On Reading And Other Things...

As I have shared with readers this year has seen a few challenges in my life including a pesky eye problem which I am told cannot be diagnosed or cured...because of lack of research...

After seeing a fair amount of doctors, I have been told to learn to live with 'it' as no change has been detected. Easier said than done, the original problem remains and it has taken a toll on life in more ways than I ever imagine. No complaints though, there is worse but it upset my one favourite pastime...you guessed it, READING!

It would appear I must alter my banner from 'Book Reviewer'...Sad!

Still, KINDLE has been a lifesaver as I can adjust the print (providing I can keep at bay the recurring headaches...).
Thus I have been able to enjoy a few good books (particularly as I have been flying a lot lately and layovers are sometimes lengthy).

So here are a couple of titles I would like to bring to your attention if you enjoy reading:

The House By The Dvina: A Russian Childhood by Eugenie Fraser

• ISBN-13: 978-1845965730

Synopsis:

The House by the Dvina is the riveting story of two families separated in culture and geography but bound together by a Russian-Scottish marriage. It includes episodes as romantic and dramatic as any in fiction: the purchase by the author's great-grandfather of a peasant girl with whom he had fallen in love; the desperate sledge journey in the depths of winter made by her grandmother to intercede with Tsar Aleksandr II for her husband; the extraordinary courtship of her parents; and her Scottish granny being caught up in the abortive revolution of 1905.

Eugenie Fraser herself was brought up in Russia but was taken on visits to Scotland. She marvellously evokes a child's reactions to two totally different environments, sets of customs and family backgrounds, while the characters are beautifully drawn and splendidly memorable.

With the events of 1914 to 1920 - the war with Germany, the Revolution, the murder of the Tsar and the withdrawal of the Allied Intervention in the north - came the disintegration of Russia and of family life. The stark realities of hunger, deprivation and fear are sharply contrasted with the adventures of childhood. The reader shares the family's suspense and concern about the fates of its members and relives with Eugenie her final escape to Scotland.

In The House by the Dvina, Eugenie Fraser has vividly and poignantly portrayed a way of life that finally disappeared in violence and tragedy.

What I thought:

I have always been fascinated by the Russian history and particularly the events leading to its revolution. This beautifully written autobiography will capture your imagination with its romance and dramatic developments. 

And it all starts with the author's great grandfather purchasing a peasant girl with whom he had fallen in love..

.

To note: the book includes many photos to recapture a world gone by!

One of the best books I have read lately and rating 5 stars!!

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

• ISBN-13: 978-0316228589

Synopsis:

A big novel about a small town...
When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.
Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.
Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems.
And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity, and unexpected revelations?
The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling's first novel for adults. It is the work of a storyteller like no other.

My thoughts:

I purchased this novel during a lengthy layover (that's what happens when you miss your flight!) and thought the story to be about Pagford, an idyllic village with colourful characters strolling amongst their cobbled market square, tending their little gardens etc...One look at the cover and I thought I was on a good thing...

Far from being the page turner I expected this one was disappointing. In fact it was hard to get into it and at 639 pages, more than I wanted to read. Those who are fans of the author and her work might well appreciate it but I can only declare it 'not my cup of tea'. I never bothered reading the Harry Potter series and fell asleep not one but twice through the movie...

To be noted: A movie was made of the book starring none other than the talented Michael Gambon so my suggestion is try that instead, it might make more sense!

I'll rate this one 3 stars!

Happy reading!

75 Years Ago

They were very young,  they were incredibly brave and as Churchill said: "Never before in human history was so much owed by so many to so few."

It was 1940 and on that critical 15 Septembre, Royal Air Force pilots fought desperately to withstand the onslaught of the Lutchwaffe as they attempted to gain control of British air space.

Of these 2936 courageous young men, 544 lost their lives, many were killed in action, others were missing, never to be heard of again.

At war since 1939, Britain stood firm and never gave up despite the many losses of lives. Four months later, the longest single battle fought in the air was abandoned by Nazi Germany.

It took another five years for peace to return and too many dreams were lost.

(Photos source HERE)

Today we remember and salute these valiant R.A.F. pilots!

We Shall Never Forget...

"The future beckoned and it looked promising. That promise was quickly dimmed, however, on a bright, sun-filled Tuesday morning in September when four airliners were hijacked.

Two of the aircraft struck the financial nerve center of America, one struck at the heart of the U.S. Armed Forces and the final airliner, allegedly aimed at the very head of our government, slammed into the Pennsylvania countryside.

On Sept. 11, 2001, nearly  3,500 people lost their lives in less time than it takes to watch the average movie. The world was changed forever."

