Tag: December 2023

Categories
book reviews Squadpod Reviews

SQUADPOD REVIEWS: Lowbridge by Lucy Campbell

Published July 6th, 2023 by Ultimo Press
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Crime Fiction

Welcome to my review of the fantastic debut, Lowbridge, which was one of our Squadpod reads this year. Thank you to Ultimo Press for the copy of the book and chance to review it.

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SYNOPSIS:

A missing girl. Decades of silence. A secret too big to bury.

1987: It’s late summer and a time of change when a 17-year-old girl leaves the local shopping centre in the sleepy town of Lowbridge and is never seen again. Her unsolved disappearance is never far from the town’s memory. There’s those who grew up in the shadow of her loss whose own lives were altered forever, and those who know more than they’re saying.

It just takes an outsider to ask the right questions. 2018: Katherine Ashworth, shattered by the death of her daughter, moves to her husband’s hometown. Searching for a way to pick up the pieces of her life, she joins the local historical society and becomes obsessed with the three-decades-old mystery.

As Katherine digs into that summer of 1987, she stumbles upon the trail of a second girl who vanished and was never missed because no one cared enough to see what was happening in plain sight. Her trail could lead right to Katherine’s door.

In a town simmering with divisions and a cast of unforgettable characters, Lowbridge is a heart-wrenching mystery about the girls who are lost, the ones who are mourned and those who are forgotten.

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MY REVIEW:

“Everyone’s drawn to a good mystery, and Tess’s disappearance is the biggest mystery this place has ever seen.”

Shattered by the death of their daughter, Katherine and James move back to his hometown of Lowbridge. Looking for a way to begin to rebuild her life, Katherine gets involved with the local historical society and comes across a thirty-year-old unsolved mystery that still haunts the small town. Katherine begins to dig deeper into what happened that summer and comes across long-buried secrets that some people will go to extraordinary lengths to keep hidden…

Brilliantly written, steadily paced and compelling, this is a fantastic debut. Lucy Campbell has crafted an intriguing character-driven mystery that explores topics such as grief, motherhood, the essence of life in a small town and how the tragedy is still affecting those who live there decades later. Told in dual timelines, one following Tess in the months leading up to her disappearance in 1987 and the other following Katherine as she tries to solve the mystery thirty years later, there’s a claustrophobic feel to the story that comes from both the small-town setting and the bubble of grief that surrounds Katherine. Keeping us guessing, Campbell slowly unspools Lowbridge’s hidden history and dark secrets, building the suspense to a shocking and unexpected conclusion. 

With any character-driven story it is vital to have well-written characters and Ms. Campbell has certainly delivered. While Tess and Katherine are our main protagonists, the story is filled with a cast of authentic, richly drawn characters who draw us into their lives. Campbell makes us feel what each character is going through which ranges from typical teenage angst to much deeper traumas. In the past, everything is happening against a backdrop of us knowing Tess will soon vanish so I found myself searching for clues and trying to figure out who was responsible. But it was Katherine who leapt from the pages most strongly for me, her grief and heartbreak over the loss of her daughter radiating from the pages and seeping into every facet of her existence as she tries to find a way to move forward. It is impossible not to feel heartbroken for her and  think anyone who has lost someone close to them will recognise some part of that loss in her.  I was rooting for her to succeed in both her quest to uncover the truth about Tess’s disappearance and learning to live again.

Gripping, cryptic and heart-wrenching, Lowbridge is a superb debut I have no hesitation in recommending.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

*DM me for TWs

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lucy Campbell has worked as a writer and sub-editor across magazines, newspapers and non-fiction books. Lowbridge is her first novel. She lives in Canberra with her husband and three children.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

*All purchase links are affiliate links

Categories
Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2023

AUDIOBOOK LISTENALONG REVIEW: None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

Published July 20th, 2023 by Century
Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Fiction

Welcome to my review for the heart-pounding None Of This Is True. Thank you to Rachel Quin for the invitation to take part and to Century for the proof and audiobook.

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SYNOPSIS:

* AN INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER *
* OVER 6,000 FIVE STAR REVIEWS *
* AUDIBLE NO.1 SIX WEEKS IN A ROW *

‘Gloriously dark’ Lucy Foley
‘A moody, slippery novel‘ Gillian McAllister
‘One hundred percent brilliant’ Clare Mackintosh
‘Shocking and creepy and glorious’ Nicola Walker
‘Utterly addictive’ Claire Douglas
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Celebrating her 45th birthday at her local pub, podcaster Alix Summer crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie is also celebrating her 45th.

