Supernatural Historical Chiller- Red Runs the Witch’s Thread by Victoria Williamson. Thank you to @The_WriteReads @WriteReadsTours @strangelymagic @SilverThistlePress for including Good Night To Read on this ultimate blog tour for a book that shines a spotlight on historical injustice.
ACROSTIC
Cursed
Hysteria
Raging
Inflamed
Spinner of yarns
Tantalised
Insane
Abstracted
Naïve
Woeful
Innocent
Tortured
Caring
Healers
Empty
Scapegoats
BOOK BITE
Is she shamed to wear a heart so white?
A sinister story steeped in symbolism redolent of ‘the Scottish play’ as the stricken protagonist Christian wrestles with painful flashbacks and hallucinations.
BOOK HAIKU
Christian battles
with her conscience haunted by
guilt, blood and madness.
BLURB
Paisley, Scotland, 1697. Thirty-five people accused of witchcraft. Seven condemned to death. Six strangled and burned at the stake. All accused by eleven-year-old Christian Shaw.
Bargarran House, 1722. Christian Shaw returns home, spending every waking hour perfecting the thread bleaching process that will revive her family’s fortune. If only she can make it white enough, perhaps her past sins will be purified too. But dark forces are at work. As the twenty-fifth anniversary of the witch burnings approaches, ravens circle Bargarran House, their wild cries stirring memories and triggering visions.
As Christian’s mind begins to unravel, her states of delusion threaten the safety of all those who cross her path.
Her fate hangs by a thread.
BOOK TASTERS
“A monstrous raven loomed over its kill, its beak stained red.” “If I don’t move now, my secrets will be shown to the world.” “Her shoes beat out the slow tattoo on the cobblestones, a dire warning that time had come full circle and the past was repeating itself.”
BOOK BLOGGERS- SPOTLIGHT
The psychological element of this book was what really pulled me in. The impact one small childhood experience can have on someone for the rest of their life is so interesting, and it really makes you think. There’s the common comment of “they’re young, they don’t understand” or “they won’t remember”, but it’s very clear that this is certainly not true, and people need to be more careful in regards to what children are experiencing. This book is a perfect example of that.”
A haunting and immersive read that will leave you enthralled. With its dark and atmospheric prose, Victoria Williamson delivers yet another standout addition to the genre. Fans of gothic storytelling and psychological horror will find much to savor in this chilling tale. If you’re seeking a gripping narrative that seamlessly blends history with the supernatural, look no further than “Red Runs the Witch’s Thread”.
“I loved how colours were used throughout the story, which is no mean feat given that this is not an image-based medium! It made the world seem so tangible, and really brought out Christian’s obsessive qualities, particularly around the colour red. “
By the pricking of my thumbs Something wicked this way comes.
Macbeth aka The Scottish Play [1606]. Act iv. sCENE 1.
Victoria Williamson infuses her latest novella with symbolism worthy of Shakespeare
“The raven himself is hoarse / That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan / Under my battlements”
ACT 1. SCENE 5.
“What, will these hands ne’er be clean?”
ACT V SCENE 1, MACBETH
as her deluded protagonist Christian unleashes an obsessive need to achieve purity by bleaching her thread “white as the first snows of winter.”
Haunted by the guilt of past sins and the clamouring cries of raucous ravens, she recalls her bouts of sleepwalking and memory lapses when she was a child only to awake in the dawn with bloody witness on her body.
Delineated by chapter headings pertaining to the components of weaving, the narrative is effectively broken into two historical periods- 1697 and 1722. The past is represented by a raven [symbolising the child Christian in the first person] and a needle and thread [representing the adult Christian in the third person].
The story explores a myriad of themes including the curiosity, fear and shame associated with the natural acts of periods and childbirth in a child’s mind in the 17th century [reflective in some ways of period shaming today],
Scarlet rags and raven women…in the dark”
guilt, hallucinations, hysteria, madness, scapegoating, the class structure and the trials of poverty.
Williamson’s writing is visceral with evocative imagery and disturbing scenes of horror, madness and trauma. She captures the fragmented psychology of Christian, the tragedy of the slaughter of the innocent and the danger of false accusations feeding religious piety, prejudice, superstition and hatred to the point of no return.
This book shines a spotlight on the injustice of the Bargarran Witch Craft trials and creates many questions about what motivated an 11 year old child to accuse and lie and why the adults encouraged her to do so.
A spine tingling, startling read with a Faustian vibe, a gothic heart and a Shakespearean voice that is not for the faint hearted. It will chill and thrill in equal measure.
GOOD NIGHT TO READ REVIEW RATING- 4 CHOCOLATE LIBRARIES
FIVE FACTS ABOUT VICTORIA WILLIAMSON
Victoria volunteered on digs with Archaeology Scotland.
Her novel Hag Storm explored the life of Robert Burns in 18th Century Scotland.
Victoria volunteered with The Book Bus charity in Zambia
She visits festivals, schools and library events to talk to children and educators about the important issues she raises in her books.
Victoria’s launch of Red Runs the Witch’s Thread was supported by the staff and volunteers of the Paisley Book Festival.
EXPLORING THE HISTORY OF SCOTLAND
Red Runs the Witch Thread is inspired by the terrible Witch trials which took place in Paisley, Scotland in 1697when the 11 year old daughter of the Laird, afflicted by hysteria and lies, condemned innocentsto a grisly death.
Williamson creates a chilling supernatural tale imagining the psychological state of Christian Shaw in 1722, 25 years after the crime. While attempting to reinvent herself as a businesswoman in control of thread manufacturing, she is haunted by wicked visions of the past, struggling to hold on to her sanity.
“Today, the movement demanding a formal pardon for those accused and convicted of the crime of witchcraft is growing in Scotland. In 2022, Scotland’s First Minister issued an apology to people accused during the time of the Witchcraft Act which was in force in Scotland between 1563 & 1736. The campaign for a legal pardon and a national monument is still ongoing.”
AFTERWORD
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Title: Red Runs the Witch’s Thread
Author: Victoria Williamson
Publisher: Silver Thistle Press
Publication date: April 11th 2024
Length: Novella
Genre: Gothic, Historical, Supernatural
Age group: YA/Adult
BEYOND THE BOOK
THE SCOTTISH PLAY
William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, also known as “Scottish Play” has themes which recur in Red Runs the Witch’s Thread. Shakespeare was influenced by King James VI’s treatise condemning Witchcraft which sparked vicious witch trials in Scotland.
Large scale witch trials took place in Scotland well into the seventeenth century, and an estimated 3,000 people – who were mostly women – were accused.”
McDonald SW, Thom A, Thom A. The Bargarran witchcraft trial–a psychiatric reassessment. Scott Med J. 1996 Oct;41(5):152-8. doi: 10.1177/003693309604100508. PMID: 8912988. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8912988/
LOCATION LOCATION
THE HISTORY OF BARGARRAN HOUSE, HOME TO 11 YEAR OLD CHRISTIAN SHAW, CHIEF WITCH ACCUSER
Victoria’s previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, Whistlers in the Dark, War of the Wind and The Haunting Scent of Poppies.