(Photo source and excerpt HERE)

So much has been written about that fatal day yet how to express the bewilderment and sadness which follows...

In thoughts and prayers with the many families who faced such a tragedy,

A Moment Of Silence...

(Photo source Google)

"The Peace park in the heart of Hiroshima fell silent on Thursday morning as more than 55,000 people marked the moment at 8.15am, 70 years earlier, when the atomic bomb exploded over the city and thrust the world into the nuclear age.

Bells then tolled and white doves were released into skies that were as clear blue as they had been on the morning of August 6 1945 when the US bomber, Enola Gay, flew over Hiroshima..."

(Source: Leo Lewis - Hiroshima)

(Photo source Google)

 

Let's never forget and work harder than ever to bring

PEACE to our world

FOR OUR CHILDREN!

Celebration...

When you are absent for many years from home, you tend to forget certain events but the story behind this remembrance is well enconsced in my memory as a moment of pride for the nation I call mine.

A little background history:

For centuries the lowlands known as Flanders were under the rule of other nations. Known for their cloth industry worked mainly with English wool, Flemish weavers produced high-quality textiles, their largest centres located in Ghent and at Ypres.

Until the 13th century Flemish merchants conducted their trade outside of what is known as Belgium today, later on developing a lucrative market for their cloths in the Flanders, and thus the seaport of Brugge became a centre of world commerce.

Ever rebelling against outside rulers, the Flemings of Brugge massacred the town’s French garrison (an event known as the Matins of Brugge) in 1302, and King Philip sent his powerful French army into Flanders to take revenge. The Flemings, however, inflicted a disastrous defeat on this army on 11 July, 1302. The spurs taken from the fallen French knights formed the trophy that gave the battle its name: The Battle Of The Spurs.

This victory saved Flanders from French occupation, and France formally recognized Flemish independence in 1305.

Source Google (HERE)

And for those who know MAC the Corgi, it is said one or more of his ancestors probably traveled to Britain with those weavers and were then bred as herders...now to be known as Pembroke Welsh Corgis.

Until the next time,

The Cost Of Freedom: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword...

In the wee morning on 6 June 1944, 156,000 Allied soldiers stormed a handful of beaches along the coast of Normandy, France. 
Choppy seas and German resistance prevented them from fully meeting their objectives on that memorable day, yet they were able to gain a crucial foothold and by the end of August, Paris had regained its freedom and Belgium, in September 1944. The Netherlands soon followed albeit the west of that country remained under German occupation suffering from a famine at the end of 1944 called 'Hunger Winter'. 

(Photo source here)
Sites to explore for additional information:

World War II - D Day (National Memorial)

Landing at Normandy (History in the headlines)

The Longest Day: A Timeline

Belgium in WW 2

Histomil.com

And if you ever wonder why it is called D Day, here are some interesting facts to check out:

Hints of the true meaning can be found long before WWII in a  U.S. Army Field Order dated September 7, 1918.

Liberty is the right to choose. 

Freedom is the result of the right choice.

(Anonymous)

71 years ago...Lest we forget...

A Promise Is A Promise...

As promised (albeit a tad later than first anticipated) here are the pictures I took of a beautiful grotto in Jette, Belgium. A regular stop (long, long ago...) during many walks with my Granny, I was delighted to see it remains as beautiful as ever.

Dedicated to Notre Dame de Lourdes and erected for the purpose of praying for soldiers, this grotto was inaugurated in 1915 amidst the tumult of World War 1 by Cardinal Mercier and is an exact replica of the one in Lourdes, France, down to its size.  

Under the image of the Virgin Mary can be found a stone of the original grotto and the magnificent altar (see below) was a gift of King Albert 1, known as the Soldier King.

The recently renovated garden holds little chapels, a reminder of the fifteen stations of the Cross whilst a beautiful replica of Christ on the Cross hangs as a reminder of His gift to us.

A haven of tranquility, the grotto celebrated its 100th anniversary at the beginning of May.

Tomorrow, on to France's countryside!
Until then,

As Promised...

Standing tall and proud, the nation's guardian...Le Lion des Flandres (Flemish Lion).

Monument to King Leopold 1, Laeken.

Located in the Royal Gardens, this magnificent example of Gothic architecture is credited to Louis de Curte (known also for the St Michael and Gudula Cathedral in Brussels), recognized at the International Exhibition of 1876 for his excellent designs and command of elaborate and faithful details.

A mere 7 km from Brussels, Spring is showing all its colours in the 14 hectares gardens of Groot Bijgarden. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and roses abound here for visitors to admire late April and early May.

