The Orphan’s Tale

The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff

A powerful novel of friendship set in a traveling circus during World War II, The Orphan’s Tale introduces two extraordinary women and their harrowing stories of sacrifice and survival.

Sixteen year old Noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier After this judgement by her father, she is forced to give up her baby. She lives above a small rail station, which she cleans in order to earn her keep. When Noa discovers a boxcar containing dozens of Jewish infants bound for a concentration camp, she is reminded of the child that was taken from her. In a moment that will change the course of her life, she snatches one of the babies and flees into the snowy night.

Noa finds refuge with a German circus. Here she must learn the flying trapeze act so she can blend in undetected, spurning the resentment of the lead aerialist, Astrid. At first rivals, Noa and Astrid soon forge a powerful bond. As the facade that protects them proves increasingly tenuous, Noa and Astrid must decide whether their friendship is enough to save one another, or if the secrets that burn between them will destroy everything.

Jenoff tells this gripping story in the first person narrative, switching between Noa and Astrid’s point of view. A novel of historical fiction, this book is well researched and seems to ring true to the era in which it is set. As children of Canada, never exposed to the atrocities of war, there were attitudes and actions prevalent in war torn Europe that we can, fortunately, not fully understand. Even though there are acts of unwarranted aggression and betrayal depicted in this story, The Orphan’s Tale is never the less a book of hope, love and generosity of spirit.

Review by Christine

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The Motion of Puppets

The Motion of Puppets by Keith Donohue

“In the Old City of Quebec, Kay Harper falls in love with a puppet in the window of the Quatre Mains, a toy shop that is never open. She is spending her summer working as an acrobat with the cirque while her husband, Theo, is translating a biography of the pioneering photographer Eadweard Muybridge. Late one night, Kay fears someone is following her home. Surprised to see that the lights of the toy shop are on and the door is open, she takes shelter inside.

The next morning Theo wakes up to discover his wife is missing. Under police suspicion and frantic at her disappearance, he obsessively searches the streets of the Old City. Meanwhile, Kay has been transformed into a puppet, and is now a prisoner of the back room of the Quatre Mains, trapped with an odd assemblage of puppets from all over the world who can only come alive between the hours of midnight and dawn.
The only way she can return to the human world is if Theo can find her and recognize her in her new form. So begins a dual odyssey: of a husband determined to find his wife, and of a woman trapped in a magical world where her life is not her own.”

Donohue weaves a tale of motion counter pointed with stillness in a story that reads like folklore. He interlaces the effects seen in pioneering motion pictures with the same jerky motion of marionettes. The police search for Kay stops and starts, leaving the reader and Theo alternately frustrated and hopeful.

The novel is a bit fantastic but a good read if you are able to let your imagination loose.

Review by Christine

Dam Busters

Dam Busters by Ted Barris

To an amateur student of world war 2 this book is nectar. While many books and a least one movie have been produced to chronicle this remarkable mission, Barris, no slouch, having written many books about the war, takes a particularly Canadian perspective.
The story centres around 617 Squadron, its commander Guy Gibson and 133 incredibly brave airmen that attacked 3 dams in the Ruhr valley on May 16-17, 1943. Two of the three dams were breached using tactics and a unique bomb designed by an eccentric engineer by the name of Barnes Wallis. The dams supplied hydroelectric power to the war industries in the Ruhr valley. The intent was to cripple the Nazi’s ability to produce armaments and divert troops and workers away from other areas. Historians still debate the efficacy vs the cost: 56 airmen lost or killed and 8 Lancaster bombers (not to mention some 1400 pow’s, slave labourers and civilians on the ground).
The Canadian connection has to do with the BCATP, British Commonwealth Air Training plan, which trained 133,000 airmen from all over the commonwealth at aerodromes from coast to coast to fight and die in Europe (of the 58,000 airmen lost in Bomber Command more than 10,000 were Canadian). When I took my private pilot training in Belleville, in the shadow of Trenton airbase, I routinely flew to airports such as Kingston, Picton, Deseronto, Oshawa etc. I knew they were WW2 training bases with their familiar triangular runways but had no idea of the scope of their contribution to the war effort. Also, many Lancaster bombers were built in Malton,  Ontario as well as spares and parts for other aircraft.
With a foreword written by none other than Peter Mansbridge, whose father flew in Lancasters during the war, this book is both a fascinating and sobering account of a time I hope is never repeated.

