This novel takes place in three time periods. In the present, Yung Ling Teoh, a retired judge, looks back on her life during the Malayan Emergency in 1951. A former prisoner of the Japanese, she had apprenticed herself to Aritomo, once the gardener to the Emperor of Japan. She wishes to learn the art of … Continue reading One Minute Book Review – The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
Historical fiction
One Minute Book Review – Affinity by Sarah Waters
Margaret Prior is an well-to-do spinster who is recovering from her father's death and her own failed suicide attempt. Hoping to bring some purpose to her life, she volunteers as a ‘Lady Visitor’ at Millbank Prison. There she becomes entranced by Selina Dawes, a spiritual medium imprisoned for fraud and assault. The story covers a … Continue reading One Minute Book Review – Affinity by Sarah Waters
One Minute Book Review – An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
A thoroughly researched historical mystery set mainly in Oxford in 1663 against the religious and political turmoil following on from the Protectorate and the restoration of Charles II. It deals with a suspicious death and the ensuing trial from four differing viewpoints. None of the narrators is completely reliable but each retelling reveals new aspects … Continue reading One Minute Book Review – An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
One Minute Book Review – Touching Distance by Rebecca Abrams
A compelling story, based on fact, which follows the quest by a doctor, Alec Gordon, to discover the cause of an extended outbreak of puerperal fever which is killing newly delivered mothers. It follows the fortunes of his own marriage as well as his battle against the preconceived notions and vested medical interests of his … Continue reading One Minute Book Review – Touching Distance by Rebecca Abrams
One Minute Book Review – The Witch and her Soul by Christina Middleton
This is historical fiction at its very best, taking what is known and filling in the gaps in the record with plausible fiction. The story follows the life of Jane Southworth from her childhood to the Lancaster Assizes in 1612 where she was tried for witchcraft as one of the Samlesbury witches. It also touches … Continue reading One Minute Book Review – The Witch and her Soul by Christina Middleton
Catherine Meyrick 