Environmental Picture Book Alert- Celebrating Translated Works- Told in Arabic and English, this empathetic tale highlights how small changes can help an urban environment regenerate. Thanks to @The_WriteReads/@WriteReadsTours @TinyTreeBooks for including Good Night To Read on this important tour. Shout out to Noly for the lovely banner.
ACROSTICS
Air gazer
Resourceful
Inspirational
Activist
Young
Useful
Supporter
Urban
Fixer
Suffocating
Wild
In need of succour
Flightless
Tired
BOOK BITE
This charming and heart warming picture book shines a spotlight on the dangers of air pollution and highlights ways in which we can work together to protect our environment.
BOOK HAIKU
Two children bond when
an injured bird spirals to
the ground and is found.
Aria’s idea
could help make things right but she
needs Yusuf to bring it to life.
BLURB
Aria has her head in the clouds. Yusuf keeps his feet on the ground. But when they work together to save a bird who has lost her way, something magical happens.
Inspired by Fiona and Howard’s love for wildlife of all kinds. Follow-up to Setsuko and the Song of the Sea.
WHAT THE CRITICS SAY
“A beautiful and simple story illustrating how delicate nature is at the hands of humanity’s current terrible attitude to preserving the planet. May every child read this book. Only then do we have the chance to change things.”
“Helping a lost swift brings two friends together in this delightful tale about our power to change things for the better.”
Yuval zommer, author & illustrator
BOOK BLOGGERS SPOTLIGHT
“The Arabic text is unique and I remember back in the 1990’s desperately looking for dual text books like this for the bilingual children and refugees in my class and there were not enough of them. Hopefully, this book will be the start of a new trend.”
“In a world where pollution threatens the beauty and balance of nature, ‘A Swift Return’ stands as a poignant reminder of our collective responsibility. This story, through its serene illustrations and succinct language, underscores the urgent message that we must all contribute to reducing our carbon footprints.”
“Like many children’s books, I felt it had the kind of magic that enabled adults to connect with it just as easily as children. Reading the story, I felt a kind of renewed appreciation for nature and wildlife, and its beauty. I thought about how it might feel to be a bird, soaring through the sky, and to be free in that way.”
This beautifully observed, empathetic and gentle picture book has an important message told in simple but effective text. It reminds me of Good Night To Read’s motto, ‘Because Books Make the World Better.’
A Swift’s plight is captured in a DPS of cascading rhyme as two children resolve to bring it back to health. The panoramic illustrations engage the eye while the facial expressions of Aria and Yusuf reflect an array of emotions. Closeups, vignettes and clever use of space convey different perspectives across the rooftops and minarets of a middle eastern city highlighting the dangers of air pollution and importance of regeneration.
It’s a tale of friendship and illustrates how a simple act of kindness can make a difference. Young readers will see how they can change their environment for the better by conserving nature and protecting birdlife.
While the dual language aspect of the book is positive, one quibble is that the Arabic text is miniaturised and mostly in white which blends into the pale backdrops chosen for many of the pages. This makes it more difficult to see. A bolder and darker typeface would be more effective.
RATING- 3.5 CHOCOLATE LIBRARIES
FIVE FACTS ABOUTFIONA BARKER
Fiona works as an audiologist
Fiona enjoys writing picture books that celebrate nature, the animal world and friendship
She appreciates alliteration but is not a slave to rhyme.
When reading, Fiona “looks for a marriage of words and artwork and loves anything that is fun to read aloud.”
She has also collaborated with Howard Gray on Setsuko and the Song of the Sea which stresses the importance of marine conservation, and Danny & the Dream Dog which is “a heart warming story about finding friendship in unexpected places.”
FIVE FACTS ABOUT HOWARD GRAY
Growing up Howard was always fascinated by animals and nature.
Howard is an academic and an artist. He has a BSc in Zoology and a PHD in Arabian Bottlenose Dolphin Genetics.
He has studied the diverse patterns of marine life in Oman, Arabia.
His work incorporates different mediums, including digital, watercolour and a variety of textures.
Howard lives in the picturesque city of Durham and likes walking on the beach at Tynemouth.
I’ve added some extra Gods to be creative with the tag.
Zeus King of the Gods–Your Favourite Book– Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain
Far too difficult a question for an avid reader. A recent favourite is the incredibly empathetic and nuanced YA Little Bang about two Northern Irish teens with a difficult decision to make. My five star review for Reading Zone can be read at this link- [Tanja]-https://www.readingzone.com/books/little-bang/
Hera: Queen of the Gods: A Badass Female Character
I can think of four candidates off the top of my head although fiction is filled with strong female protagonists.
Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- Incredibly strong, vulnerable and flawed.
Nemesis in The Diabolic by S.J Kincaid- A powerful female with difficult choices to make is caught up in a Sci Fi drama with the intrigue of I Claudius.
Vlad Dracul’s daughter in And I Darken [Conqueror’s Trilogy] by Kiersten White- Meet the ruthless and conflicted Lada.
Don’t mess with me magical Mage Valkyrie Cain
And the winner? Alice in The Stars at Oktober Bendby Glenda Millard. The four above are all powerful and sassy but the winner has a quiet, beautiful strength that lifts her above trauma.
Janus, God of Beginnings-Favourite Debut– Mexikid by Pedro Martin
WINNER OF THE PURA BELPRÉ AUTHOR AWARD AND ILLUSTRATOR AWARD, NEWBERY HONOR AWARD, ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Booklist, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, ALSC 2024 Notable Children’s Books, Amazon Best Book of the Year
Aphrodite, Goddess of Love– A Book you Adore & Recommend Everyone Read-Careless People: Murder, Mayhem & the Invention of The Great Gatsbyby Sarah Churchwell
Apollo: God of the Arts: A Beautiful Book Cover– The Last Hours trilogy by Cassandra Clare.
Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunters saga showcases some stunning book covers bringing her action packed, fantastical, supernatural, historical romantic fantasies to life. They are like beautiful portraits.
Ares, God of War– Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
Exhilarating action, deadly, danger and humour as demi gods battle monsters in the modern world.
Artemis, Hunter Goddess, Protector of Women– The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Has to be The Hunger Games trilogy featuring Katniss Everdeen, who shoots with accuracy and protects with her heart.
Athena, Goddess of Wisdom- Favourite Non Fiction Book– Unlocking the Universe by Stephen & Lucy Hawking
I thought this would be out of my comfort zone as it explores the worlds of Physics, Space and Time, which I didn’t know much about at the time of reading, but I found it immersive and fascinating.
Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest– Eco Fiction– Green Rising by Lauren James
A gripping and inventive sci fi fantasy thriller with an important environmental message, excitingly diverse characters, adept commentary on the nature of social media and a warning about climate change.
Hades, God of the Underworld- A Book that Looks at the Nature of Evil– Max by Sarah Cohen Scali [Translation/Winner of English PEN Award]
Disturbing, horrifying, intriguing and strange- a narrative voice that is like nothing I’ve ever encountered before. A forensic examination of the birth of a Nazi translated from the French.
