Front Cover Friday – 11

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

There is something so beautiful about this cover. The first time I saw it, its melancholy touched me. The almost dry petals of the flowers hummed some sort of grief to me. And the letters – how long has it been since you last received a hand written letter? It’s been few years for me, and seeing the envelopes lying there like that evoked some long forgotten feelings in me. Overall, the cover took my away to a whole different world of intense emotions just in a glance. And so, I couldn’t wait to read more about the storyline…

Penguin Book (UK) provides the following synopsis about the book –

Letters of love, telegrams of loss – the postmistress awaits them all

The wireless crackles with news of blitzed-out London and of the Second World War which is coursing through Europe, leaving destruction in its wake. Listening intently on the other side of the Atlantic, newly-wed Emma considers the fragility of her peaceful married life as America edges closer to the brink of war. As the reporter’s distant voice fills the room, she sits convincing herself that the sleepy town of Franklin must be far beyond the war’s reach.

But the life of American journalist Frankie Bard, whose voice seems so remote, will soon be deeply entangled with her own. With the delivery of a letter into the hands of postmistress Iris, the fates of these three women become irrevocably linked. But while it remains unopened, can Iris keep its truth at bay?

The Postmistress is a sweeping, romantic and harrowing tale of three unforgettable women, war torn fates and of what happens when those we love leave us behind.

Sounds interesting, yes. It might be a while before I read this one, but I will definitely get around to doing it someday.

What do you think?

Front Cover Friday – 10

I could not resist to include covers from both books “The Twentieth Wife” and “The Feast of Roses”  by Indu Sundaresan.  I loved them both equally. It made sense to include both; because they relate with each other. ” The Feast of Roses” is sequel of “The Twentieth Wife”.

Both the novels base in historical India precisely from Mughal Era. It is captivating story of young and bright girl Mehrunnissa who wishes becoming Prince Salim’s wife more widely known as Empress Nur Jahan.  A tale of power , love and woman’s life behind the veil.

Having read both the books; they are highly recommended. Indu Sundaresan stays one of my favorite writer of all the time.

The Housekeeper and the Professor

…by Yoko Ogawa.

Set in Japan, the novel is about a man, gifted mathematician, once a Professor, who now suffers from a illness. Due to an accident  he was in involved in decades ago his memory only lasts eighty minutes. Everything that happened prior to the accident, he remembers, but since he injury his mind is only capable of handling eighty minutes at a time. His sister-in-law, the only person that is his family now, looks out for him and makes sure he is taken care of.

She (the sister-in-law) hires a housekeeper, a young mother of a ten year old, to take care of the Professor’s basic day to day needs. The story is about how the Professor bonds with the Housekeeper and her soon, whom he nicknames Root.

The Housekeeper is mesmerized by the Professor’s passion for mathematics and learns quite a lot from him about the subject, given that their normal conversations revolve around the subject. And the Professor finds comfort in Root’s company – they share a special interest in baseball, apart from the being intrigued by math. The story goes on to reveal how, in spite of his illness, the Professor, the Housekeeper and the child go on to make a create this beautiful relationship that brings all of them immense joy.

This is a poignant tale of bonds that we share with people other than family. I loved reading each and every word of the book – what attracted me at first was the mathematics part, but what stayed behind after I finished reading the book are the sentiments that are so well captured. A reassuring tale that true love (in the most platonic sense) has the power to go above and beyond any barrier.

The author’s words is like a stream – calming the reader, yet creating anxiety every now and then. I loved how I was always left wanting more whenever I closed the book. The flow is flawless and the writing is simple – making it a quick and easy read.

Beware, though, that if you are not a big fan of math or baseball, you might find parts of the novel drag, for there are many references to those subjects. You don’t have to know it all, but as long as you don’t mind reading through couple of paragraphs about number theory or baseball season, then it should be a pleasant read.

Overall, a compelling tale that revolves around companionship. I highly recommend it.

My rating: 4*.

*for the rating scale, click here.