A few days later, they bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie says she thinks she would be an interesting subject for Alix’s podcast. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Alix agrees to a trial interview and indeed, Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated. Aix finds her unsettling but can’t quite resist the temptation to keep digging.

Slowly Alix starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it Josie has cajoled her way into Alix’s life – and into her home.

Soon Alix begins to wonder who is Josie Fair really? And what has she done?

* The Hi! I’m Your Birthday Twin podcast has been bought to life! Listen to all 4 episodes and find out more here *

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MY REVIEW:

“But she can’t shift the discomforting sense that there’s something else. Something behind this dark yet somehow typical story of a family blighted by the dysfunction of a controlling and dominant man… And as much as her gut tells her to believe a woman who says she has been abused, it also tells her that Josie is not to be trusted.”

Podcaster Alix Summers is out celebrating her 45th birthday when she meets Josie Fair who introduces herself with the words, “Hi, I’m your birthday twin”.  They run into each other again a few days later and Josie tells Alix she’s on the verge of big changes in her life and thinks she’d make an interesting subject for her podcast. Alix agrees to a trial interview and sees the potential for a great story in Josie’s complex and strange life. As they get to know each other the disquieting feelings Alix ignored only grows stronger as she realises Josie is hiding some dark secrets. And as Josie pushes her way further into Alix’s life and home, she begins to wonder who Josie really is and what she might be capable of….

Lisa Jewell never fails to deliver and showcases the full scope of her masterful storytelling skill set in this heart-pounding thriller. An addictive page-turner filled with delicious anticipation, sucker-punch twists,, and a ticking time bomb of dread, it had me on the edge of my seat from the first page until the last. And over a week after finishing it I still have no idea what is true and what isn’t. The mixed media format made it perfect for audiobook as the excerpts from interviews and podcast episodes brought the story alive and made me feel like I was listening to a true crime podcast rather than a work of fiction. And that ending! OMG. I was not ready and it left me with both my heart and jaw on the floor. A round of applause, Ms. Jewell. 

Alix and Josie are compelling characters who feel relatable with their familiar struggles. I’m the same age and could imagine being friends with them and sitting discussing our problems over coffee. Well, I could to a point, because as the story digs deeper into their lives it quickly becomes clear that there is something dark and disturbing lurking in Josie’s life. Alex senses this darkness too, but the journalist in her compels her to keep going and discover what secrets she’s hiding, to reveal the story. I went from seeing Josie as a sad, lonely, downtrodden woman to a predator waiting to strike. The warning signs flashed in my head and I listened in rapt horror as it descended deeper into the things nightmares are made of.

Dark, brooding, compelling, and unexpected, Lisa Jewell reminds us all why she’s the Thriller Queen with this nerve-shredding story. A must-read for fans of the genre, just make sure  you carve out a chunk of time before reading because once you pick this one up you won’t be putting it down until you’re finished.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Jewell was born in London in 1968.

Her first novel, Ralph’s Party, was the best- selling debut novel of 1999. Since then she has written another twenty novels, most recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including The Girls, Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs and The Night She Disappeared. Her latest novel None of This Is True was published in July 2023.

Lisa is a New York Times and Sunday Times number one bestselling author who has been published worldwide in over twenty-five languages. She lives in north London with her husband, two daughters and the best dog in the world.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*| Google Play

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

*These purchase links are affiliate links

Categories
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024 Readalong Support Debuts Tandem Readalong

READALONG REVIEW: Anna O by Matthew Blake

Published February 1st, 2024 by Harper Collins UK
Crime Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Medical Thriller, Psychological Fiction, Psychological Thriller,

Welcome to my review for Anna O, the phenomenal thriller that is set to be everywhere in 2024. Thank you to the Tandem Collective for arranging the readalong and offering me a place, and Harper Collins UK for the proof copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

ANNA O – THE WORLD WILL KNOW HER NAME

‘Certain to be one of the year’s best thrillers’ LEE CHILD

‘Reads like a dream but unsettles like a nightmare’ A J FINN

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*The instant global phenomenon*

*Publishing in over 30 territories*

*The thriller that will wake up the nation*

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ANNA O HASN’T OPENED HER EYES FOR FOUR YEARS

Not since the night she was found in a deep sleep by the bodies of her best friends, suspected of a chilling double murder.

