Poetry of Reading

Death of Kings covers the events surrounding the death of Alfred the Great of Wessex in 899. His son Edward is heir to the throne, much to the chagrin of Alfred’s nephew, Æthelwold. Uhtred, the protagonist of The Saxon Tales and the warrior who defeated many a Dane in defense of Alfred’s kingdom, is in his forties by this novel. He is still the lover of Æthelflaed, Alfred’s daughter, and remains the greatest Saxon warrior in England. But his own life and the fate of the kingdom become threatened by Alfred’s impending demise as a cast of Danes, and even some treacherous Saxon lords, scheme to take Wessex for their own. And killing Uhtred of Bebbanburg is at the top of the list for achieving that goal. As with most of the novels in The Saxon Tales series, it lay the foundation for this plot with events and characters from earlier books. Familiar villains, like Haesten the Dane, are back, as are allies, including Father Willibald, Father Beocca, Steapa, and Finan. And like many of Cornwell’s novels, this one builds towards a climactic battle with the Danes over the fate of Wessex. Cornwell writes medieval battle scenes better than any author I have read, and the several in this novel are the highlights of the story.

A great read for anyone interested in the time when English identity was forming and the Saxons had to fight with the Danes for England. Just the right mix of battle, fighting, and intrigue.

Styron’s novel is quite different from most Holocaust novels in that it depicts the reflections of a non-Jewish survivor. Sophie is interesting for so many reasons, and there were so many layers to her as a person. Some of them conflicted with each other and Styron depicted contradicting attitudes. In essence, Sophie was so human.

Sensitive readers will find parts of Sophie’s Choice difficult, almost unbearable, to read. At the same time, it is a beautifully written, tragic, love story.

The story is centered around Polly, a woman in her thirties, who loses her job and her boyfriend. Her long-term boyfriend lost his business, so they bankrupted. He leaves her and goes back home to his mother, and Polly is left on her own, so she goes to the only place she can afford, Cornwall. Cornwall is such a different place. In that old cottage, Polly finds a friend, an injured puffin. Neil is not her pet, he is her only friend on the lonely nights. Not knowing what to do with herself, Polly starts to bake. She has always loved baking, but for her ex-boyfriend, it was just goofing around. Her fresh bread smells all around the cottage, so local fishermen soon become her friends. Especially Tarnie. Huckle also becomes a person close to her heart, but things with Chris, her ex, aren’t settled yet. Polly is new in the town, and the old lady who owns the local bakery isn’t happy with her baking for the fishermen. Polly has to find a way to win her heart and finally settle down and decide what she wants in life.

Polly is such an adorable character. She has a heart of gold and is always there to help. She is also very moral. I was so proud of her when she broke up the relationship as soon as she found out the guy was married.

The story for The Little Beach Street Bakery is so warm and sprinkled with flour and sugar. It’s not just a story about cooking, but also about being brave and taking things into your own hands again. It’s about making a life worth living. An enjoyable warm story that will melt your heart.