JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain

North Carolina, 2018: Morgan Christopher’s life has been derailed. Taking the fall for a crime she did not commit, she finds herself serving a three-year stint in the North Carolina Women’s Correctional Center. Her dream of a career in art is put on hold – until a mysterious visitor makes her an offer that will see her released immediately. Her assignment: restore an old post office mural in a sleepy southern town. Morgan knows nothing about art restoration, but desperate to leave prison, she accepts. What she finds under the layers of grime is a painting that tells the story of madness, violence, and a conspiracy of small town secrets.

North Carolina, 1940: Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey, wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. Alone in the world and desperate for work, she accepts. But what she doesn’t expect is to find herself immersed in a town where prejudices run deep, where people are hiding secrets behind closed doors, and where the price of being different might just end in murder.

What happened to Anna Dale? Are the clues hidden in the decrepit mural? Can Morgan overcome her own demons to discover what exists beneath the layers of lies?

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain tracks two white artists living in a small town in North Carolina, 78 years apart. The storyline pivots around a mural that was commissioned for the small town, but was mysteriously never installed.

In 1940, 22-year-old artist Anna Dale wins an art contest and is chosen to paint a mural for the Edenton post office. She travels from New Jersey and lives in the town while completing the work.

In 2018, 22-year-old artist Morgan Christopher is serving time in prison for a DUI that resulted in a car accident. She’s offered parole if she moves to Edenton to restore the mural that Anna Dale abandoned decades earlier. A mysterious African American artist called Jesse Jameson Williams —who Morgan has never met and has no connection to — recently died and outlined strictly in his will that Morgan be the artist to restore the work.

“Anna arrived in Edenton for her planned three-day visit late on the afternoon of December 4. She could have taken the overnight train, but at the last minute she decided to drive. The ’32 navy blue Ford V8 still held her mother’s scent — the spicy patchouli fragrance of the Tabu perfume she’d loved — and Anna needed that comfort as she set out on this new, very adult venture.”

Strong themes present in the book are addiction and illness — Morgan is estranged from her parents, who are dysfunctional, judgemental alcoholics, and Anna’s mother just recently committed suicide after years of manic illnesses.

Racism is thinly explored in the book as well. Jesse Jameson Williams meets Anna Dale when he’s a teenager, and begins helping her paint the mural. Soon, people in Edenton assume the two are engaged in a relationship, which would’ve been illegal at that time. Someone paints racial slurs on the wall of Anna’s workshop space, and people threaten to harm Anna because of her connection to Jesse. Admittedly, the racism seems a little too light for what it would’ve actually been like at that time.

The artistry is incredibly evocative in the book. Both Anna and Morgan are talented and enthusiastic about their work and it’s evident how much artistic research has gone into the writing of this book. Everything about the mural, the town and its inhabitants is richly detailed and captured clearly.

“They talked about the people they knew who might be willing to model for the mural. Muss Myrtle thought the mayor’s wife was a good choice, but the idea made Anna cringe as she remembered Pauline’s comments about Mayor Sykes’ treatment of his wife. She felt as if she knew far more than she should about the poor woman and her life.”

The book is enjoyable and will have readers turning the pages, but it’s not flawless. The turning point in Anna Dale’s story (and what results from it) is predictable and expected, as is Morgan’s discovered connection to Jesse and Anna in the final chapter of the book.

Additionally, Jesse’s will stipulated that his daughter Lisa wouldn’t inherit her childhood home if Morgan missed her mural restoration deadline. This stipulation…doesn’t fit the rest of Jesse’s characterisation and is never really explained in the book. It felt like a lazy plot point.

An engaging read recommended for fans of women’s fiction and historical fiction.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Big Lies In A Small Town
Diane Chamberlain
January 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

The Clergyman’s Wife by Molly Greeley

In this Pride and Prejudice-inspired novel, not everyone has the luxury of waiting for love. Charlotte Collins knows this well . . .

Charlotte Collins, nee Lucas, is the respectable wife of Hunsford’s vicar, and sees to her duties by rote: keeping house, caring for their adorable daughter, visiting parishioners and patiently tolerating the lectures of her awkward husband and his condescending patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Intelligent, pragmatic and anxious to escape the shame of spinsterhood, Charlotte chose this life: an inevitable one so socially acceptable that its quietness threatens to overwhelm her. Then she makes the acquaintance of Mr Travis, a local farmer and tenant of Lady Catherine.

