Belinda Alexandra

Southern Ruby by Belinda Alexandra is an excellent read, but I have to say it has the most misleading book cover I've seen in a long time. You could be forgiven for assuming Southern Ruby is a romance novel, however what you'll find instead is a steamy mystery set in New Orleans just prior to Hurricane Katrina.

Amanda is the protagonist and the family matriarch Ruby takes her back to the 1950s to fill in details of her family history.

Southern Ruby is brimming with themes of forbidden love, show more identity and family, loss, class, racial conflict, jazz and burlesque dancing and I really enjoyed it. Southern Ruby also touches on an event in recent history I'm fascinated by, and that's Hurricane Katrina.

New Orleans could easily be considered the third character in the novel and a place I've always been fascinated by. One of my favourite authors - Anne Rice - has expertly captured the essence of New Orleans in her writing, however Belinda Alexandra is the first author to come close to equalling her talent on the page in my opinion.

I enjoyed discovering a new (to me) Australian author in Belinda Alexandra and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

* Copy courtesy of Harper Collins Australia * show less

Sapphire Skies by Belinda Alexandra is a historical fiction novel loosely based on the life of Russian female fighter pilot, Lydia Litvyak, who disappeared in combat and was denied the distinction of being labelled a hero of the Soviet Union until her body was discovered in the late 1970s. This novel jumps back in forth in time, to Natalya who become a fighter pilot and battles the Germans in Russian skies, to the year 2000 and to Australian Lily, daughter of Russian refugees who has come to show more Moscow to work and meets a derelict old woman and her dog.

Overall the story is quite touching and although I thought there were far too many sub-plots, I did enjoy my read of this book. In particular the information about the terror and uncertainties of living under the control Joseph Stalin. The story was well researched and did a good job of covering both time periods and I was happy to learn that the modern day plot about the cat-rescue operations is based on a real life organization called Moscow Animals.

Sapphire Skies was the first book by Belinda Alexandra that I have read and I look forward to picking up more of her interesting historical romance books. show less

A great read with thorough background research on Italy pre and during WW2. Focus on the life of a woman who experienced many trials but managed to come through them all. Life as an abandoned orphan in a convent; governess at the age of 15; thrown into jail for 2 years without charge because of facist attitudes of the time; making a life for herself and the child she bore after being raped in jail. Love and marriage, children, becoming a volunteer then a nurse in hospital in Florence. Being show more dragged away by German invaders to try to revive partisans they had tortured. Becoming part of the partisan community trying to impede the German march through their country. A most interesting tale. show less

I loved this book! Golden Earrings is a story spanning three generations told over much of the 20th century. Paloma Batton is an aspiring ballerina working towards the exams at the School of the Paris Opera Ballet when she is visited by the ghost of La Rusa, a flamenco dancer, who hands her a pair of gold hoops. So begins a journey through Spain that tells the story of La Rusa's life amidst the backdrop of the Spanish Revolution. I thought this story was well written & really liked La Rusa show more as a person. I wasn't totally sold on Paloma at first but I soon warmed to her as the story progressed. The story flowed well, parts of it are absolutely beyond imagination but I found the historical side really interesting & intriguing too. If you like historical fiction you'll love this :O) show less