JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

The Lost Jewels by Kirsty Manning

In the summer of 1912, a workman’s pickaxe strikes through the floor of an old tenement house in Cheapside, London, uncovering a cache of unimaginably valuable treasure that quickly disappears again.

Present day. When respected jewellery historian, Kate Kirby, receives a call about the Cheapside jewels, she knows she’s on the brink of the experience of a lifetime.

As Kate peels back layers of concealment and deception, she is forced to explore long-buried secrets concerning Essie, her great-grandmother, and her life in Edwardian London. Soon, Kate’s past and present threaten to collide and the truths about her family lie waiting to be revealed.

Inspired by a true story, Kirsty Manning’s The Lost Jewels is a historical fiction novel that weaves a charming, fascinating tale about London’s Cheapside Hoard — one of the most famous and most mysterious collection of jewels in the world, dug up in 1912 with very little information about the jewels’ origins.

Structurally, The Lost Jewels resembles most historical fiction. The POV switches between past and present. In 1912 London, we meet the loyal, compassionate, devoted daughter and sister Esther Murphy. She cares for her siblings because their mother is in no sober state to manage the household. They’re poor, but they love each other and Esther does all that she can for her siblings. Without meaning to, Esther and her brother are swept up in an extraordinary discovery of jewels found beneath a London street.

In present day, respected American historian Dr Kate Murphy investigates the Cheapside Jewels and slowly finds out more about the history of the collection.

For a small amount of time, we’re also transported back to the early 1600s in India, Persia and London to find out more about the origin of the jewellery collection and how these jewels ended up abandoned beneath the London ground.

“The jewels were discovered the same day Essie Murphy fell in love. She had her brother to thank for both, of course — though in the years to come she’d often wonder which one came first. A buried bucket of jewels. A man with emerald eyes.”

The Lost Jewels explores themes of family, obligation and expectations, but also love, desire, sacrifice and betrayal. A lot is expected of Essie Murphy, and she places an incredible amount of pressure on herself to keep her family afloat. She adores her brother and her sisters — she’s a multi-layered protagonist. She’s caring and considerate, but she’s also a little naive and too trusting. She always sees the best in people, and sometimes she puts her faith in other people too quickly.

Esther and Kate have very distinct voices. Kate is intelligent, headstrong and confident. Like Esther, she’s a romantic, but she’s experienced hardship in her life. She’s going through a divorce and hasn’t been able to emotionally recover from the death of her child. On her journey to uncover the truth about the Cheapside Hoard, Kate meets photographer Marcus and her life changes in more ways than one.

“The diamond was table-cut and clear. Kate used her eyepiece to scan the stone for variations. Flaws. Nowadays a diamond could be filled and baked, then sent off for certification that they were perfect; the rough would be brilliant-cut to throw sparkle around the room.”

Engrossing, captivating and compelling, The Lost Jewels is a tale that travels. Kate ventures from London to India, Sri Lanka and Paris to uncover the secret histories of these jewels.

Kirsty captures the locations with incredible description and vivid imagery. In a way, the settings felt like characters themselves because Kirsty had woven them into the story with incredible significance.

It’s clear how much research went into the writing of this book, not just in capturing the settings but in bringing to life the jewels and the characterisation of Kate. Every time jewellery is described or studied, the prose is evocative. The sentences paint such a gorgeous picture of the jewels, drawing the reader in and helping them imagine what our characters are seeing.

Kate is incredibly knowledgable about jewellery — she’s considered to be one of the best historians. She’s wise and intelligent, but she also learns quick. I can’t begin to imagine the time it took for Kirsty to research what was required for not only Kate’s character, but the entire premise of the novel.

“The button was a double-layered flower: a rose fashioned from gold, with just the faintest traces of blue and white paint. At the centre of the flower and dotted along the petals were blue, red and white stones. Were they precious stones, or coloured paste? Each of the inner circles also had gold indents, as if there was more to come.”

A modern day treasure hunt, The Lost Jewels is for fans of historical fiction, romance and sweeping sagas that investigate inter-generational secrets. The readership for this novel skews female.

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

The Lost Jewels
Kirsty Manning
April 2020
Allen and Unwin Book 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

The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club

In 1978 the Northern Territory has begun to self-govern. Cyclone Tracy is a recent memory and telephones not yet a fixture on the cattle stations dominating the rugged outback. Life is hard and people are isolated. But they find ways to connect.

Sybil is the matriarch of Fairvale Station, run by her husband, Joe. Their eldest son, Lachlan, was Joe’s designated successor but he has left the Territory – for good. It is up to their second son, Ben, to take his brother’s place. But that doesn’t stop Sybil grieving the absence of her child.

