Challenging

The day when a challenge became . . . even more challenging! Wet and windy, all day. I was not going out looking for anything wild, when the weather itself was wild.
 
So, Clover – a blurry picture, taken very quickly in rain and wind. Of course I knew Clover, but had never known there are so many different kinds. This one is White Clover. I have also learnt a ‘proper’ name – Trifolium – presumably because of the very obvious make up of Clover leaves. And then of course there is Trefoil, I had never made that link before – the things you learn.
 
Extra. It’s a bit tricky getting out at the end of our road at the moment! Fortunately the police have stopped them taking over both sides of the road and have moved some of them into a field. In previous years it has been actually impossible to get out this way.
 
 
Some thoughts on the shortlist for the Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction (Please ignore, unless you are really interested)
Over the last few years I have tried to read the shortlisted books and usually enjoyed the experience. This year I have struggled, but have read them all – well almost! Some months ago now I gathered together, read, and really enjoyed, a number of books on the longlist and thought there were some strong contenders. Then the shortlist was announced and it only contained one that I read. So I was disappointed and found I was not inspired. However, my daughters started reading them, so I did too. Here are my thoughts, for what they worth, for my own record and for anyone else interested. (Winner announced on Wednesday)
 
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien
This is powerful, thoughtful, beautifully written book and I love it.  It is the story of how several Chinese families lived through the Cultural Revolution and its aftermath and how the impact of their struggles and experiences reverberates through the generations to the present day. A strong musical theme winds through the writing. It is not an easy read, but is well worth the effort.
 
The Dark Circle by Linda Grant
I liked this book, and so did my daughters. Easier to read, I would recommend this. The story takes place in 1949, and mainly in a sanatorium for those diagnosed with tuberculosis. How all the different personalities deal with this situation is fascinating. What is also interesting, and very pertinent to the present day, especially this week, is to see the impact of the newly-introduced NHS. (How can we be in danger of losing something so precious? I hope people think about this when they go to vote on Thursday.)
 
First Love by Gwendoline Riley
A short novel describing a failed relationship. I could not see the point of this book and was very surprised to see it on the shortlist.
 
Stay With Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀̀
Set in the political turbulence of 80s Nigeria, this is a devastating tale of the desire for a child, the fragility of love, grief, betrayal and despair. I did not like it at all.
 
The Power  Naomi Alderman
What if the power was in women’s hands, quite literally, if they could kill men with a single tough? An extraordinary book, violent and thought provoking. I did not like it and gave up with it halfway. My daughters loved it! Perhaps I just can’t deal with science fiction, which is how I would class this book. Tipped to win and it probably will do.
 
The Sport of Kings by C.E. Morgan
I bought this book as a hardback, because it got good reviews. Then this huge book sat there without my even picking it up. A book about horse racing! An all-American epic! No, I did not want to read it. Then my daughter said that she had just finished it and absolutely loved it – the best book she had read in years – apparently. So, I took it (in paperback!) with me when I was in London for the weekend and read it whenever I got the chance. Definitely worth reading, if you have the stamina, but it is a long, gruelling and quite shocking book, as it reveals how the scars of racial hatred, prejudice, violence and family loyalty run through the generations to the present day.
 
The book I think should win - Do Not Say We Have Nothing 
The book that I think will win – The Power (or maybe The Sport of Kings)