RLB’s weekly recommendations
Morvoren House, an isolated, grey, decaying manor perched atop the rugged Cornish cliffs is the perfect setting for this spooky gothic tale. Hester Why arrives on the mail coach from London, to become nursemaid to Miss Pinecroft an elderly, frail lady who sits in silence before her collection of fine bone china. The house holds … Continue reading Book of the Week, September 21st 2019
It is now 34 years since ‘The Handmaids Tale’ was published. Set in Gilead, an imagined totalitarian state of the future where women’s roles are strictly controlled and individuality is outlawed it made an enormous impact. Adopted for study in schools and colleges and more recently made into a hugely popular TV series, its influence … Continue reading Book of the Week, September 14th 2019
Essex is a difficult county to pin down. Even its boundaries have constantly shifted, with saltmarsh reclaimed from the sea for agriculture and land lost to expanding London in the south. Economically it is a place of contrasts. Affluent and charming, Saffron Walden in 2015 won a national vote for quality of life whilst 40 … Continue reading Book of the Week September 7th 2019
Celebrated American writer, Truman Capote became a larger than life figure as his fame and fortunes rose during the fifties and sixties. He embraced the high society life style of the glamorous, New York glitterati; parties on Mediterranean yachts with the international jet set. Though gay, he became a close friend and confidante of many … Continue reading Book of the Week, August 31st 2019
Before he became president, Barak Obama’s memoir was a bestseller across the world. Now, ten years later Michelle Obama is following in his footsteps. She recounts her childhood growing up in a working-class family on the south side of Chicago, a neighbourhood with increasing poverty and gang violence. With warmth and candour, she describes the … Continue reading Book of the Week, August 23rd 2019
Most people, if deciding to spend a year or so living elsewhere in Europe might consider France or Italy, or maybe Denmark. Poland would not be top of the list. But Poland was the country Ben Aitken headed for when, bored and uncertain of his future, he wanted a taste of something different. Armed only … Continue reading Book of the Week, August 17th 2019