Welcome to the Christmas Book Fair with some novels that would make amazing gifts.
The first novel is one I can highly recommend and is by Mary Smith …No More Mulberries
No More Mulberries is a story of commitment and divided loyalties, of love and loss, set against a country struggling through transition.
British-born Miriam’s marriage to her Afghan doctor husband is heading towards crisis. Despite his opposition, she goes to work as a translator at a medical teaching camp in a remote area of rural Afghanistan hoping time apart will help are see where their problems lie. She comes to realise how unresolved issues from when her first husband was killed by a mujahideen group are damaging her relationship with her husband and her son – but is it already too late to save her marriage?
One of the recent reviews for the book on Goodreads
No More Mulberries is the beautifully written story of Miriam and Iqbal, and of their family and working life in the rural village of Sang-i-Sia, Afghanistan. Miriam is a midwife who was born in Scotland, but wholeheartedly takes on the traditions and culture of her life in Afghanistan. Iqbal, her husband, is a doctor who has returned home after experiencing far more freedom when he lived in Pakistan.
This is Miriam’s second marriage and as the story develops it becomes clear that her first husband, Jawad, with whom she had a son, Farid, was murdered. Now, she and Iqbal also have a daughter together, Ruckshana.
At the start of the story there is already tension building in the relationship as Miriam takes umbrage when Iqbal cancels the English lessons she was giving to some boys as he felt they were inappropriate. This tension escalates when their boss, Jeanine, arrives, to carry out an inspection of the clinics they run.
Soon Miriam has to take decisions that she knows Iqbal won’t like and ends up facing her past, many years after she should have done. But maybe, just maybe, this is what’s needed to bring her and Iqbal back together.
There is such a delightful attention to detail in this wonderful book. It felt completely authentic and I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing life in Afghanistan in the 1990’s. Highly recommended.
Read the reviews and buy the book : Amazon US – And: Amazon UK
Also by Mary Smith
Read the reviews and buy the books:Amazon US – and: Amazon UK – Blog: Mary Smith’s Place – Goodreads: Goodreads – Twitter: @marysmithwriter
The next novel, which is another of my personal recommendations is by Claire Fullerton and Little Tea.
About the book.
Southern Culture … Old Friendships … Family Tragedy
One phone call from Renny to come home and “see about” the capricious Ava and Celia Wakefield decides to overlook her distressful past in the name of friendship.
For three reflective days at Renny’s lake house in Heber Springs, Arkansas, the three childhood friends reunite and examine life, love, marriage, and the ties that bind, even though Celia’s personal story has yet to be healed. When the past arrives at the lake house door in the form of her old boyfriend, Celia must revisit the life she’d tried to outrun.
As her idyllic coming of age alongside her best friend, Little Tea, on her family’s ancestral grounds in bucolic Como, Mississippi unfolds, Celia realizes there is no better place to accept her own story than in this circle of friends who have remained beside her throughout the years. Theirs is a friendship that can talk any life sorrow into a comic tragedy, and now that the racial divide in the Deep South has evolved, Celia wonders if friendship can triumph over history.
One of the recent reviews for the book
Claire Fullerton has a rare gift of understanding the power of language and excels at the succinct choice of the written word to convey meaning. Her linguistic expertise provides a melodic flow not only to her dialogue, but to the subtle nuance of the voice and interplay of her characters. In Little Tea, Fullerton’s genius reaches new levels of achievement providing the reader not only with a lyrical, meaningful, and magical story of friendship, family, and challenge, but a difficult conundrum as well. We must decide whether to move ahead with the compelling plot to discover how the story unfolds, or to slowly savor the richness of the language and the impact of each carefully chosen word. Fortunately for us, there is no wrong answer, and we can enjoy the range of Fullerton’s ability whichever we choose. I highly recommend all the author’s work.
Also by Claire Fullerton
Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – and: Amazon UK – Follow Claire : Goodreads – website: Claire Fullerton – Blog: Claire Fullerton WordPress – Twitter: @Cfullerton3
The first author with a recent review is Christa Polkinhorn for The Italian Sister (The Wine Lover’s Daughter Book 1).
