Well Begun – Some Books I Love

Every story has a beginning, an opening line. With some novels that the first sentence contain resonances for the whole novel, echoes or hints of what will come. Others reveal their themes slowly, line by line, over the first few paragraphs. Whatever the style of opening, the best offer a tantalising invitation to read on. … Continue reading Well Begun – Some Books I Love

Book Review: Ancestry by Simon Mawer

‘A past that only consists of the artefacts is like a skeleton unearthed in an archaeological dig. Where is the flesh and blood? Who were the people? What did they feel? Where have they gone?‘ (Ancestry p.1) In Ancestry, Simon Mawer imagines the flesh and blood of two sets of his great-great-grandparents, ordinary people from … Continue reading Book Review: Ancestry by Simon Mawer