Talking Location With … Stephanie Dray / Laura Kamoie: WASHINGTON DC
A September giveaway
31st August 2022
We are delighted to offer a September giveaway, comprising:
- A copy of Songbirds by Christy Lefteri
- A copy of The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson
- A yellow “Moleskine” ruled notebook
- A box with a world map on its front and a magnetic closure in which the giveaway will be despatched
OPEN WORLDWIDE
Songbirds by Christy Lefteri (Cyprus)
The follow-up to the global bestseller The Beekeeper of Aleppo, Songbirds is a heart-breaking story for our times.
She walks unseen through our world.
Cares for our children, cleans our homes.
Her voice unheard.
She has a story to tell.
Will you listen?
Nisha has crossed oceans to give her child a future. By day she cares for Petra’s daughter, Aliki; at night she mothers her own in Sri Lanka by the light of a phone.
Nisha’s lover is Yiannis, a poacher, who hunts the tiny songbirds as they migrate to Cyprus on their way to Africa each winter. He dreams of finding a new way of life, of marrying Nisha.
When Nisha disappears, little Aliki insists she wouldn’t simply run away; they must find her. As Petra learns to take care of Aliki herself, she comes to understand the woman she barely knew, and realises only she and Yiannis will bother to look for her. What they uncover will change them all.
Set on her native Cyprus, Christy Lefteri has crafted a powerful, redemptive story of loss, of the triumph of the human spirit, and of the enduring love of a mother for her child.
The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson (North London)
‘It takes the most ferocious intelligence, skill, and a deep reservoir of sadness to write a novel as funny as this. I adored it’ – Meg Mason, author of Sorrow & Bliss
‘A devastating treat of a novel: funny, furious, dark and delicious’ – Sarah Waters, author of Fingersmith
The longer the marriage, the harder truth becomes . . .
Meet the Hanrahan family, gathering for a momentous weekend as famous artist and notorious egoist Ray Hanrahan prepares for a new exhibition of his art – the first in many decades – and one he is sure will burnish his reputation for good.
His three children will be there: beautiful Leah, always her father’s biggest champion; sensitive Patrick, who has finally decided to strike out on his own; and insecure Jess, the youngest, who has her own momentous decision to make . . .
And what of Lucia, Ray’s steadfast and selfless wife? She is an artist, too, but has always had to put her roles as wife and mother first. What will happen if she decides to change? For Lucia is hiding secrets of her own, and as the weekend unfolds and the exhibition approaches, she must finally make a choice.
The Exhibitionist is the extraordinary fifth novel from Charlotte Mendelson, a dazzling exploration of art, sacrifice, toxic family politics, queer desire, and personal freedom.
HOW TO ENTER
- You need to be a member of TripFiction. Simply go to tripfiction.com and scroll down to the JOIN NOW tab. And we do check!
- Tell us which title you have read in recent times that has truly transported you away to another geographical place, with top location(s) and brilliant story combined. We want YOUR recommendations. Leave a COMMENT below to register your entry!! Do this by 10 September 2022. The first name chosen at random will be sent the package!
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The winner is Hails84!
10 minutes and 38 seconds in this strange world by Elif Shafek. Set in Turkey, just wonderful!
Mrs England took me to early 20th century Yorkshire
September by Rosamunde Pilcher took me back to Cornwall in the 1700’s 1800’s.
Under a Greek Moon by Carol Kirkwood. This book was lent to me by a friend. Not the sort of book I would pick of the shelf myself. i didn’t expect to like it but I absolutely loved it!
The People in the Trees
I’ve recently finished this book. Although very provocative, I agree this is not a book for everyone, however I really enjoyed it from the very first page. It opened up a whole new world and I’ve reflecting on this for days after. Recommended but read the reviews of others as it may not your cup of tea.
Aberystwyth Mon Amour (Aberystwyth Noir series Book 1) by Malcolm Pryce This book sent me to deepest Wales it was great!
Really enjoyed Agatha Christies ‘And Then There Were None’ set on spooky, lonely Burgh Island x
The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
The Silver Road by Stina Jackson, which is set in a remote part of northern Sweden.
Stranger, Visitor, Foreigner, Guest by Elizabeth Porter is a book i picked up looking for a summer read with more of a bite and i was so pleased with this choice the setting of Zanzibar and the lives of folk navigating during a war really took my mind away.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed. An impulsive decision to walk the Pacific Crest Trail in America by a girl in crisis ends up giving her direction and a sense of purpose. The descriptions of the rugged, wild and beautiful but often dangerous landscape of the west coast trail makes me want to buy a pair of hiking boots and set out to conquer the it myself.
Our book group has just finished reading The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare. We all rated it very highly. It transports you to the world of rural Nigeria and then to Lagos. The story of Adunni highlights the problems young girls can face but ultimately ends on a hopeful note.
Where the Crawdads Sing!
Beach Read by Emily Henry. Makes me want to buy a beach front house and bond with my cute next door neighbour!
