Explore Books - The Report

For those of you who have been following my blog for a while, will no doubt be aware that I have only posted a couple of book reviews. My reasons for this are many [I say reasons - more like excuses]. Blah blah time, blah blah blah working on my own novel, blah blah doing the laundry and so forth. You may also be aware that I recently managed to blag a book from a lovely New York author by the name of Jessica F Kane, which she very kindly sent me a couple of weeks ago.

"In March 1943, one hundred seventy-three people died in a London air-raid shelter, on a night when no bombs fell." This is the fictionalised story of the actual event.



This is JFK's first novel and in my humble opinion, it's fantastic. I don't know if it pushed my buttons as I have a child, or maybe it was because my maternal grandmother was called 'Ada' [one of the main characters in the book]. This story had me gripped, absorbed and at times brought me to tears. The tragedy was shocking, the aftermath disturbing and worst of all, as a Brit, I had been blissfully ignorant of the whole event.

I hadn't planned to do an entire post just about this story, but I cannot recommend it to you enough. In my opinion the option on this book, should be snapped up and turned into a BBC period drama, and I really hope it finds it's way into the hands of a producer who could make this happen.

It is released in the UK on March 3 and for some reason the publishers - Portobello, have decided to change the cover. From the dark one above [published in the US by Graywolf Press] to the lighter one on the right. This looks an awful lot like one of the 'East End Midwife' books, or a 'Misery Memoir', and I'm sad to say in my blinkered little life that I would have strolled right past this book and missed a gem.

Jessica F Kane is a very talented writer and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have made her acquaintance. Now where's the next book JFK? No pressure...


Until next time...