First edified in the 12th Century, the newer 17th Century Flemish Renaissance Castle of Groot Bijgarden is not opened to visitors but with such beautiful gardens none the less a must seen if you happened to be in the vicinity. 

Trees are only showing their buds but the flora is well evident in the park.

I have to laugh...I did not want to sound like a tourist yet I do! 

Tomorrow I would like to share my visit to a beautiful grotto in Brussels and perhaps introduce you to a lovely farmhouse close to Verdun the next time?!

See you then,

Never To Be Forgotten...

Today is Yom HaShoah/Holocaust Memorial Day 

Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Holocaust Day, is observed as Israel's day of commemoration for the approximately six million Jews and five million others who perished in the Holocaust as a result of the actions carried out by Nazi Germany and its accessories, and for the Jewish resistance in that period.
The Germans and their collaborators killed as many as 1.5 million children, including over a million Jewish children and tens of thousands of Romani children, German children with physical and mental disabilities living in institutions, Polish children, and children residing in the occupied Soviet Union.

Like many I remind myself how little the world has learned from this tragic period!

I like to remember those little ones, those innocents whose lives were snuffed like mere candles extinguished simply because their physical aspect, family origins and/or faith were different...
I only have to listen to the news to know we have much to learn from the present and the past if we are ever to have a future!

(Photo source Google - Anne Frank)

Note: Additional information can be seen (HERE)

They should never be forgotten...

What Is Happening These Days My Way...

(Photo source Google)

It is well known that the world's diamond center and second petro chemical center is in Belgium.
Approximately 90% of raw diamonds in the world are either negotiated, polished and/or distributed in this beautiful city. Behold Antwerpen!

And for those who love history...Here is a place you might not know of...

THE RED STAR LINE MUSEUM

With their whole life packed in a few suitcases, millions of people sailed from Europe to America after 1800. The United States and Canada were the promised land for fortune seekers and everyone looking for a better life. For many people, the trip to the New World began in a warehouse in Antwerp. Red Star Line ocean steamers paved the way to a new life for about two million men, women and children between 1873 and 1934.

The Red Star Line Museum is a journey to the past and an encounter with the present. Migration might have a different face these days, but the human side of migration is timeless and universal.

There are countless stories you might like such as Alexis De Laet's who left his native village of Burcht for Chicago in 1911. When World War I broke out he returned to Belgium to join the Belgian army.
More (HERE)

Stunning and well worth visiting!

Note to readers: This post reflects only my opinion and was not requested!

Remembering Our Courageous Four Legged Canine Friends

(Photo source HERE)

TREO, a nine year old Labrador shown above receiving Britain's Dickin Award for bravery and commitment in wartime.
Below is a photo of his handler Sgt David Heyhoe and the loyal pooch!

In looking into history for this particular day, Friday the 13th (I don't believe in luck or bad luck myself!), I discovered many items but this one caught my attention as I am a dog lover after all!

FROM THE U T SAN DIEGO ARCHIVES:

"On this day in 1942, the Quartermaster Corps (QMC) of the United States Army begins training dogs for the newly established War Dog Program, or “K-9 Corps.”

Well over a million dogs served on both sides during World War I, carrying messages along the complex network of trenches and providing some measure of psychological comfort to the soldiers. The most famous dog to emerge from the war was Rin Tin Tin, an abandoned puppy of German war dogs found in France in 1918 and taken to the United States, where he made his film debut in the 1922 silent film The Man from Hell’s River. As the first bona fide animal movie star, Rin Tin Tin made the little-known German Shepherd breed famous across the country.

In the United States, the practice of training dogs for military purposes was largely abandoned after World War I. When the country entered World War II in December 1941, the American Kennel Association and a group called Dogs for Defense began a movement to mobilize dog owners to donate healthy and capable animals to the Quartermaster Corps of the U.S. Army. Training began in March 1942, and that fall the QMC was given the task of training dogs for the U.S. Navy, Marines and Coast Guard as well.

The K-9 Corps initially accepted over 30 breeds of dogs, but the list was soon narrowed to seven: German Shepherds, Belgian sheep dogs, Doberman Pinschers, collies, Siberian Huskies, Malumutes and Eskimo dogs. Members of the K-9 Corps were trained for a total of 8 to 12 weeks. After basic obedience training, they were sent through one of four specialized programs to prepare them for work as sentry dogs, scout or patrol dogs, messenger dogs or mine-detection dogs. In active combat duty, scout dogs proved especially essential by alerting patrols to the approach of the enemy and preventing surprise attacks.

