THE NIGHTINGALE

This is my 51st book review on this blog.It feels like starting a whole new chapter and I wanted it to begin with something special.This book,ensured that it did!

This novel is set in Nazi occupied France in World War 2 and tells the story of two sisters,Vianne and Isabelle ,separated by years and experience,having different ideals and being in different circumstances,each embarking on her own dangerous path towards survival and freedom.Vianne does everything in her capacity to keep her daughter ,Sophie safe while battling starvation and invasion by SS Officers and Isabelle,always the rebel plunges headlong into the resistance by delivering secret messages during the day and smuggling downed pilots through treacherous mountains so they can fight another day.The people they meet,the family bonds,the hardships they endure,the frienships they forge,the love that blooms despite the circumstances or inspite of them changes them in ways unknown.Quiet Vianne and headstrong Isabelle ,neither of them will be the same by the time the war has ended.It is true---
'In love we find out who we want to be.
In war we find out who we are.'

My Views:What an exceptionally well-written book!The writing is flawless and it blew me away with its intensity,I had to pause and just breathe deeply at several points while reading it.I was instantly transported to another place and time.It was like watching them from close quarters.Have you ever experienced something like that?!I read it through two nights because you require some undisturbed quiet to read a book like this.Have u heard of books capable of changing the way you think?Books which make you question?It affected me so much and was so heart-wrenching that it got me all emotional.I cried for the characters.The relationship between the two sisters was so aptly portrayed.I admired Vianne and Isabelle for their resilience,indomitable spirit and ability to make the right choices in those desperate times.I kept hoping for a happy ending for all of them.At no point was there a dip in the interest level.The pace kept building,things kept happening.The horrors,the sacrifices,the ruthlessness and yet friendships and love thriving at a time like this.I cannot even begin to imagine what they must have gone through and how they survived it all just clinging on to shreds of hope.This is a book about how brave women behaved during the time of war.How at the end of it all it is said that, 'Men tell stories,Women get on with it'.It is truly a homage to all these brave people and their resilient spirit.Books like these serve to remind us never to take anything in our lives for granted,however little or much it may be.It makes us grateful for what we have.

It will be difficult to pick up another book for some time now.This story just refuses to leave me.Kudos to Kristin Hannah!I will definitely be reading more by her.

I loved this book and I am happy to chronicle it here so that I remember it as one amongst the best I have read.It is truly a novel for a lifetime.Highly recommended!

I rate it a 5 out of 5.   

THE SNOW GLOBE

...AND I'M BACK :) 

I was browsing the amazon bookstore for more new titles,when this cover suddenly caught my eye.It took me back to my childhood when I was given a small snow globe as a gift and I was so fascinated that I used to spend hours just looking at it and shaking it up.So when I saw this book,I wanted to know what it was about.

This story starts with Kiley Gray wandering into an  antique shop and spotting a snow globe.The antique dealer tells her the story behind it.Turns out,the snow globe is a not just an ordinary one but has the power to lead you to a happy place by fulfilling your desires and changing lives for the better.Since the family it originally belonged to has just one last survivor,she has given it away to this antique shop with the hope that it would reach the person who needs it most.Kiley and her friends Suzanne and Allison lead different lives and have different hopes and aspirations but they all need a miracle.Is the snowglobe truly magical?and does it change their lives for the better is what this story is all about.

My Views:Honestly,this is a holiday read.A time when miracles seem possible and there is general mirth,good-will and cheer all around.I tried to see if I could re-create the magical experience again even though we are almost at the end of February.I couldnt make myself love this book all that much.I am turning into the GRINCH!! :(

I thought Kiley's character was very shallow, she clearly believed in miracles and didnt think twice before taking a major leap of faith.Suzanne was selfish and presumptuous and Allison didnt manage to tug at my heartsrings either.I thought all of them were rather silly.I still loved the Snowglobe though.It was fun to imagine something like that but I wanted to snatch it and give it to someone who truly deserved it rather than these three women.Sorry if im being mean,but February does that to me and there was something about the characters that ticked me off.Also it was oh-so-predictable!The ending was very abrupt.It seemed like an untidily and hastily wrapped gift which you open only to find something you dont like.

Anyway....if you love holiday books,miracles and need something light to spend your time,go ahead and pick this one up.I still recommend that it should be read during Christmas,with magic in the air around you.It would have been better if I had read it in December ,when anything would have seemed possible.

I rate it a 2 and a half out of 5.The half is for the Snow Globe.

THE MINIATURIST

I was really very interested in reading this book ever since it was released.I loved the cover and found myself wanting to know what the story was about.

