Month: November 2021

This is a debut novel by Sarah Adlakha, and I found it very intriguing. If you had a chance to go back in time, in order to change the course of events for a very good reason, would you? Maria Forsmann is given this choice when, thirty-nine and pregnant, she wakes up from a coma and finds herself to be seventeen again and living with her parents. She finally realizes why this has happened, and now must decide what to do. She could save a life but that would mean her husband, daughter and unborn baby will not be in her life. It’s a tough decision to make. What would you do?

The latest offering by Patrick Taylor is this novella, # 16 in the Irish Country series, about two country doctors practicing in the 1960’s, in Ballybucklebo, a small fictional town in Northern Ireland. ‘Tis the season for weddings: Doctor Fingal O’Flaherty has recently married the woman of his dreams, Kitty, whom he met in the late thirties when he was studying medicine as a young man, and then lost track of. His colleague, young Barry Laverty, is smitten with a woman he hopes to propose to, Sue, a local schoolteacher. Even Kinky, the housekeeper is busy planning her own wedding. Many of the other familiar characters are present in the novella, with the addition of a new face. Lord John MacNeill’s brother, Andrew, has come for a holiday visit from Australia, to impart some news to the family. Taylor pens an uplifting novella, and fans of his will enjoy his latest addition to the series.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite writers, and this title was a very enjoyable read. Melody Browne has no memories of her life before 9 years old. After her parents’ house burned down, the trauma of the event helped to suppress those recollections. Now she is 33, with a son who is turning 18. After a brief encounter with a hypnotist, she passes out, and, following that, slowly begins to experience scattered memories and snapshots of the past. Little by little, Melody begins to follow the paths that her memories lead her on, embarking on a journey of self discovery, as she realizes what she experienced in her early childhood years. Ms. Jewell has a deft way of weaving relationships together, as she builds her characterizations and the plot. I definitely recommend this title!