Fantasy, Mystery

Marsh, Kate: Ghost of a Chance (2008)

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ghostofachanceKate Marsh is a pseudonym for Katie MacAlister. As far as I can tell, “Ghost of a Chance” is the only book that is written under this pseudonym. Ghost is a mystery, a regular who-dun-it. The characters in Ghost are fun and the plot clever. The world created by Marsh is interesting and quirky.

Karma Marx is half poltergeist (father) and half human. As such she is especially well qualified to clean out haunted houses. But rather than send the haunters off to oblivion, Karma has a tendency to let them into her own house.

Unfortunately for Karma, she is married to Spider (a man of all qualities undesired). To get him out of her life, she agrees to clean out one last haunted house. Through nefarious means Spider has managed to get a hold of house with an existing owner (albeit a poltergeist). Adam, the poltergeist, is NOT interested in being cleared out of his house, nor is he interested in getting his house-guests cleared either.

In a true locked-house mystery fashion all the combatants gather, the house is locked down, and murder occurs. Karma has to discover who killed her husband: her father, her foster child, Spider’s partner or Adam and his house-guests.

Science Fiction, Thriller

Aldiss, Brian: Non-Stop (1958)

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Here comes quite a treat. Brian Aldiss is one of the classics within science fiction. His type of science fiction likes to explore the human psyche through adventure. While written in 1958 this novel is as fresh as if it had been written today. We get a look at what a Freudian/Jungian world could look like all wrapped up in a great yarn.

Roy Complain, a hunter of the tribe of Greene, lives according to the “Teachings,” which valorize egotism and violence. Along with his tribe’s priest and four others, Complain set off on a to “Forwards,” the front of the ship (as the priest assures them it really is), to find the “control room.” On the way they have adventure – battles, discoveries and unexplained phenomena. Eventually they find the “Forwards” section. From then on revelation upon revelation leads us to the inevitable and bitter (and sadly believable) conclusion.

Adventure, Fantasy, Humour, Mystery, Romance

MacAlister, Katie: Queen of chick-lit

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I think I’m finally getting a handle on what chick-lit is. The female protagonist is supposed to be ditsy but gung-ho. Studly, dudly, well-hung male is the job-description for the male protagonist. They fall passionately in love fighting it and each other all the way. Add to this cauldron of passion action and humor and you have chick-lit??????

While I’m not the biggest fan of the genre, I have read some. In my opinion most of it is so, so. Some of it is actually kind of fun while being really frustrating at the same time. The female/male leads are so ….

Katie MacAlister seems to be a big name on the chick-lit arena. It seems well-deserved. I’ve read her “Aisling Grey” series and a book called “The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires”.

The “Aisling Grey” books have great cover art. You can tell the books aren’t too serious, and they live up to that prediction. The cover art on “Vampires” is dorky, but typical of the genre. I’ll take “Aisling” covers any day compared to the alternative.

You Slay Me

Fire Me Up

Light My Fire

Holy Smokes

We meet Aisling Grey in “You Slay Me“. She comes off as somewhat of an air-head right off the bat. As her first assignment for her uncle Aisling travels to Paris to deliver a medieval object. Upon reaching the delivery address, she finds the recipient murdered and meets her male protagonist, Drake. Implicated in the circumstances of two murders, Aisling, the demon she summons for help (and subsequently can’t get rid of) named Jim, and Drake find themselves caught up in a web of lies and confusion that could well result in the demon lords of hell ruling the mortal world.

Aisling and Drake are pretty much what the books are about, with quite a bit of confusion added in. In “Fire Me Up” Aisling ends up in Hungary, having to receive her punishment from the Green dragon sept, find a guardian mentor and save the world from destruction. As we go on to “Light My Fire“, we see that Drake and Aisling still haven’t resolved their relationship. Aisling is still struggling to figure out her powers and has to save the world from imps and demon lords. When we come to “Holy Smokes” Drake and Aisling are getting ready for marriage. But life is never as simple as it might seem, at least not in the super-natural world and Aisling’s new status as demon lord has to be resolved. Being a guardian, wyvern’s mate and demon lord are just not compatible occupations.

I liked these books. They were light, fun and at times quite erotic.

“The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires” was along the same lines. Along comes a ditsy, non-believing female onto the super-natural scene and meets the incredibly hot man of her dreams, Theo. Theo loses his nephilim status and gets turned into a soulless vampire who needs blood, blood, blood. Portia’s job is to save his soul and herself from whatever the super-natural world has to throw at them.

