Reviews by Tanya

This is a stunningly written, theologically rich, compellingly told memoir of a journey from alcoholism to sobriety, and from anger with God at unanswered prayer to a surrender to mystery. Seth Haines started drinking when his beautiful little boy - emaciated, weak - was seemingly dying of a mysterious chronic illness for which the doctors had no answers. The structure of the book follows his journal of the first ninety days of his sobriety - but it’s far more sophisticated than a ‘dear diary’ format - it’s beautifully structured and crafted, with story, reflection and theology interwoven together. The book is ostensibly on addiction, but actually the bulk of the book is about Seth’s inner journey to uncover the reasons behind addiction. What Seth Haines does superbly is deal with big questions of miraculous healing, what happens when prayers for healing go unanswered, and what it is like to live, suspended, in a state of chronic suffering. This is not just a book for those struggling with addiction, but for anyone who has ever struggled with unanswered prayer or a request for healing that was never answered. As someone who writes on the spirituality of suffering and lives with a chronic illness, I give this my highest recommendation - it is honest about the questions, and digs deep for - not answers, exactly, but a way through the questioning. The writing is a sheer joy to read. One of the best books I’ve read in a while - a must-read for anyone struggling with unanswered prayer or addictions of any kind.

*I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review, which this is. I then went out and bought my own copy to lend to others.*

I bought this children’s classic to read with my boy, and he loves it, but what really surprised me was the beauty and grace of the quieter, nature poems that I had found so boring as a kid. I still love my childhood favourites which I remember by the lines rather than their titles (e.g. Halfway up the stairs, James James, Morrison Morrison, Lines and Squares, ‘I do like a little bit of butter to my bread’, ’they hadn’t got a rabbit, not anywhere there’, ’They’re changing guard at Buckingham Palace’, 'hush, hush, whisper who dares' etc ).

But as an adult, the real hits for me are – The Dormouse and the Doctor (a little too close to home), The Alchemist, The Wrong Home, The Invaders). With all the themes of the joy of nature and the magic of poetry he’s like a more-accessible Wordsworth. If you’ve never read it – WHY ARE YOU STILL EVEN HERE? BUY IT IMMEDIATELY!! If you have already read it, buy it as a Christmas present for your favourite child.

This, I am ashamed to admit, was my first Margaret Atwood, and I only read it because Jenny Rowbory recommended it, and she is ALWAYS right. And boy, was she right with this. A dystopian novel about a world in which women are subjugated, it was a fascinating, breathless read. It is both literary and very readable, which is a sign of truly good literature. Highly recommended.

The Essex Serpent – Sarah Perry

Set in Victorian Britain, a mysterious serpent seems to be snatching children, and a female wannabe palaeontologist and male vicar try to find the cause: is it a coincidence, a dinosaur come to life, or is there something evil haunting the Essex shores?

We read it as a book club, and had high hopes for this book because it has had such hype, but we were mainly disappointed.

Although it’s set in Victorian Britain, it never feels like you have travelled back in time, and there are parts where it feels a little anachronistic. The main character never rang true for most of us, and quite a few other characters felt like constructs, rather than people.

However, the liberal, logical, slightly cynical vicar character rang true in a way that the others didn’t, and I was interested to read of her religious upbringing. It made for a good book club debate, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a historical novel.

Flicking between 1960s London and 1930s Spain, on the cusp of civil war, this novel centres on the discovery of a mysterious painting, and the tragic secrets it holds. This is my first Jessie Burton book, though I have the bestselling The Miniaturist on my ‘to read list’.

I really enjoyed it. Though the London sections are good, it was the characters and story of the Spanish sections that really gripped me. On the way, it touches upon how we interpret art, the role of women in art and literature, and the silences and trauma that war brings. Highly recommended.