Britain’s involvement in the war.

Friday – I published my review of Spirit of Lost Angels by Liza Perrat, a fast-paced and dramatic historical novel set at the time of the French Revolution.  It was also time for another of my Fact in Fiction Friday features where I pick out interesting things I’ve learned through reading novels this week.

Sunday – I shared my review of Sugar Money by Jane Harris, one of the six books shortlisted for The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2018.  The winner of the prize will be announced on 16th June.

Challenge updates

  • Goodreads 2018 Reading Challenge – 86 out of 156 books read, 4 more than last week
  • Classics Club Challenge – 15 out of 50 books read, same as last week
  • NetGalley/Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2018 (Gold) – 31 ARCs read and reviewed out of 50, 1 more than last week
  • From Page to Screen– 10 book/film comparisons out of 15 completed, same as last week
  • 2018 TBR Pile Challenge – 5 out of 12 books read, same as last week
  • Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2018 – 43 books out of 50 read, 3 more than last week
  • When Are You Reading? Challenge 2018 – 7 out of 12 books read, same as last week
  • What’s In A Name Reading Challenge – 1 out of 6 books read, same as last week
  • Buchan of the Month – 5 out of 12 books read, same as last week
  • 20 Books of Summer Challenge – 2 out of 20 books read, 2 more than last week

On What Cathy Read Next this week

Currently reading

Planned posts

  • Blog Tour/Review: Forsaking All Other by Catherine Meyrick
  • Blog Tour/Review: Summer of Love by Caro Fraser
  • Buchan of the Month: Introducing….The Half-Hearted by John Buchan
  • Book Review: Old Baggage by Lissa Evans
  • Book Review: The Poison Bed by E. C. Fremantle
  • Blog Tour/Guest Post: The Reading Party by Fenella Gentleman

Book Review: Sugar Money by Jane Harris

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WaltScott_Sugar MoneyAbout the Book

Martinique, 1765, and brothers, Emile and Lucien, are charged by their French master, Father Cléophas, with a mission. They must return to Grenada, the island they once called home, and smuggle back the 42 slaves claimed by English invaders at the hospital plantation in Fort Royal. While Lucien, barely in his teens, sees the trip as a great adventure, the older and worldlier Emile has no illusions about the dangers they will face. But with no choice other than to obey Cléophas – and sensing the possibility, however remote, of finding his first love Celeste – he sets out with his brother on this ‘reckless venture’.

Format: Hardcover, ebook (320 pp.)    Publisher: Faber & Faber
Published: 5th October 2017                  Genre: Historical Fiction

Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk  ǀ  Amazon.com ǀ Hive.co.uk (supporting UK bookshops)
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find Sugar Money on Goodreads

My Review

There were a number of things that attracted me to Sugar Money.  Firstly, it’s one of the six books shortlisted for The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2018 – always an excellent hallmark for quality historical fiction – and I’m attempting to read all the shortlisted books before the winner is announced on 16th June.  (Eek, time running out and only 4 of the 6 read so far.)  Secondly, the book’s setting on the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Grenada.  I’ve been lucky enough to visit both those islands – admittedly only for a day as part of a cruise itinerary – but I remember loving Grenada, particularly the colourful market in the capital, St George’s, (referred to by its previous name Fort Royal in the book) with the smell of spices in the air.  In fact, I’m still using the nutmeg and mace I bought there.  Thirdly, I read Jane Harris’s first book, The Observations, some time ago but remember being captivated by its quirky narrator, Bessy.

Jane Harris repeats that feat in Sugar Money. The narrator, Lucien, engages the reader from the start with his distinctive mode of speech that is a mixture of English, Creole, French and his own individual way of describing people, places, events and his own feelings.  For example, after taking perhaps slightly too much rum: ‘Indeed, after several further swig, I came over all misty inside and considered myself to be quite invincible.’ I think many of us may have experienced the feeling of being ‘all misty inside’ after a touch too much to drink.  There’s some lovely humour as well.  During the voyage to Grenada in the rather dilapidated vessel owned by the strange Captain Bianco, Lucien observes a shooting star.  ‘Magical sight.  Perhaps it were a good omen.  For a brief instant, I allowed myself to feel encouraged.  But as the star died, trailing silver embers, old Bianco let flee a fart, startling as a blast of musketry, and the precious moment was ruined.’  I laughed out loud at that.

