The Soul of a Shoemaker

 "What a fantastic story"

My review

The Soul of a Shoemaker, written by Susan Cork is a fantastic and personal book
about her grandfather.

Soul of a Shoemaker" is a compelling and moving memoir that sheds light
on a lesser-known chapter of history through the lens of one family's experience.
Susan Cork’s heartfelt and detailed writing makes it an unforgettable read that
honours the enduring strength of the human spirit.

"Soul of a Shoemaker" stands out for its emotional resonance, vivid storytelling,
historical depth, and inspiring message, making it a rewarding read for those
interested in personal memoirs and historical narratives.

Without any doubt I give a 5 star rating for this fantastic story!

The author

Susan is a talented creative with a passion for digital design and publishing.
Her work is available on popular platforms like Amazon and POD Print
on Demand sites, where she offers a variety of unique digital products.

Additionally, Susan has established a trademarked brand, Adam and Marky ®,
and has published planners, colouring books, and storybooks through KDP.

Her company, Ginzburg Press, is a digital production company that distributes
a wide range of merchandise, books, and animated short films. 

Booktasters

As always, I want to thank Booktasters and the author as well, for providing me
a free copy in return of my honest review, which I did. 

Source picture: Book cover

Bookreview: At the Far End of Nowhere

 What a beautifully, refreshing story told very well!

Summary

In this hauntingly unconventional novel, young Lissa Power challenges the
imagination and captures the heart as she struggles to grow under the guidance
of her father, a watchmaker, inventor and mechanical wizard - who is easily old
enough to be her grandfather. 

When Lissa is twelve, her mother dies from breast cancer and the reclusive old
watchmaker now ,  84 years old, must oversee his daughter's coming of age.

Lissa becomes her father's close companion, the mother of the house, and
her aging father's caregiver.

Here At the Far End of Nowhere, father and daughter weave fact with fiction
and merge reality with fantasy to reveal a broader truth. 

My Review

What a beautifully, refreshing story told very well! I really enjoyed it!

I also liked the way the author developped her characters and as a woman, of course I supported
Lissa the most.

I can't find anything I disliked in this novel perhaps highlighting her father's age, but that's a part of the story.

I recommend this book to all people who love reading some wonderful coming to age
novels. Perhaps teenagers or young adults are a wonderful public for this book.

I enjoyed this book from start to finish, that's why I want to give a
5* rating for this easy reading and a really nice novel.

The author

Christine Davis Merriman completed her MFA in Imaginative Writing/Fiction
at UMass Amherst forty years ago. She won Towson State University's
John S. Lewis Fiction Award for a collection of short stories and was eager to
pursue a career in fiction. 

The "life" intervened. In 2017, she retired, put down her technical writer's pen,
and completed her debut novel, At the Far End of Nowhere. 

Visit her website on http://christinedavismerrimanauthor.com 

Booktasters

I received a free copy via Booktasters and the author. Thank you very much for this

wonderful reading chance! 

Bookreview: Confessions of an Expat in Paris

 written by Vicki Lesage

"A nice memoir with humour."

Summary

From champagne bottles to baby bottles, this memoir offers a humorous glimpse
of an American expat's years abroad...

Party girl Vicki moved to Paris hoping to drink wine and fall in love. She 
accomplished both goals but not without bumps along the way: romantic
encounters gone awry, uniquely French situations threatening her sanity,
and two adorable yet tireless kids keeping her on her toes.

Journey along with Vicky as she gets her feet wet, settles in, and finally 
finds her way in Paris. All with a drink in hand and a smile on her face.
Until she must make a decision: Should she stay in her adopted city
(with all its ups and downs) or should she return home (with its
different ups and downs)?

Discover the real Paris through Vicki's eyes as she shows you the funny
side of life, love and raising a family in the city of Light. And each chapter
is paired with a delicious cocktail recipe. 

My review

It was an honest memoir: a lovely, clear and fluently written book.
It was easy and relaxing to read too. 

I enjoyed reading and sometimes the scenes made me laugh. 
However I wanted to read more about Paris than about the author's life.

I would like to recommend this book to all readers who like memoirs,
and travel stories with lots of humour.

Therefore, I would like to give this book a 4 star rating on 5. 

The author

Bestselling author Vicki Lesage proves daily that raising two French kids
isn't as easy as the hype lets on. In her spare time, she writes, sips bubbly, and 
prepares for the impending zombie apocalypse. She just moved back to the
US after living in Paris for 11 years, with her French husband, rambunctious
son, and charming daughter in tow, all of whom mercifully don't laugh
when she says "au revoir". She penned the Paris Confessions series in between
diaper changes and wine refills. She writes about the ups and downs of her life

on her site on this link. 

