The Thing About Prague

Rachel Weiss

The Thing About Prague

Prague is one of Anna’s favourite cities, so she gave this one a try. The author gave up her life in Sydney to move to Prague, where she lived for 3 years.  Although this was the place where her family had originated from, she didn’t feel she fitted in there, and found the language really difficult. The book was partly travelogue and partly memoir, and Anna found the writing informal and almost like reading a blog. 

Classic Travel Reads

Some of the books selected by our book group members are enduring classics...

A Short Walk in The Hindu Kush
Eric Newby

When explorer and adventurer Eric Newby finally realised that Haute Couture was not the career for him, he sent a cable to his friend Hugh Carless, saying ‘Can you travel Nuristan June?’ 

So began a classic journey from Mayfair to the wild mountains of the Hindu-Kush in Afghanistan. Written with great humour and self-deprecation, Newby describes their adventures through this stunningly beautiful, but inhospitable and dangerous country. This book was first published in 1958.

Cath



Sailing Alone Around the World
Joshua Slocum

Colvyn gave this one a 3 .5 - 4 star rating. He particularly enjoyed the understated writing, and the Shackleton style approach to adventure. Joshua Slocum was in his 50s when he set  out in 1895 to sail around the World alone. 

He spent 3 years at sea circling the Earth in 'Spray' his 36ft sailing boat. He was undaunted by storm and Pirate attacks, and met many famous, and infamous, people along the way. This book has never been out of print since 1900. 


Seven Years In Tibet
Heinrich Harrer

Pam was recommended this one, and gave it a 3 star rating. It was originally published in 1953, and has become an adventure classic about  Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer's 1943 escape from a British internment camp in India. He trekked across the Himalayas into the remote region of Tibet, where foreign visitors were rare. Even so, he became tutor to the Dalai Lama, which gave him a rare glimpse of Tibetan rites, culture and tradition. The Chinese invasion in 1950 prompted Harrer's departure. Pam enjoyed the insight into Tibetan life, but didn't find the description of the treks through the mountains especially gripping. 

Travel

It's the time of year when we're all thinking about holidays, so it seemed like a good idea to dip our toes in some travel. It's not a genre we've explored much before, and we all selected a book of our own choice Here's the first one - more books being added soon! 

The Perfect Storm
Sebastian Junger

Barnes & Noble

Elizabeth gave this our top rating of 5 stars. It's about the loss of the fishing vessel Andrea Gail as her crew fought to survive 60ft waves in the North Atlantic Ocean's worst storm. Junger writes of the desperate reasons behind the risks, and the family and friends left behind. It's tells the story of the crew's last days and hours, the communications with other fishing vessels, and the failed but heroic rescue attempts. 

If you enjoyed this one, try 'The Hungry Ocean' by Linda Greenlaw. She was the female Skipper of the Andrea Gail's sister ship who survived the storm. This book is more to do with her everyday life as a courageous and talented woman who loves being at sea, and fishing. 

Reading 'The Perfect Storm' inspired Elizabeth to write this:-

The perfect storm, is there such a thing?

Descriptions of it's ferocity

as though the wind and water have wings,

forty five foot waves from the depths they reach

building up their power

smashing all in it's path to pieces,

Sailors struggling against it

Boats being tossed about like toys

Will they see shore again?

Wives, children Girls and Boys,

People on the shore WATCHING

the waves as they roar,

Suddenly! houses ripped out to sea

People and buildings bought to their knees,

Rescuers out in this savagery

all at risk to saves others from the deadly seas,

When calm descends, all counting the cost

Fathers, Sons, Husbands LOST

claimed by the sea,

lives destroyed and lost

Elizabeth Adams

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey

Penguin Books

Our book of the month is a first novel, 2014 Costa Prize winner, and shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize. 

Maud, the narrator-heroine is determined to discover why her friend Elizabeth has gone missing. It’s an unsolved mystery, but Maud’s investigation is compromised by confusion and memory loss as a result of dementia. 

H is for Hawk by Helen McDonald

Image from The London Review Bookshop

Our Book of the Month for March is 'H is for Hawk' by Helen MacDonald, which won The Costa Book of the Year and The Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction. 

Helen MacDonald is a poet, historian, naturalist and illustrator. When she was only 8 years old, she came across 'The Goshawk' by T. H. White. The book tells of his struggle to train the goshawk, and escape his own personal demons. 

Following the death of her father, Mabel the goshawk enters her life and takes her on a journey through the grief she experienced.

A Song For Issy Bradley by Carys Bray

Carys Bray

This was a debut novel shortlisted for The 2014 Costa Book Awards, and selected as a Book at Bedtime for Radio 4. The story is told by each member of a Mormon family at a time of great sadness. Ian and Claire are both mourning their daughter, with Ian clinging to his faith to endure the loss and Claire longing for a sign to prevent her from spiraling into the depths of despair.

 Two brothers have also lost their sister, with Jacob looking for ways to fix his family together again and Zippy coping with guilt and first love. 

The book is set in the North West of England, which is where Carys Bradley lives. She was also brought up in a devout Mormon family herself. Not everyone in the group has read 'A Song for Issy Bradley', but those who have gave it our top rating of 5 stars.

Here's a few words from Elizabeth Adams about it:

What a beautiful story, faith and families

Daunting time ahead for them

the emotive situation of Issy

challenges Ian's beliefs

His daughter is dead!! WHY

he tells himself and his family

God wanted her for the eternal kingdom

The searching looks, the silences,

It shouldn't be like this,

no time for tears!!

A family divided by there faith

the bible that they live by

should be a guide

not a millstone to drag you down

but God does work mysteriously

to bring people back together again

with solace and peace to bind them

Books With a Heart

Our next meeting will be a week later than usual on Thursday 12th February at 6 p.m.
As it's close to Valentine's Day, we're reading a book of your own choice with 'heart' in the title. You can choose a book from any genre, and it doesn't necessarily have to be romantic ...