Op het nachtkastje van… Louise Fein

De komende twee maanden – vakantiemaanden juli en augustus – sluipen wij de slaapkamer binnen van verschillende auteurs en gaan ‘stiekem’ eens piepen wat zij nu lezen. Met andere woorden, we gaan kijken wat er te lezen op hun nachtkastje ligt. Kijk jij mee?

Louise Fein – bij ons bekend van haar roman De dochter van de nazi woont op het prachtige Engelse platteland met haar man, drie kinderen, de kleine hond Bonnie en de plaatselijke fauna die graag af en toe in het huis verschijnt. Momenteel werkt zij aan haar tweede roman.

Van jongs af aan koesterde Louise een geheime liefde voor schrijven en leefde zij liever in haar verbeelding dan in de echte wereld.

Na haar rechtenstudie werkte Louise in Hong Kong en Australië, reisde ze een tijdje door Azië en Noord-Amerika, voordat ze weer aan het werk ging in Londen. Ze gaf uiteindelijk toe aan de drang om te schrijven, nam een ​​MA in creatief schrijven en begon aan haar eerste roman, People Like Us (genaamd Daughter of the Reich in de Amerikaanse en Canadese editie). De roman is geïnspireerd op de ervaring van de familie van haar vader, die uit de nazi’s ontsnapte en in de jaren dertig als vluchteling in Engeland aankwam.

Wat leest deze Engelse dame? Kijk je mee op haar nachtkastje?

Here is a little about each book:

What’s Left of Me is Yours by Stephanie Scott – I am almost at the end of reading this beautiful book, by debut author Stephanie Scott, about a true life crime which took place in the 1990’s in Japan. It is a story about the murder of a woman, who’s husband hired a ‘breaker-upper’ – another man to seduce his wife to give him a reason to divorce her. What the husband did not anticipate was that his wife and her seducer would fall in love. The writing it sublime, the research incredibly detailed. This is a book to be savoured and wondered over. It would make a wonderful book-club read as there is a lot which could be discussed!

Hamnet, by Maggie O’Farrell – I am around half way through reading Hamlet, the latest book by author Maggie O’Farrell, whose work I love. Hamnet is another book to be savoured, each word so beautifully conceived, every sentence elegantly crafted. The book is set around the story of Hamnet, or Hamlet (the name was the same), Shakespeare’s son who died aged eleven, three years before he wrote the play, ‘Hamlet’. It is of course fiction, based around bare factual events, but is truly remarkable and I am thoroughly enjoying this book.

This Lovely City by Louise Hare – I recently finished this book by another debut author, Louise Hare, which is set in London in 1948 and 1950, around the time when the ship The Windrush brought, in particular, men from the West Indies to start a new life in post WWII England. They were positively encouraged to come, promised many things, but on arrival found they were not so welcomed by the local population, being regarded with disdain, suspicion and prejudice. When the body of a baby is discovered in a pond, the recent arrivals are immediately under suspicion. This is also a touching love story and a book apt for our times. Well written and recommended!

The Women Who Lived For Danger by Marcus Binney – This is a non-fiction book, one of several I’m currently reading for research for my third book. It contains not only useful information, but tales of incredible bravery, intelligence and tenacity by some remarkable women form all walks of life. Fascinating!

The Smallest Man by Frances Quinn – Next on my list is a beautiful proof of a book due to come out early in 2021. Set in 1625, it is the story of Nat Davy, who at ten years old is tiny and has stopped growing. He is presented as a gift to the new young queen of England as a pet to add to her menagerie of dogs and monkeys. Nat soon realises she is as lost and lonely as he is, and the two forge an unlikely friendship as England slides into a civil war which will eventually lead the people to kill their king. I cannot wait to dive into this book, inspired by a true story, it sounds fascinating.