I also really liked the touching relationship between Lucien and Emile.  Lucien looks up to his older brother but at the same time he is an acute observer of his moods and innermost thoughts.  There might be a good deal of disputation and quarrelling but underneath there is loyalty and a real bond of love and affection. As he says, ‘I found myself too much in simple-hearted awe and adoration of my brother.’

In Sugar Money the author has taken what might be considered a footnote in Caribbean history and fashioned it into an adventure story crammed full of realistic detail.   The reader gets a detailed account of the preparations for the mission the two brothers have been given, including the process of convincing the slaves to take part and the discussion about how the escape will be managed.  I’ll confess there were times when I felt I was getting a little too much detail and the pace of the book slowed a bit but once the plan is under way the tension definitely builds again.

Behind the adventure story is a chilling depiction of the dreadful atrocities of slavery and the appalling life endured by the plantation slaves.  Worked to exhaustion, surviving on meagre food, subjected to the vilest and most cruel punishments, the women frequently the subject of sexual abuse, it is a life of misery and early death.   For the slaves of the hospital plantation in Grenada, what is on offer is the opportunity to escape the harsh conditions they are currently enduring in the hope of slightly less harsh conditions on Martinique.  The change of location does not offer them the prospect of freedom.  They will still be the possessions of someone else, put to work for the benefit of their owners with no say over their lives. In effect, they are being repossessed like objects.   Furthermore, there are dire consequences for the slaves should the plan be discovered.

Sugar Money is both a compelling adventure story and a powerful indictment of the cruelties of the slave trade.  I really did feel myself transported back to 18th century Grenada with its sights, sounds and smells conjured up brilliantly. In Lucien, the author has proved once again her remarkable ability to create a distinctive, original and engaging narrative voice.

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In three words: Atmospheric, immersive, adventure

Try something similar…The Observations by Jane Harris

Jane Harris (Photo credit: James Lipman)About the Author

Jane was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and spent her early childhood there before her parents moved to Glasgow, Scotland, in 1965. She studied English Literature and Drama at the University of Glasgow then trained at East 15 Acting School in London.

She started writing by accident while living in Portugal in the early Nineties. She says, “I had no TV, hardly any books, no money. And so, just to amuse myself, I started writing a short story. It was about an ex-boyfriend who happened to be a transvestite. I had such a great time writing that story that I immediately wrote another one, about another ex-boyfriend; all my early stories were about ex-boyfriends. I kept writing these stories and they were getting published in anthologies and magazines. By this time, I had moved back to Scotland, having decided that I wanted to be a writer.”

She studied Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, and then became writer-in-residence in Durham prison. It was there that she began her first novel, structured as a set of short stories. One of these short pieces was about a farmer-poet and a girl he acquires songs from. However, Harris says that as soon as she invented the voice of the girl, Bessy started taking over and she ended up ditching the farmer and focusing on Bessy and “Missus” – the woman who employs her as a maid.

The project ground to a halt at about 10,000 words when Harris started to write short scripts for her husband, film director Tom Shankland; two films, Going Down (2000) and Bait (1999), were nominated for Bafta awards. When she rediscovered her novel in a box in the attic in 2003 she says that she couldn’t believe she had abandoned Bessy. She sent the first 100 pages to publishers, and a bidding war took place between Faber, Fourth Estate and Hodder for UK rights. The Observations was published by Faber & Faber (UK) and Viking (USA) in hardcover in 2006.  It was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2007 and has been published in over 20 territories worldwide.  In the USA, The Observations won the Book of the Month Club’s First Fiction Prize and, in France, it was shortlisted for the Prix du Premier Roman Etranger.

In 2007 Jane was nominated for the British Book Awards Newcomer of the Year and for the Southbank Show/Times Breakthrough Award.  Her second novel, Gillespie and I, was shortlisted for Popular Fiction Book of the Year in the Galaxy National Book Awards in 2011.  Waterstones, the UK bookstore chain, selected Jane as one of its 25 Authors for the Future, and Richard and Judy chose The Observations as one of their 100 Books of the Decade.  Jane’s third novel, Sugar Money, was published by Faber and Faber in October 2017.

 

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