For Doctor Benedict Prince, a forensic psychologist on London’s Harley Street, waking Anna O could be career-defining. As an expert in sleep, he knows all about the darkest chambers of the mind; the secrets that lie buried in the subconscious.

As he begins Anna O’s treatment – studying his patient’s dreams, combing her memories, visiting the site where the horrors played out – he pulls on the thread of a much deeper, darker mystery.

Awakening Anna O isn’t the end of the story, it’s just the beginning.

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MY REVIEW:

“Anna O, Sleeping beauty, a figure of myth and reality.”

Anna O hasn’t opened her eyes since the night four years ago when her two best friends were found brutally murdered and she was discovered in a deep sleep. Anna is the only suspect but ever since the debate has raged: is she innocent or guilty? And was she sleeping or awake? Answers are needed and time is running out, so the Ministry of Justice charges Doctor Benedict Prince, a forensic psychologist and expert in sleep, with the task of finally waking Anna from her long sleep in order to get them. If he succeeds, his part in the Anna O case will be a defining moment in his career, but will his theory finally wake the woman her detractors call Sleeping Beauty? After all, waking Anna O isn’t the end of the story but the beginning… 

WHAT. A. BOOK! Quite simply, Anna O is a masterpiece. Sleeping Beauty meets The Silent Patient, this astonishing debut left my jaw on the floor. Deliciously dark, atmospheric and unnerving, this has bestseller and blockbuster movie written all over it. From the moment I first heard about Anna O I knew it was a book I needed to read so I jumped at the chance to take part in a 100-strong readalong organised by the Tandem Collective. Before reading we were asked to vote if we thought Anna was sleeping or awake. I voted for sleeping, but would I be proven right? Or was Anna actually awake that night?

There’s always a danger with a much-hyped novel that you will be disappointed, but this one exceeded all my high hopes. Matthew Blake writes like a veteran of the genre and I am still in awe that this is a debut novel. He expertly intertwines masterful storytelling, compelling characters and vivid imagery to create this tour-de-force. He then adds references to real crimes, Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, Shakesphere, Hitchcock, and real conditions such as resignation syndrome that all add that feeling of authenticity, making it feel like you’re reading a true crime novel rather than a work of fiction. It is a Russian doll of a mystery; the many layers and multiple mysteries all hidden inside one another and then slowly revealed alongside the cleverly placed red herrings that held me in his thrall and kept me guessing. The multiple points of view and timelines in mixed media heightened the tension as Blake drops clues like breadcrumbs for us to follow. I HAD to know the truth and confess that I raced ahead of the reading schedule, but I was unprepared for a twist so shocking it threw me to the ground, stamped on me and left me for dead followed swiftly by that unforgettable finale. I’m still reeling.

Dealing with both the aftermath and build-up to a brutal crime, the book explores the ripple effect violent crimes have on not just those who knew the victims, but those who knew the person accused of the crime. A beautiful woman accused of a brutal crime and an enigma because she has been sleeping since that night, Anna is the epitome of a ‘femme fatale’ and leads perfectly into Blake’s examination of our prejudices and preconceptions about those who kill. He also examines our fascination with true crime, asking what it is that makes a murder capture the public’s imagination and attain infamy. Most unsettling of all, he shifts the fabric of our reality and turns our dreams into nightmares as he explores the things we don’t remember from while we are sleeping and the darker side of the human psyche. 

Suspenseful, twisty, cryptic and unputdownable, this phenomenal debut is destined to be THE thriller of 2024. A must-read for your TBR next year, pre-order this now to discover if Anna is innocent or guilty. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

After discovering that the average person spends thirty-three years of their life asleep, Matthew Blake felt the pull of a story. He began extensive research into sleep-related crimes and into the mystery illness known as resignation syndrome, research that sparked a thrilling question: if someone commits murder while sleepwalking, are they innocent or guilty? And so his novel Anna O was born.

Before writing fiction, Matthew worked as a researcher and speechwriter at the Palace of Westminster. He studied English at Durham University and Merton College, Oxford and now lives in London.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

*All purchase links are affiliate links

Categories
Beat the Backlist book reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Romance Novel, Gothic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Bildungsroman, Social Criticicsm, Fictional Autobiography

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SYNOPSIS:

Jane Eyre is one of the most influential English novels every written. Charlotte Brontë’s first published novel, it was immediately recognised as a work of genius when it appeared in 1847.

Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead, subject to the cruel regime at Lowood charity school, Jane Eyre nonetheless emerges unbroken in spirit and integrity. How she takes up the post of governess at Thornfield Hall, meets and loves Mr Rochester and discovers the impediment to their lawful marriage are elements in a story that transcends melodrama to portray a woman’s passionate search for a wider and richer life than that traditionally accorded to her sex in Victorian society.

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MY REVIEW:

I recently read this beloved classic after years of saying I’d do it and never getting around to it. When I was chatting to author Polly Crosby earlier in the year she admitted the same, so we decided to buddy read it together and dived in. 

Dark, agonisingly beautiful and alluring, I’m so glad I finally read this gothic classic. I’d always been daunted by the chonky size of this book and was worried I’d not love it like everyone else, but once I got over the hurdle of adjusting to the old-fashioned language, I was hooked. Polly and I decided to read ten chapters at a time before stopping and discussing the book, and it was after the first block that she told me she’d listened to part of it on audiobook. I discovered a forgotten download in my audible library and listened to the rest, something that enabled me to lose myself in the story. 

Following the eponymous Jane Eyre as she goes from childhood to womanhood, this is a story filled with love, passion, heartache and betrayal. It is a journey of self-discovery laced with sadness and hope that makes you feel a rainbow of emotions and I can understand why it is a classic. I love the gothic vibes that are woven into the story and Polly described it best saying that this is “the best kind of gothic! The monster is never the monster…” The infamous ‘madwoman in the attic’ was brilliantly written and I liked the uncertainty that surrounded her at first. I do wish that I’d read it when I was younger so I could have seen it through teenage eyes and felt more of the romance. Reading it now, as an abuse survivor who is a little jaded, all I saw were screaming red flags and problematic behaviour in her famous relationship with Mr. Rochester. But at the same time I felt able to separate my modern understanding of love and femininity with what those things meant at the time this was written.

There are a number of examples of Victorian prejudices, especially against women, threaded into the story, most notably in its portrayal of mental illness. While a number of characters struggle with some form of mental illness, the woman in the attic reveals the depth of prejudice against women who were battling these kinds of issues. The character in question is seen as a monster and treated as less than human, but Jane stands out from the crowd and speaks up to condemn the inhumane treatment and saying that she should instead be treated with empathy and dignity. I applaud Miss Bronte for using her writing to advocate in this way, something I am sure was influenced by her own struggles with clinical depression.

The book is filled with richly drawn characters who leap from the pages and will make you feel every range of emotion. Jane is fierce and feisty, especially when she was young, and I loved that about her. I also admired how she wouldn’t take people’s nonsense at a young age, no matter the trouble she caused for herself, and was rooting for her as she went in search of freedom and equality at a time when that went against societal norms for women. But she could also be very pious and frustrating. My biggest grievances centred around her relationship with Mr. Rochester and the behaviours she accepted from him and even excuses. That man was a walking collection of red flags and though I know it was a different time I still thought she should have taken notice of some of his problematic behaviours and it would annoy me when she’d get angry over something fairly trivial but excuse his more concerning actions. 

Overall, I adored this book and highly recommend it. Thank you Polly for making our buddy read such a joy. I can’t wait for the next one!

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

*These purchase links are affiliate links

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Dead Sweet by Katrin Juliusdottir

Published December 7th, 2023 by Orenda Books
Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Hard-boiled Mystery, Noir Fiction, Political Thriller Translated Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the first book in an exciting new series. Thank you to Orenda for the proof copy and Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part in the tour.

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SYNOPSIS:

When a celebrated government official is found dead after his surprise birthday party, a young police officer uncovers a terrifying world of financial crime, sinister cults and disturbing secret lives. Icelandic politician Katrín Júlíusdóttir’s award-winning debut – first in a breathtaking series…
 
**Winner of the Blackbird Award for Best Icelandic Crime Debut**  

‘A breathtaking political thriller from one of Iceland’s most exciting new voices’ Eva Björg Ægisdóttir

‘Katrín Júlíusdóttir skilfully weaves together intense family dynamics, dark pasts and criminal endeavours in this masterful narrative’ Lilja Sigurðardóttir
 
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A murder is just the beginning…
 
When Óttar Karlsson, a wealthy and respected government official and businessman, is found murdered, after failing to turn up at his own surprise birthday party, the police are at a loss. It isn’t until young police officer Sigurdís finds a well-hidden safe in his impersonal luxury apartment that clues start emerging. 
 
