The House of Memories, Monica McInerney

This is really different to Monica McInerney's usual offerings.  It's the very poignant story of Ella O'Hanlon, whose son has been killed in a tragic accident.  Ella runs away to London, trying to escape her grief only to find that's impossible.

Burial Rites, Hannah Kent

I finished this one about a week ago, but haven't caught up here since then.

It is a fascinating book, the story of Agnes Magnusdottir, the last woman to be executed in Iceland.  It is interesting not only because of her story, but for the glimpses of life in Iceland in the late 1820s, which is so far removed from my own experience that I can't really begin to imagine what it must have been like.

Agnes has been convicted of murdering two men, and condemned to death by beheading.  Until sentence is carried out, she is sent to live with the family of District Officer Jon Jonsson on their farm, and the book tells of their lives until her sentence is carried out.

I liked this book very much.  

The Light Between Oceans

The Light Between Oceans by M L Stedman


Winner of three ABIA awards for Best Literary Novel, Best Newcomer and Book of the Year
Winner of two Indie Awards for Best Debut and Book of the Year

The Blurb

This is a story of right and wrong, and how sometimes they look the same.

1926. Tom Sherbourne is a young lighthouse keeper on a remote island off Western Australia. The only inhabitants of Janus Rock, he and his wife Isabel live a quiet life, cocooned from the rest of the world. One April morning a boat washes ashore carrying a dead man and a crying infant - and the path of the couple's lives hits an unthinkable crossroads. Only years later do they discover the devastating consequences of the decision they make that day - as the baby's real story unfolds ...

My Review

I really loved this book, which is about the ethical dilemma this young couple face when the boat washes ashore with a dead man and a baby.  What should they do?  On the face of it, the answer is obvious - report the matter to the appropriate authorities and let them take over.  However, things are not so simple.  Isabel desperately wants a child, and Tom loves her very much.  What they do next has consequences that affect other people as well as themselves.  The book tells us what happens, not only to Tom and Isabel but also to others involved in the life of the little baby.

This is a story of people, and how a person's actions can carry through for many years.  As a study of the moral dilemma, I found it fascinating.  As I read about the other side of the coin, it became even more so.  I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about characters rather than a fast-moving action plot - it's definitely not that - but a most enjoyable read.

It's a start

My first book for the Australian Women Writers challenge is The Railwayman's Wife, by Ashley Hay.

The blurb:

In a small town on the land's edge, in the strange space at a war's end, a widow, a poet and a doctor each try to find their own peace, and their own new story.

In Thirroul, in 1948, people chase their dreams through the books in the railway's library. Anikka Lachlan searches for solace after her life is destroyed by a single random act. Roy McKinnon, who found poetry in the mess of war, has lost his words and his hope. Frank Draper is trapped by the guilt of those his treatment and care failed on their first day of freedom. All three struggle with the same question: how now to be alive.

 I really enjoyed this book, it's all about characters and how their lives are affected by an accident.  Quite often when I finish a book I'm ready to move on to the next one quickly, but find I want to live with these people a bit longer.

Reading Challenges

A couple of weeks ago I signed up to the Australian Women Writers Challenge. The purpose of this challenge is to encourage the reading of books by Australian women authors, and I decided to create a blog to keep track of my reading. I'm also using Good reads, so we'll see how it goes.
I found the Eclectic Reading Challenge too,but still undecided about that one.