Kate Forsyth's Blog, page 12

The classic novel Zorba the Greek is the story of two men, their incredible friendship, and the importance of living life to the fullest. Zorba, a Greek working man, is a larger-than-life character, energetic and unpredictable. He accompanies the unnamed narrator to Crete to work in the narrator’s lignite mine, and the pair develops a singular relationship.

The post BOOK REVIEW: Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis appeared first on Kate Forsyth.

Drawing on Maggie O'Farrell's long-term fascination with the little-known story behind Shakespeare's most enigmatic play, HAMNET is a luminous portrait of a marriage, at its heart the loss of a beloved child.

The post BOOK REVIEW: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell appeared first on Kate Forsyth.

The eldest was a razor-sharp novelist of upper-class manners; the second was loved by John Betjeman; the third was a fascist who married Oswald Mosley; the fourth idolized Hitler and shot herself in the head when Britain declared war on Germany; the fifth was a member of the American Communist Party; the sixth became Duchess of Devonshire [...]

The post VINTAGE BOOK REVIEW: Take Six Girls: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters by Laura Thompson appeared first on Kate Forsyth.

Fiercely independent Daisy Chance has a dream—and it doesn’t involve marriage or babies (or being under any man’s thumb). Raised in poverty, she has a passion—and a talent—for making beautiful clothes. Daisy aims to become the finest dressmaker in London.

The post The Summer Bride by Anne Gracie appeared first on Kate Forsyth.

Bored and restless in London's Restoration Court, Lady Dona escapes into the British countryside with her restlessness and thirst for adventure as her only guides. Eventually Dona lands in remote Navron, looking for peace of mind [...]

The post VINGTAGE BOOK REVIEW: Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier appeared first on Kate Forsyth.

Life can be hard: your lover cheats on you; you lose a family member; you can’t pay the bills - and it can be great: you've had the hottest sex of your life; you get that plum job; you muster the courage to write your novel. Sugar - the once-anonymous online columnist at The Rumpus [...]

The post VINTAGE BOOK REVIEW:Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Someone Who’s Been There by Cheryl Strayed appeared first on Kate Forsyth.

Inspired by true events, this is the story of how society's 'lovely ladies' won a war. Each year at secluded Shillings Hall, in the snow-crisped English countryside, the mysterious Miss Lily draws around her young women selected from Europe's royal and most influential families [...]

The post VINTAGE BOOK REVIEW: Miss Lily’s Lovely Ladies by Jackie French appeared first on Kate Forsyth.

From the high seas to the deep seabed, from the latticed verandahs of Buccaneer Bay to the gambling dens in Asia Place, The Pearler's Wife is a stunning debut, inspired by a small yet pivotal moment in Australian history. A distant land. A dangerous husband. A forbidden love [...]

The post VINTAGE BOOK REVIEW: The Pearler’s Wife by Roxane Dhand appeared first on Kate Forsyth.

Britain is a nation of bird-lovers. However, few of us fully appreciate the sheer scale, variety and drama of our avian life. From city-centre hunters to vast flocks straight out of the Arctic wilderness, much-loved dawn songsters to the exotic invaders of supermarket car parks [...]

The post VINTAGE BOOK REVIEW:A Sky Full of Birds: In Search of Britain’s Great Bird Gatherings by Matt Merritt appeared first on Kate Forsyth.

This book is based on the life of Nancy Wake, an Australian expat who worked as a reporter for Hearst in Paris just before WWII and later as a spy for the British. Lawhon throws readers into the middle of the action, as Nancy, under the alias Hélène [...]

The post appeared first on Kate Forsyth.