About the book
Standing at her father’s grave in California, Sofia Laverne mourns his untimely death. Henry had not only been a loving parent but Sofia’s best friend and mentor. Imagine her shock and grief when she finds out her father had lived a double-life, that she has a ten-year younger sister and inherited a vineyard in Tuscany. Torn between anger about his betrayal, grief for her loss, and hopeful anticipation, Sofia packs her bags and takes off for Italy to meet fourteen-year old Julietta. Arriving in the small hill town of Vignaverde, she is greeted by olive groves, neat rows of grape vines, and picturesque houses. Some of the inhabitants of this beautiful estate are, unfortunately, less welcoming and resent her intrusion into the family business. Soon, strange occurrences begin to frighten Sofia. When a suspicious accident lands her in the hospital, Sofia fears for her life.
Part family drama, part romantic suspense, THE ITALIAN SISTER takes us on a wild journey from California to Tuscany and provides glimpses into the exciting world of winemaking.
One of the recent reviews for the book
Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK
A selection of books by Christa Polkinhorn
Christa Polkinhorn, Buy: Amazon US – And : Amazon UK – follow Christa : Goodreads – blog: Christa Polkinhorn – Twitter: @cpolkinhorn
An now another novel that I can recommend The Last Pilgrim by Noelle Granger,
About the book
This book captures and celebrates the grit and struggle of the Pilgrim women who stepped off the Mayflower in the winter of 1620 to an unknown world – one filled with hardship, danger and death. The Plymouth Colony would not have survived without them.
Mary Allerton Cushman was the last surviving passenger of the Mayflower, dying at age 88 in 1699.
Mary’s life is set against the real background of that time. The Last Pilgrim begins from her father’s point of view – she was, after all, only four when she descended into the cramped and dank living space below deck on the Mayflower – but gradually assumes Mary’s voice, as the colony achieves a foothold in the New England’s rocky soil.
What was a woman’s life like in the Plymouth Colony? The Last Pilgrim will tell you.
A recent review for the book
Bought this originally for my granddaughter as she descends from Pilgrim Susanna Jackson White. She is 14. Noelle warned me her book contained adult themes, so I thought would read it first. Mesmerizing. Every pilgrim descendant should read this and I went ahead and sent to my granddaughter.
I have known Plymouth Colony fared better than Jamestowne because of the four women who survived the first year and help build the community that created our great country. Noelle brings to life what they did in a very compelling narrative of the struggle they faced and how they overcame adversity. This is a story of family, religion, relationships, war, love, death, and with a perseverance like none I have read before. Huzzah to Mary Allerton Cushman and her ilk. We owe them — and we owe Noelle for telling us.
D. Michael Beard Editor The Pilgrim William White Society Newsletter
Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK
Also by N.A. Granger
Noelle A. Granger Buy: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Blog: Sayling Away – Goodreads:Noelle A. Granger – Twitter: @NAGrangerAuthor
The final author today is Roz Morris for her novel Ever Rest: How far must you go to come back to life?
About the book
Twenty years ago, Hugo and Ash were on top of the world. As the acclaimed rock band Ashbirds they were poised for superstardom. Then Ash went missing, lost in a mountaineering accident, and the lives of Hugo and everyone around him were changed forever. Irrepressible, infuriating, mesmerizing Ash left a hole they could never hope to fill.
Two decades on, Ash’s fiancée Elza is still struggling to move on, her private grief outshone by the glare of publicity. The loss of such a rock icon is a worldwide tragedy.
Hugo is now a recluse in Nepal, shunning his old life. Robert, an ambitious session player, feels himself both blessed and cursed by his brief time with Ashbirds, unable to achieve recognition in his own right. While the Ashbirds legend burns brighter than ever, Elza, Hugo and Robert are as stranded as if they were the ones lost in the ice. How far must they go to come back to life?