Hephaestus: God of the Forge- A Book with High Octane, Fiery Action– Alex Rider: Never Say Die by Anthony Horowitz
Action packed thrill ride as Alex goes on the mission of his life with higher stakes than ever. Following the catastrophic cliff hanger ending of Scorpia Rising.
Hermes: Messenger of the Gods: A Book you Sped Through– The OutlawsScarlett & Browne byJonathan Stroud
An exhilarating thrill ride that plays with multiple genres and has exciting, complex characters from start to finish. Think dystopian wild west in a reimagined British landscape. Totally unputdownable. What an opening line!
Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth- Little Women by L.M Alcott
A fireside classic about the ambitions, romances, trials and tribulations of four young women growing up in 19th Century Massachusetts. Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are still popular with readers today and have inspired many movie adaptations.
Hypnos, God of Sleep- A Book so Boring you Almost Fell Asleep– The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith
This is a tricky one because for every book you don’t like someone else will enjoy it and understand its appeal. The author has worked hard and got it published and it’s out in the world which is a big achievement. That said, I found Oliver Goldsmith’s satirical novel ‘The Vicar of Wakefield’ too verbose, slow moving and way too predictable, although there were humorous moments.
Poseidon: God of the Sea & Earthquakes- A Beautiful & Ground-Breaking Book-When Shadows Fall by Sita Brahmachari
No contest.This is a beautifully observed, empathetic and lyrical portrait of a family in crisis told through prose, verse and art. Interwoven with the powerful symbolism of Ravens, this book offers the reader hope that adversity can be overcome, lifting them above the shadows to inspire and empower them through unforgettable voices and evocative imagery.
Shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing, 2023
Magical Mystery & Mayhem Alert- Celebrating Translated Works- Set in the Abbasid period, the Djinn’s Apple by Algerian author and Arabic language professor, Djamila Morani, winner of the English Pen Award, explores skulduggery and political intrigue in Baghdad. Thanks to #TheWriteReads @NeemTreePress @DjamiliMorani @sawadhussain for including Good Night To Read on this special tour.
ACROSTICS
Devastated Daughter
Jealousy
Intrigue
Narcissism
Nardeen
Suhaib
Abbasid Period
Poisonous
Power Struggle
Love
Enemy
Nurturing
Academic
Reader
Daughter
Estimable
Extraordinary
Naïve
Smiling
Ubiquitous
Handsome
Aware
Irresistible
Bimaristan student
BOOK BITE
Political intrigue, dark magic, threatened love and the desire for revenge are all ingredients of this twisty tale dipped in the academia and devilry of the golden age of Baghdad.
BOOK HAIKU
Nardeen is bereft
abandoned in a cruel world,
how will she survive?
A mysterious manuscript could hold
the key but can she let go to set it free?
BLURB
Historical fiction meets crime fiction in The Djinn’s Apple, an award-winning YA murder mystery set in the Abbasid period—the golden age of Baghdad.
A ruthless murder. A magical herb. A mysterious manuscript.
When Nardeen’s home is stormed by angry men frantically in search of something—or someone—her world is turned upside down. Nardeen sets out on an unyielding mission to solve the mystery, regardless of the cost…
Full of mystery and mayhem, The Djinn’s Apple is perfect for fans of Arabian Nights, City of Brass, and The Wrath and the Dawn.
BOOK TASTERS
My teacher taught me to boil inside like a volcano without my sky losing its peaceful clouds.
Being alone isn’t as bad as people think it is. The true birth of a person isn’t when they come out from the womb into the world, but rather when they leave the world behind to look inwards, and that only happens when you’re alone.
Our love would be wiped away and disappear under the rivers of blood that were spilled that night.
Djinn’s APPLE
BOOK BLOGGERS- SPOTLIGHT
The book might be short, but it packs a punch and manages to bring to life an interesting ensemble of characters despite its length. I rooted for Nardeen from the beginning; hard not to, given that she’s a smart, strong woman in a society where “men were made to use their brains and women to look pretty,” and slavery is still a thing.
This is a translated novel, translated from the original Arabic by Sawad Husssain. It’s a novel that showcases what a novella can be – a lot of plot, a lot of character development, and a lot of world building in a very short word count. It flows well, taking through the amount of information packed in so that you don’t notice how much is coming at you, every word used for maximum effect.
The Djinn’s Apple is a fascinating, compelling read but also a heartbreaking one. It is short but also deep, it is different to most of my reads but it made me want to branch out more again.
Her first novel, released in 2015 and titled Taj el-Khatiaa, is set in the Abbasid period.
All of her works are deeply rooted in untold histories.
In her novel she explores the political intrigue of Harun Al-Rashid’s reign, known as the golden age of Baghdad, which inspired the Arabian Nights, and the Bimaristan [advanced hospitals in the medieval Islamic world.]
FIVE FACTS ABOUT SAWAD HUSSAIN
Sawad is a translator from Arabic whose work has been recognised by English PEN.
She is a judge for the Palestine Book Awards
She has run translation workshops under the auspices of the Shadow Heroes, Africa Writes, Shubbak Festival, the Yiddish Book Centre, the British Library and the National Centre for Writing.
Sawad recently translated Black Foam by Haji Jaber
In 2025 she will take the post of Princeton Translator in Residence
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS
Title: The Djinn’s Apple
Author: Djamila Morani
Translator: Sawad Hussain
Cover Design & Illustration: Holly Ovenden
Publisher: Neem Tree Press
ISBN: 9781911107859
Publication date: February 29th 2024
Length: 148 pp
Genre: YA Novella, Crime, Mystery, Romance
Themes: Feminism, History, Libraries, Medicine, Political Intrigue, Magic
You can read different versions of these fascinating, magical and exciting tales that are a true testament to the art of storytelling and that interlock into each other like Chinese boxes at Project Gutenberg.
Excited to be part of this ultimate blog tour for a fascinating and unusual book celebrating the mysteries of art, the passions of artists, and the creativity of the short story. Thanks to @JakeKendallAuth @NeemTreePress @NetGalley @TheWrite_Reads @WriteReadsTours for including Good Night To Read on their artistic journey.
ACROSTICS
Abstract
Redemptive
Tempestuous
Vanitas
Art
Neugrabenstrasse
Imagination
Temptation
Artists
Surrealism
BOOK BITE
Have you ever looked at a painting & imagined a vivid story behind it? These short stories are a wildly descriptive, immersive & intriguing journey that breathe life into art & its passionate creators. If you enjoy the extraordinary explore the world of #thevanitas.
DEFINITION
VANITAS: “A still life artwork which includes various symbolic objects designed to remind the viewer of their mortality and of the worthlessness of worldly goods and pleasures.”
Spanning 300 years of art history, Jake Kendall’s collection tells the stories of those with an obsession for creation – artists who sacrifice friendships, careers, romance, and even their own happiness in pursuit of a vision.
Weaving art styles such as Cubism, Surrealism, and the Baroque into his prose, Jake Kendall has crafted a vivid and inventive collection. Each story is complemented by a black and white illustration, drawing out the visually evocative nature of the writing and offering readers a unique artistic delight.
THE STORIES
SUMMARY
In these 8 illustrated short stories, Caravaggio,Monet, Van Gogh, Géricault and others navigate the boundary between art and experience through masterfully written prose that reflects each artist’s style.
