Carol Jones’ — The boy with blue trousers *****

In 1856, Little Cat feels disgruntled because working with silk and picking mulberry leaves never stops while her twin brother, Ah Yong gets to relax after a day’s work. But when she is drowning in a life and death situation, it is Ah Yong she hopes can help her. Will she evade the possibility of death?

Meanwhile, Violet has fled from the gossip in London and works as a governess in Robe Town, a small coastal South Australian port. But once her past catches up with her, she is desperate to escape along with the hundreds of Chinese who flood the town on the way to the goldfields.

What does the future hold for these two women from opposite sides of the world?

Banana Yoshimoto’s — Hardboiled/Hard luck & The Lake *****

Hardboiled and Hard Luck are two novellas in one book. The first story has a supernatural element beginning with the story teller’s walk through a forest and arriving at her hotel in a small village. In the forest, she already has a sense that something strange is in the air. The second story finds Kuni in hospital on a ventilator with her sister remembering their past closeness and trying to come to terms with her eventual death. Continue reading “Banana Yoshimoto’s — Hardboiled/Hard luck & The Lake *****” →

Han Kang’s — Human acts *****

Through the voices of her characters, Han Kang recounts the Gwangju uprising against continued repressive South Korean governments from Park Chung-hee’s stronghold to Chun Doo-hwan — another army general who assassinated Park. The army is brought in and fires indiscriminately at demonstrators. Our journey begins with the collection of bodies and parents trying to identify their children. Decades later, we learn that the after effects of this tragedy still linger.

This is not a novel for the faint at heart. It hits hard with real facts, and the writing is powerful. I’m impressed by a translation that didn’t seem to water down the emotional repercussions or gory details.

Connie Willis’ — Blackout and All Clear*****

Blackout is about characters who travel back in time to view different historical events during World War II, but after they arrive, there’s a mess up in the time travel lab, and they find themselves stuck in Oxford, England. Continue reading “Connie Willis’ — Blackout and All Clear*****” →