Where the Aisling books were a fun read, Vampires was more work. The humor was off and the characters weren’t of the quality of the Aisling series. My advice would be to go with the Aisling books. There the author delivers what the genre promises.

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance

McGuire, Seanan: October Daye

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Seanan McGuire (that has to be an Irish/Scottish name) is the author of the October Daye series. She has a great website with all sorts of fun “facts” about fantastical things.

“Acacia” by Tara O’Shea

October Daye is part fairy part human. It seems the fairies like to mingle with humans, leaving their off-spring to make it in the world as best they can. This series is full of racism and prejudice. The unfortunate halflings need to hide their fairyhood from the humans and are thought of as “less than” by the fairies.

What I like about the October Daye series is that Seanan knows how to write. I’ve already written about her “Newsfeed” books written under the pseudonym of Mira Grant. You’ll find the quality of writing is as good in these books. The Daye books are lighter in spirit. They are about the parallel magic world of the fairy. Humor and action abound and some romance gets slipped into the text as well. San Fransisco is Toby’s base and love.

I like Toby’s character. She’s quite different from a lot of the urban fantasy characters that are out there. Somehow she seems more believable

ROSEMARY AND RUE (2009)

We meet October (Toby) for the first time in  Rosemary and Rue. Living with two cats, Cagney and Lacey, Toby is trying to make it on her own as a changeling in San Francisco.

After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, she’s retreated entirely from the fae community, spending her nights stocking shelves at a San Francisco grocery store and her days asleep in her apartment downtown.

Her days of trying to stay away from the fae community are about to end. When Countess Evening Winterrose phones Toby one evening trying to get help Toby is worried. But Toby wasn’t home when the Countess tried to get hold of her. Next time Toby sees Evening, she is dead. The gaes the Countess placed on Toby makes it inevitable that Toby finds herself yanked back into the world she thought she was leaving behind.

A LOCAL HABITATION (2010)

April by Tara O’Shea

A Local Habitation is the second book in the series about October Daye. It’s important to Toby to maintain contact with her changeling friends. There are all too many of them who find themselves caught between two chairs, unable to fit in anywhere. Fortunately for Toby, she has friends who are part of the pure-blood fae world. One of them is Tybalt, the king of the Cait-Sidhe, and Duke Sylvester Torquill, her liege lord.

Sylvester comes by her apartment seeking Toby’s help. He needs her to go to Fremont, near San Jose. His niece, January, seems to have gone missing, and the Duke wants to know what has happened to her (if anything). January is the Countess of Tamed Lightning, making this something of a diplomatic problem – trying to avoid war with the neighbours. Fortunately, Sylvester does not expect Toby to go alone. Quentin, a teenage Daoine Sidhe, is sent to help Toby if she should need it. Off they go into the land of adventure.

AN ARTIFICIAL NIGHT (2010)

The Blood Road by Tara O’Shea

Everything seems to be going well for Toby. Her PI business is busy, she visits with her friends and gets to sleep days. Then her friend (past lover) calls asking to meet her. When a fetch knocks on her door, Toby knows nothing but trouble is coming her way.

An Artificial Night brings Blind Michael into Toby’s life. The Firstborn son of Oberon and Maeve begins claiming the children of the Mists as his own – something he tends to do at regular intervals. Some of these children belong to friends of Toby and she is taking this quite personally.

Her fetch, May Daye, makes her worry about the success of her challenges. That is because fetches only arrive when you are expected to die, giving you the chance to set your life in order. But that will be difficult when Toby is running to one crisis or the other.

LATE ECLIPSES (2011)

“Lily” by Tara O’Shea

Late Eclipses is the fourth book in the October Daye series. After her challenges in An Artificial Night Toby is trying to live as normal a life as she can. But with her fetch, May, living with her, that isn’t exactly easy. May is pretty much Toby’s opposite – bright and cheerful and fond of healthy living.

Then a messenger from the Queen of Mists arrives. Toby is expected in her presence immediately. Toby brings May and her troll friend Danny along to back her up. Even though the Queen is the reason Toby has ended up with her own knowe, she despises Toby for being a changeling. Warned by Tybalt that the Queen is out to get her, it comes as a surprise when the Queen of Mists actually installs her as Countess Winterrose. But Tybalt warns Toby that she is being set-up for something.