With her oldest friend, Rita, now living in Alice Springs and working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and Ben’s English wife, Kate, finding it difficult to adjust to life at Fairvale, Sybil comes up with a way to give them all companionship and purpose: they all love to read, and she forms a book club.

Mother-of-three Sallyanne is invited to join them. Sallyanne dreams of a life far removed from the dusty town of Katherine where she lives with her difficult husband, Mick.

Completing the group is Della, who left Texas for Australia looking for adventure and work on the land.

The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club is a debut novel by Australian author Sophie Green, exploring the power of friendship within chaotic environments. These five women bond over their love of reading, and they help each other when they’re in need.

Set in the late 20th century in the Northern Territory of Australia, Fairvale Station has been in the Baxter family for generations. Sybil and Joe raised their eldest son Lachie to inherit the station, but he’s not interested in running the property and runs away. Most of Sybil’s character arc is her learning to accept that if her son is willing to leave, she has to let him go. For most of the novel, she’s tormented over her strained relationship with her son and is determined to fix things.

“So many times Sybil had replayed her last conversation with her eldest son; she would lie awake as Joe slept, straight as a board, beside her, letting it loop around. She didn’t know if she was hoping it would be different the next time it played or if she wanted to cling onto the sound of Lachie’s voice, trying to hear any skerrick of love in it.”

Ben returns home to Fairvale with his British wife Kate, and the two begin adjusting to life in Fairvale. Kate is desperate to get pregnant but she starts to despair when, after months, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen for them. Over the course of the novel, Kate must learn not to dwell on things she can’t control.

“Kate’s parents were thinking of selling their home and moving to Bath, which they’d always loved. This was the house that Kate had grown up in; the only other house she’d known apart from Fairvale…She supposed she should feel upset; show some sign that part of her missed England so much that the news of the impending loss of her family home would upset her. There was no such sign.”

This is written in third person, although the chapters switch POV frequently. This allows the reader to really understand each character’s concerns, fears, doubts and triumphs. We grow to love each character for their individual story. There is a strong sense of realism in the novel.

Sybil’s book club allows the women to form a close bond — a strong friendship. They all become concerned for each other’s struggles and they are there for each other. Their lives are enriched because of their love and support for each other.

There’s a definite sense of isolation throughout the book, particularly during the wet seasons when it’s too dangerous to venture far and so the women at Fairvale and in Katherine are almost confined to their homes. Green has done a wonderful job of writing the isolated, contained environments in the book — there’s a real sense of place. In most scenes, there are a large number of characters present and Green has once again expertly manoeuvred these scenes to allow the reader to easily understand what’s going on with each of the characters present.

What I loved most about this book was how authentic these characters felt; there was real depth to their characterisation and they all felt like different people to me. When you have such a large cast of characters and they are all women, it would be really important to make sure their voices are all unique, particularly considering each chapter switches POV. I think Green did a marvellous job of bringing all these women to life, crafting them all perfectly and allowing the reader to really understand them and relate to all of them.

“The day was almost too hot to be believed as Della sat with Kate on the verandah of Fairvale’s big house. They were well covered by the awning but the heat seemed to swirl up from the ground, wrapping itself around them and staying trapped.”

Despite this novel being set in the 1970s, there are definitely elements of the storyline that feel relevant in today’s society. Kate is struggling to fall pregnant, Sallyanne’s husband is constantly drunk and borderline abusive, and Sybil’s son has run off to pursue alternate careers. At times, I had to remind myself that this wasn’t set in the present!

If I had to point out something I didn’t like, it’d be the pacing and the development of Sallyanne’s story — it was a slow burner throughout the whole novel but then it seemed to solve itself at a rather fast pace in the end.

At first, Sallyanne is scared of her drunken husband and she doesn’t have the courage to confront him because she is concerned her for own safety and for the safety of her children. This is incredibly realistic. However, her husband then chooses to leave her and he’s gone for most of the novel. At the end, he returns briefly and their situation wraps up positively (for Sallyanne) within one chapter. Whilst I felt pleased for Sallyanne, I couldn’t help but feel this storyline was only touched on lightly but should’ve been explored further.

I highly recommend this novel. It’s not just for fans of historical fiction, or perhaps even romance. There are so many layers to this novel that I think all readers will enjoy — it is a testament to family and friendship amongst isolated Australian outback communities.

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

The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club
Sophie Green
August 2017
Hachette Book Publishers

Six Tudor Queens: Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir

ANNE BOLEYN: A KING’S OBSESSION is the second captivating novel in the Six Tudor Queens series. An unforgettable portrait of the ambitious woman whose fate we know all too well, but whose true motivations may surprise you.

