"The Seamstress of Sardinia," by Bianca Pitzorno
Through the watchful young seamstress's eyes, this small Italian city and its residents emerge in all their vitality, vanity, and fragility--flawed yet congenial people who are not quite what they pretend to be. There is the Marchesa Esther, who rides horses and studies mechanics and ancient Greek; Miss Lily Rose, a spirited American journalist who commissions a special corset--with pockets to hide more than just her flaws; the Provera sisters with their expensive Parisian fashions that belie their financial hardships; and Assuntina, the wild child. There are men, young, old, and in between; love affairs and broken hearts; and even a murder (or was it suicide?). And at the center, watching and waiting is the seamstress herself, an intelligent, ambitious girl with a tender heart and her own impossible dream.
An irresistible literary confection rich in atmosphere and period detail and packed with compelling characters. The Seamstress of Sardinia transports us to a long-ago world not so removed from our own--to a society rigidly divided by wealth and shaped by passion, hope, ambition, and love--the elemental forces that drive human lives.
I actually enjoyed this book; but I can see how it's not to everyone's taste. It feels as though it's five mini books, with one central character, the seamstress connecting them. Funny thing about the main character, she is never actually given a name in the book? I didn't realize this until I actually sat down to write this?
Anyhow, these are stories the author's grandmother told her and quite entertaining they were. If I had to choose the one I liked best, it was the one about the Provera sisters. I actually chuckled at the ending. The stories do show how the society was very divided by wealth on upbringing. I got this book from Book Outlet.
It’s 1942, and Maisie McCall is in the Scottish Highlands doing her bit for the war effort as a Women’s Timber Corps lumberjill. Maisie relishes her newfound independence and her growing friendships—especially with the enigmatic John Lindsay.
As Maisie and John work side-by-side felling trees, Maisie can’t help but feel like their friendship has the spark of something more to it. And yet every time she gets close to him, John pulls away. It’s not until Maisie rescues John from a terrible logging accident that he begins to open up to her about the truth of his past, and the pain he’s been hiding.
Suddenly everything is more complicated than Maisie expected. And as she helps John untangle his shattered history, she must decide if she’s willing to risk her heart to help heal his. But in a world devastated by war, love might be the only thing left that can begin to heal what’s broken.
As Maisie and John work side-by-side felling trees, Maisie can’t help but feel like their friendship has the spark of something more to it. And yet every time she gets close to him, John pulls away. It’s not until Maisie rescues John from a terrible logging accident that he begins to open up to her about the truth of his past, and the pain he’s been hiding.
Suddenly everything is more complicated than Maisie expected. And as she helps John untangle his shattered history, she must decide if she’s willing to risk her heart to help heal his. But in a world devastated by war, love might be the only thing left that can begin to heal what’s broken.
I had a vested interest in this book, as my Nana was a lumberjill. Not in Scotland in Cumberland. She also had a young child at the time, so she would drop her off at school and then go out to woods, so slightly different scenario than this book.
This book was all about how a young girl grows up and falls in love despite all the obstacles thrown in her way. It was also about friendship and how people can pull together when under great stress.
I enjoyed the book, it wasn't a difficult read. There is a Lumberjill's statue commemorating the hard work of the ladies during World War II in Aberfoyle, Scotland. That is something I would love to visit, next time we are in the UK. There is both a Canadian and American link to this book, as some of the ladies, married Canadian's and American's who served over in the UK during this time.
I gaze at my husband’s once handsome face, so still and pale in the hospital bed. The doctors say I should keep talking. He might be able to hear me even after the terrible accident that left him fighting for his life. But all I have to whisper to my husband is I know what you did.
Every day I wave my husband Damon off with a kiss and a smile, drive our precious children to school, and make sure our house is pristine before preparing a delicious meal. I pretend I’m not filled with fury that he once nearly destroyed our perfect life. It’s important to carry on as normal.
That is, until the accident.
My husband was hit by a car. It was pouring with rain. Nobody saw what happened. But the police are asking questions…
Do they know about the terrible argument we had that day?
Do they know about the text message I sent, telling someone to Delete everything ?
And do they know that no one is happier that my husband is in a hospital bed, than me?
I go this book from Indigo, in their 3 for $10 section. It's a mystery drama, involving a man who feels it's fine to have a wife and children, and having multiple women on the side with whom he is having affairs.......
He's involved in an accident, and the police class it as a hit and run; but is there more to it than meets the eye? You are told the story through multiple women, each with slightly differing stories, and an unknown lady, whose story you're not too sure where it fits in this sordid tale.
Once you get through the first couple of chapters and meet each of the characters, you'll get into the story. Then you can't put it down, as you're trying to figure out who did what.
Not an overly taxing book, but plenty in it to keep you interested.
What makes life sweet?
-Freshly baked bread
-A cool lake on a hot summer day
-The comfort of a cozy bookstore
-Second chances and new beginnings
When Harper Shaw’s life falls apart, she knows it’s time for a change. She removes everything that doesn’t spark joy—from her soul-sucking job to eating kale to making lists—and sets off for the last place she was happy, Lake Tahoe (who wouldn’t feel good there, right?) to fulfill her dream of opening her own bakery.
With her Sugar Pine Bakery in between a tavern, owned by sexy, grumpy Bodie Campbell, and a bookstore, run by her new BFF, she feels a peace she’s never experienced since…well, forever.. Then she meets Ivy, a teenage runaway, who barrels into her heart. She sees a lot of herself in Ivy and takes her under her wing, but the teenager has secrets…
When those secrets explode, it changes Harper’s new world, and she’ll learn, it’s never too late to start over, it’s never too late to figure out your life, and best of all, it’s never too late to let yourself believe in love.
Got this from Indigo as part of the 3 for $10 section. It's a sweet book, pretty predictable, a fast read and one you'll probably forget in a short period of time. This is book 4 in the Sunrise Cove series, but it works well as a stand alone book. If you're looking for a light read, that you don't have to concentrate on while reading, this one is for you.
While at son and daughter-in-law's I picked up the book below off her shelf. Now this book you do have to concentrate on and is not a light read. I am about half way through it and it is very good so far. There has already been a couple of surprises in it and I'm guessing there are still more to come!! You can read more about it here.
Overall quite a mixed variety of books I'd say.
What did you read this month?
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