The collection culminates with “The Vanitas”, where Sandro Signorelli’s philosophy that a lifetime of faith and toil shall receive its just reward is challenged by the emergence of a new artist. Across town, Michelangelo Merisi is making seismic waves. The city of Rome cannot help but be captivated by this explosive eruption of talent, swagger, seduction, and violence, while Sandro’s life is plunged into crisis by a rival who does not even know his name.
BOOK TASTERS
The Starry Night, 1889. Painting by Dutch Impressionist Van Gogh
What do you see? Is it Van Gogh’s tortured soul?
Story 4: Under Shimmering Constellations shows us the redemptive power of art as a melancholic oddball, with an intensity of feeling that verges on inappropriateness, discovers purpose and voice through his growing need to paint.
JAKE KENDALL
Blue Divided by Blue, 1966. Mark Rothko. “Since my pictures are large, colorful, and unframed, and since museum walls are usually immense and formidable, there is the danger that the pictures relate themselves as decorative areas to the walls. This would be a distortion of their meaning, since the pictures are intimate and intense, and are the opposite of what is decorative; and have been painted in a scale of normal living rather than an institutional scale. I have on occasion successfully dealt with this problem by tending to crowd the show rather than making it spare. By saturating the room with the feeling of the work, the walls are defeated and the poignancy of each single work . . . become[s] more visible.” https://www.nga.gov/features/mark-rothko/mark-rothko-classic-paintings.html
Composition #5 explores the relationship between artist and muse in a gothic horror of parasocial obsessions. The story also brings abstract art into the collection along with shades of Rothko, Wilde, and Bacon.
JAKE KENDALL
On the Terrace at Sèvres, 1880. Oil on canvas. French painter ceramicist and engraver Marie Bracquemond was frequently omitted from books on female artists. This is attributable to the efforts of her husband, Félix Bracquemond, who sought to thwart her development and recognition as an artist. It has been suggested that his objections to her career were not based on gender but on the style she adopted-Impressionism. https://www.tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica.com/2015/03/Marie-Bracquemond.html
Story 6: At the Gare Saint-Lazare depicts the ‘Forgotten Impressionist’ Marie Bracquemond on the morning that she realises that her new husband will obstruct and diminish her, and as her hopes and expectations for her life begin to reconfigure.
Jake Kendall
He saw the stranger briefly as a vampire, one intent on luring a hapless victim out beyond the reach of civilisation, where escape was impossible.
Impression, sunrise
Outside the windows were the bird people. They patrolled the streets below, they swooped through the city, cawing malevolently, their beaks opening and filled with sharply pointed teeth.
Thirty seven neugrabenstrasse
It is a long and lonely path, one that will eventually take him through cypress groves and fields of radiant sunflowers, beneath liquid mountains, and under shimmering constellations.
UNDER SHIMMERING CONSTELLATIONS
It seemed as if the very air around her ripped apart when the great billowing mass of metal and smoke hurtled past…
At the gare st lazare
But everything that’s good about you is left on the canvas. I was a wounded moth, beating against the embers of a dying affection.
Composition #5
BOOK BLOGGERS- SPOTLIGHT
Kendall writes with emotion and intrigue, vividly portraying the frequently dangerous overlap between creativity and madness. Although slightly esoteric, readers may find that the underlying themes – love, obsession, desire, disillusionment – are universally relatable, transcending the specifics of the art world. I enjoyed the Vanitas’ exploration of the human psyche and emotion through the lens of art. Kendall’s stories may not always be comfortable, but they’re thought-provoking – the marks of a talented and brave writer.
The stories make you think and require your full attention, and the language used is sometimes metaphorical and makes use of a more highbrow language, so I think taking your time with them is a good idea to go about this read.
As some of my regular bookophiles may know, my undergrad degree was in Art History. I have always been and continue to be fascinated by the myriad of art that is out in our world. I was intensely curious to read this and was delightfully surprised by the 8 intelligent, intense interlocking vignettes he has created. Allowing readers, a delicious, exploration behind the frames of some famous artists and their work. The best way to describe this book, is an artistic literary puzzle, where you are given the pieces and connections, and you have to put them together intellectually to create a whole. It is a challenging, engaging and broadly esoteric read and one, I am unlikely to forget, as once you read it, elements of this book, adhere themselves to your brain.
GOOD NIGHT TO READ BOOK BITE– THOUGHTS ON THE VANITAS
An ingenious collection showcasing the trials and tribulations of artists in eight short stories interspersed with vivid fictional characters and reflecting a variety of inventive styles. Readers will experience lyrical, metaphorical and mellifluous language, evocative imagery and strange conundrums. The Vanitas is an extraordinary experience transforming art into a living being. Kendall’s magnum opus is a challenging love letter to the history of art, its betrayals, its passions, its disillusionments, its obsessions and its creative processes.
The Vanitas also celebrates forgotten voices and literary constructs. The piece of art that has inspired each story precedes it and encourages the reader to visualise and dream their own impressions. It is writing that shines a spotlight on artistic lives, coaxing further exploration beyond the book.
GOOD NIGHT TO READ REVIEW RATING- 4 CHOCOLATE LIBRARIES
FIVE FACTS ABOUTJAKE KENDALL
Born in Oxford
Studied an MSc in Creative Writing with the University of Edinburgh
Uses his writing to “refract contemporary issues and anxieties through timeless imagery and artistic movements.”
Enjoys visiting bookshops, exhibitions, the theatre and independent cinemas
Drawn to the work of conflicted artists
JAKE IN HIS OWN WORDS
ON HIS CREATIVE INSPIRATION
This anthology emerged from a period of personal crisis and a great sense of loss and sadness was permeating every aspect of my writing. The themes of struggle and redemption that flow through many of these stories, and the healing power of art, are therefore neither conscious nor coincidental.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS
Title: The Vanitas and Other Tales of Art & Obsession
Author: Jake Kendall
Publisher: Neem Tree Press
ISBN: 9781911107729
Publication date: February 2024
Length: 272 pp
Genre: History of Art, Short Stories
Themes: Healing Power of Art, Gothic, History, Obsession, Passion, Struggle, Sacrifice, Suffering
Audience: Art students, aficionados & visual readers with creative souls
Thrilled to read this insightful biography. Thank you to Sophia Lambton @thecrepuscularpress #The Callas Imprint @LiterallyPR for including Good Night To Read on their Book Review Tour.Maria Callas as Ana Bolena. Photography Erio Piccagliani/Teatro alla Scala, 1957. Cover design by Renee Clarke.Enthusiastic opera lovers mob Prima Donna Maria Callas as she leaves the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden after her triumphant performance of Tosca at the Royal Gala Performance, 6th July 1965.
ACROSTICS
Marvellous
Aria
Range
Innumerable exquisite felicities
Achingly fragile
Chameleon Voice
Artistry
Larynx
Lulls
Astounds
Silky, smooth Legato
BOOK BITE
A fascinating centennial biography capturing the life of legendary operatic star Maria Callas with incredible insight, lyricism and meticulous care.