In Late Eclipses we learn more about Toby’s mother. There is also relation stuff between Toby and Tybalt/Connor – you know, the whole who will she choose thing. A close personal friend to Toby dies and that brings more loss into Toby’s life – and responsibility.

ONE SALT SEA (2011)

One Salt Sea by Tara O’Shea

One Salt Sea begins as Toby is getting a grip on the management of her knowe. The Countess of Wintergreen is taking in refugees and letting changelings take an important role in dealing with the management of her knowe.

Then war threatens between the land and the sea. The sons of the Duke and Duchess of Saltmist have been kidnapped and the Luideag calls in her marker and tells Toby that she needs to find the boys before fighting breaks out. The Queen of Mists is suspected of being behind the kidnappings and Toby needs to both prove that this is not the case and to find the boys before their parents lose their patience.

One thing Seanan is good at is to show that not all consequences are fun for her characters. There will be a lot of that in One Salt Sea. I really liked the sadness along with the humor in this book.

ASHES OF HONOR (2012)

Toby is still recovering from the events of One Salt Sea. After having risked her life time and again, she finally realizes that she needs to ask people for help in doing things. And Toby does ask for help.

When Etienne comes asking for help, Toby brings the whole crew in on the job. His daughter has gone missing. The fact that he did not know of her existence is irrelevant to his wanting the girl back. Her name is Chelsea and she is around 15 years old.

The problem with Chelsea is that her fae side is strong. Her teletransporting is off the scale and it seems she has been kidnapped for nefarious reasons. It is up to Toby to solve the mystery and to recover Chelsea (hopefully alive).

Ashes of Honor was an easy read, like all of the October Daye books. Seanan’s writing is seamless, and that translates to flowing reading for me. I’m dragged down this river of words, not wanting to get off the river. Unfortunately, duty does call and sleep is more and more necessary as I age. Bummer.

Science Fiction, Thriller

Schroeder, Karl: Permanence (2002)

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French cover

“Permanence” is a stand-alone novel. Karl Schroeder brings us to a future where man-kind is spread across the galaxy. As he states on his website, he wanted to bring a new hard science into the world of science fiction. There, space-opera could run its course in whichever manner the book dictated. The added knowledge of our universe in 2001 made it possible to theorize in a new manner.

So in “Permanence” we get to meet brown dwarfs and the human habitats that surround them. Schroeder has used this knowledge about their strong magnetic fields to create a place where humans can exist. In this brown dwarf world interstellar cyclers are used to maintain contact between human habitats.

On one of these Halo worlds we find Rue Cassels. She runs away from home and finds an empty but functional cycler. She lays claim to it and in a race against other factors she works towards the right to ownership and the right to explore and exploit the cycler. We know right away that in such a plot there has to be conflict. There is plenty of that.

Schroeder has written a book that I’ve just read for the third time. There are some books that are like old friends. You don’t have to meet them all the time, but when you finally get together you have a really good time – as did I. Schroeder even managed to convince me to stay up late. Old age really does not teach us any sense. When I get a really fun book between my hands, I’m hopeless. Oh, well.

Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller

Meaney, John: Resolution (2008)

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Cover art by Jim Burns

While the third and final book in the Nulapeiron Sequence, “Resolution” lacks the brilliance of “Context“, “Resolution” is certainly a well-crafted book. Meaney’s work is moving, engaging and interesting. He manages to braid his thoughts on time and space into the text in a manner that fits in with the rest of the book. This is quite a feat.

Tom Corcorigan leads a complicated life. He’s on top or he’s at the bottom of the social ladder. His life is never the same from moment to moment. Love, friendship and home can change in an instant. I’m glad I’m not he. As in the previous books, we also get a look into the lives of the pilots.

In “Context” the Blight was defeated. But Tom is certain the war has not been won. He is worried that the Anomaly, the mother of the Blights, is on its way to Nulapeiron. There is no-one else that will believe him when he tries to convince them of the seriousness of the situation. Losing his demesne has made life a bit more challenging for him and Elva, but when his friend Corduven dies that all changes. Now they finally have the chance to influence matters. And what do you know, the Anomaly appears. From there on the action is non-stop.

The Nulapeiron is an intense series. The reader is drawn into Meaney’s world and kept there by the force of his words. His science fiction is fun and weird.

