Women in Translation month and Souvlaki :-)

 August is Women in Translation Month and I had a few titles in mind but only managed one book.  Maybe next year I can organize a better plan with the titles I have noted.  Check out the link and read more about this annual global event.

A favorite of mine is Valérie Perrin and I have her newest book Tata translated by Hildegarde Serle .  She isn't everyone's cup of tea but she is mine. I've read three of her previous publications.

Her books start slowly but as the characters and stories weave together there are solid connections. Stories within stories. Agatha is one of our main characters, a film writer and quite famous in France and the U.S. She receives a call from the police in France informing her Aunt Collette has died. Impossible, she says, as she buried her aunt three years ago. Positive identification reveals it truely is her aunt.  So who is buried in Collette's grave?

"The captain from the gendarmerie told me they’re going to compare Colette’s DNA with mine, and they’ll be exhuming ‘the person.’” “It’s not right to disturb the dead,” Adèle whispers. “But we need to know the truth.”

As you read you will hear Collette's backstory about a mother who didn't love her, a brother named Jean she was devoted to and how she ended up in an untenable situation. She supported Jean's musical genius in spite of their mother's attempts to thwart them at every turn. She sacrificed and supported a friend who had been abused. Collette harbored some deep secrets. The way these story lines weave in and out and make connections is brilliant. Nothing is what it seems at face value.

By the 65% mark revelations unfold. For me, her books are like eating a piece of luscious cake and saving  that icing until last. It unfolds. It comes together and there's the big finish.  The friendships from Agatha's past in the small French town are renewed and she has so much support.  You get the friends' stories as well and there were many surprises. I enjoyed the book.  That said, my favorites by Perrin are Three and Fresh Water for Flowers.

Foodie stuff / I modified a Skinnytaste recipe for Chicken Souvlaki and we loved it. First we tried stuffing it into the warm pita pockets. What a mess, especially after the tzatziki was added on top.  Like a messy taco.

Then we just piled the chicken, garlic and onion mixture over the salad mix.  This works out much better. Very good and we will have it again sometime.

Coming up I will do a roundup of my summer reading goals and see how many I finished. Plan a good list to focus on for Fall.

Last post I made compared two teachers from books on my Classic Club list. Jean Brodie and E.R. Braithwaite.  🏛📚

Loki says hi.  My reading buddy here having his snack.

Sharing with Sunday Salon.

A Girl Returned by Donatella Di Pietrantonio #WIT

I just finished my first book this month for the Women in Translation project.  I'd hoped to read another translated book but I did not plan well.  Here is my reading buddy Loki keeping me company.

A Girl Returned is a heartfelt story about a thirteen year old girl who suddenly finds out her mother is actually her aunt.  It gets worse when she is deposited in a run down home, introduced with zero fanfare to her birth mother and natural siblings.

Apparently she had been living with her aunt since she was an infant, believing this to be her natural mother.  She had a good life near the sea, friends at school, activities, love  and solitude. Her new home is hectic and financially insecure.  Her first meal at a table with her mother, father, two brothers and a sister was chaos as hands were flying across the table to grab food. Talk about culture shock.

Her sister Adriana was a blessing to her as they became devoted to one another.

I felt very sorry for her when she bought herself a birthday pastry and a little candle, then secreted herself in a room and quietly sang happy birthday. No one remembered, no one knew. 

A great revelation near the end as to why her aunt gave her up then returned her back to her birth mother came as a surprise.  This story is told roughly twenty years in the future by the girl who is never called by name. 

This book was first published in 2017 in Italian and is now available translated by Ann Goldstein.  I read this for the Women in Translation August event.  I have rounded to 3.5 stars and would read more by this author.  Adding it to my summer reading list as well.

I'm with Jinjer, I wish there was a Linky party to join in for the Women in Translation month.  Perhaps next year someone will do that.  I have never been able to figure out the link parties setup or I would volunteer to host :-)  

How is your summer reading going?  My list has fluctuated from my original list but I will get to those titles this year.

Sharing with Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon

Women in Translation month and zucchini fritters

Let's start with my PSA regarding turtles and comments :-) So far, no turtles I can see and the nest does not appear to be disturbed but..we have had some serious storms and hard rains so, who knows.  

Also, if you don't see your comment here within 12 hours or so you can email me.  What is up with the spam redirect? Ugh.

What is new....

Watching the first two seasons of The Unit, an older series from 2006.  This is based on Eric Haney's nonfiction book Inside Delta Force.

I have read through the July entries of The Kitchen Diaries. Inspired I prepared the zucchini fritters.  I've done the fritters before and if you'd like to check out that recipe, click HERE to see it on my retired food blog. I've started Nigel's August entries already.

Currently reading A Girl Returned by Donatella Di Pietrantonio for Women in Translation month.

Just finished Trust Her by Flynn Berry.

More about this author HERE.

Coming up is September by Rosamunde Pilcher and one other book I haven't decided on yet. I need to rework my summer list as some titles weren't available and I bailed on others.

That's it.  Just in and felt like updating. Hoping you are well, the storms have missed you and you've good books lined up.

Sharing with Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon.

Forgotten on Sunday by Valérie Perrin

Let's start with this - I would like to say that if you plan on reading one of Perrin's novels, my opinion is to start with Fresh Water for Flowers or Three.  I liked those books much better but that's my personal opinion. Links for those books take you to my Goodreads page.

For a great review check out the NPR link HERE.

What I didn't know, and it came as a complete surprise to me, is this is her first published novel.  It came out in 2015!   Last year I particpated in August's event Women in Translation and read Fresh Water for Flowers.  That was my introduction to Perrin. When I saw Forgotten on Sunday was to be published in June I assumed this was a brand new novel. So I preordered it.  * It was newly translated by Hildegarde Serle.

There are two main stories here which go back and forth between present day and WW II. The setting is mostly Milly France.

Here's the run down without spoilers.

 Justine Neige is the narrator; she works at a care home as an assistant, taking care of the old people.  She and her cousin Jules live with their grandparents as their parents died in an automoble accident when they were only 4 years old. (revealtions about that later)  Jules is about to leave for Paris and attend university.  Twenty-one year old Justine prefers to work at the old folks home and listen to the stories the residents share with her instead of seeking other employment, escaping the small town of Milly.

The WW II time period features the story of Hélène and Lucian and I liked that timeline/story very much.  In present day Justine takes care of the almost 100 year old Hélène and loves hearing her stories, especially the ones about Lucian as a young man and how their life progressed.

There is quite a bit going on and in the last 20% of the book, things coming together in both time periods.