BOOK HAIKU
Maria aches to
create sublime notes with her
chameleon voice.
BOOK TASTERS
Twelve years in the making, this voluminous labour of love explores the singer with the reverence she dealt her heroines. The Callas imprint: A Centennial Biography reaps never before seen correspondence and archival documents worldwide to illustrate the complex of their multi faceted creator- closing in on her self contradictions, self descriptions, attitudes and habits with empathetic scrutiny.
extract from Publisher’s blurb
GOOD NIGHT TO READ MINI REVIEW
Before I read this remarkable biography, all I knew about Maria Callas was
She was a famous opera singer.
She was a notorious Diva who flew into rages.
She sometimes sang flat notes.
She was Greek.
She was the girlfriend of Aristotle Onassis who was devastated by his betrayal of her with Jackie Kennedy.
Are any of these statements false?
Sophia Lambton’s meticulously researched, intense, lyrical magnum opus challenges the myths surrounding Maria fabricated by the press. This erudite biography doesn’t just explore her life. Lambton shines a spotlight on Callas’ craft critically evaluating the opera star’s singing with consummate care and precision down to the minutest detail and vocal technique behind each aria and dramatic role.
The book is divided into a prologue followed by 23 chapters, with headings taken from Maria’s musings. It sets the scene for the reader as it forensically examines her mythos, her psychology, her troubled upbringing, her discovery of her vocation, her insecurities, her perfectionism, her secret fears, the men she was unfortunate to become involved with, her struggles with her voice and how she inspired wonder and vitriol in equal measure. Above all it is a monumental testament to her art.
It’s vivid prose is informed by detailed primary and secondary sources including incendiary letters, vignettes, never before published missives and interviews discovered in library archives and digitised collections.
Lambton’s imagery illuminates Callas’ complex musicality so that the reader can visualise the performances and reflect on the beauty of her sounds when she was at the height of her fame. It crystallises each recording and opera performed by Callas, capturing the atmosphere, the highs and lows of being an acclaimed soprano and the dichotomy between victorious evenings of encores and fraught, tension filled nights when notes went awry.
Callas’ health was a rollercoaster exacerbated by personal problems and marital strife but above all what she wanted more than anything was to be true to the composer and the spirit of the piece. To contemporary critics listening to Callas was
“..like stumbling into the Sistine chapel.”
William Weaver, cited Callas, 11
She was
“Empress, queen goddess, sorceress, hard working magician…in short, divine.”
Yves St Laurent, cited Callas, 11
But in spite of the magical aura she cast on opera goers, she was immensely fragile, mercurial, self critical and prone to self sabotage.
Lambton’s work depicts a nuanced portrait of Callas, taking into account her habit of contradicting herself, trusting the wrong people and sacrificing herself for her art, just like her opera heroines.
This biography will appeal to opera fans and musical aficionados. It’s useful to read it along with a glossary of opera terms as it is abundant with them. It should be savoured over many nights like a languorous dream not hurriedly gobbled. Lambton’s use of alliteration, mellifluous language and evocative scenes adds to its sensory impact, just like Callas’ voice and dramatic presence elevates her performances.
GOOD NIGHT TO READ REVIEW RATING- 4.5 CHOCOLATE LIBRARIES
Q & A Extravaganza
Sophia kindly consented to answer all of my questions.
What inspired you to become a music journalist?
Lyrical expression is the closest to my own – which is another way of saying music gets to me more deeply than all other arts. I have a very particular writing process that treats creation like the stage: many more weeks are spent researching, preparing and planning than typing the text. In those long intervals I need to exercise my art in shorter bouts. At fourteen I already knew I wanted to report on at least one art. Music makes the most sense. I love it more than any other medium.
When did your fascination with Maria Callas start?
I listened to her through my teens and fell in love first with her voice (at fourteen-ish) and later with her as a person (seventeen). My first novel (an appalling work) was inspired by a giant misconception of her. I only got to know her after eighteen months (or so) of research.
What is your favourite Maria Callas recording and why?
Oh, the cruelty of this question! Well, I’ll narrow down to three:
1) Puccini’s Manon Lescaut (studio recording, 1957): Callas incarnates both the ravenous, spoilt girl Manon Lescaut and the languishing older seductress. The evolution – both in the music and her voice – exhibits shifts in characterisation that remain unparalleled throughout the Callas repertoire.
2) Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (studio recording, 1955): The “little girl” voice here is achingly fragile, and Callas curves the syllables to imitate a geisha’s accent. There is such a dreamy danger in her voice: when she believes Lieutenant Pinkerton has come back to her – before she discovers he has married Kate – she marvels, “White… white… the American Star-Spangled flag” (“Bianca, Bianca… il vessillo americano delle stelle”) in a near-inexistent voice. It’s a squeak and yet retains its musicality. No other soprano could effectuate this. It is almost anatomically impossible.
3) “Air des lettres” (“Werther… werther… qui m’aurait dit la place”) from Massenet’s Werther, live in concert at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on June 5th 1963.
This is a mezzo aria. Callas dissolves into her dusky register in tremulous surrender to the fate of Charlotte, whose beloved one Werther will kill himself. She slenderises certain phrases – like “je vous écris de ma petite chambre” (”I’m writing to you from my bedroom”) to exude fragility whilst salvaging the ebbing body of her voice: an instrument by this point semi-tarnished. The French critic Marcel Schneider wrote of this performance, “Nothing is more moving than this struggle of one of the greatest singers of all time against Nature, which seems to want to rob her of the voice it has given her.” But she conquered that night.
Why do you think Maria married Meneghini?
She said it herself in a letter to Eddie Bagarozy, shortly after she and Meneghini met: “God has given me this angelic person.” There are two reasons for this marriage that must be explained to a (much savvier) modern audience. The first is that Maria Callas did not really have a concept of a “hot guy”. She was not a very sexual woman and, having been deprived of paternal love from the age of thirteen – when her mother had taken her and sister Jackie to Athens – she was looking for a guardian. I also believe some people, regardless of their libido level, have taste when it comes to faces, and some don’t. When most people see Meneghini – including Callas’ cousin Ninon Dimitriadou-Kambouri – it is impossible to understand how a twenty-three-year-old woman would be drawn to this owl-faced, much older signor. We have to imagine she’s seeing someone else.
The other reason that must be explained is her naïveté. It didn’t occur to her that Meneghini, as a shrewd businessman, might be looking for an investment in her as a singer, even though he volunteered himself as her manager suspiciously early on in their relationship. When I consider it, I can’t envisage Joan Sutherland, Renata Tebaldi or most other sopranos agreeing to such an arrangement. Callas was just so uneducated. She wasn’t much of a reader, and certainly hadn’t been in her youth. Her teen years had been lived through World War II Athens: a frightful atrocity. Her formal schooling had ended in New York, when she’d been just thirteen.
Today we learn of social norms at school, in books, tv, podcasts, articles, movies etc. She had news on the radio and no good parenting. And she wasn’t street-smart, contrary to what she might have thought.
Why do you think Maria eschewed performing modern opera?