In Mr Travis’ company, Charlotte feels appreciated, heard and seen. For the first time in her life Charlotte begins to understand emotional intimacy and its effect on the heart-and how breakable that heart can be. With her sensible nature confronted and her own future about to take a turn, Charlotte must now question the role of love and passion in a woman’s life, and whether they truly matter for a clergyman’s wife.

The Clergyman’s Wife by Molly Greeley is a debut fiction novel and retelling of Pride and Prejudice, shining the spotlight on Charlotte Lucas and what her life becomes after she chooses to marry Elizabeth’s cousin, Mr. Collins.

Though this work is entirely fictional, there are so many elements that ring true to the original work — the characters, relationships, atmosphere and setting. In Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte married Mr Collins not because she was in love with him (she hardly knew him) but because of security. She was almost thirty and had no other options for a companion. By marrying Mr Collins, she would stop being an embarrassment to her parents and could start her own life.

In The Clergyman’s Wife, Molly takes Charlotte beyond the pages of Pride and Prejudice and gives her a protagonist’s story. What if she does have the option of falling in love with someone but it’s too late?

“My skin prickles with mirth; I press my lips together to keep myself from laughing. Mr Travis meets my eyes and his lips tip up, just a little, at the corners; then he ducks his head and appears to focus entirely on the roses once more. I find myself gazing at the sun-browned back of his neck, the first knob of his spine just visible above his shirt collar, and have to force myself to look away.”

Charlotte Lucas is an incredibly intelligent character, but her life with Mr. Collins is — as readers expected — uninspiring and rather boring. Charlotte doesn’t have the sharp tongue or the brashness that her friend Elizabeth has, and she settles for what is comfortable. However, given that this book is set in the early nineteenth century, it’s entirely credible. She can’t afford to wait for true love.

When Charlotte meets Mr. Travis, she feels an instant connection. The two are alike in personality and Charlotte finds herself drawn to him. She starts to understand what emotional intimacy is and what it’s like to have someone else truly care about what you want in life. Mr Travis is kind and considerate and treats her with more respect that Mr Collins does. Charlotte finds herself wanting intimacy with Mr Travis, which is something she’s never experienced with her husband.

But, building a life with Mr Travis is something that no one in that time period would approve of. Charlotte struggles with what her head and her heart are telling her.

“When we reach the lane, I have to force myself to keep walking. Though there is no true impropriety, I suddenly feel that I cannot face William — or worse, Lady Catherine — seeing us walking together. But we reach the parsonage gate unobserved.”

Whilst the book is a little dry at times, the prose and dialogue are lyrical, poetic and true to the time period. The vocabulary and language is evocative and in tune with Pride and Prejudice, and so it’s not a stretch to think of The Clergyman’s Wife as a companion novel.

Recommended for fans of Pride and Prejudice, and other Jane Austen novels. Fans of romance and historical romance will also love this.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Clergyman’s Wife
Molly Greeley
December 2019
Allen and Unwin Book Publishers

The Spanish Promise by Karen Swan

Charlotte, a wealth counsellor who knows from personal experience the complications that a sudden inheritance can bring, helps her clients navigate the emotional side effects of sudden wealth syndrome. When she is asked by Mateo Mendoza, heir to a huge Spanish estate, to fly to Madrid to help resolve an issue in his father’s will, she’s confident it will be straightforward. The timing isn’t great as Charlotte’s due to get married the following week, but once her client signs on the dotted line, Charlotte can return to her life in London and her wedding, and live happily ever after. Marrying Stephen might not fill her with excitement, but she doesn’t want to live in the fast lane anymore – safe and predictable is good.

But Carlos Mendoza’s final bequest opens up a generation of secrets, and Charlotte finds herself compelled to unravel the mystery. As Charlotte digs deeper, she uncovers the story of a family divided by Spain’s Civil War, and of a love affair across the battle lines that ended in tragedy.

And while she is consumed in the drama of the Mendozas, Charlotte’s own tragic past catches up with her, threatening to overturn everything in her life she’s worked so hard to build.

The Spanish Promise is the latest novel from Karen Swan, a book with a split timeline and two grand love stories that transcend decades. The dual narratives in the book take place in the present day, but also 1930s Spain. The book explores relationships, family, war, wealth, privilege, legacy and secrets.

Charlotte, a wealth counsellor, is due to be married in a week. Her husband is rude and bossy, and her mother expects very little of Charlotte’s career and encourages her to quit her job. But Charlotte is very good at her job, and when a wealthy man in Spain is set to give his entire fortune to an unknown woman, Charlotte is given the task of tracking down the women and uncovering what secrets are hidden in her past.