I’m reading the kindness of wolves currently which is set in Canada, its beautiful in its description of the Canadian countryside
Swallow and Amazon’s lake district on coniston!water childhood memories! Fabulous
Driving over lemons.
The Island by Victoria Hislop is a great read!
Where the crawdads sing, great story and I felt I was there among the marshes and watching the bird with her
Where the crawdads sing
“Desert flower” by Waris Dirie was probably one of the best books I have ever read and it definitely took me places. highly recommend!
Maror – Israel
Once a Killer by Murray Bailey, which is set in 1950’s Hong Kong.
The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes. Set in the mountains and region of Kentucky. A female pony library is a wonderful tribute to the strength of a community of women.
Still Life by Sarah Winman. A fabulous book that takes you from London to the post war streets of Florence. Damaged souls brought together creating beautiful friendships. So uplifting. I am going to walk those Florence streets again but will be on the look out for places mentioned in this book.
Maya’s Notebook by Isabel Allende transported me to a remote island off the coast of Chile. A wonderful book with such imagery that makes me long to visit Maya’s island and meet the inhabitants who made her so welcome and helped her find herself.
The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel. I am interested in visiting Portugal someday and this book helped me escape there.
The holiday, took me right to a villa in the south of france
Where the Crawdads Sing…a breathtaking story and you feel like you’re there!
The Pleasure Seekers by Tishani Doshi, mainly set in Madras, but also London and Wales.
Less than a Treason by Dana Stabenow. You can almost feel the remoteness and icy cold of Alaska as you read.
Where the Crawdads Sing, to the marshes of deep south!
The Blackpool Highflier is a cosy mystery that is set in my original hometown – took me right back to being on the British coast!
Fab prize!
I have just finished The Secret of Elephants, by Vasundra Tailor. Her debut novel, it moves between India & Zimbabwe, unravelling family mysteries along the way!
The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna. It is set in Croatia and I have recently had my first trip to that beautiful country. I loved the book and it inspired me to read more background on the country’s turbulent history.
Summerwater, by Sarah Moss – took me back to memories they may have of holidaying in Scotland that is Dreich.
The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Dare was an awesome book and took you on a very authentic story set in Africa. Its a brilliant read.
The dictionary of lost words…..took me to Bristol and back to the early 1900s. Great read.
This sounds like a great story
Miss Aldridge regrets took me on an Atlantic cruise to New York taking in the fashions and music of the 1930s, with a murder or two as well!
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Makes me understand why James Taylor wanted to sing about Carolina!
I’ve just finished The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Dare. It is set in Nigeria and is certainly an eye-opener to the culture of the country. The final chapters start with interesting facts about Nigeria that give context to the story. At times harrowing, it was an uplifting and humbling story that I would recommend.
Where the Crawdads sing
Summer Visitors set in rural Eire.
Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens. Exquisite descriptions of the environment and the wildlife, forming the perfect backdrop to a cracking good read.
It has to be You’ll Never See Me Again by Lesley Pearse.
Niels Klim’s Underground Travels
Absolutely forward thinking read
I loved Where the Crawdads sing by Delia Evans, set in the marshes of North Carolina. I could really picture, and “hear” the area. A great book – I hope the film is good too
That would be The Retreat by Sarah Pearce
Idol by louise O,Neil
A few late nights and I’d read the whole book I couldn’t put it down
Where The Crawdads Sing was very discriptive of North Carolina
I have just finished The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri, very emotional read that transported you on their journey from Syria to England. I would love to have been able to visit Syria before war broke out.
Not read any books In 2022.
The Beach by Alex Garland – set in Thailand
Recently read Iron Lake by William Kent Kreuger. I could feel the icy Minnesota snow as I read it in the 95 degree summer heat!
Wildlight by Robyn Mundy is set on remote Maatsuyker Island off the coast of Tasmania in southern Australia. The setting is evoked so vividly, you can feel the saltwater sting on your skin. A poignant coming of age story, Wildlight vividly demonstrates how place shapes our lives.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I felt totally immersed in the setting of the marshes of North Carolina.
Death on a Galician Shore by Domingo Villar. Perfectly capturers the rugged scenery and climate of northern Galicia. Great central character, sense of place and supporting cast of characters. Conjures up a real atmosphere of tension and mystery.
Wizard and glass by Stephen king.He really does brilliantly in transporting you to the landscapes and worlds even if some of them are purely fictional.
Island Time by Georgia Clark – Australian islands, big focus on the indigenous culture there, and a cute romance plot to go along with it. What could be better!
One more day by Emma Heatherington – set around Lough Neagh and in County Cork
Katherine Ryan’s descriptions of Canada
The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman, took me to Coney Island
The Island of Sea Women, by Lisa See. Great deep dive into the shifting culture of Korean village life over the past century.
I just finished The Bell in the Lake by lars Mytting. Remote Norwegian setting and great story. Highly recommend!
The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green is excellent. Green, the founder of the Moth, gives us a layered, wondrous and powerful tale. Savannah is a beautiful city, but there is ugliness there which Green exposes. The characters are complex and interesting. They will stay with you after the book is finished.