As Óttar’s shady business dealings become clear, a second, unexpected line of enquiry emerges, when Sigurdís finds a US phone number in the safe, along with papers showing regular money transfers to an American account. Following the trail to Minnesota, trauma rooted in Sigurdís’s own childhood threatens to resurface and the investigation strikes chillingly close to home…
 
Atmospheric, deeply unsettling and full of breakneck twists and turns, Dead Sweet is a startling debut thriller that uncovers a terrifying world of financial crime, sinister cults and disturbing secret lives, and kicks off an addictive, mind-blowing new series.

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MY REVIEW:

“There’s a lesson to be learned: life’s not a game to be played.”

Unnerving, tense and twisty, Dead Sweet is a strong start to an exhilarating new Scandi Noir crime series. Debut author Katrín Júlíusdóttir takes us on a turbulent ride of buried secrets, double lives, criminal ventures and dark deeds that are finally uncovered. She introduces us to Sigurdis, a young police officer with a traumatic past, who is finally given the chance to sink her teeth into a major investigation when celebrated government official Óttar Karlsson is found murdered on the beach after failing to show up for his surprise 50th birthday party. The police are initially stumped as to who could have wanted to kill this well-liked man until Sigurdis discovers a safe hidden in Óttar’s luxury apartment that reveals he was not the man anyone thought he was. The signs all point to a financially motivated crime but Sigurdis isn’t convinced and her gut is telling her this was more personal. But can she prove it? 

My love for everything Orenda publishes is no secret, and their translated crime fiction are some of my favourite books, so I was very excited about this one. I might not need yet another crime series on my TBR, but I knew it would be a mistake not to read this book. And once again they’ve struck gold. After reading this it’s easy to see why it was the winner of the Blackbird Award for Best Icelandic Crime Debut and Katrín Júlíusdóttir is undoubtedly an author to watch. Cleverly plotted, sharply observed, and skillfully written, she intricately weaves together a plethora of narrators and threads perfectly. She keeps you guessing, sporadically including old diary entries from an unknown narrator that add to the dark undertones already running through the pages. I was on a knife-edge from the first page right up until the surprising conclusion. I don’t mind admitting that I did not get this one right at all!

“Ottar seemed to have the psychopaths knack of adapting himself to the people from whom he wanted something, showing interest and understanding until his prey believed that they had found a soul mate and placed complete trust in him.”

I love the added apprehension multiple narrators can bring to a book and the different voices telling this story put the tension through the roof. Ms. Júlíusdóttir has packed this book with an array of realistic and compelling characters and while it did take me some time to fully connect with some of them, it was never confusing. I liked that it was always clear that Sigurdis is our central character and I thought she was a great protagonist. She’s likeable and easy to root for and has a dark, traumatic and heartbreaking backstory that only strengthened the bond I felt with her.  While Sigurdis is probably our most frequent narrator, Óttar is only ever on the page as a memory or a victim, Júlíusdóttir manages to make him feel vivid and three dimensional. We feel his sinister presence polluting every page as his misdeeds haunt those he left behind and every time I thought I couldn’t like him any less there would be more revelations that made me dislike him even more. Júlíusdóttir writes these fractured and flawed characters with honesty and sensitivity, allowing us to understand some of their actions and comprehend the trauma and pain they are living with, while never allowing it to feel like their wrongdoings are excused. Her exploration of their dynamics also feels authentic and appreciated the accuracy and relatability with which she wrote these characters and storylines. 

Intelligent, suspenseful and totally gripping, Dead Sweet is a must read for any thriller-lover. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Katrín is a Policy advisor and author. She received the Blackbird Award, an Icelandic crime-writing prize, for her first novel, Sykur (en: Sugar) in 2020. Her debut novel was reviewed well by critics and hit the best-selling lists in the first weeks after publication.

She was the Managing Director of Finance Iceland from 2016-2022. She has a political background and was a member of Parliament from 2003 until 2016. The Minister of industry, energy and tourism from 2009-2012 and Minister of finance and economy from 2012-2013. She served as the Social Democratic Alliance’s vice-chair from 2013-2016.

Before she was elected to Parliament, Katrín was an advisor and project manager at a tech company and a senior buyer and CEO in the retail sector, as well as the Managing Director of a student union during her uni years. She worked from a young age in the fishing industry, as a store clerk and took nighttime shifts at a pizza place. She studied Anthropology and has an MBA from Reykjavík University.

She was raised in Kópavogur, about 15 minutes’ drive from downtown Reykjavík. She now lives in the neighbouring town of Garðabær with her family. She is married to author Bjarni M. Bjarnason, who encouraged her to start writing. They have four boys.

