East of the Sun

EAST OF THE SUN by Julia Gregson

"Autumn 1928. Three young women are on their way to India, each with a new life in mind. Rose, a beautiful but naïve bride-to-be, is anxious about leaving her family and marrying a man she hardly knows. Victoria, her bridesmaid couldn t be happier to get away from her overbearing mother, and is determined to find herself a husband. And Viva, their inexperienced chaperone, is in search of the India of her childhood, ghosts from the past and freedom. "

A great tale. I enjoyed it immensely.

Angels, Divorcee's and Commoners...

I've been stacking up books I have read and want to share:

FALLING ANGELS

FALLING ANGELS by Tracy Chevalier.


I have read several other books by this author: The Girl with One Pearl Earring, and The Girl and the Unicorn. These were both interesting novels written around a specific piece of real art. Falling Angels was somewhat different, but an enjoyable read.

"Falling Angels chronicles the lives of two girls whose families own adjacent plots in a London cemetery—one decorated with a sentimental angel, the other with an elaborate urn. During a ceremonial stroll through the graveyard grounds, an act of mourning for the recently deceased Queen Victoria, Maude Coleman and Lavinia Waterhouse meet, forging a fast friendship."

This story focuses on Women's Suffrage in London in the early 1900's. I think the author's portrayal of the role of women during this time was accurate and interesting.

THE DEBUTANTE DIVORCEE

By Plum Sykes

This book is the color of cotton candy and read like a large box of chocolates. It was very fun to read and described as a "Jane Austen-like romantic comedy of errors". If you ever wanted to examine the lives of the rich and frivolous, this is the place to go. The author is a contributing editor at Vogue and writes for Vanity Fair and knows her material!


THE COMMONER

By John Burnham Schwartz

I did not realize until I did some research that this book is based on a true story...

"The true story on which the novel is based is well known. In 1957, the Japanese crown prince, Akihito, met a beautiful young woman, Michiko Shoda, on a tennis court. She became the first commoner to marry into the imperial family. Despised by her mother-in-law as an upstart and interloper, Michiko eventually succumbed to a depression so intense that she temporarily lost the ability to speak. A generation later, her eldest son, Prince Naruhito, also fell in love with a commoner — again with dreadful results. "

This was an interesting story, but after reading all the Phillipa Gregory and Nora Lofts novels about the Queens of England, it was sadly lacking in detail and court intrigue.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

I know I haven't posted any books in a while. But, I have been reading quite a few. I just finished a book called "Little Bee". On the back cover it says: "Once you have read it, you'll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens. The magic is in how the story unfolds".

So, I'm not going to tell you much about it, except that it raises awareness of a political situation, and tells a story about two women. I really liked it. I think you will too.

Some parts are disturbing and hard to read, but actually told in a very matter of fact way. I've seen the book around, but at a Memorial Day barbeque a friend recommended it to me, and a few days later I found it in a thrift store and decided to try it. By the way, she didn't tell me much about it - just that she couldn't wait to get back to reading it!