audio: october 2007

This is such a sad book with such a sad story. Portrays excellently the innocence which existed in Germany during the reign of Hitler through the eyes of Bruno, son of a high ranking member of Hitlers men. Bruno's father is placed in charge of what we can only assume is Auschwitz, or out-with to Bruno. Bruno upset at leaving his home Berlin and his 3 best friends for lfe, soon decides to explore and makes a new best friend Schmuel or the boy in the striped pyjamas. Schmuel is a prisoner at Auschwitz but the heartbreaking thing is that neither boy realises truly what Auschwitz is or that he IS a prisoner there.

Would definitely recommend this book!

So stinkin sad, but excellent!

LABYRINTH by Kate Mosse is a novel that follows the life of Alais, from Languedoc, during the time of the Cathar Crusades of the 12th and 13th Centuries, and her fight to protect the Graal (Grail) from falling into the wrong hands.

It also follows the discoveries made by Dr Alice Tanner, a descendant of Alais', in modern-day France and the frightening and fascinating journey these discoveries take her on.

In no way does Mosse "rush" this story. It is clear there is a secret to be kept hidden, but what the Grail entails is not actually devulged until 100 or so pages from the end, when the story truly comes together.

It is clear that Mosse is passionate about the Cathars and their terrible history. It would seem that LABYRINTH is more a story about the Cathars and what they had to endure at the hands of the French and the Catholic Church, rather than about the Grail itself.

Not that this is a bad thing in any sense of the word. It works brilliantly well, and the Grail is an interesting plot piece that enables Mosse to tell the true story of the Cathars through creative licence. She is accurate with historical facts, people and places, and presents a world that the reader can easily imagine. She describes the Cathar faith and the Cathar people brilliantly, and the use of the Occitan language throughout the novel really makes you feel a part of the Languedoc.

I highly recommend this book! Even for those who are not that much into historical fiction, Mosse has made this story so interesting and it is difficult to put it down once you start. She tells of a period in history that is often forgotten, but one which everyone should know about. I'm looking forward to learning more about the Cathars and the Languedoc region of France.

Detailed, intricate and emotive - this intergenerational plot follows the paths of two women, in different times and worlds, facing the same problems.

I was really looking forward to reading this book after reading Sepulchre by the same author.

This was a bit of a disappointment to be honest, the story didn't flow as well as Sepulchre did and the characters and plot just wasn't as convincing or compelling enough for me. If you havn't read Sepulchre then perhaps this would be a book you would enjoy, however as the style of writing and the back and forth through history is the same as her second novel, I would have to say that the author clearly got more comfortable and confident with this style.

If you have read this and enjoyed it please follow up with the above book, if you have read it and didn't enjoy it, I would still advise reading Sepulchre as the much better of the 2.

BLURB
October 1891: A young girl, Léonie Vernier, and her brother, Anatole, are invited to leave the gas-lit streets of Paris and travel south to a mysterious country house - La Domaine de la Cade - near Carcassonne. There, in the ancient, dark woods, Leonie comes across a ruined sepulchre and is drawn into a century's old mystery of murder, ghosts and a strange set of tarot cards that seem to hold enormous power over life and death.

October 2007: Meredith Martin decides to take a break from her research trip in Paris - where she is studying Claude Debussy - and head down south to a beautiful hotel in the woods. She becomes fascinated by the history of the place and particularly by the tragic events of one Halloween night more than a century before that shocked the small community. Thus her fate becomes entwined with that of Leonie. But it is only when she too stumbles over a secluded glade in the forest that she realises that the secrets it contains are far from dead and buried…

A haunting mystery of revenge and obsession, set against the rich backdrop of southern France, SEPULCHRE is the stunning new novel from the bestselling author of LABYRINTH.


REVIEW
The second of Kate Mosse's books that I've read, and I'm still loving them. As with Labyrinth, this is an intergenerational story, and flicks from one time period to another.
The dual heroines in this book are well thought out, realistic and intelligent - although Leonie does herself no favours in the first section of the book by missing out on a very obvious 'twist'.
Thankfully, despite that one slip, the book has kept me guessing and attentive.

I can't wait to finish!

COMPLETED REVIEW
So, this was a very satisfying book. Other than that one section early on, which still annoys me, this was one of those books that I couldnt really put down.

Fantastic book, although it did take a while to get into the story, (it was quite slow to start), once I did I could not put it down.

It tells 2 main stories, one of Leonie Vernier 1891 who moves from Paris with her brother Anatole to live with her aunt Isolde in her secluded estate Domaine de la Cade.

The second story is set in the present and revolves around Meredith Martin an American in France seeking out the history of her family and possibly the reason her birth mother felt the need to abandon her by commiting suicide. While on this hunt she finds a new hobby; Tarot cards, and also a love interest; Hal.

As Meredith traces her way around France the 2 stories interconnect and we find that while fleeting back and forth similarities in both girls lives appear.

Leonie also finds an interest in Tarot, and magic and other things supernatural, following in the footsteps of her uncle, the original owner of Domaine de la Cade who having passed away left it to Isolde.

However there is a darker side to Leonie and Anatole's story, in that Anatole is being followed by a sinister villain intent on revenge.

There are so many aspects to this novel, so much to draw a reader in no matter what their tastes in fiction. Definitely a must read, and will look forward to reading Kate Mosse's previous novel, Labyrinth.

"May we live in today and never in the future or the past, or come too late to those we love."

Margaret George does a wonderful job in giving life to Mary Magdalene and using the few resources available to describe what her life may have been like. A good retelling of a bible story.

My memory is hazy about this book but I know I didn't like it and was disappointed by it.

This was a really good book. Shreve move slowly and there is no 'intense' action but the book is quite moving. I also like how she uses the same house in multiple time periods.