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MEET THE TRANSLATOR:

Quentin Bates escaped English suburbia as a teenager, jumping at the chance of a gap year working in Iceland. For a variety of reasons, the gap year stretched to become a gap decade, during which time he went native in the north of Iceland, acquiring a new language, a new profession as a seaman and a family, before decamping en masse for England. He worked as a truck driver, teacher, netmaker and trawlerman at various times before falling into journalism, largely by accident. He is the author of a series of crime novels set in present-day Iceland (Frozen Out, Cold Steal, Chilled to the Bone, Winterlude, Cold Comfort and Thin Ice) which have been published worldwide. He has translated all of Ragnar Jónasson’s Dark Iceland series.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliopiles xxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

*These links are affiliate links


 

Categories
Podcast

BLOG TOUR: From the Library with Love – Podcast Review

Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours and author Kate Thompson for the invitation to take part in this unusual blog tour.

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MY REVIEW:

“Ordinary People with extraordinary stories to share.”

Today I’m taking part in a blog tour with a difference and reviewing an episode taken from the new podcast, From the Library With Love. 

Do you remember being 12 years old? For me it was a memorable year as it was the year my family relocated from our home in Sheffield to Bournemouth. I can vividly remember the excitement, trepidation and fear as I moved to this strange place where I’d have to leave everything I knew and make new friends. I missed my extended family and my friends, but I was comforted by having my parents and younger brother with me. Now imagine being that same age and having to move to a new country where you don’t speak the language and are completely alone. That was the reality for Gabriele Weiss, now  Keenaghan, when she boarded a train in Vienna in the dead of night and fled for the safety of Britain in April 1939 as part of the Kindertransport scheme, which was the organised rescue effort to rescue children living in Nazi-controlled territories and relocate them during the nine months prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. Now 97, Gabriele tells her remarkable story in what is one of the most moving and memorable interviews I’ve ever heard. 

Her story starts in Vienna, where she was born in 1926 to a Christian mother and Jewish father. When she was just eight years old her mother died and she went to live with her maternal grandmother as her father had to work away in the Jewish district. Though the Nazis were initially welcomed when they marched into Vienna in March 1938, things quickly took a turn for the worse and Gabriele became a target so, unbeknownst to her, her grandmother began making secret plans to get her out of the country to safety. This is a story of sacrifice, courage and resilience. A story that is harrowing at some times, hopeful and heartwarming at others. She is an extraordinary and inspiring woman whose story needs to be heard. Something that really struck me was how Gabriele is so full of positivity and gratitude, seeing the good in people even after everything she’s been through. 

The creator and host of this podcast is author Kate Thompson, who started From the Library With Love after embarking on a challenge to speak to one library worker for each of the 100 years Bethnal Green Public Library had been open. The story of that library becoming an Underground library during the Blitz was the basis of The Little Wartime Library, which I read last year. She launched the podcast – or as she’d rather call them, ‘talking stories’- in August, and as someone who has always loved true stories I knew this was right up my street. Kate is a fantastic interviewer. She is empathetic, knowledgeable,  asks great questions, gives Gabriele space to talk and you can tell she is really listening to her answers. When I was listening it felt like I was in the room with two friends who were just having a chat, albeit about something truly exceptional. 

Powerful, poignant, warm and unforgettable, this is a podcast everyone should listen to. It does get emotional though so I recommend having tissues nearby, as I will do when I binge the remaining episodes later today. Thank you, Kate, for creating this podcast and allowing these important stories to be heard. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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LINK TO THE PODCAST:

ttps://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/from-the-library-with-love/id1705546837

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MEET THE AUTHOR

Kate Thompson was born in London and worked as a journalist for twenty years on women’s magazines and national newspapers. She now lives in Sunbury with her husband, two sons and two rescue dogs. After ghost writing five memoirs, Kate moved into fiction. Kate’s first non-fiction social history documenting the forgotten histories of East End matriarchy, The Stepney Doorstep Society, was published in 2018 by Penguin. She is passionate about capturing lost voices and untold social histories.

Today Kate works as a journalist, author and library campaigner. Her most recent books, The Little Wartime Library (2022) and The Wartime Book Club (2023) by Hodder & Stoughton focus on two remarkable libraries in wartime. Her 100 libraries project, celebrates the richness and complexity of librarians work and the vital role of libraries in our communities.

Podcast host – From the Library With Love. Interviews with librarians, best-sellling authors and our remarkable wartime generation.

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.