BookSirens

I received a copy free by BookSirens for giving my honest review. Thank you very
much for this excellent reading chance

Bookreview: Lamlash Street

Lamlash Street: A Portrait of 1960's Post-War
London through One Family's story

written by J.M. Phillips

"A very nice trip to memory lane" 

Summary

Explore a world that can't be visited anymore-South East London, 1963.
On Lamlash Street, Cockney families have more life and character than money,
living among the bombed out and condemned buildings. Post WWII London
will evolve swiftly into the era of The Beatles, Twiggy, and modern, swinging London.

Experience the lively true story of a girl on her way to being a young woman,
coming-of-age at a moment in London's history unlike any other.
Jill Phillips tries to capture her first kiss while navigating a world turning
upside down and the trauma that her parents and uncle experienced during the war.

It's a time when a local factory shutting down could mean more than just job loss.
As families are torn apart, they rely on questionable yet quirky neighbors and find
inventive ways to survive-like pay cigarette machines in the house and Christmas
presents "special ordered" for a fraction of the cost.

Seen-but-not-heard by the adults in her life, Jill looks for young love and
how to define herself. Stories of Nazi aircraft on the walk home from school,
watching Doodle bugs (flying bombs) drop on London from rooftop perches,
and her uncle's many unsettling stories of war as young merchant mariner give
her a unique lens of the world and what a better future could look like for her family.

Lamlash Street: A Portrait of 1960's Post-War London Through One Family's Story
is a heartfelt and funny historical memoir. If you like non-stereotypical women
characters, working-class endurance, and a biography about rallying from abundant
loss, then you'll adore Jill Phillips' moving recollection.

Buy Lamlash Street to take an emotional and touching trip down memory lane today!

My Review

Readers of my blog(s) already know that I do like (royal) history. However London
also attracks me very much. 

It was a nice trip to the author's memory lane and the book was written very clearly.

However I missed some structure in the story. 

Nevertheless, it is a wonderful story. That's why I want to give a 4 star on 5 rating. 

The Author

J.M. Phillips is an author and retired Occupational Therapist. Motivated
by the retelling of family stories, she wrote Lamlash Street, which is about
navigating family life in London after World War II. She is a storyteller with
a passion to inspire families to connect through the telling of their past.

Growing up in the UK, J.M. emigrated to Canada after working in a London
solicitor’s office for a few years. She spent 30 years working as an
Occupational Therapist and Hospital manager before retiring.

Rather than slowing down the pace of life as she neared retirement,
J.M. refocused her efforts enjoying each day with a zest for life.
 A technology and sci-fi fan with a thrill-seeking streak, she’s been
cave swimming in Mexico and hopes to swim with dolphins.

During one of her many trips to visit her family in Bexleyheath,
she was inspired to capture their memories of a way of life that is
cherished by many. Pulling from her uncle’s World War II stories and
her memories of her young life in the 1960’s, she aims to carry on his
legacy with her books.

She spent many years working in health care. She is currently splitting
her time between the UK and Canada, maintaining close contacts with
family, and at the same time discovering more fascinating family stories.
Learn more at her website on this link. 

BookSirens

I received an advance copy for free via BookSirens. I'm leaving this review
voluntarily. Thank you very much for giving me the chance for reading this
memoir. 

Lamlash Street is published by 'Red Damask Publishing' in 2020. It is 
available on Amazon.com in Kindle version and in paperback. 

Source picture: Book cover

Bookreview: Let the Willows Weep

"A fantastic book, which made  me very emotional"

“Sometimes life is just like paper wings. Fragile, easily torn apart, and often there are too many pieces to pick up.”

In the tradition of the best Southern fiction—from Bastard Out of Carolina to Where the Crawdads Sing—Sherry Parnell’s Let the Willows Weep is a heart-wrenching portrait of hardscrabble, humble lives in rural America. A keenly-observed and unflinching look at the life of Birddog Harlin as she grows up in her dysfunctional family, this novel explores the line between destruction and redemption.

The Review

"Let the Willows Weep" was very emotional for me and together with the main character I fell a lot of feelings from anger to empathy and from love to hurt. It always very nice that a book can give you so much strong emotion, though it was a sad story. I'm sure - from now on - I 'll never look the same at a willow tree!

"Let the Willows Weep" was excellent written and it fell almost like I was reading poetry. So, beautiful! 

The author, Sherry Parnell did a great job. Check also her wonderful site on this link. I'm looking forward to read more of this author! 

On Goodreads, the book has a 3.95 on 5 rating, but I give her with lots of pleasure a 5 star rating!

BookSirens

I received an advanced copy for free, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you BookSirens for giving me this great opportunity! 

Source picture: Book cover