Review by Bob

Double Trouble Groundhog Day

Double Trouble Groundhog Day by Bethany Roberts, Illustrated by Lorinda Bryan Cauley

A family of groundhogs is preparing to hibernate for the winter when Grampie decides to hand over his February forecasting duties to one of the grandchildren. Gregory wins the task by drawing the longest straw. This decision made, everyone goes to sleep. But come February 2nd Gregory has lost his glasses and needs Greta’s help. The twins team up and the event goes off without a hitch.

This lively picture book about sibling rivalry and teamwork is beautifully illustrated and will capture the imagination of your pre-reader.

Review by Christine

The Fifth Season

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin

The Fifth Season is the first in  The Broken Earth trilogy.

“This is the way the world ends for the last time. It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world’s sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. It starts with betrayal and long-dormant wounds rising up to fester. This is the Stillness, a land familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy.”

This work of fantasy begins with the narrative in the second person, which is a bit disconcerting at first because it is an unusual way to tell a story. The first 100 pages of the book have a lot of world building in them and it can be somewhat heavy and plodding but if you can work your way through this it is well worth the effort. Once I knew who was who and what the setting was it was difficult for me to put the book down. In fact, I read all three books of the trilogy in less than 3 weeks, which for me, is quite a feat.

The protagonist, a girl called Damaya, has been “given” to a guardian because she exhibits characteristics of earth bending which according to the rules of the Stillness, must be harnessed and controlled by those in charge. The narrative flips back and forth from Damaya’s view, told in the third person, and narrative told in the second person, which is actually Damaya as an adult.

The series is action packed and fast moving. It explores the issues of mind control, alienation and subjugation of fringe groups, trust and betrayal, love and loss. The characters are deep and it is easy to identify with each one. All show tremendous growth throughout the series and it is difficult not to be invested in their lives.

For all you fantasy readers this trilogy is a must.

Review by Christine

The Island of the Mad

The Island of the Mad by Laurie R King

For fans of author Laurie R. King, here is a fantastic Sherlock Holmes & Mary Russell adventure.

The Island of the Mad is a co-operative effort between husband & wife in the beautiful city of Venice , to find the missing Aunt of one of Mary’s friends.   By using descriptions of the buildings , canals, cabarets, government agencies & daily life in this lovely city , it brings  this detecting  duo to life. With the mention of figures in history like Cole Porter & Mussolini, the story progresses  with great interest & excitement.

I enjoyed this book immensely.  I love books that take place in Italy. The added history & historical facts seem to be accurate , thus making the story believable.

Review by Romalda

The Silence of the North

The Silence of the North by Olive A. Fredrickson

In this biography we learn what life was like in 1920 in the harsh north lands of Alberta. At the age of nineteen Olive Fredrickson married a trapper and followed him into the wilds  where they led a lonely and perilous life. They survived near-starvation, winter life in a primitive cabin with a tiny baby as well as a terrifying trek in 50 below zero weather.

Nine years later Olive’s husband died, leaving her as sole support of three small children. Without family or friends to sustain her, she single-handedly ran a farm, fed and clothed her children and protected them from the menace of wild animals.

This true story is told in very simple language in the first person, past tense. The story flows naturally and easily. I was gripped by the adventures of this woman’s every day life and found it difficult to put the book down.

The Silence of the North is just one book from our small but mighty biography section here at the Lanark Highlands Public Library. Come on in and check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Review by Christine