This is where I empathise with her: I likewise am averse to modern opera. As a critic it’s my job to analyse performance, so I shut off those personal preferences when I have to. I can see the quality of an interpretation irrespective of my feelings for its music. Callas didn’t take to atonality and dissonance, and neither do I. So she couldn’t possibly consider singing Alban Berg’s Lulu or Samuel Barber’s Vanessa, both of which were suggested to her.
What was the most fascinating fact that you discovered about Maria Callas during your research process?
Onstage: She liked to bring her own costumes for performances when she felt the theatre’s were subpar. This ties in with a control freak-nature that would vet the stage designs before production could begin, and do her own make-up, and argue with directors like Luchino Visconti about when to take off a bonnet in character. Her contribution extended far beyond the part of the soprano soloist.
Offstage: This is bizarre, but I haven’t mentioned it elsewhere in press about this book, so I’ll go ahead: Callas would study music in her bathroom, which was her haven. She had a bookcase there where she kept opera scores, as well as a sofa, a telephone and flowers. The faucets were cherry-coloured dolphins and the bath itself was pink and white marble.
What’s your favourite opera performed by Maria Callas & why?
I have two: La traviata and Madama Butterfly, but Manon Lescaut is close. My other favourite operas were never performed by Callas.
Both Traviata and Madama Butterfly preface their heroines’ state early on; drawing in their listeners with ominous foreshadowing. They juxtapose the jubilance of love with its lethality. They also allowed Callas to manipulate her voice to dangerous degrees – she talked about playing the consumption victim that is Traviata’s Violetta with a voice “on a little thread. It can break from one minute to another.”
Butterfly’s über-vulnerable heroine, Cio-Cio-san, leads Callas’ extremely malleable timbre into risky territory. There is a trill-like sound created from vibrato across many top notes that don’t have trills; it’s simply an exuberant effect made to portray the naïve youngling.
Both roles enabled Callas to display a psychological erosion in strong women left irreparably damaged.
Do you have a favourite photograph of Maria Callas?
This is a very good question, because I actually dislike most of them. I really dislike the Angus McBean portraits (though I had his Vivien Leigh on my wall as a teenager). I really dislike the Cecil Beaton ones. Callas was very photogenic but a terrible model for the most part. Opera singers are used to making huge expressions (like expansive clownish eyes) for colossal auditoriums: I don’t think most of them respond well to photographers’ directions. My favourite photo is the one on my cover – Callas in a promotional shot as Anna Bolena (Anne Boleyn) in advance of her opening in the opera at La Scala in April 1957. It took me ages to select a photograph. I even considered capturing a still from a video at one point.
A. Which library archive did you find most insightful in your research?
The Victoria & Albert Museum had the collection of her manager from 1953 to 1977, Sander Gorlinsky: it was indispensable. I lived around ninety minutes away then, and for three days straight I went over their exchanges, taking photographs of almost everything. I then spent most of 2014’s summer transcribing all their letters and a great deal of the batch’s documents. When – in conjunction with other letters, telegrams, documents and interviews – you get to piece together a nearly day-to-day chronology, it feels like a worthful achievement.
Though I had always had faith in Callas’ continuing devotion to opera in the early sixties, unfortunately it is still falsely reported that she left that world for luxury aboard a yacht with boyfriend Aristotle Onassis. This is wrong. The quotations from these letters – together with those from others, documents and interviews from this period – absolutely prove this is a myth.
B. Critics have waxed lyrical about her. Do you have a favourite quote that describes the nature of her remarkable voice?
I’m so happy you asked because I’m going to use this opportunity to reproduce a quote I felt I had to cut down in the book. It’s more about Callas’ technique than her voice, and it’s not from a critic, so I’ll give a separate one for that.
Here is EMI Records producer Walter Legge on Callas’ vocality:
“Most admirable of all her qualities, however, were her taste, elegance and deeply musical use of ornamentation in all its forms and complications, the weighting and length of every appoggiatura [a grace note that immediately precedes the next note of a melody], the smooth incorporation of the turn [the expansion of one note into a musical four] in melodic lines, the accuracy and pacing of her trills, the seemingly inevitable timing of her portamentos, varying their curve with enchanting grace and meaning. There were innumerable exquisite felicities – minuscule portamentos from one note to its nearest neighbour, over widespread intervals – and changes of color that were pure magic.”
In 1954 the Chicago Tribune’s Claudia Cassidy gorgeously described Callas’ then new figure together with her instrument:
“Wand-slim, tragic mask of face, wonderful hands, and above all that voice. Formidable in range, dazzling in technique with the sound of the mourning dove.”
An unnamed critic for Kunst und Kultur, reviewing her Lucia di Lammermoor in Vienna, referred beautifully to the “glimmering limbs of her flawless range.”
It was remarkable the way Maria coped with her myopia during performances. Do you think that was why she insisted on such long rehearsal periods or did she have other reasons?
I actually don’t think that was why she insisted on long rehearsals. She was a compulsive perfectionist, and that cost her her blood pressure – which tanked to sometimes lethal lows, and it cost her her nerves, and it could lead to bad performances. When Maria was up at 3.30am rehearsing La sonnambula, was this a good thing? I don’t know. She needed to feel she had done her best. That is the foremost reason any control freak perfectionist stretches their work hours.”
FIVE FACTS ABOUT SOPHIA
Sophia is a novelist. The fourth volume of her saga The Crooked Little Pieces comes out on 2 September, and she is currently working on the third part of her second literary series.
She is a devoted figure skating competition follower, and has adored many skaters and teams over the years. These include Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Ashley Wagner, Anna Shcherbakova, Javier Fernández, Jason Brown, and her current diehard favourites Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier.
Sophia is a multi linguist. She has a command of French, Russian, German, Latin and Ancient Greek which enabled her to study “a global panoply of primary and secondary sources” as part of her extensive research journey. She also taught herself “just about passable Italian” to research, conduct interviews and translate documents in preparation for The Callas Imprint.
She is half English and half Russian Jewish and has recently discovered Inuit blood in her family too.
Sophia is interested in neurological studies, in particular the work of Stanford neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky, author of the recently released Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Title: The Callas Imprint: A Centennial Biography
Author: Sophia Lambton
Publisher: Crepuscular Press
ISBN: 9781739286323 [Hbk]
ISBN: 9781739286347 [Pbk]
ISBN: 9781739286392 [E-Book]
Publication date: 2 December 2023
Length: 704 pp [Including comprehensive bibliography, footnotes and index]
DISCOVER MORE
Lambton’s cultural Substack provides copious reviews of operas, concerts and recitals juxtaposed with vivid explorations of tv and film and literary snippets.
20% of the author royalties for this novel will be donated to the British Deaf Association.
Happy to be part of this Blog Tour for author Victoria Williamson’s compelling climate fiction thriller #TheWaroftheWind . Thank you @NetGalley @NeemTreePress @The_WriteReads @WriteReadsonTour
CHARACTERACROSTICS
Mortified
Angry
X auditory
Bullied
Eager
Addicted
Nervous
Innovative
Exasperated
Decoder
Astute
Vehicular
Intelligent
Dependent
Edgy
Resourceful
Indignant
Nurturing
Concerned
Awkward
Laughing
Unsettled
Manipulated
Amoral
Sinister
Heartless
Wicked
Omnipresent
Observer
Dangerous
BOOK BITE
An electrifying, fast paced eco thriller celebrating diversity and inclusivity.
