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Blitz Spirit at Harbour House by Fenella J Miller #Review

  I am delighted to be on the tour to celebrate the next in the Harbour House series by Fenella J Miller . Blitz Spirit at Harbour House   continues life in 1940,with the Second World War underway. It was published by Boldwood Books on October 7th.   September 1940 As the new housekeeper at Harbour House, Lily Turner and her teenage daughter Daphne have forged a resilient life since Lily’s husband Patrick abandoned them. But as war rages, Patrick, now vital to the war effort, is dispatched to Wivenhoe shipyard, forcing him to confront his past—and Lily—once more. He's no longer the reckless boy who deserted his family; hardened by the years, he’s determined to make amends. Yet, for Lily, the scars of abandonment run deep, and forgiveness is a luxury she's not sure she can afford. But she finds this new version of Patrick intriguing nonetheless.. With the Blitz intensifying and German bombers pounding Britain, life is precarious. When Patrick, Lily, and Daphne are...

Yuki Chan in Brontë Country by Mick Jackson

If I'm honest, the main reason for reading this book lay in the title and its mention of Brontë Country. As I read on, I realised that that in fact  is a bit of a red herring, as it is for Yuki herself. Yuki, a young Japanese girl with limited english, is touring the Brontë sights in search of the truth about her mother, who she believed visited the area ten years previously. Her mother has died and Yuki is desperate to know the truth behind her death. She meets Denny, a local girl and they set about unravelling what her mother was doing in that area, led by some old photographs which Yuki has brought.

     As a character, Yuki is a bit of an enigma. The loss of her mother dominates and she has an underlying loneliness, emphasised at first with her lack of connection with any of the other women who are on her tour bus. If I really tried to stretch  it, I could see in the isolation of the motherless Brontë sisters a similar element of living a little apart and, especially with Emily, an interest in spirituality and other worldly experiences. These elements are there with Yuki's story. 

    This is a surprising book which tends to wrong foot the reader as the plot unravels. I liked the humour and quirkiness of Yuki. She is a stranger in a foreign land who looks at her surroundings with a detached and quizzical air. She is no fan of the Brontë's and can't really empathise with the Brontë enthusiasts she sees. Her friendship with Denny could have been further developed but it is Yuki herself, so independent and irreverent, who steals the show.

In short: quirky, eccentric on a mission to uncover a mystery- Yuki leads us on an entertaining, if slightly odd, quest.

 Thanks to Faber & Faber who sent me a copy of the book via NetGalley for an honest review.

Comments

  1. It's interesting how the Japanese are so keen on the Brontës, so I can see the motivation for this book. Sounds suitably quirky.

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    1. Part of the enjoyment is seeing how Yuki is on a totally different wavelength to all the Bronte fans but I think there are parallels to be drawn between the sisters and Yuki, all observers of life. Yuki's relationship with her father and sister could be spelled out deeper, you get the impression there is a whole second book lurking there.

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