Rachel Kadish’s—The weight of ink*****

In the 1600s, Ester’s brother accidently burns down their Amsterdam house killing their parents, and the Jewish community is reluctant to take on the two orphans because of their mother’s criticism of their archaic beliefs. Blind Rabbi HaCoen Mendes offers to take them to London where he is to instruct the Jewish community, and Ester’s brother will be his scribe. But her brother has other plans and disappears once they arrive in London. The rabbi then uses Ester as his scribe, and she begins to hunger for more knowledge.

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Kim Echlin’s—Speak, silence*****

Gota, a journalist, leaves Canada and travels to Bosnia in the hope of reconnecting with Kosmos—the man she had a whirlwind romance with in Paris that resulted in a daughter. After a night of lovemaking in Sarajevo with Kosmos, he introduces her to the love of his life—Edina who still pines for her dead husband. On a visit to Edina’s law office, Gota learns of the thousands of files Edina has collected from women who were raped during the Bosnian War. She’s drawn to Edina and the testimony her mother, herself, and her daughter are about to give in The Hague when a trial against Dragic, an officer who in his village, ordered the capture, rape, and torture of Muslim women.

Speak, silence is not an easy read, but the believable characters and court proceedings are an eye opener for those who have never experienced how many men behave in war and what ethnic cleansing really means.

Richard Flanagan’s — Death of a river guide *****

Alijaz is a river guide on the only remaining Tasmanian River that has not been dammed—the Franklin. In an attempt to save a tourist who’s fallen into the river, Alijaz gets trapped in the rapids. While he is entombed underwater, his dreams take him on an unforgettable journey.

Beautifully written, I didn’t want this story to end while at the same time, hoped Alijaz would survive.

Colleen Van Niekerk’s — A conspiracy of mothers *****

Yolanda is haunted by the violent past she left behind in apartheid South Africa, but when she hears her mother calling her back, she knows she must return to Cape Town and face the daughter she abandoned twenty years ago. At her mother’s house, she learns of her mother’s disappearance and soon finds out that her daughter, Ingrid has discovered the secrets her family kept hidden from her since birth. Ingrid is furious and leaves Cape Town to meet a father, Stefan, she was told was dead. But she’s unaware of the violence stirred up by the coming elections, and the white hatred against the black majority who will take over the government. When Yolanda uncovers the danger Ingrid faces, she knows she must save her daughter before she reaches Stefan’s house. Will she arrive there in time?