BOOK HAIKU
Max feels angry and
frustrated as evil creeps
near to his island.
Soon he will discover he must never judge a book by its cover.
Whirring off the shore
thoughts go askew as malaise
swallows and consumes.
Nefarious plots
put an island’s people at
risk as tensions mount.
Can Max and his friends prevail
as they hunt the villain’s trail?
BLURB
SCRAGNESS ISLAND
On a remote Scottish island, fourteen-year-old Max’s life alters irrevocably after an accident. Struggling to make sense of his new life and finding it hard to adapt in school, he begins to notice other — even stranger — changes taking place off the island’s coast.
With the help of three school friends with additional support needs, Max discovers that a sinister scientist, Doctor Ashwood, is lying to them all for his own nefarious ends. They must find a way to stop him before all is lost.
BOOK TASTERS
The darkness gradually gave way to sickly light that ebbed and flowed like waves on the edges of my vision.”
“After all my complaining about other people not making the effort to communicate with me and assuming I was stupid, I’d gone and done exactly the same thing to a kid I saw in school every day.”
“…and the birds have disappeared. All of them, including the all pervading gulls. The island has gone silent.”
Extracts from War of the Wind
AUTHOR VIEW
‘War of the Wind is a thrilling eco-thriller for teens. Tension and suspense build as the plot unfolds and there are some genuinely scary moments. An exciting adventure story with an important message about accepting differences.’
Lindsay Littleson, Kelpies Prize winner and Carnegie-nominated author of children’s books including The Rewilders and Guardians of the Wild Unicorns.
‘War of the Wind had me on the edge of my seat, and I loved the disability rep, the realistic depictions of teen lives and challenges, and Max himself. ’
Sinead O’Hart, award-winning author of Skyborn, The Star-Spun Web and The Eye of the North.
BOOK BLOGGERS- SPOTLIGHT
This book is written in such a way that it kept me glued to the pages and the story becomes more and more exciting…Things turn darker and more sinister the further the story goes. “
War of the Wind is a powerful, intense, action-packed eco-thriller that completely gripped me both with its edgy mystery, and its authentic portrayal of the lives of children with additional support needs who are central to solving the mystery.
“It is another well-written eco-thriller by Victoria Williamson, which leaves you thinking and highlights how technological initiatives can be misused and manipulated.”
This compelling teen eco thriller opens with a life changing accident which shapes the personality of the lead protagonist. Like Feast of Ashes it has environmental and dystopian elements which are integral to the plot. Add an atmospheric, isolated location, Manchurian Candidate vibes, scientific skulduggery, and intelligent teens seeking to foil corrupt government agents Alex Rider style and you get the idea.
Told through a first person narrative, Williamson skilfully builds tension as an island community is disrupted by strange happenings. Suddenly, a class of children with additional support needs is caught up in the centre of a nefarious plot.
The book’s structure consists of five phases interlaced with flashback sequences as life on the island starts to get steadily worse, building up to a dramatic denouement which makes the heart race.
War of the Wind encompasses the universal themes of abuse, bullying, cruelty, friendship, jealousy, denial, frustration, misconceptions and prejudice. It is also not teen adventure centric. Max’s father has a secret which is affecting his son and causing an internal struggle. Extra stress and pressure caused by the seismic changes in the adult characters’ lives are also magnified by what’s happening on the island.
While the story does make a grand effort to have complex, diverse and engaging characters, where it stumbles is Max’s continuous repetition of derogatory terms to describe his assisted learning classmates. Beanie and David are targets until he comprehends the damage of labels and slurs.
Max also continually makes excuses for bad behaviour until he is educated by the fiery Erin. While it is part of his personal journey towards adapting and understanding, it starts to jar after a while and detracts from the thriller element and empathetic nature of the story.
This book will appeal to a Middle Grade audience who enjoy high stakes danger, scientific theory and techno spy thrillers.
It includes a map at the start and a British sign language guide to educate and focus the reader. A useful glossary of Scottish words and phrases is also available at the back.
GOOD NIGHT TO READ REVIEW RATING- 3.5 CHOCOLATE LIBRARIES
FIVE FACTS ABOUT VICTORIA WILLIAMSON
Victoria has worked closely with children with additional support needs.
She is a patron of Reading with Char Char Literacy to promote early years phonics teaching in Malawi
The original idea for War of the Wind came from Victoria’s mother
Victoria is passionate about creating inclusive worlds in her literature “where all children can see themselves reflected”
She grew up in Kirkintilloch, North Glasgow and is inspired by wild, adventurous landscapes.
VICTORIA IN HER OWN WORDS
ON HER INSPIRATION
“Wind turbines had always seemed a little spooky to me, and reminded me of the TV show and film adaptations I’d seen of The Tripods and War of the Worlds when I was a child. Every time I saw wind turbines on the horizon after that, I thought about what they might be ‘whispering’ to us, and what those secrets signals might be used for.”
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF REPRESENTATION
“People often underestimate what children with various disabilities and additional support needs are capable of doing, and assume that because they need help in one or more areas, then they must need help with everything, or are limited in terms of what they can achieve. I wanted to give the four main characters in this story a chance to show exactly what they could do.”
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Title: War of the Wind
Author: Victoria Williamson
Publisher: Neem Tree Press
ISBN: 9781911107507
Publication date: September 2022
Length: 256 pp
Genre: Eco Thriller
Themes: Additional Support Needs, Ecosystems, Manipulation, The Media, Mobile Phones, Psychology, Renewable Energy, Trauma, Wind Farms
Age group: 11+
ACCOLADES
Nominated for The Yoto Carnegies Medal for Writing 2024
Winner of the YA-ldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries’ Book Award 2023
Shortlisted for the Leeds Book Awards 2023
Longlisted for the RED Book Awards 2023
Longlisted for the South Coast Schools ABA Book Awards 2023
BookTrust Book of the Month for February 2022
A Financial Times Best YA Books of the Year 2022
The Scottish Book Trust Book of the Month for November 2022
Mythology Comes Alive. Clytemnestra’s Bind Tour @BronzeAgeWummin @NeemTreePress @TheWrite_Reads
BOOK BITE #Haiku
Clytemnestra is
Mother, Power, Curse breaker
Listen to her ROAR.
Classic tale retold
Love
Yearning for justice
WITH CLYTEMNESTRA’S BIND YOU WILL EXPERIENCE
A powerful retelling
A strong female protagonist
A feminist lens
Motherhood at the heart of the story
A new voice
Stereotypical gender expectations EXPLODED
Patriarchal Power-play
Self-destruction
Violence- TRIGGER WARNING
BLURB
Queen Clytemnestra’s world shatters when Agamemnon, a rival to the throne of Mycenae, storms her palace, destroys her family and claims not only the throne but Clytemnestra herself.
Tormented by her loss, she vows to do all she can to protect the children born from her unhappy marriage to Agamemnon. But when her husband casts his ruthless gaze towards the wealthy citadel of Troy, his ambitions threaten, once more, to destroy the family Clytemnestra loves.
