by Susan Barnes | 2 Jun 2023 | Book Reviews
The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin is an engaging story with a dual storyline. Two women are connected by the role newspapers play in the dispersing of information during World War II. Ava is seconded from her job at the Library of Congress, in Washington to Lisbon,...
by Susan Barnes | 21 Apr 2023 | Book Reviews
Breaking Down the Wall is set in 1989 and is a sequel to The Boy Behind the Wall which was set in 1967. While it’s not necessary to have read the earlier book to follow the plot, the story does tie up some loose ends from the previous book. Breaking Down the Wall is...
by Susan Barnes | 24 Mar 2023 | Book Reviews
The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris by Daisy Wood is an engaging story with a dual timeline connected by a bookshop in Paris. The first time setting is from 1939 to 1945 and covers the war years. Jacques Duval, a bookseller, is setting up his own bookshop called, La Page...
by Susan Barnes | 27 Jan 2023 | Book Reviews
Eleven-year-old Rosie grew up living in an Indian palace, but for the last three months, she has been living miserably in the English countryside, which is supposedly safer for her than in India. Rosie finds this hard to understand when Hitler is regularly dropping...
by Susan Barnes | 10 Dec 2022 | Book Reviews
The Boy Behind the Wall is set in Berlin in 1967 during the Cold War. The story begins with Harry witnessing the death of a young boy. He is shot by East German guards as he tries to scale the Wall which separates East and West Berlin. Harry has recently moved with...
by Susan Barnes | 26 Nov 2022 | Book Reviews
Mala’s Cat is an autobiography account of how Mala Kacenberg (nee Szorer) survived World War 2. Mala was born into a large observant Jewish family living in Tarnogrod, Poland. Her story begins three years before the war when wild hailstorms ruined crops in her area...
by Susan Barnes | 4 Jun 2019 | My happenings
My Mum passed away two weeks ago and this is the tribute I shared at her memorial service. People of my Mum’s generation faced many hardships and it’s a reminder that we are fortunate to have so many opportunities available to us today. I think the word...
by Susan Barnes | 8 Mar 2017 | Book Reviews
This book is currently being featured on the Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance. Information about the author and more details about the book can be found here. Chocolate Soldier : The Story of a Conchie by Hazel Barker gives a different perspective on World...