There are so many, but I tried to find one which is not already mentioned on Trip Fiction:
I recommend “Fear and Trembling” by Amélie Nothomb. She is a Belgian writer and has based some of her novels on her time living in Japan (where she was also born). This book is about a young Belgian who moves to Tokyo to work for the Yumimoto Corporation and her attempts to fit in. The book is quite funny in parts and really gave me a sense of life in Tokyo and and Japanese culture. Her other autobiographical novel, “Tokyo Fiancee” is also very good.
Great read
Presently reading The girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare. Set in Nigeria it really transports you to a different world
I’ve just finished The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Dare. It is set in Nigeria and opened my eyes to the culture there. In the final chapters, there are facts about Nigeria that I found extremely interesting and context setting for the story. I recommend this book.
From Peking to Paris by Dina Bennett. (https://www.amazon.com/Peking-Paris-Short-Drive-Around/dp/1629146579) was a lot of fun and adventure including the author’s learning to Navigate , and build her confidence in herself.
I recently finished The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Dare. It was set in Nigeria and opened my eyes to the culture there. The final few chapters also had interesting facts about the country.
I recently read The Guide, a literary thriller set in Colorado. The author, Peter Heller, is a well-known outdoor writer and the fly-fishing scenes in this book are entrancing.
Will Dean’s Tuva books set in Gavrik, Sweden. Perfect “chills” for these heatwave days. I’ve recently re-read them all,
Catherine Clover’s ‘Templars Garden’. Not a new book, but became completely immersed in 15th century Gascony!
I recommend Waking the Witch by Rachel Burge. Largely set on Bardsey Island, it has demons, witchcraft and is all about the power of sisterhood.
The summer of serendipity based in the west coast of Ireland
Carlo Levi’s Christ stopped at Eboli. A very different world from the one I live in
My choice from recent reads is A Harvest of Secrets by Roland Merullo, an historical saga with an absorbing plot and compelling characters set in Italy towards the end of World War II. It transported me to the lovely vineyards of Tuscany and the rough grandeur of Sicily.
Hi, I recommend ‘The Crimson Thread’ by Kate Forsyth, an epic story set in Crete. Based on the siege of Crete during World War II, and the resistance forged by the Cretan people and Australian and NZ soldiers left on the island when the British retreated. The author also links these true events with the myth of the Minataur in the Palace of Knossos. A riveting read which evokes history, myth and geography of Crete.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, set in North Carolina America. The movie was good too
I have recently read 3 very different books all set in France …
A Postcard from Paris which draws you into the Capital in present day and back in the second world war under Nazi occuptation.
Messandrierre which is set more in the French countyside, travelling within town and villages. A murder mystery with Jacques Foret leading the investigation.
A French Affair set in beautiful Brittany, where Belinda’s teenage life came to an abrupt end but in present day is asked to go back to rejuvenate a campsite and unravels her past!
Loved all 3 books.
Really enjoyed The Draw Of The Sea by Wyl Menmuir. It is a non-fiction book based around the Cornish coastline. Wyl considers what the ocean and the shoreline mean to the many people who live and work in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Christmas on the Riviera
“A Wild Sheep Chase, ” by Haruki Murakami .
I enjoyed , but found ” A Wild Sheep Chase, ” very strange . It was PURE escapism , almost dreamlike . I was transported to Tokyo as well as the hills and snow of Hokkaido . A gripping read , but might read again , as I didnt understand every aspect .
I have just finished The Collectors Daught by Gill Paul. Spending time in Egypt at the opening of Tutankhams tomb was fascinating
David Hewson: The Garden of Angels
A wonderful – and frightening – picture of Venice during the Nazi occupation
Castaways by Lucy Clarke
The Accident, by Mihail Sebastian, published in Romanian in 1940. Despite the difficulties Sebastian was experiencing, it has an quiet elegaic tone which made me want to get out in the Transylvanian mountains. I willed Nora to overcome Paul’s reserve through the therapy of skiing.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley. Her description of the isolated Loch in the Scottish Highlands has inspired my upcoming holiday to Scotland
Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy, set in Greece, with wonderful descriptions of the local taverna and food. A brilliant summer read that transports you into the warmth and blue/green of Greece whilst telling the story of four unhappy people who meet for the first time.
The Storyteller of Casablanca by Fiona Valpy – the descriptions of the locations were so good that I really felt that I was there, I could even imagine the smell of the tanneries (although having been to Marrakech and smelt the tanneries for myself, I’m really not sure that’s a good thing!)
LOVEBIRDS by Amanda Hampson.
A moving tale about a healing roadtrip taken by a grandmother and her grandson through the Australian NSW northern hinterlands.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, in the marshes of North Carolina America
As I generally read crime books not really about the location but after some great Peter James and Dorothy Koomson books would like to visit Brighton
A Darkness more than Night, Harry Bosch in LA by Michael Connolly.
The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis. Set in wartime Paris and modern Boston, USA, the moving and gripping story captures both the senses of time and place of both cities.
The Woman in the White Kimono by Ana Johns. Set in Japan, full of the rituals of Japan and transports you to the country x