From one of Greek mythology’s most reviled characters—a woman who challenged the absolute power of men—comes this fiery tale of power, family rivalry and a mother’s burning love.
Think you know the story of Queen Clytemnestra? Think again.
All About Susan C. Wilson
Working class Scottish writer
Inspired by stories of Gods and heroes in the dictionary
Intrigued by “what makes us human: the eternal motivations, desires and instincts that cross time and place.”
Susan studied journalism at Napier University and has a post graduate diploma in Classical Studies from the Open University
Clytemnestra’s Bind is her debut novel
TESTIMONIALS
★ Long Listed for the Mslexia Novel Competition 2019
WHAT THE PRESS SAY
“This relentlessly savage novel is powerfully written. Brutality is unflinchingly and convincingly described. “
“Author has clearly researched into both the history of the family of Atreus and the customs and way of life in the Mycenaean age as a springboard for this, her first novel. “This is a very modern novel and quite different in many ways to the accounts of myths and legends by ancient Greek writers, where things are often alluded to, rather than spelt out in detail. It tells similar stories, but adds a vast amount of description of every aspect of what domestic and other life might have been like at that time. .”
“I loved Clytemnestra’s Bind. Susan C Wilson brings raw emotion to every page. She portrays Clytemnestra with all the compassion, determination and strength that she deserved. A truly heart-wrenching read.”
HannaH Lynn, AUTHOR OF ATHENA’S CHILD
WHAT THE BLOGGERS SAY
“Informative and insightful, bringing a new understanding to a previously ignored topic.”
jodyjoy.com @jkjoy_BOOKS
“Clytemnestra may have been vilified as a vengeful woman. However it’s important to understand what led her to behave in such a manner.”
debjanisthoughts.wordpress.com
“The book grips you immediately and is a real page turner. The writing is fluid and the pace is just right. The environment and the characters are very visual.”
melaniegreaves2.wixsite.com @MelanieToBeRead
“Clytemnestra is normally remembered as vengeful, cold and heartless. What about her strength, her resilience, her love for her children? Epic, evocative & heartbreaking.“
bookafterbookblogspot.com @Silvia_reads
“The books includes both a family tree and a map at the start, both of which I always love to see. I studied Latin at school, part of which involved reading Book 2 of The Aeneid, which deals with the sacking of Troy. So I found it fascinating to read this tale of the events that precipitated this most famous of defeats. The writing is excellent, and the author doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the events or the passionate emotions of Clytemnestra..”
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost. Illustrated by P.J Lynch.
A classic poem is/captured in stillness and light/as Lynch pictures night.
The Snowy Day by
Ezra Jack Keats The Snowman
by Raymond Briggs
A little boy plays/and delights in the magic/of soft snowy drifts.
A snowy story/of friendship and fun filled with/laughter and tears.
The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet & Allan Ahlberg
A Wonderland of/fairytale surprises to/discover with glee.
Father Christmas & Father Christmas Goes on Holidayby Raymond Briggs
Grumpy Santa has /a job to doas he waits/for blooming ChristmasGrumpy Santa needs/a break to recover from/popping down chimneys.
Penguin Flies Home by Lita Judge
Plucky penguinplans/to launch pals into the sky/to let them fly high.
The Tree That’s Meant To Be by Yuval Zommer
A lonely tree dreams/of what it can be as the /animals gather.
Can’t You Sleep Little BearThe Bear & the Piano
by Martin Waddell. by David Litchfield
Illustrations by Barbara Firth
Little bear can’t sleep /can Big Bear guide him through the/night by lantern’s light?A bear with talent/finds fame far awaybut will/he stay as thoughts stray.
Where Snow Angels Go by Maggie O’Farrell
Magic can happen/as Sylvie knowswhen angels/appear in the snow.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
Mr Grinch is up to /no good as he steals along/through the stilly night.
WWW Wednesday is a weekly event created by Sam Anne Elizabeth where bloggers share their reading choices. There is such a wonderful cornucopia of great books out there especially with the release of the Carnegie Medals nominations that
I’m tripling up for this post this week on-
What I’m currently reading
Runner Hawk by Michael Egan @northernashes
Great tension & anticipation from just the extract from the Blurb.
Dark revelations and compelling writing. Such an intriguing opening line. I’m looking forward to getting lost in this novel.
The Boy Lost in the Maze by Joseph Coelho @JosephACoelho
Intricate Verse Novel
Joseph Coelho has created a labyrinthine exploration of verse and intersecting stories with a father/son relationship and the Theseus & the Minotaur myth at its core. I’m enjoying listening to this.
The Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley@lucindariley
Six adopted sisters who lived a dream life in Geneva. Will they discover each of their destinies while unravelling their pasts from a series of clues?
This series was recommended to me by a good friend. I’m enjoying listening to each story. I loved the Brazilian setting of the first book and the romantic mystery at its heart.
What I’ve recently finished reading
Wise Creatures by Deirdre Sullivan @ProperMiss
A chilling psychological study from a skilled writer. What are the ghosts that haunt those who were traumatised when they were young?
A story of two troubled girls, a haunted house, dark secrets and inner conflicts. Clever use of the unreliable narrator and fragmented thoughts.
Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir by Pedro Martin
A wonderfully riotous, hilarious and poignant Road Trip celebrating Mexican heritage.
Pedro Martin’s Middle Grade graphic novel debut is a joy full of surprises, laughs, tears & a fantastic family dynamic complemented by illustrations full of character and fun.
The Fire Cats of London by Anna Fargher @AnnaFargher
Astounding Middle Grade animal adventure full of action, excitement and danger.
I recently finished this amazing book set during the Great Fire of London. It took me back to my childhood when I devoured Colin Dann books about animals in peril. I loved Fargher’s Umbrella Mouse but this was even better. Fantastic adventure with vivid characters, high stakes and fascinating historical detail. Wonderful. Thoroughly recommend. Such skilful writing.
Five Chocolate Libraries Rating
What I think I’d like to read next
Inspired by the recent #DiscoverIrishKidsBooks Campaign @IrishKidsBooks #LeabhairEireannachDoPhaistiAbu & the Carnegie Medal for Writing nominations list@CarnegieMedals #YotoCarnegies24
The First Move by Jenny Ireland @IdreamofNarnia
A love story with a difference.
Chess, Relationships & Secrets. Is love just a game?
An exciting nomination from a Northern Irish writer. This has been recommended to me by so many people.
The Harp of Power by Alex Dunne @alexdunnewrites
Middle Grade adventure. Magic and Monsters.
The Harp of Power is a Carnegie nomination but I want to read the first book too. Everything I love- Magical harp, mysterious island and high stakes.
Catfish Rolling by Clara Kumagi @ClaraKiyoko
A book that plays with time, magical realism and memory.
A YA that combines Japanese mythology with Sci Fi and magical realism to create an unusual reading experience.
I’ve got to go now all you lovely bookish folks. I’ve lots of reading to do.
Watch this space for more recommendations next week.
Good Night To Read- A School Librarian's Book Blog 