Annie Murray

I must admit I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. The cover led me to think it's set in the past but it's clear from the blurb that it's actually a modern story. I think this is a result of the author wanting to write about a specific subject, that subject being the Bhopal disaster in India, the world's worst industrial disaster and one whose effects are still being seen 35 years on.

The main story is that of Jo and Ian. They were a solid couple until the death of their grown up son, show more Paul, in an accident. Now they're cast adrift from each other, unable to cope with their grief together or apart. One day in the dentist's waiting room Jo reads a magazine and sees a photo of a boy who reminds her in some way of Paul. The boy has been affected by Bhopal and it leads Jo to look into the tragedy. It's her saviour actually, giving her something to work for, something to care about in the aftermath of her own tragedy.

There's also a thread running through the story about Dorrie, Ian's mother, who has been keeping difficult times in her past to herself. Suddenly she starts to confide in Jo by asking her to read a memoir of sorts. Whilst these sections were nice to read I wasn't sure what they added to the story until quite near the end when a comparison is drawn between Dorrie and the women in Bhopal.

I thought this was a really uplifting story in many ways. Despite dealing with various horrific events, there is a sense of rebirth and learning to live with the past. Jo goes through so much even during the course of this story and I really enjoyed how she made new friends who supported her and helped her through a difficult time.

Murray's writing is engaging and very easy to read. It's a wonderful thing she has done writing this book as the proceeds of sale will raise money to help the survivors of Bhopal. I'm not sure I had heard of the disaster before but it's truly horrendous, not only that it happened but that the site has never been cleared and so the poison is still being fed through to the people.

Mother and Child is a moving work of fiction with a strong basis in reality and I really enjoyed reading it. show less

Birmingham Rose by Annie Murray tells the story of Rose Lucas, a child of the slums of Birmingham who swears she is going to get out . Unfortunately life isn’t easy for Rose and although she makes many attempts to change her life, she seems to always end up back where she began. The author touches on many issues and injustices that faced women in the 1930’s. Rose goes through many traumatic events, including being raped. World War II does give Rose a chance to make changes to her life. show more She enlists in the Woman’s Army and was sent to Italy. By the time she returns to Birmingham after the war, she has found and lost the love of her life. Settling into a loveless marriage, Rose’s troubles are far from over.

This story of a spirited, intelligent girl trying to break away from her bleak life was a good read. Her struggles to escape from the poverty and ignorance felt real, at times she seemed to be winning and at others she came across quite broken and resigned to never getting out. I appreciated that the author didn’t turn the story into a fairytale, but did allow Rose to eventually find her way to peace and happiness. show less

This book has twists and turns that you’d never see coming from the first few chapters of the book. It captures the intimacy of Kate and Olivia’s relationship as you read about their childhood friendship and experiences.

It gets way more complicated when they reach adulthood and move off in different directions. Kate becomes a nurse while Olivia enlists in the British Royal Naval Service (WRNS). But Olivia has secrets, even as close as she was with Kate, she never divulged the scenes she show more witnessed at her home. Her father being portrayed as a sexual addict and her mother cringing at the thought of his touch. This shaped Olivia’s view of men and she becomes very promiscuous. This isn’t to say there are lots of sex scenes in the novel, there aren’t. It’s well written and not a steamy romance type book at all. But a good study in human behavior as you read about the lives of two women, once so very close, and the different ways they deal with the war and people they interact with.

Full review and food may be found at my site here:
http://www.novelmeals.com/2011/11/kate-and-olivia-by-annie-murray-smoked.html show less

Where Earth Meets Sky by Annie Murray is a sweeping epic that encompasses Edwardian England and the British Raj. Lily Waters is a young woman who is left alone and destitute after her guardian dies. She obtains a position as a Nanny for the Fairford family and travels to the military post of Ambala to take up her duties in 1902. While working for the Fairfords she meets an falls in love with Sam Ironside, a motor mechanic. Unfortunately, he forgets to tell her that he has a wife back in show more England. She sends Sam away and tries to carry on with her life, but Sam is the man she is destined never to forget.

Although I enjoyed the setting of this book, the story of Lily deteriorated into a story of a woman who was so beautiful that men couldn’t resist her. Where ever she went or who ever she worked for, sooner or later the man of the house was begging her to become his mistress. Eventually she gives in, but she never forgets her first love, Sam.

I enjoyed the descriptions of India, but the story just didn’t hold my interest at all. show less