The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd

Loved the story, loved the characters and loved the writing.  The hint of mystery adds to the enjoyment and keeps you coming back for more. It is a relaxing stroll through an absorbing narrative that leads to a satisfying conclusion and even throws in a little education about bees for good measure.  Not a gripping, fast paced novel but a page turner none the less.  Just discovered it was made into a movie starring Queen Latifa, must check it out.

 

The Light Between Oceans - M L Steadman

Amazon Blurb

Richard and Judy summer bookclub read 2013, Goodreads category winner, and longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2013, stunning story of a lighthouse keeper and his wife who face a life-changing moral dilemma.

 

A boat washes up on the shore of a remote lighthouse keeper's island. It holds a dead man - and a crying baby. The only two islanders, Tom and his wife Izzy, are about to make a devastating decision.

They break the rules and follow their hearts. What happens next will break yours

 

 

 

My Review

An enjoyable, moving read. The narrative sympathetically unfolds from an unusual perspective, that of a couple who find a baby and decide to keep her.  The story unfolds at a gentle, heart tugging pace and makes it impossible not to care about their plight. The decisions made and the on-going consequences make riveting reading.  The moral dilemma makes for a good ‘book club’ choice.  Look forward to the movie.