Book of the Month - Pollard - April 2014

The Book

This is another first novel (we seem to read a lot of these) which won the  Authors' Club First Novel Award and was shortlisted for the Ondaatje Prize. The book is the story of Anne, a teenager who leaves her chaotic home life and finds sanctuary in the nearby woods living on the margins of society. Anne finds solace in the woods, but will we find the book as rewarding?

This book has many themes including madness vs lucidity, survival, and mankind's relationship with nature

The Author

Laura Beatty, a mother of three, lives in Salcey Forest in Northamptonshire which was one of the inspirations for the book. Laura has also published two biographies and has recently published her second novel, Darkling which tells the lives of two women separated across the centures and  weaves original seventeenth-century documents into the fabric of a modern fiction.

More Information

Unfortunately I couldn't find out much more online about Laura Beatty. However here is a link to her agents website - http://unitedagents.co.uk/laura-beatty

Book of the Month - A Cat, A Hat and a Piece of String - March 2014

The Book

"Stories are like Russian dolls; open them up and in each one you'll find another story".....These are enticing words inviting us into a collection of short stories which span locations as diverse as Africa to an old people's home and subject matter dealing with internet gaming and death.

According to the Independent on Sunday book review, "Joanne Harris creates essentially kind worlds in her fiction, where the light and the good will forever win out". What will the reaction of the discerning readers of the Ponders End Book Club be - will they find her work satisfying and kindly or will they expect something more?

The Author

Joanne Harris is an established author of over 14 novels, short story collections and a cookery book (a theme which often fills her writing). Harris was born in Barnsley to a French mother. She studied Modern and Medieval Languages at Cambridge University. Before becoming a full time author, Harris was a teacher for fifteen years.

Her most renowed book is "Chocolat" (1999) which was adapted into a film starring Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche.

More Information

Find out more about the author and her other books and interests at http://www.joanne-harris.co.uk/books/