A lyrical, page-turning novel in the tradition of Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano, Ever Rest asks how we carry on after catastrophic loss. It will also strike a chord with fans of Meg Wolitzer’s The Interestings and Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones for its people bonded by an unforgettable time; fans of Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto, for music as a primal and romantic force; and Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air for the deadly and irresistible wildernesses that surround our comfortable world.
One of the recent reviews for the book
I need to hire you as my publicist, Sally! Thanks again! I have downloaded No More Mulberries and Little Tea is now on my TBR list!
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Fantastic Noelle and delighted to share your lovely book.. have a great weekend and enjoy the new grandbaby.. Lovely photo of you both..hugsx
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Noelle44, So well said about Sally! Isn’t she awesome?
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Thanks Claire..♥
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Super books, Sally.
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Thank you John… hugsx
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I’m reading No More Mulberries at the moment after being captivated by Mary’s Drunk Chickens and Burnt Macaroni – it’s a beautiful book and I’ll be adding a review of my own soon. I have most of these books on my Kindle and one that I intend to read really soon is The Last Pilgrim. It had disappeared into my ‘mobile’ library but I’d read the first pages on Amazon and loved them. Thanks for the reminders, Sally, and for introducing me to other talent. xx
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I loved Mary’s book too Alex and delighted you enjoyed… also Noelle’s book which is special too…hugsx
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All great books that will take you to other places and other times. Wonderful escapes!
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Thanks Darlene.. hugs ♥
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Reblogged this on anitadawesauthor.com.
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Thanks for sharing Jaye and Anita..hugsx
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What a delightful Chrismas surprise, Sally! Huge warm wishes to you, and of course, thanks! Roz
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Pleasure Roz..enjoy the rest of your weekend x
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Cant say better like Darlene.:-) Thank you, Sally! xx Michael
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Great lineup of books, authors, and reviews. Congrats to Mary, Claire, Christa, Noelle, and Roz. Thanks for sharing, Sally. Hugs 💕🙂
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Thanks very much Harmony…hugsx
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These all sound terrific reads, Sally. Thanks for the post.
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Thanks Viv.. enjoy the rest of the weekend..hugsx
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A delicious list of books here Sal. Loved Claire’s Little Tea and happy to have all other books awaiting. I just added Christa’s book too. Congrats to this lineup of talent! ❤
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Thanks very much Debby, Christa will be pleased… you are a star ♥
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Debby, thank you so much. I appreciate you so!
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These all sounds so good, Sally. I loved No More Mulberries and The Last Pilgrim. The others have me considering whether I can fit them in my kindle. Lol. Congrats to Mary, Claire, Christ, Noelle, and Roz on the wonderful reviews. 🙂
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Thanks Diana and with you wholeheartedly on Mary and Noelle’s books.. I loved Little Tea too.. hugsx
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Mary opened my eyes to the Afghanistan way of life in No More Mulberries- I loved it! So many great choices here, Sally, thank you 🙂
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I agree Jacquie.. a stunning book…Glad you enjoyed the post and have a lovely week..♥
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Many thanks for including No More Mulberries, Sally 🙂
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Delighted to share Mary.. Your guest feature for the Twelve Days of Christmas rewind from 2018 is on Monday.. kicking off the series..♥♥
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Oooh, thank you 🙂
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♥♥
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It’s always so thrilling for me to be included. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your consistent support, Sally. Means the world to me.
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Delighted to share Claire..hope all is well and have a wonderful Christmas..♥
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Reblogged this on OPENED HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thanks for sharing the Christmas Fair Michael…you are a star…hugsx
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Thank you as well for your efforts on bringing all these wonderful postings to the light, Sally! Very appreciated, by my baskets too. xx Michael
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Wonderful books, Sally. Thanks for sharing these reviews.
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Thanks Robbie..hugs
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I’ve read No More Mulberries and Little Tea, great novels that I also recommend, and I hope I’ll catch up on the rest as well, as they all sound fabulous. Congratulations and good luck to the authors!
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Thanks for the boost for Mary and Claire Olga.. hugsxx
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