I was also deeply mesmerised by this cabinet house,featured in the book, made with marble,tortoise-shell and exquisite art work by brilliant artists,which belonged to Petronella Oortman of Amsterdam in the late seventeenth century and couldnt help but gaze at it admiringly more than a few times.This story was inspired by this miniature replica and is a totally fictional historical novel on Petronella Oortman and her cabinet house.

This story is set in late 17th century Amsterdam.It begins with an eighteen year old country girl Nella,who is married in haste to an older merchant from Amsterdam.Nella arrives to a cold welcome at the home of her husband Johannes ,for the first time only to realise that the reigns of the household lie in Johanne's sister,Marin's hands.The other resident of the house besides Marin is the orphan maid Cornelia and Otto an African servant,who has been brought by Johannes from one of his travels abroad.

Nella feels alienated and finds this new life very difficult.She realises that the house is full of secrets.Moreover Johannes,a busy merchant is absent most of the times and avoids any intimacy with Nella.Johannes soon presents her with a cabinet containing the exact replica of their house.Nella is initially offended because she wants to be in charge of a real house not a play one,but nevertheless she goes ahead and orders miniature pieces to go in the cabinet house.She recieves her miniature pieces which are beautifully and intricately crafted but soon realises that they are the exact replica of the people and things in the house.These pieces also seem to predict the future.She tries to meet the miniaturist to tell her to stop sending the pieces but they continue to arrive unsolicited.Nella now begins to wait for these pieces thinking that they may be the lifeline to save her family and a key to their salvation.But is the miniaturist really capable of doing that?Or is she just an architect of their downfall?

My Views:This story is set in late 17th century Amsterdam and if the setting is kept in mind than probably almost everything that occurs in this story can be justified.I was transported to that era and found myself drawn in the story,the power of the writing is remarkable.Only a few authors can manage to do that,make you live the story and Jessie Burton does a fabulous job at it.Full marks for creating a very real setting of 17th century Amsterdam along with the food,the smells,the unforgiving winters and the sensibilities of people living in that era.The plot was gripping and the surprises and twists were unexpected sometimes.

I loved Nella and the way she conducts herself in the face of all the unexpected events thrown her way.The strength of her character shines beautifully.I was surprised that her outlook could be so modern,considering that she was from another era,but then I thought,why not? and I lauded her fiesty spirit.I could emapathize with Marin and most of all with Johannes.The issues raised in this novel are so poignant not only in that era but also today,women empowerment,the choice to live life on your own terms,to be able to be the architect of your own destiny and just the basic right to free will.It raises pertinent questions and makes us think about issues we otherwise choose to brush under the carpet.The hypocrisy and high-handedness of people in a repressive society leading to altering innocent lives irrevocably,moved me emotionally.And what use is religion if we continue to exercise our tainted will in the name of God?

The only spoke in the wheel was the miniaturist and the explanation given for why she does what she does left me a bit unsatisfied.I was hoping for something which completed the puzzle beautifully but this last piece was still set at the wrong angle.

However that doesnt take away the fact that I enjoyed this compelling read and would readily recommend it to everyone.

I rate it a 4 out of 5.

QUEEN OF ICE

I wanted to read this book ever since I saw it featured in the local daily.The title caught my attention and the way the queen is poised in the cover against a snowy backdrop was alluring enough to make me read the blurb.When I got to know that it was about Queen Didda,who ruled Kashmir for almost five decades in the early medieval period in Indian history,I was facinated and promptly bought the book.

This book talks about Didda,the beautiful and intelligent princess of Lohara who also happens to be lame.However even though she is despised by her father for being a woman with a handicap,she gains strength from her mother and her maternal grandfather who constantly reassure her that she is destined for greatness.Despite having a cousin who bullies her and makes her miserable she finds allies in two trustworthy aides,who she cherishes as friends.One of them being Valga,a girl who is sent away to Lohara to live with an unloving aunt.Since Valga possesses exceptional physical strength she is soon appointed as a porter-woman for Didda and endears herself to the princess by being at her side at all times.The other unlikely but close friend happens to be a boy ,Naravahana who has been brought to Lohara as a stable-hand.

Very soon,Didda is married off to the ruler of Kashmira,the intemperate Kshemagupta in return for a little land.Didda ,stoically accepts her destiny and soon finds herself amidst a court in a foreign place which is ridden with conspirators.However ,Didda knows that she is destined for greatness and how she manages to turn her destiny, surmounting all odds is what this story is all about.

My Views:Let me be honest,I loathe history and anything that has to do with just plain facts and dates.That was the only reason I was reluctant in picking up this book.However I continued to be drawn towards it and finally decided to give in and read it.It was a wise choice.