Fiction

Ragde, Anne B.: Family Neshov

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The story about the Neshov family consists of three books. The first one “Berlin Poplars” (Berlinerpoplene) is found in English. The link is to Amazon UK. I haven’t been able to find book no. 2 “Eremittkrepsene” (Hermit Crabs) in English, so that review will be in Norwegian (see below). I haven’t read book no. 3, so nothing on that. The closest thing to a website on Ragde was her publisher’s. I’ve discovered that not all authors find it necessary to have a website or blog (annoying).

GODT SETT: «Berlinerpoplene» ble sett av over 800 000 i går.

The characters from the television series – Berlin Poplars (Berlinerpoplene) – NRK.no

These books are the Neshov family’s history. While there are humorous parties, happiness is not the larger part of the books. For the main part the story is about the present, but we get a look at some of the history of the family as well. In “Poplars” the main characters are Tor Neshov, owner of family farm; Margido Neshov, undertaker; and the youngest brother Erlend, decorator. In addition we get to meet Tor’s daughter, Torunn, in part 2.

In part one of the book, we meet all three brothers. We see their lives and loves and worries. Tor is the oldest son. He lives on the farm with his parents, Anna and his father. They struggle to keep the farm going, not to mention keep their relationship sane. Margido is beginning to find his career as an undertaker a challenge. Some of the situations that he is thrown into are sad beyond words. While he is financially fairly well off, his emotional life has taken a beating. The youngest brother, Erlend, lives in Copehagen with his partner Krumme. Erlend decorates shopping windows and is passionate about crystal. The brothers have not met each other in years. Toward the end of part one their mother, Anna, becomes ill and all three sons are asked to come home. In part two Turid appears. She is the daughter of Tor but has only had sporadic contact with him. Her appearance in the lives of the brothers and their mother opens history to the reader and we get to see how the death of a mother can tear people apart. Secrets are told and not all of them are pleasant.

The ending is sudden, but appropriate. I really liked the Norwegian version. If the English one is as good, the reader can expect a moving story about a dysfunctional family.

“Eremittkrepsene” fortsetter der “Berlinerpoplene” slapp. Livene til brødrene og Torunn belyses enda en gang. Da farmoren dør, har plutselig Torunn blitt odelsjente og en del av boken handler om hvordan hun og Tor takler dette. Økonomien er heller laber og da Torunn kommer opp, er det virkelig behov for henne. Margido slites mellom kjærligheten og troen, men oppi det hele forsøker han å hjelpe storebroren. Erlend strever med selvbildet og troen på Krummes kjærlighet. Boka var knallgod og mørk. Det er lyse øyeblikk, men hele tiden drives leseren mot stupet man aner i det fjerne.

Jeg har ikke lest bok nr. 3. Etter å ha gjort ferdig toern følte jeg at jeg var ferdig med familien Neshov.

Biography

Brinkley, Douglas: The Wilderness Warrior – Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America (2010)

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Theodore Roosevelt Collection, Harvard College Library; Theodore Roosevelt in Arizona in 1913.

Once you remove the protective cover of the book, you’ll see that the whole thing is made to look old. The pages are layered, the font is old-fashioned and the pictures are (of course) black and white. Some biographies collect all of their photographs/pictures on a few pages, but I prefer the way Brinkley and his publishers have done it. This way they fit with the text and illustrate the author’s point. “The Wilderness Warrior” is more than an interesting looking book, it is also the story of Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt’s great interest in the preservation of nature.

Teddy “teddy-bear” Roosevelt (1858-1919) was the 26th president of the United States. Being 42 years old at the time of his swearing in, made him the youngest president ever. Nature played an important role to him from early on. As a sickly child, Teddy was home-schooled. To combat his asthma, Teddy chose physical activities as a way to combat the disease. His hyperactiveness probably played a large part in that choice. Later on he became an active hunter. He loved hunting and as a hunter he saw the need for preservation of hunting grounds. Through the power of the various offices he held, Teddy was able to promote this interest in nature and as president establish National parks.

Brinkley writes about Roosevelt in an engaging and interesting manner. He brings the man alive through pictures and personal anecdotes about Teddy. This is definitely a must-read for anyone interested in US History.

Adventure, Fantasy

McDermott, J.M.: Never Knew Another (2011)

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“Never Knew Another” is the first book in the Dogsland trilogy. What a dark and moving novel. We’re not left with a lot of hope for our protagonist after finishing this book. I’ve read complaints about the sudden ending, but I felt it was just right. The cover art fits incredibly well with the mood of the book.