“Nene pulled the brim of her hat low. She had stolen it from a peg in the maids’ quarters, the thin shawl and dress too. The dress was slightly too tight across the bodice and a fraction too short in the arms and length — she was so much taller than most other women — but comfort mattered for nothing right know.”

I have to admit, this wasn’t my favourite of Karen’s novels. Perhaps it was the complex and — at times — convoluted storyline or just the overall plot that had me feeling a little bored with the book. I finished it, and I didn’t mind it, but I wouldn’t say I loved it.

The two storylines didn’t feel like they realistically gelled together, and I struggled to relate to Charlotte. A wealth counsellor actually seems like quite a mundane job, and in this book, she shares very little chemistry with her fiancé and so it was pretty predictable what was going to happen with that. I think I just wasn’t the target market for this book, and my disinterest in the storyline was nothing to do with the quality of the book, and everything to do with my reading tastes.

“And then she saw that Montez still had his gun raised and pointed towards the rest of the men — that none of them dared move, neither to save her nor join her. In a flash she understood why.”

As always, Karen is particularly skilled at capturing glamorous settings. No matter the location, you always read her books and feel like you’re on holidays. She captures the feel, the atmosphere, the temperature, and the essence of the place that her books are set in.

Karen is also really great at capturing realistic dialogue and sexual tension between long lost love interests. Charlotte reconnects with an old flame in Spain, and the two of them have a lot to work through if they’re going to overcome their differences and work together on this project.

The Spanish Promise wasn’t for me, but there have been — and will continue to be — many readers who will adore this latest book by Karen Swan.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Spanish Promise
Karen Swan
April 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

A Universe of Sufficient Size by Miriam Sved

I have wished so many times that I had acted differently.
I wish that I had been more worthy of you…
Eventually the war will end, and then we will find each other.
Until then, remember me.

Budapest, 1938. In a city park, five young Jewish mathematicians gather to share ideas, trade proofs and whisper sedition.

Sydney, 2007. Illy has just buried her father, a violent, unpredictable man whose bitterness she never understood. And now Illy’s mother has gifted her a curious notebook, its pages a mix of personal story and mathematical discovery, recounted by a woman full of hopes and regrets.

Inspired by a true story, Miriam Sved’s beautifully crafted novel charts a course through both the light and dark of human relationships: a vivid recreation of 1930s Hungary, a decades-old mystery locked in the story of one enduring friendship, a tribute to the selfless power of the heart.

A Universe of Sufficient Size by Miriam Sved is a literary novel that takes the reader through multiple narratives — pre-war Hungary in 1938, Brooklyn in 1950 and Australia in 2007. It’s a complex and tender novel that I couldn’t help but adore.

The book explores trauma, war, family and relationships, but it’s also about a devoted group of young Jewish mathematicians in 1938 and how their choices and decisions shape not just their future, but their families’ futures decades later. Mathematics is one of the strongest links between the two timelines, connecting two major characters and allowing them to bond over their shared love and knowledge.

There’s a fair bit of detailed mathematics in the book that I didn’t understand, so I developed a habit of skipping over it. I imagine most readers would do the same, given that many people won’t understand the complex equations and formulas that the characters are discussing. But Miriam takes something that many people would find uninteresting — mathematics — and weaves a story that’s inviting and evocative.

“The day the photo was taken was stamped bright in my memory: an early autumn day in our first weeks at the university. We went on a hike in the hills around Buda: not just the five of us but the whole large crowd in which we moved during those week. I felt very glum around that time.”

The characters are one of the biggest strengths in the book. They’re three-dimensional, relatable, engaging and Miriam Sved has crafted a book that completely draws you in.

In 1938, Europe is engulfed by Nazism and they’re on the brink of war. These Jewish university students don’t quite realise just how much their lives are going to change. They’re experiencing a shift in how they’re being treated and what they’re allowed to do because of the Hungarian government’s anti-Jewish laws, but of course they don’t realise the scale of change that’s coming. They’re idealistic, hopeful, and actually really naive.

There was a small flaw I couldn’t help but come across in the story. Every now and then there was something in the 2007 timeline that didn’t quite work with the time period. For example:

“Josh strokes the phone screen. If he could just get the phone out of his pocket and download some more apps — there’s supposedly one for Myspace and another for Facebook — he might even be able to update his page here and now without leaving the reception.”

