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Book review: The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver
Title: The Two Lives of Lydia Bird
Author: Josie Silver
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Penguin
Publication date: 30th January 2020
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Summary:
“Lydia and Freddie. Freddie and Lydia. They’ve been together for almost a decade, and Lydia thinks their love is indestructible.
But she’s wrong. Because on her 27th birthday, Freddie dies in a car accident.
So now it’s just Lydia, and all she wants to do is hide indoors and sob ’til her eyes fall out. But Lydia knows that Freddie would want her to live her life well. So, enlisting the help of his best friend and her sister Elle, she takes her first tentative steps into the world and starts to live – perhaps even to love – again.
But then something inexplicable happens, which gives her another chance at her old life with Freddie. A life where none of the tragic events of the past few months have happened. But what if there’s someone in in her new life who wants her to stay? “
My review:
Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her fiancé, Freddie, is killed in a car accident. This book follows her feelings ranging from grief, despair and disbelief as she struggles to come to terms with the unexpected turn of events and losing the love of her life so suddenly. The beautiful and raw storyline captured my attention right from the start and I liked how the focus never strayed far from the emotions Lydia felt and her attempt to pick herself up. I quickly warmed to her character and wished that she would eventually find happiness again.
An interesting and fitting storytelling element in The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is the dual story lines as Lydia drifts from reality to a dreamlike state where Freddie is still alive. Although she is somewhat aware that she is dreaming, she yearns to stay in her dreams to avoid facing the harsh reality. This was a powerful writing tool and one which allowed for the reader to get to know Freddie while also connecting with Lydia.
At around the halfway mark Lydia knows that she must find her way back to reality and her struggles and worries become real. I liked the introduction of the minor characters, from her family members to her coworkers, and was sincerely hoping that they would be enough to help her through her hardships. The pacing felt just right as the author takes us on an emotional journey over several months as Lydia connects with the outside world and deals with her grief using various coping mechanisms.
There were only a few ways that this book could end in order to both please the reader and give closure to Lydia and I guessed it correctly from the beginning which ultimately left me a little disappointed. Nevertheless, it was perhaps the only satisfactory ending and I understand the author’s decision to follow this path. Josie Silver has delivered another heartbreaking and tender novel with a set of beautifully complex characters. I thoroughly enjoyed her previous novel, One Day in December, and feel the same way about The Two Lives of Lydia Bird. I can’t recommend her writing enough to readers who seek emotional and powerful books which explore life’s burdens with sensitivity and compassion.
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Book review: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
Title: The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Author: Heather Morris
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Zaffre
Publication date: 11th January 2018
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Synopsis:
I tattooed a number on her arm. She tattooed her name on my heart.
In 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival – scratching numbers into his fellow victims’ arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust.
Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale – a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer – it was love at first sight. And he was determined not only to survive himself, but to ensure this woman, Gita, did, too.
So begins one of the most life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable and human stories of the Holocaust: the love story of the tattooist of Auschwitz.My review:
This was an incredibly difficult book to put down despite how harrowing and complex the subject matter is. Perhaps what makes it even more challenging is the knowledge from the start that it tells the true story of Lale, a survivor of Auschwitz, and that all the difficulties he faced as the tattooist were real. It may be a horrifying story but the overwhelming themes of courage, loyalty and the willingness to survive are present throughout making the book truly gripping.
Apart from the strong willed character of Lale, this book also manifests similar strong traits through the hardships that Gita and Cilka lived through, from disease to malnutrition to abuse. The writing is very matter-of-fact and the author doesn’t delve much into the characters emotions, yet as the event of Auschwitz unfold, the reader is able to interpret the mixture of feelings experienced in such a confinement.
I am pleased that I decided to read this novel after much doubt. It is important that stories like Lale’s are retold and reconstructed so the horrors of war are not forgotten and are avoided. What made this book stand out from others in this genre was the brilliant way that the author gave Lale a voice and retold his story with honesty, proving how sincere relationships can form even in the most extreme situations. Everyone must read this book, regardless of the intricacy it boasts, to fully appreciate the buried memoirs of many prisoners that are finally being unearthed.
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Book review: The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae by Stephanie Butland
Title: The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae
Author: Stephanie Butler
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Zaffre
Publication date: 19th April 2018
My rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis:
Ailsa Rae is learning how to live.
She’s only a few months past the heart transplant that – just in time – saved her life. Life should be a joyful adventure. But . . .
Her relationship with her mother is at breaking point.
She knows she needs to find her father.
She’s missed so much that her friends have left her behind.
She’s felt so helpless for so long that she’s let polls on her blog make her decisions for her. And now she barely knows where to start on her own.
And then there’s Lennox. Her best friend and one time lover. He was sick too. He didn’t make it. And now she’s supposed to face all of this without him.
But her new heart is a bold heart.
She just needs to learn to listen to it . . .My review:
This was a simply marvelous read and I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the courageous and quirky Ailsa Rae. The author has developed a very likable character in Ailsa and it was a pleasure joining her in her adventures such as learning to Tango, discovering love and finding her father. Despite the tough subject matter, the author explores Ailsa’s courage through her positive stance in receiving her new heart by fearlessly throwing herself into all life has to offer. I especially liked her dedication to her blog and the connection she developed with her followers, basing each decision on their comments but also enjoyed her persistence and willingness to make her own decisions as her confidence grew.
Seb plays an interesting part in this book and I enjoyed seeing his friendship with Ailsa flourish. Although their mutual condition of post-operation recovery originally unites them, it soon becomes clear that there is a romantic touch to their relationship that they are keen to explore. However, I still don’t believe that the romantic part of this book overrides the other predominant themes and I would struggle to mark this book as romance only.
For me the most appealing part of the book is the need to find your true self and live life to the fullest. The author took a very difficult subject and presented this concept beautifully through Ailsa’s character which made this book even more engaging and enjoyable to read. I think I will remember it for a very long time and I am glad to have stumbled across it.