There is no warning. Right off the bat the memories of Jona are drawn out of his skull by the Walker. Walkers are servants of the goddess Erin dedicated to hunting and killing the seed of the demon Elishta. Demon children, half human-half demon, are considered extremely dangerous, polluting whatever they come into contact with. Walkers are wolves with the ability to change into humans. Their ability to “merge into the mind of a dead man” is essential in their battle against half-demons. While delving into the memories of Corporal Jona the Walkers discover that there is another demon seed in the city of Dogsland, Rachel Nolander.

With her brother Djoss, Rachel has to hide her parentage from other humans. Burning is considered the best way to get rid of all traces of the evil that she is supposed to represent. Hiding who she is, is not a simple matter. Continuously on the move, only chance (or perhaps fate) brings her into contact with Jona, the only other demon-seed she has met. The hunt of Rachel becomes the prime objective of the Walkers.

Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Grant, Mira: Newsflesh trilogy

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Writing under the pseudonym Mira Grant, Seanan McGuire published the political thriller/zombie trilogy Newsflesh including the books “Feed”, “Deadline” and “Blackout”. I am anything but a zombie fan, but Grant has written a thriller that goes far beyond zombies. We become embroiled in politics and corruption, discussions on freedom of the press and get a look at dysfunctional societies and families. Excellent author that she is, Grant brings her characters alive and gives them depth and color. And the action. My goodness is there ever action in this trilogy. And death. Prepare yourself for a heavy toll on people who made me care about them. Did I say I liked these books??????? Keep on writing under either name and the world will be a better place.

The concept of the Newsflesh trilogy is based on the unforeseen consequences of biological research. By 2014 cancer and the common cold had been defeated. Unfortunately, the side-effect was that when you died you became a zombie and started feeding. Oops. The world was changed forever.  The mainstream media fell, Internet news acquired an undeniable new legitimacy, and the CDC rose to a new level of power.

by dust-bite

FEED (2010)

Set twenty years after the Rising, the Newsflesh trilogy follows a team of bloggers, led by Georgia and Shaun Mason, as they search for the brutal truths behind the infection.  When Senator Peter Ryman of Wisconsin decides to take a team of bloggers along on his run for the White House, Georgia and Shaun Mason are quick to submit their application.  They, along with their friend Georgette “Buffy” M. are selected, and they view this as the chance to launch their careers to a whole new level…that is, if they can survive the campaign trail. Feed follows the Masons and their crew into a world filled with the living dead—and the much more dangerous living.

Shaun Mason by Rowan

DEADLINE (2011)

In Deadline, the members of the After the End Times staff are reeling…none more than Shaun Mason, who can’t figure out what he’s supposed to be doing with his life now that he’s found himself unexpectedly in charge.  The arrival of Dr. Kelly Connolly from the CDC provides a new direction, and a possible new route into the conspiracy that caused so much damage just a year before. However, it turns out that Dr. Connolly’s arrival heralds more death and despair for the crew.

From All Forsaken

BLACKOUT (2012)

The world is getting more and more bizarre by the moment for Shaun and now Georgia. Both of them have had their worlds turned topsy-turvy and struggle to maintain their sanity and belief in humanity. Nothing is as they thought it would be and they are both bruised and battered. But there is hope. Not a great one, but nevertheless. The cost of a free press is clearly portrayed in the courage and sacrifice of the characters of this novel. Sometimes no price is too high to pay to share the truth with the general public.

Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Young Adult

Benson, Amber: Calliope Reaper-Jones

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The series about Calliope Reaper-Jones is urban fantasy. For chick-lit, they’re not half-bad. Calliope is a bit too much of an air-head for my taste, but she has her heart in the right place (at least I hope so). Benson writes well and probably enchants her target group.

The books about Death’s daughter are humorous and lighthearted mysteries with plenty of action and sleuthing.

In Death’s Daughter (2009) we meet a Calliope Reaper-Jones who is trying to suppress the knowledge of her heritage. But when her father is kidnapped, she once again has to return to the family mansion and try to figure out what is going on. To do that, Calliope is going to have to fulfill a quest, one where the competitor is the Devil’s apprentice.

Cat’s Claw (2010) continues where Death’s Daughter left off. She is discovering that trying to keep the family business running is a handful. When she has to pay her debt to Cerberus, Calliope finds herself with her hands full.

Serpent’s Storm (2011) has us back in New York where Calliope is once again trying to fit in with the rest of the world. But it doesn’t matter that Calliope is trying to stay away. Someone still wants to kill her and Calliope is going to have to do her best to stay ahead of the game.

Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance

Shearin, Lisa: Raine Benares

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The fantasy adventure series about the elven seeker Raine Benares consists of six books. These are:
  • Magic Lost, Trouble Found (2007)
  • Armed & Magical (2008)
  • The Trouble With Demons (2009)
  • Bewitched & Betrayed (2010)
  • Con & Conjure (2011)
  • All Spells Break Loose (2012)

Entertainment and adventure are the main focus of the books. There is action, some romance, more action and humor. Shearin writes well and manages to hold my interest through all six books. “Magic Lost” was a bit rusty, but the books have gotten better and better.

Raine is a fun adventure character. She is a finder of things lost and people missing. But what Raine finds best is trouble. Action and adventure begins right off the bat. Focus is mainly on the adventure and not so much on world building or character building. But as the plot unfolds, so does Raine (and her compatriots).

Her favorite companion in trouble is her cousin, Phelan, and her friend Tam (a goblin mage). As we move further into the series Mychael (Paladin) and Pieras (almost brother) assist more and more in getting Raine out of trouble. For the main part trouble is focused on a pendant called the Saghred (has its own mind). For some reason the Saghred attaches itself to Raine, and as Raine soon discovers the Saghred is not conducive to a peaceful life. From that point on, Raine becomes involved in an international crisis, internal goblin politics, an elven uprising and so on.

Adventure, Fantasy

Aaron, Rachel: The Spirit War (Eli Monpress) (2012)

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Miranda and Gin by Minna Sundberg

“The Spirit War” is book no. 4 in the story about Eli Monpress, the cleverest thief in the world. Eli lives in a world where magic is based upon the cooperation with spirits that live inside all things. Although full of action and deception, all four books are light-hearted. Aaron writes well and brings her characters spirit and verve.

About the book: All Eli Monpress wanted was the biggest bounty in the world. He never meant to have obligations, or friends, but master swordsman Josef Leichten and Nico, the daughter of the dead mountain, have saved Eli’s life too many times to be called anything else. And when a friend upsets your plans and ruins all your hard work, what’s a thief to do?

After years of running from his birthright, Josef is forced to return home and take up his title as prince. War is coming for humans and spirits between the Immortal Empress and the Council of Thrones, and Josef’s little island is right in the middle. But conquest isn’t the Empress’s only goal, she has a personal vendetta against a certain thief.

What started as a simple side trip to help a friend is rapidly turning into the most dangerous job of Eli’s career, but he can’t back out now, not when Josef needs him. But when you’re under attack from all sides, even the world’s greatest thief can find himself cornered, and it’s going to take all the fast talking Eli can muster to survive the next few days.

Fiction

Harris, Joanne: Coastliners (2003)

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“Coastliners” is yet another book I’ve read in Norwegian. I prefer reading in English if the author writes in English, but when I receive books as gifts here in Norway, they’re going to be in Norwegian.

“Coastliners” was fun. Harris’ characters are flawed and delightful with all of their imperfections.

On the island of Le Devin, off the British coast, the population is ageing and dwindling. The wealthy live on the la Houssinière side, while the poor live on the les Salants side of the island. As usual, the wealthy hold the power and this has been a source of no little resentment from the poorer population.

Les Salants has a serious problem. Each year the ocean comes closer and closer to the houses that hug the cliffs and dunes. Something must be done to redress the problem, but no one knows quite what to do.

Once Madeleine Prasteu arrives at les Salants, things begin to change. She is trying to recover from the death of her mother and goes back to her childhood vacation spot. After a while Mado becomes involved in the attempt to save les Salants and with the help of mysterious Richard Flynn a secret engineering project is underhand.

Fiction, History

Abulhawa, Susan: Mornings in Jenin (2010)

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“Mornings in Jenin” is a thought-provoking book about the Palestinian side of the Palestine/Israel conflict. It is the author’s debut. I read it in Norwegian, and the Norwegian translation was excellent. It got me thinking about how long conflicts can last, whether there is hope of reconciliation after such a long time and how on earth wounds can possibly heal on either side.

The story begins in the small village of Ein Had in 1941. All is well. The Olive groves have been harvested and the cycle of life continues as always. Seven years later, the Abulheja family are sent to live in a refugee camp in Jenin. Amal, is the main character of the novel. She has a bright and inquisitive mind, always seeking more knowledge. Through her story we discover what happens to her two brothers. Amal’s own journey through life is no less dramatic, taking Amal through childhood, marriage and parenthood.

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