I’m fairly certain apps didn’t exist in 2007, much less the ability to download an app on an iPhone. In fact, The App Store wasn’t launched until July 2008. I’m not even sure if Myspace had its own app until much later on.

Despite this, I really enjoyed the novel. I’d recommend this book to anyone with a particular
interest in wartime novels — novels about love during difficult times, and how circumstance plays a
huge role in friendships and relationships.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Universe of Sufficient Size
Miriam Sved
April 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer


2019: Life changed beyond recognition for Alice when her son, Eddie, was born with autism spectrum disorder. She must do everything to support him, but at what cost to her family? When her cherished grandmother is hospitalised, a hidden box of mementoes reveals a tattered photo of a young man, a tiny leather shoe and a letter. Her grandmother begs Alice to return to Poland to see what became of those she held dearest.

WWII: Alina and Tomasz are childhood sweethearts. The night before he leaves for college, Tomasz proposes marriage. But when their village falls to the Nazis, Alina doesn’t know if Tomasz is alive or dead.

2019: In Poland, separated from her family, Alice begins to uncover the story her grandmother is so desperate to tell, and discovers a love that bloomed in the winter of 1942. As a painful family history comes to light, will the struggles of the past and present finally reach a heartbreaking resolution?

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer explores the legacy of war and the far-reaching effects of family secrets.

Like most historical fiction novels, this story has two dual POV storylines threaded together. The first, set during WWII, and the other, set in the present in 2019. The women are the centre of both storylines.

In the past, there’s Alina, a young girl whose fiancé has left for college and whose future is in doubt. And in the present, Alice is a mother of two. Her son has autism and she’s the main caretaker of her two children. She feels unsupported by her husband, who works long hours and leaves Alice to do most of the work.

“I plan out Eddie’s visual calendar, lay out his clothing and then pack his school bag — the dreidel, which he’s still taking with him everywhere he goes, his stuffed Thomas the Tank Engine toy just in case he wants it, six Go-Gurts, one can of soup and six pairs of spare underpants, each with a matching ziplock bag for the inevitable accidents.”
ALICE

I felt more emotionally invested in Alice’s storyline that Alina’s. Alina’s story felt slow. Perhaps it was the events that took place, or perhaps it was the pacing. Part of me suspects it was both. But I felt that Alina’s chapters could’ve been more succinct and punchier. There was enough emotion and heartache to keep the reader invested, but the pacing did lag a little.

Although this particular storyline is very rich with hope. Alina loves Tomasz and is desperate to see his safe return. Alina may be young, but she’s also smart, resourceful and very aware of her surroundings. She’s helpful and trusting, and she learns how to survive the sad and grim situation that she’s in.

“It was the young soldier from that day in fall, the last time I wore a dress. He was back, and he was asking about me. I was too terrified to cry out, but equally, I was too terrified to control myself and I couldn’t think rationally enough to be sure of what I might do next.”
ALINA

Alice is a flawed character. She cares deeply for her son and she’s a good mother, but her attitude is, at times, constricted. She wants her husband, Wade, to help more, she wishes he understood more, but she doesn’t really allow him the opportunity to step up. She expects him to fail. Often, she keeps her mouth shut and seethes in silence. Other times, she waits until he makes a mistake and then snaps at him.

But Wade is not perfect either. He shuts himself off and focuses on his work, and as a result, he’s not the most attentive father. He allows his wife to do everything for the kids. So, when Alice goes to Poland to delve deep into her grandmother’s childhood, her husband finally realises just how much Alice has been doing for their family. He is defeated, and at a loss. But also, he learns to be the man he should’ve been all along.

This storyline is about family, marriage and sacrifice. It shows us how a marriage can change when a child requires more care than they thought. A child with autism does require a lot of attention, and that can strain any relationship.

“I still think about my big brothers. I sometimes wonder if I would have done anything different that day, if only I’d known that within a year they’d both be dead — and that those quiet moments by the train station would be the very last time I ever saw them.”
ALINA

Kelly Rimmer has captured two very different time periods — and two very different relationships. In Alina and Tomasz, we see young love torn apart by war and horror. In Alice and Wade, we see a love that has been clouded by exhaustive, complicated circumstances.

Readers will be able to relate to all of the characters in the book, even the ones who have lived through experiences that we could not possibly understand. I’d recommend this to readers of historical fiction, and those readers who love a family saga that spans decades.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Things We Cannot Say
Kelly Rimmer
March 2019
Hachette Book Publishers