august 2025 books...

Yesterday Morning (Diana Athill): I’ve read a lot of Athill’s books over the years. She died in 2019, aged 101. Until she was 14, she was educated at home by governesses – before a spell at boarding school, and on to read English at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, in 1936. Then she discovered that she had to earn her own living(!) and ultimately became one of book publishing’s most remarkable editors. In this memoir (first published in 2002), she explores her privileged childhood – England in the 1920s, seen with a clear and unsentimental eye from the vantage point of the 21^st century. There’s a stark honesty about her writing that I love.
Violeta (Isabel Allende): I was recommended this book (first published in 2022) by lovely Penny. I hadn’t previously read anything by Allende and was somewhat put off by Wikipedia’s “magical realism” description of her as a writer. Violeta is this novel’s 100-year-old storyteller. Born in South America (probably Chile) in 1920, during the influenza pandemic, and recounting the story of her life to her beloved 50-year-old grandson, during the outbreak of coronavirus in 2020. It’s a tale of passions, heartbreak, poverty, wealth and life’s losses and joys. The book also acts as a timely(?) reminder to readers of fascist dictatorships, repression, power and greed… not to mention patriarchy, domestic violence, justice/injustice, mistreatment of women etc etc. Allende is a very impressive storyteller and I found this a really powerful and riveting novel (although, interestingly, it hasn’t given me the urge to read lots more of her books).
The Commitments (Roddy Doyle): This is our next Storysmith bookgroup selection (based around musical theme)(first published in 1988). I always enjoy Doyle’s writing but, strangely, hadn’t previously read this book – although I’d seen the 1991 film when it first came out. You probably know the story… the description of the book’s jacket sums things up perfectly: “Barrytown, Dublin, has something to sing about. The Commitments are spreading the gospel of soul. Ably managed by Jimmy Rabbitte, brilliantly coached by Joey ‘The Lips’ Fagan, their twin assault on Motown and Barrytown takes them by leaps and bounds from parish hall to the steps of the studio door”. It’s feisty, rude, funny and charming… beautifully conceived and brilliantly observed – with the sung lyrics of lots of songs that I knew well (would it be ‘over-the-heads’ of anyone in their 20s/30s?). Some wonderful characters. A very enjoyable read.
Where The Streams Come From (Chris Goan): Once again, I’m using this book of poetry (first published in 2018) by my good friend Chris (even though we’ve never met – just a few zoom calls!) as part of my early morning reflections. Again and again, I find that his thought-provoking, powerful words get to heart of what I’m thinking and feeling. I love how he frequently adds notes at the bottom of a page to set his words in context and how they came about. A wonderful way of starting my mornings – often setting the rhythm and tone for the rest of the day. 
Flight To Arras (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry): Moira bought this book (first published in 1942) at a second-hand bookstall… but ended up deciding that it wasn’t for her! The time is 1940. Saint-Exupéry is sent on a reconnaissance flight over enemy-occupied France. The country is a shambles, his flight is pointless, and his chances of getting back alive are 2-to-1 against. It’s about the futility of war; a picture of a defeated country and something of a portrait of men “who contribute to defeat by putting humanity above patriotism” (as the book’s cover blurb puts it). It’s an impressive, passionate book (although I found its penultimate chapter too much like a Sunday sermon for my liking!) about death, childhood, sacrifice, identity, and civilization. After finishing the book, I sadly discovered that, whilst on a reconnaissance flight over the Mediterranean in 1943, his plane disappeared, probably having been shot down by a German fighter.