The moment I began reading this book,I was instantly transported to a time in my childhood,when I used to listen intently to stories narrated by my grandmother.The simple narrative enthralled me.This story is narrated by Didda and Valga,alternating between these two voices and I found myself strangely drawn towards both the characters,albeit for different reasons.Valga's indecisiveness but unwavering loyalty,her undying friendship,her sacrifice,her possessiveness and Didda ,for her ambition,foresight,bravado,strength of character,resilience and vulnerability.Any story has two view-points and Valga's narration helps us to see what really happened because she was the only one who was in close proximity to Didda.The story moved seamlessly assimilating fact and fiction like a rich tapestry.I could see that it must have definitely not been easy for a woman to hold her own in tenth century Kashmir and I applauded Didda's integrity and single-mindedness when it came to ruling the land.

Didda also has another side to her which is cold,calculating and ruthless but it doesnt take away the good from her character.The way she faces those who antagonise her makes her an extraordinary woman.It is no wonder that she has coins minted in her name.I found myself feeling empathetic towards her.She does know that to gain a lot ,sometimes you lose a lot and accepts that unrepentantly ,all for the greater good,for her land and its people.She behaves like a true ruler who places her subjects before everything else and I think that is commendable.

However a lot is packed in one small book.It was not possible to effectively encapsulate treachery,revenge,power-play and deceit spanning a few decades in just around 200 pages but the book managed to make us realise the extent of it all.

My only grouse was that such a fine book could do with a bit more attention to editing.

The story was engaging and History for once,didnt feel like History.

I rate it a 4 out of 5.

FIRST FROST

It happens several times as it has happened in the past that I teeter over the brink of a reading slump.Thats when I pick up a dozen books lying unread from my shelf only to disconsolately place them back again.When that happens,I try to test waters first by reading a few pages and see if I feel invited to read more.The book I picked up this time was First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen.

This is a story about the Waverly Sisters,who are considered to be a bit odd by the residents of Bascom,in North Carolina where they reside.It is rumoured that all the women in the family have 'special gifts'.There's Claire Waverly who has started a successful new venture,'Waverley's Candies' which people cannot get enough of as they are really effective in recalling lost love or promoting happiness or soothing throats and minds.Sydney, is a hairdresser with a special touch and people drive miles to just get a haircut from her,Sydneys daughter Bay just knows where everything belongs.Even the elderly Evanelle Waverly has a special ability to know what another person would soon need and presents it as a gift.

However the Waverly women also have their own insecurities to deal with.Claire doesnt want to give up her catering business,Sydney is unable to have a second child, Bay has her love woes and Evanelle is dealing with old age and the pain of letting go.

The Waverly women however also have an apple tree in their backyard which blooms in time for the first frost and whoever eats the fruit from that tree is shown the biggest event of their life.Even though they themselves dont eat the apples owing to a distaste for the fruit they wait in anticipation for the tree to bloom which they believe will herald the end to all their problems.

But when a mysterious stranger shows up and challenges the very heart of their family,they must make choices they have never confronted before and hold themselves and their family together through the season of change,just waiting for that extraordinary event that is First Frost.

My Views:Like I have said many times before,I am happiest in this little corner of my world ,where I immerse myself and sometimes stay lost in the magic.When there is an overdose of reality,when I just want a moment or two in a place where apple trees bloom in time for the first frost and people celebrate this extraordinary event.Where even homes have a mind of their own.Where people get by with just a little bit of magic.

I am not a huge fan of Sarah Addison Allen and have read only a couple of her books.This book happens to be the sequel to 'Garden Spells' where we are first introduced to the characters.However It works as a stand-alone novel too.

The writing captivated me more than the story.Even though the basic premise was magic,that wasnt all that helped these women to get by in life.Sometimes our inner strength,the choices we bravely make and the lessons we learn along the way are more magical than any real magic.We spend all our lives trying to figure out who we are or where we're supposed to go and sometimes we meet people who we think are supposed to be with us throughout our journey but later find out that they are just co-travellers who are meant to go with us only for a while.

Sometimes the least likely things can complement each other like the fig and pepper bread she talks about.Opposite things can make perfect sense too.

Noone can snatch our identity away from us if we dont choose to give it away.It is all a matter of choice,how we live and who we are.The world isnt just ours,everyone lives in it,some people we can be ourselves with and some others we have to be less weird with.Sometimes one big common bond is stronger than a dozen tiny ones.Above everything else,living your life knowing that Happiness isnt a point in time you leave behind.It's whats ahead of you.Every single day.

Of course there were a few parts that didnt really hold my interest like the Great Banditi and his character in the story but the lessons learnt about letting go,being yourself,seeking redemption,were nicely incorpororated and that more than made up for it.

Read it when you are feeling particularly low and need a little magic to liven up your day.

I rate it a 3 and a half out of 5.