This month we are reviewing the book Far to Go by Alison Pick

Far to Go by Alison Pick
Pavel and Anneliese Bauer are affluent, secular Jews, whose lives are turned upside down by the arrival of the German forces. Desperate to avoid deportation, the Bauers flee to Prague with their six-year-old son, Pepik, and his beloved nanny, Marta. Pepik manages to secure a place on a Kindertransport, but he never sees his parents or Marta again. And it is through the fascinating present-day strand in the story that the unexpected fates of each of the Bauers is slowly revealed.
Inspired by the harrowing journey Alison Pick’s own grandparents embarked upon from their native Czechoslovakia to Canada during the Second World War, Far to Go is an epic historical novel that traces one family’s journey through these tumultuous and traumatic events.

Reviews
“This novel failed to grab me.  The setting is pre-World War II Czechslovakia.  The story stumbles along jumping between past told by Marta, the housekeeper and present by an unidentified narrator.  The only thing that saves this story is Alison Picks vivid prose.” – Review by Shirley

Book of the Month
Every month we will be featuring a new book to be showcased in our Book of the Month. Staff members and friends will be reading the book and posting their reviews. We’d love to hear what you thought of these books as well. Post your comments and let us know.

Far to Go is available at London Drugs along with many other great titles and is on sale for the month of July.

This month we are reviewing the book And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Begins with the heartbreaking unparalleled bond between two motherless siblings in an Afghan village. To three-year-old Pari, big brother Abdullah is more mother than brother. To ten-year-old Abdullah, little Pari is his everything. What happens to them – and the large and small manners in which it echoes through the lives of so many other people – is proof of the moral complexity of life. In a multigenerational novel revolving around not just parents and children but also brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which family members love, wound, betray, honor and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe – from Kabul, to Paris, to San Francisco, to the Greek island of Tinos – the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.

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This month we are reviewing the book Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan

Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan
When twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan woke up alone in a hospital room, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak, she had no memory of how she’d gotten there. Days earlier, she had been on the threshold of a new, adult life: at the beginning of her first serious relationship and a promising career at a major New York newspaper. Now she was labeled violent, psychotic, a flight risk. What happened?

In a swift and breathtaking narrative, Susannah tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family’s inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn’t happen.

Reviews
“As a fan of the TV series House, I found this a fascinating read, from going through all of Susannah’s symptoms and experiences to the doctors who misdiagnosed her illness. It was difficult to put the book down. Bravo to her for her strength in retelling her story so others with the same illness can benefit from her harrowing journey to recovery and to the doctor who eventually cured her.” – Review by Janice

“The book was engaging, at the same time a little scary realizing how resilient the human brain is. Reading this book is like witnessing Susannah Cahalan’s fascinating yet horrifying journey. It was very informative, interesting and well-written. I really enjoyed reading this book.” – Review by Maria

Book of the Month
Every month we will be featuring a new book to be showcased in our Book of the Month. Staff members and friends will be reading the book and posting their reviews. We’d love to hear what you thought of these books as well. Post your comments and let us know.

Brain on Fire is available at London Drugs along with many other great titles.

This month we are reviewing the book The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
This brilliant novel with universal resonance tells the story of three people trying to survive in a city rife with the extreme fear of desperate times, and of the sorrowing cellist who plays undaunted in their midst.
One day a shell lands in a bread line and kills twenty-two people as the cellist watches from a window in his flat. He vows to sit in the hollow where the mortar fell and play Albinoni’s Adagio once a day for each of the twenty-two victims. The Adagio had been re-created from a fragment after the only extant score was firebombed in the Dresden Music Library, but the fact that it had been rebuilt by a different composer into something new and worthwhile gives the cellist hope.
Meanwhile, Kenan steels himself for his weekly walk through the dangerous streets to collect water for his family on the other side of town, and Dragan, a man Kenan doesn’t know, tries to make his way towards the source of the free meal he knows is waiting. Both men are almost paralyzed with fear, uncertain when the next shot will land on the bridges or streets they must cross, unwilling to talk to their old friends of what life was once like before divisions were unleashed on their city. Then there is “Arrow,” the pseudonymous name of a gifted female sniper, who is asked to protect the cellist from a hidden shooter who is out to kill him as he plays his memorial to the victims.
In this beautiful and unforgettable novel, Steven Galloway has taken an extraordinary, imaginative leap to create a story that speaks powerfully to the dignity and generosity of the human spirit under extraordinary duress.

Reviews
“The Cellist of Sarajevo was a great read.  The author paints a beautiful picture of hope within an environment filled with extreme fear and desperate times.  I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great read. ” – Review by Shelley

Book of the Month
Every month we will be featuring a new book to be showcased in our Book of the Month. Staff members and friends will be reading the book and posting their reviews. We’d love to hear what you thought of these books as well. Post your comments and let us know.

The Cellist of Sarajevo is available at London Drugs along with many other great titles.

This month we are reviewing the book Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
1987. The only person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus is her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can be herself only in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life. At the funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail containing a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and that this unexpected friend just might be the one she needs the most.

Reviews
“Tell the Wolves I’m Home is the first book written by author Carol Rifka Brunt.  It tells the story of 14 year old June who is dealing with the death of her adored uncle Finn.  Through a friendship she develops with Toby, her uncle’s “special friend” she discovers things about herself, her uncle, the rest of her family, and what true friendship is all about.  This book covers a wide range of emotions from grief, to love, to distrust , to caring , to name just a few.  It will open your eyes to see both strangers and people you know, in a different way.” – Review by Carolynn

Book of the Month
Every month we will be featuring a new book to be showcased in our Book of the Month. Staff members and friends will be reading the book and posting their reviews. We’d love to hear what you thought of these books as well. Post your comments and let us know.

Tell the Wolves I’m Home is available at London Drugs along with many other great titles.