Not so many books were read this month, in fact only one! I have started another one I've been waiting a while to read, Lessons in Chemistry, but will save that to share for next month.
This was our online book club choice. The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams.
Set in two time lines, the book alternates between the voices of Vivian Schuyler, a young girl trying to make her own way in the world in 1964, away from her privileged family and Violet Grant, Vivian's long lost aunt who seemingly murdered her husband and ran off with her lover at the beginning of the first World War.
Quite out of the blue Vivian receives a parcel in the mail which turns out to be a suitcase which belonged to Violet. The collection of the parcel involves meeting the handsome Dr Paul who Vivian falls in love with, little knowing that he is already romantically involved with her friend. The mysterious contents of the suitcase lead Vivian to become determined to know more about this unknown relative who lead such a dramatic life.
In 1914 we meet Violet who is living in Berlin, married to her much older professor who has given her the opportunity to pursue her dream of becoming a scientist. As she realises that any love she once felt for him has gone, she discovers exactly why he married her and how manipulative and unfaithful he has been. The arrival of Lionel, one of his former students makes Violet realise how unhappy she is and together they plan to run off together.
However, nothing is as it seems and the rumours that Violet had murdered her husband may not be true. He died, that is for sure, but who was responsible? Violet goes on the run against a deadline to escape Germany before the inevitable war begins. However, the people who are in her group of escapees are not really who she believes them to be.
There's a twist in the tale, of course there is! But it's a good one, and not one that I was expecting.
5 comments:
Always appreciate book reviews & recommendations. :)
Another one I'll have to look out for :0)
There's enough described here to make me add this title to my TBR list. :)
That book sounds like something right up my alley! I love books that go back and forth in time. As for Lessons in Chemistry, I loved it! The movie is out now on Apple TV. I haven't seen it yet.
I couldn't decide what I thought about The Secret Life... while I was reading it and I still don't know. Some of it seemed so far-fetched that I had a little trouble swallowing it all. But I like the author's style of writing, the way she would have Vivian speak to the reader at times as an aside. I just finished Hello Beautiful (I keep wanting to add a comma after the salutation but it doesn't appear in the title). Had trouble deciding if I liked it, too. I liked the ending in both, but Hello Beautiful took an awful long time to get there.
Have you started the book for this month? It is pretty sad, at least to start. But I like it.
We have just started watching the series Lessons in Chemistry. Very good. Hope you will enjoy the book.
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