The young woman who changed the course of history. Fresh from the palaces of Burgundy and France, Anne draws attention at the English court, embracing the play of courtly love. But when the King commands, nothing is ever a game.

Anne has a spirit worthy of a crown – and the crown is what she seeks. At any price. History tells us why she died. This novel shows her as she lived.

This book was such a refreshing read. It almost feels like fiction, with well-constructed characters and quick pacing and plenty of surprises and unexpected events.

For those of you who are familiar with Anne Boleyn’s story, you’ll know the major moments in her life and will therefore be aware of what’s coming. But what you don’t know is that Alison has added in so many extra details. This book doesn’t just feel like some historical document about someone’s life, it feels like we actually have the opportunity to know Anne Boleyn. To find out things about her that are hard to find in other books.

I don’t know about other readers, but every time I’ve read something on Anne Boleyn it really just talked about the events that took place — her relationship with Henry, her marriage, her daughter, her relationship with her sister, and her unfortunate death. But what I always feel like I’m missing is any sense of who she is. But in this book, the reader comes to understand Anne’s doubts and her fears, her reservations and her triumphs.

You have to go into this book knowing that Alison has had to join some dots along the way (particularly with the dialogue). As she says in her author’s notes, Anne Boleyn is “unknowable”. Yes, Alison had access to letters, documents and testimonials from the time, but how do you use that to capture someone’s personality? Well, on some level, you have to come up with that yourself based on Anne’s circumstances.

Alison has managed to bring Anne Boleyn to life in a plausible and enjoyable way. I loved reading about her life and although there are some things about Anne that might not have been true (she is really quite flawed in Alison’s book) the factual timeline of Anne’s life is true. And her death, of course, is true. But that’s something most people know already. What we don’t know is about her life and her time as King Henry’s wife.

We meet Anne when she’s a young teenager and Alison documents her life until her execution at age 36. She’s determined, courageous but at times also naive and ignorant. She challenges the King when she probably shouldn’t, and she no doubt lets her fears get the best of her. She’s so worried about producing a male heir that she acts horribly towards Katherine of Aragon and her daughter Mary.

At times, I grew frustrated with Anne and my sympathy for her lacked. Whilst it is admirable that she was bold enough to speak up for herself and use her intelligence and confidence to try and manipulate the court, sometimes she was not clever about it. She was brazen and quick, when perhaps she should’ve deliberated for a while before enacting any plans. The politics of the court were dense and at times hard to follow, but Alison shows the reader how involved Anne was and how often she swayed Henry’s thoughts and actions. At times, Anne really was quite cunning.

There were a few aspects of the novel where I felt that Alison was clutching at straws. For example, she writes George Boleyn (Anne’s brother) as a rapist even though there is no real historical evidence to suggest that he was. She also writes that for the six years when Henry was trying to divorce Katherine to marry Anne, he not only didn’t sleep with Anne, he didn’t sleep with anyone. I find this hard to believe, given all the historical evidence that Henry was a womaniser who would not have been able to remain celibate for six whole years.

What is accurate in the book as it happened in real life was the gossip and unfavourable attitude from the population. There is no doubt that Anne Boleyn was not a popular Queen. In fact, all of the slanders and libels in the book came from contemporary authentic records — the people hated Anne and many believed that Katherine was still the True Queen.

“Within the city walls, the crowds had turned out in their thousands, but as before they were largely silent and their welcome was cold…Remembering what happened at Durham House, Anne prayed fervently that the citizens would confine their hatred to verbal abuse. She felt horribly exposed in her open litter, a sitting target for anyone who might make an attempt on her life.”

As someone who loves historical fiction and has always been fascinated by Henry VIII and his wives, I really loved reading this book and am looking forward to the rest of the series (Alison Weir is writing a book on each of King Henry’s wives).

This is a three dimensional portrait of a woman that none of us will every really know. At times, the book felt a little long and particularly in the middle I think things could’ve been sped up for the sake of the reader’s attention, but otherwise it’s a fascinating read.

I’m going to leave you with something that Alison wrote in her Author’s Note at the end of the book. This is something I NEVER KNEW and am both astounded and horrified to learn:

“There is discussion about the survival of consciousness after decapitation. In 1983, a medical study found that no matter how efficient the method of execution, at least two to three seconds of intense pain cannot be avoided…Anne Boleyn did possibly experience a few dreadful moments in which she was aware of what was happening.”

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

Six Tudor Queens: Anne Boleyn – A King’s Obsession
Alison Weir
May 2017
Hachette Book Publishers