The top canine hero of World War II was Chips, a German Shepherd who served with the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division. Trained as a sentry dog, Chips broke away from his handlers and attacked an enemy machine gun nest in Italy, forcing the entire crew to surrender. The wounded Chips was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star and the Purple Heart–all of which were later revoked due to an Army policy preventing official commendation of animals."

Meanwhile back across the pond...

(Photo source HERE)

Dogs have been used since the Middle Ages for law enforcement when monies were then set aside in the villages for the upkeep of the parish constable's bloodhounds then used for hunting down outlaws.

One of the first real attempts to use dogs to aid police in the detection of crime and the apprehension of a criminal was made in 1869 by the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police of London, Sir Charles Warren. Warren's repeated failures at identifying and apprehending the serial killer Jack the Ripper had earned him much vilification from the press, including being denounced for not using bloodhounds to track the killer. He soon had two bloodhounds trained for the performance of a simple tracking test from the scene of another of the killer's crimes. The results were far from satisfactory, with one of the hounds biting the Commissioner and both dogs later running off, requiring a police search to find them.^[3]

But it was in Continental Europe that dogs were first used on a large scale. Police in Paris began using dogs against roaming criminal gangs at night, but it was the police department in Ghent, Belgium that introduced the first organized police dog service program in 1899!

In the UK however the 1st Military Working Dog Regiment is highly involved in counter insurgency and IED (improvised explosive device) detection. Dogs search and help to clear buildings, routes and vehicles in Afghanistan. They also guard and patrol to assist and enhance security. 

Five Military Working Dog Squadrons forms the Regiment which includes 284 soldiers and approximately 200 dogs!

Of course we cannot forget the SAR dogs or NSARDA!

This association was founded in 1965 when Hamish MacInnes, the team leader for Glencoe Mountain rescue Team, attended an international Red Cross Search Dog course in Switzerland.

Seeing the potential of using dogs to locate lost climbers hikers in the UK, he went home and trained his two German Shepherds Rangi and Tiki,

And the rest is History you might say...

Where would we be without  our four legged Canine Friends?

The Winter Guest by Pam Jenoff, Book review

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin MIRA (August 26, 2014)
• ISBN-13: 978-0778315964
• Also available in KINDLE format

SYNOPSIS:

A stirring novel of first love in a time of war and the unbearable choices that could tear sisters apart, from the celebrated author of The Kommandant's Girl 

Life is a constant struggle for the eighteen-year-old Nowak twins as they raise their three younger siblings in rural Poland under the shadow of the Nazi occupation. The constant threat of arrest has made everyone in their village a spy, and turned neighbor against neighbor. Though rugged, independent Helena and pretty, gentle Ruth couldn't be more different, they are staunch allies in protecting their family from the threats the war brings closer to their doorstep with each passing day. 

Then Helena discovers an American paratrooper stranded outside their small mountain village, wounded, but alive. Risking the safety of herself and her family, she hides Sam—a Jew—but Helena's concern for the American grows into something much deeper. Defying the perils that render a future together all but impossible, Sam and Helena make plans for the family to flee. But Helena is forced to contend with the jealousy her choices have sparked in Ruth, culminating in a singular act of betrayal that endangers them all—and setting in motion a chain of events that will reverberate across continents and decades. 

My thoughts:

Pam Jenoff's name has been added to my (ever growing) list of preferred authors with her literary contribution in Grand Central: Original Stories of Post War Love and Reunion. 

This latest title brought once more what I like best in any author's work: sensitivity, historical facts, entertainment and most of all the feeling I have met a kindred spirit. 

I tend to like a WW 2 plot but I look for the hope such difficult moments in life highlights behind the tale (Do you ever wonder what you would do in such circumstances?) and as she has proven in the past Jenoff is a very good storyteller. 

The Winter Guest has all the necessary elements for a story to be remembered long after the last page has been turned, the sort you like to advise a loved one or a good friend to try for themselves in fact. 

Clearly written with elegance and much empathy, here is a story about the many facets of love and the difficulties many dealt with during the second World War. Her characters are finely defined and you have the satisfaction to see a well resolved ending (I do not like those endings that leaves you hanging!).

5 Stars!


Meet the Author:

Pam Jenoff is the author of several novels, including The Kommandant's Girl, which received widespread acclaim, earned her a nomination for the Quill Awards and became an international bestseller. 
She previously served as a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. State Department in Europe, as the Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army at the Pentagon and as a practicing attorney at a large firm and in-house. 
She received her juris doctor from the University of Pennsylvania, her masters degree in history from Cambridge University and her bachelors degree in international affairs from The George Washington University. 
In addition to writing, she teaches law school.

For more information visit her website (HERE)

Note: This was a library loan and any opinion is mine only!