Yangsze Choo’s—The fox wife *****

This is a fantasy tale influenced by Chinese myths about foxes that is captivating. Bao is assigned by a restaurant owner to learn the name of the woman who died on the steps of his establishment so the owner can conduct prayers so the woman won’t haunt his business. While Bao traces his steps from a brothel back to the village where the dead woman came from, he encounters tales of a fox woman and other mysterious deaths that remind him of his childhood with Tagtaa whom he secretly adored and their fascination with foxes.

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Yasuko Thanh’s—To the bridge*****

Rose carries a load of baggage that is slowly revealed after her daughter, Juliet tries to commit suicide. She questions what she has done wrong as a mother while defending her actions to her husband, Syd who has done little to support the parenting of their teenage daughter.

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Margaret MacMillan’s—Women of the Raj *****

This was a well written close look at women who braved the journey by ship to stay in India during British rule. From the beginning right through until India’s independence, we follow women who came to join their husbands or in the hope of getting married. We learn about their journey by sea, their first impressions and their social life. For anyone interested in India during the British Raj, this is an informative read.

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First draft precious ideas

I’m not a plotter, but I think about my story for a long time knowing the key moments before I begin to write. I know what’s going to happen at the end even though when I get there that might change. So how do I get those ideas that make up the major part of the story if I haven’t plotted the entire manuscript?

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